# Tips for Older Doggies



## Ruthanne (Jul 21, 2019)

What tips have you learned for your older dogs?  I am anxious to know.  My dog is 9 or 10 now and I want to know how to  keep her her healthiest.


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## Keesha (Jul 21, 2019)

One of our girls is 13 and she’s tiny so I have to make sure I’m not walking too fast for her, especially in this intense heat. 

She can overheat. 
I make sure she always has fresh water to drink. 
In the summer I set up a kiddies pool for her to cool down in. Her fur gets clipped regularly in the warmer months. 

She gets no preservatives or extra salt and gets fed 50% meat / 50% vegetables and is thriving. Every so often I throw in some rice. 

On very hot days both girls stay home  to keep cool. On very cold days both dogs get coats  put on them. 

Vet check ups 
Toenails clipped. 
Dog beds washed regularly


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## Ruthanne (Jul 21, 2019)

Keesha said:


> One of our girls is 13 and she’s tiny so I have to make sure I’m not walking too fast for her, especially in this intense heat.
> 
> She can overheat.
> I make sure she always has fresh water to drink.
> ...


Good stuff there!  It is really hot here and she is staying in till the sunsets!  :_


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## Butterfly (Jul 25, 2019)

Ruthanne said:


> What tips have you learned for your older dogs?  I am anxious to know.  My dog is 9 or 10 now and I want to know how to  keep her her healthiest.



Always be sure you get their regular vet checkups.  Many times they can catch something before it gets out of hand.


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## hypochondriac (Jul 25, 2019)

make sure your pet insurance is paid up. (in case they need an expensive operation) we don't have insurance by the way


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## mike4lorie (Jul 25, 2019)

Our Boys are now 11, and I find they are not really acting like they used to be, I find they are a lot like us. They've slowed down, they ache when they lay for a very long time, they are interested in the very long walks anymore, they get tired a lot faster when there's pup around... We treat our pups the way we treat older people...  They still get their walks, just not as far, lots of treats, lots of love...


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## Ruthanne (Jul 25, 2019)

Butterfly said:


> Always be sure you get their regular vet checkups.  Many times they can catch something before it gets out of hand.


Of course!


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## A2ZGrammie (Jul 25, 2019)

I'm not sure it helped his health, but ours was drawn to light. I guess it meant warmth. I would turn off lights, and use my phone light to coax him where I wanted him to go. Sure, I could have picked him up and carried him, but I read it was better for him to go there himself.


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## StarSong (Jul 25, 2019)

On very warm days, put your hand flat on the pavement and hold it there for 5 seconds.  If it's uncomfortably warm for you, it will be too hot for your pooch's paws.

My dog has developed intense separation anxiety since the loss of our other dog a couple of years ago. It's become a serious problem. At 11 pounds he's too small for most meds. We're trying a thunder-shirt but his anxiety pattern has become so ingrained that he still cries and paces while we're gone (we have internal and external security cameras). Any suggestions?


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## squatting dog (Jul 26, 2019)

StarSong said:


> On very warm days, put your hand flat on the pavement and hold it there for 5 seconds.  If it's uncomfortably warm for you, it will be too hot for your pooch's paws.
> 
> My dog has developed intense separation anxiety since the loss of our other dog a couple of years ago. It's become a serious problem. At 11 pounds he's too small for most meds. We're trying a thunder-shirt but his anxiety pattern has become so ingrained that he still cries and paces while we're gone (we have internal and external security cameras). Any suggestions?



Most dogs are like most people. He needs a buddy (to share in mischief) while you're not there.
Oh, and you are absolutely right about hot pavement.


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## MeAgain (Jul 26, 2019)

Ruthanne said:


> What tips have you learned for your older dogs?  I am anxious to know.  My dog is 9 or 10 now and I want to know how to  keep her her healthiest.


We just lost a large breed who died of natural causes. She was a greyhound mix with yellow lab who jumped over fence. A rescue greyhound. 75lb.s and lived ot be 18 years old which is very unusual even for greyhounds which live longer than most large breeds.

We never let her gain too much weight. All our dogs lived long lives youngest was 14. All put on diet if they got any extra weight on them.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 26, 2019)

They usually can't tolerate heat, cold or brisk exercise like they used to.  I recommend to take it easier with an older dog, consider they are having issues with arthritis and mental decline just like some people do.  Use steps for a small dog to get up and down from furniture like couch or bed.  We had bought a ramp for our old dog, unfortunately his didn't live long enough to make use of it.  Always bring water for the dog on any outdoor walks.

