Golden Oldies - hints, tips and advice

[CorvusCorax]

As I don't think the other discussion is going anywhere other than round and round in circles and there are multiple threads with various advice, I wanted to start a central post where people can drop in information about how to help older dogs with mobility issues and also how to put in preventative measures for younger dogs to ensure they have as pain-free a future as possible - and also where people ask questions or seek advice about their own dog. Can be stickied to the top of the board if anyone wants to ask admin and I'd love it if some of the HHO vets could chip in.

I'll start:

My 13 year old GSD is currently on a joint aid supplement, good diet, wears a jumper in cold/wet weather and has a magnetic collar and a large magnet in his waterbowl, course of Metacam/Loxicom where I feel necessary. He's been to the vets three times since January with a skin infection, UTI and associated wobbliness. My floors are wood and vinyl so there are mats everywhere to prevent slipping and he is bedded on an anti-stab mattress (don't ask!!). I help him up and down back steps and into/out of van.
He's been a bit unsteady at times since January so have cut walks right back to 3x10 or 15 minutes a day. Pre Christmas he was able to do 30-40 in one go a few days a week but noticed him slowing down so have adjusted expectations.
This dog had a very high-impact sporting career and competed at top level from 2015-2018. He was limited in terms of high impact stuff/cycling/jumping until 12 months/x-rays were taken and always warmed up and cooled down.

For me, very important things include keeping dogs warm and dry, age-appropriate exercise - don't overdo it in youth, and realise old dogs can't do the same things they did when they were younger, even if they seem like they can or look like they want to - mitigate things like slippy floors, jumping into and out of the vehicle, up and down stairs, on and off sofa etc

Nobody likes to see their dogs old and infirm and slowing down, but for me, to have these old guys and gals still with us, particularly when they have given so much to us, is a privilege and I want to be able to repay that loyalty.

 

[skinnydipper]

Weight management throughout the dog's life.

 

[Goldenstar]

Finding the right bed for the older dog is important and there nothing hard and fast about what older dogs like .
A bed that aids comfortable sleep benefits well being .

 

[Birker2020]

We have ours on a joint supplement, she goes for regular walks, we are where we are in terms of her food (she will only eat chopped up meat slices) but we try and give her turkey, chicken or pork rather than salty ham or beef. We don't give her dairy anymore as we think this might cause her problems with her ears. We try and keep her weight down for her joints.

We have removed the plug in air fresheners at floor level because we think it might cause her allergies and we are careful to have her outside a room when we spray air freshener, body spray or deodorant. The only thing I don't like but we have not choice about is that when partner is at work she stays in brothers house half way between partners work and home as its too far for him to travel back to let her out at lunch time in 30 min lunch break. When brother is there he will smoke in the room where she is and her breathing can be quite noisy on the those days when she comes home and she stinks of fags.

She gets walked daily, sometimes twice and other days runs around the fields with her doggy friends for hours whilst partner is at work. She's never left for more than four hours on her own and has a selection of toys. She offers us play which we always take her up on, and she has regular vet visits. Despite being a beagle she wears a coat when its cold or wet. She sleeps under the duvet and when she's left has access to the beds, she's never had a basket. We don't have wood or vinyl floors other than the kitchen. We tend to lift her onto the bed when we can or help her off but she will still do a running jump and doesn't seem bothered.

We also take her collar off if we leave her at home in case she gets caught in it as she's had her dew claw stuck in it before now when she has scratched herself. The only thing we have a reoccuring issue with is her ears, she gets yeast infections in them, she's been shaking her head lately but we are treating with stuff from the vet.

 

[AmyMay]

Can I ask what the thought is behind the magnet in the water @CorvusCorax ?

 

[Love]

What a great idea for a thread @CorvusCorax. Can I ask what the large magnet in the water is for? Have not come across this before

 

[AmyMay]

Weight management, age appropriate exercise are high on my priority list, as is a good diet. Daisy’s been on a joint supplement since she was a young dog and in the last year went on a higher dose. I’m conscious of ‘hidden’ pain, even more so since a catastrophic diagnosis for our other (departed) dog, and do watch closely for signs of discomfort.

Members will know I’m a little paranoid at times. And rightly or wrongly will take Daisy to the vets at the drop of a hat.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Re the magnet, a friend of mine sold magnets for animal and human use but then got out of it and I asked her did she have any collars, she also had a magnet that you put in the bowl to 'charge' the water. It might be a load of oul hooey but giving it a try anyway!!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Weight management throughout the dog's life.