Know that their vision and hearing are likely impaired, when I was taking one of my older dogs to the dog park with my two younger ones years ago, although he always listened and responded to me when I called his name, he seemed to hear me, but not from the right direction.  He was eagerly running the other way instead of toward me.  Luckily he was friendly, and a nice lady was able to hold onto his collar until he saw me and was ready to come the right way.

Although he always reliably, on a daily basis, went to fetch the newspaper from the driveway, one day he started to look out of sorts, bypassed the paper, and started to stroll down the sidewalk, kind of in a daze.  We knew then that dementia was setting in, and so we kept a watchful eye and made sure he wouldn't do something that would get him injured or in any trouble.

I'm a big fan of supplements, so giving an older dog something for joints and inflammation pain like Glucosamine, MSM, etc., is always a good idea.  



> My dog has developed intense separation anxiety since the loss of our other dog a couple of years ago. It's become a serious problem. At 11 pounds he's too small for most meds. We're trying a thunder-shirt but his anxiety pattern has become so ingrained that he still cries and paces while we're gone (we have internal and external security cameras). Any suggestions?



StarSong, have you tried to leave him with articles of clothing of yours when you're gone, something that hasn't been washed yet and still has your scent on it?  Something that you don't care if it's on the floor and he lies on it.  Also, leaving a radio on low volume on a talk show may help with the sound of people's voices for company.  Good luck, I know I couldn't have a good time out, knowing one of my babies was stressed out and fearful at home.


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## MeAgain (Jul 26, 2019)

StarSong said:


> On very warm days, put your hand flat on the pavement and hold it there for 5 seconds.  If it's uncomfortably warm for you, it will be too hot for your pooch's paws.
> 
> My dog has developed intense separation anxiety since the loss of our other dog a couple of years ago. It's become a serious problem. At 11 pounds he's too small for most meds. We're trying a thunder-shirt but his anxiety pattern has become so ingrained that he still cries and paces while we're gone (we have internal and external security cameras). Any suggestions?



Seems obvious to get another dog.Our 11 year old went temp nuts after we lost her friend. She got sick coughed for two weeks and ran around barking. We put her with the other dog which is her sister that she use to not like.
    Now they are together all the time.


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## StarSong (Jul 27, 2019)

Our daughter's dog stays with us sometimes.  The two dogs get along very well, but when we leave them alone together our dog's anxiety isn't dramatically reduced by the presence of the other dog.  He wants US there.  If we take him to stay with anyone but our daughter - even for just a few hours - he stares at the door until we return.  We leave radios and TV on, and open interior doors so he has the run of the house.  

Over time he scratched up the front double oak doors so badly that we had to have them repaired and painted. We put clear plastic over the bottom third to keep him from destroying the doors again, but he scratched through the plastic and cut his paws. Replaced the plastic and he did it again. Now we barricade the front doors when we leave and exit through a different door. 

We tried crating him and he not only cried the entire time, he licked his paws raw during the 90 minutes we were gone. 

We're reluctant to get another dog while this one is still alive because we fear the new dog will pick up our current dog's behavior patterns rather than the other way around. It's too much of a gamble. 

You're right, Sea Breeze, it's very distressing to leave him knowing how upset he gets. He's only 12 pounds, but when we leave him he's a 12 pound bundle of nerves. Oddly, thunder and lightening, fireworks, etc., have never bothered him.


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## MeAgain (Jul 27, 2019)

Dogs will difinately pick up bad behavior of other dogs. I'm dealing with it now.


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## StarSong (Jul 27, 2019)

I wish there were some anti-anxiety meds to help with this situation.


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## JustBonee (Jul 27, 2019)

MeAgain said:


> Dogs will difinately pick up bad behavior of other dogs. I'm dealing with it now.



So true.  My bichon has picked up some barking habits from being around dogs at our apartments.


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## MeAgain (Jul 27, 2019)

Bonnie said:


> So true.  My bichon has picked up some barking habits from being around dogs at our apartments.



Our old dog passed this past year and her companion that had been with her all 11 years of her life grieved terribly.
   We put her with her 11 yo sister our other dog and now both are taking up mostly negative sides of their traits. 
   Amazign how they watch each other to see what works and doesn't too.


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## Ruthanne (Jul 27, 2019)

StarSong said:


> I wish there were some anti-anxiety meds to help with this situation.


My dog was on ativan for a short while and it didn't change the anxiety level but did make her sleep more.  Took her off the anti anxiety med. as I wanted her to be herself with more energy.


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## StarSong (Jul 27, 2019)

Ruthanne said:


> My dog was on ativan for a short while and it didn't change the anxiety level but did make her sleep more.  Took her off the anti anxiety med. as I wanted her to be herself with more energy.



Good to know, Ruthanne.


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## StarSong (Jul 28, 2019)

Has anyone here successfully managed an older dog's separation anxiety?


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## Ronni (Jul 28, 2019)

My dogs are 10 and 12.  I started doing twice yearly well visits to once my dogs became seniors, just so that there was a more frequent baseline so that I could catch early warning signs of illness more easily.  I also make sure they run a comprenensive blood panel as further insurance.

I keep my dogs lean.  It's far healthier for an animal to be ever so slightly underweight than it is for them to be even a tad overweight.  Less stress on skeletal system, bones and joints, and less fatty tissue surrounding their internal organs. 

I've recently read enough research to cause me to switch from their grain free diet to a limited grain/ingredient and low fat protein source diet, made for seniors.  They also get a joint/cartilage supplement that includes glucosamine, chondroitin  and msm.  They never get human food, except occasionally if one of them has a digestive issue, then I feed them small amounts of canned organic pumpkin.

What else?  Hmmm.....oh!  I still exercise them, but mindful of their advanced years and lessened endurance.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 28, 2019)

StarSong said:


> We're reluctant to get another dog while this one is still alive because we fear the new dog will pick up our current dog's behavior patterns rather than the other way around. It's too much of a gamble.
> 
> You're right, Sea Breeze, it's very distressing to leave him knowing how upset he gets. He's only 12 pounds, but when we leave him he's a 12 pound bundle of nerves. Oddly, thunder and lightening, fireworks, etc., have never bothered him.


You're wise not to get another dog now, the other dog will pick up on his anxiety and can likely adopt the same behaviors.  If your dog isn't comforted by other people or another dog when you're gone, then it makes no sense to get another one.

It's at least comforting knowing that thunder and loud noises don't cause him to be fearful, then you're being away would be a nightmare for the little guy.  Sorry there are no sure-fire methods to take care of this.  I feel for you guys.


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## 1955er (Jul 31, 2019)

Ruthanne said:


> What tips have you learned for your older dogs?  I am anxious to know.  My dog is 9 or 10 now and I want to know how to  keep her her healthiest.


Spoiling my 12 year old...to keep him his happiest


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## Ruthanne (Jul 31, 2019)

1955er said:


> Spoiling my 12 year old...to keep him his happiest


Mine is spoiled as well.  I think we all spoil our pups.


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## Butterfly (Jul 31, 2019)

StarSong said:


> I wish there were some anti-anxiety meds to help with this situation.



Have you talked with your vet about it?  Maybe there are. Years ago I had an adopted dog who had been abused badly and was very fearful of everything.  The vet put him on something for the anxiety, which the dog took for the rest of his life.  It didn't turn him into a zombie or anything, just relaxed him a bit to where he was able to be part of a family  without freaking out.


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## StarSong (Jul 31, 2019)

Butterfly said:


> Have you talked with your vet about it?  Maybe there are. Years ago I had an adopted dog who had been abused badly and was very fearful of everything.  The vet put him on something for the anxiety, which the dog took for the rest of his life.  It didn't turn him into a zombie or anything, just relaxed him a bit to where he was able to be part of a family  without freaking out.


The vet saw him yesterday morning and did some blood work.  All was clear so he's prescribing some meds for him today.  I hope it works and will report back.  Thanks for the encouragement and recommendations.  The biggest problem in prescribing drugs for him is that he's just a small pup.  He's about 13 years old and his weight runs between 11-13 lbs.  

Do you recall what your veg prescribed?


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## StarSong (Aug 2, 2019)

Update: The vet said his tests all show normal levels.  He prescribed Clomicalm, 1/4 tablet twice a day to start with.  We're now on the third day of him taking this and are ready for a test run to see if he manages ok when we leave him.  I'll keep you posted.


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## Ruthanne (Aug 2, 2019)

StarSong said:


> Update: The vet said his tests all show normal levels.  He prescribed Clomicalm, 1/4 tablet twice a day to start with.  We're now on the third day of him taking this and are ready for a test run to see if he manages ok when we leave him.  I'll keep you posted.


I hope you get good results!


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## StarSong (Aug 16, 2019)

I wanted to give the meds a couple of weeks before reporting back .  I mean, doncha just hate reading five star or one star reviews of a product only to realize that the person rated it based on speed of delivery, packaging, or after only having used something for a couple of days?  What's up with that anyway? 

But I digress. 

As per the vet's instructions, a couple of days ago we bumped him up to 1/2 pill taken twice a day. The biggest challenge is getting the pill into him because he's never been motivated by food. I put a few small dabs of chunky peanut butter on a plate, hide it in one of them, then attach a smidge of dog jerky to the top of each schmear. Mostly it works the first time, but not always. It's like dealing with a recalcitrant toddler. 

We also bought a thundershirt and put that on him a bit before we leave. The TS did little on its own, and the meds were meh on their own. However, with the two combined he's calmed down quite a bit when we leave him. He paces far less while we're out and the barking isn't non-stop. A low threshold perhaps, but we're happy with any glimmer of progress.


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## JustBonee (Aug 16, 2019)

StarSong said:


> As per the vet's instructions, a couple of days ago we bumped him up to 1/2 pill taken twice a day. The biggest challenge is getting the pill into him because he's never been motivated by food. I put a few small dabs of chunky peanut butter on a plate, hide it in one of them, then attach a smidge of dog jerky to the top of each schmear. Mostly it works the first time, but not always. It's like dealing with a recalcitrant toddler.



My fussy eater won't take any pills in peanut butter no matter how small they are crunched up.   My solution was buying a box of velvetta cheese. 
He cannot separate any pills,   or pieces of,  from the ball of  soft cheese.   (he was taking allergy pills) 
But of course, they have to like cheese.


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## StarSong (Aug 16, 2019)

Bonnie said:


> My fussy eater won't take any pills in peanut butter no matter how small they are crunched up.   My solution was buying a box of velvetta cheese.
> He cannot separate any pills,   or pieces of,  from the ball of  soft cheese.   (he was taking allergy pills)
> But of course, they have to like cheese.


He gets wise pretty quickly.  What works today won't necessarily work tomorrow so I'm grateful for ideas on how to outwit him.  

I've never tried a soft cheese. As you suggested, he separates out the pills from the cheese when I stuff the pill into a small piece of a block type cheese or even somewhat moldable types like mozzarella. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## JustBonee (Aug 16, 2019)

I think any food with the consistency of 'play doh'  ..lol ..works.     Velvetta,  and also  liverwurst (goose liver) or whatever you want to call it,  is  something that can be _smooshed_ around a pill  tightly and they can't separate the two.   And dogs love that stuff too. 
If a pill needs to be split or crumbled,  both of those hold it very well.


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## tortiecat (Aug 16, 2019)

My sheltie was deaf from the time he was 10 years old.
To get his attention I would stamp my foot on the floor and
the vibration would get his attention.
The good thing about his deafness was that he could no longer
hear thunder which terrified him.


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## StarSong (Aug 17, 2019)

tortiecat said:


> My sheltie was deaf from the time he was 10 years old.
> To get his attention I would stamp my foot on the floor and
> the vibration would get his attention.
> The good thing about his deafness was that he could no longer
> hear thunder which terrified him.


My pup is also losing his hearing.  It didn't dawn on me to stamp my foot to get his attention.  Thanks for the tip!


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## Butterfly (Aug 17, 2019)

StarSong said:


> The vet saw him yesterday morning and did some blood work.  All was clear so he's prescribing some meds for him today.  I hope it works and will report back.  Thanks for the encouragement and recommendations.  The biggest problem in prescribing drugs for him is that he's just a small pup.  He's about 13 years old and his weight runs between 11-13 lbs.
> 
> Do you recall what your veg prescribed?



I can't recall raight now.  Clomicalm is basically an SSRI, so can take a while to reach full effect; so don't get discouraged if it doesn't  help right away.


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