YES! Hugely important not to put too much weight on the joints. I keep my dogs pretty lean as a matter of course.

 

[AmyMay]

Re the magnet, a friend of mine sold magnets for animal and human use but then got out of it and I asked her did she have any collars, she also had a magnet that you put in the bowl to 'charge' the water. It might be a load of oul hooey but giving it a try anyway!!

Interesting. What sort of size is it?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Interesting. What sort of size is it?

About 10cm across. Surprised he hasn't eaten it yet there is a smaller sized one too. Apparently you can rub/hold them on the dog during massage as well. Again a bit hippy-dippy sounding but no harm in trying.

 

[Rowreach]

About 10cm across. Surprised he hasn't eaten it yet there is a smaller sized one too. Apparently you can rub/hold them on the dog during massage as well. Again a bit hippy-dippy sounding but no harm in trying.

I used to live in a hard water area and we had a magnet on the pipes. It really helped with cutting limescale due to the "charging" properties which I thought was baloney till I saw the results.

I've also had good results with a copper bangle bashed out and fitted to the inside of a dog's collar.

 

[Clodagh]

I pretty much do all that CC says except I haven’t tried a magnet in the water.
There’s only so many impact landings in a dogs joints so treat them like a horse where possible, no jumping onto concrete eg out of the car.

 

[oldandgold]

We had a car ramp for our previous oldie (s) and we use it now on the youngsters - never too early to start using them. Also gave them a quick body check every couple of weeks to check for any lumps/bumps usually while grooming. Did everything else that CC listed - except for the coat - the old girl was happy enough wearing it but would not pee/poo with it on.

 

[Clodagh]

We had a car ramp for our previous oldie (s) and we use it now on the youngsters - never too early to start using them. Also gave them a quick body check every couple of weeks to check for any lumps/bumps usually while grooming. Did everything else that CC listed - except for the coat - the old girl was happy enough wearing it but would not pee/poo with it on.

Mine don’t wear coats as standard, but after shooting or a lot of weather they have drying coats.
And heated kennels for the outdoor dogs, which everyone else thinks is incomprehensible and bizarre

 

[MurphysMinder]

Weight management is so
Important , and being aware of any slight changes in the dog . My older heeler was still doing veteran agility last year aged 12 , and loving it . He has had 3 or 4 ouchies over the winter when he has taken a couple of lame strides when jumping off the sofa . He has regular physio and she could find nothing wrong but I said I thought I would probably fully retire him from agility even though he still loves it . Physio’s response , which I thought was good , was that sometimes we have to be the responsible adult . I know he would happily keep jumping but it don’t want to cause issues .
Mine are all on Yumove of different strengths depending on age . I also have a step to help Pickle jump on and off my bed , but he usually jumps over it

 

[Rowreach]

Raised feed bowls. I made mine out of large plant pots (the sort you get plants in from the garden centre, not bought decorative ones, and the slightly rubbery plastic ones), cut holes in the bottom and inverted them so the dog bowls sit in the hole.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Would also like to add good nail husbandry - my middle dog who passed away aged 11 six months ago had very flat front feet and long nails (he came to me in 2018) and I am convinced his more frequent bursts of mechanical lameness compared to my older dog were caused by mitigating/rocking back to avoid discomfort from long nails touching the ground. He was also carrying an historic shoulder injury which occurred before I got him.

 

[Clodagh]

Raised feed bowls. I made mine out of large plant pots (the sort you get plants in from the garden centre, not bought decorative ones, and the slightly rubbery plastic ones), cut holes in the bottom and inverted them so the dog bowls sit in the hole.

I do raise T’s feed bowl, hers is on a cardboard box with a dog bed on it, but not the younger ones.
I’ve never cut nails, although as B aged she had hers checked with her librella.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh gosh, CC, I didn’t realise that you’d lost your middle dog, I’m really sorry to hear that .

 

[CorvusCorax]

Oh gosh, CC, I didn’t realise that you’d lost your middle dog, I’m really sorry to hear that .

Thanks TP, it was relatively sudden and I still haven't really dealt with it yet, still swinging between was I too hasty/did I not give him enough time. The vet didn't want me to go home and think about it, which is unusual.

 

[paisley]

Don’t underestimate the value of actual walking- dogs frequently trot as it’s easier but proper on lead straight walking helps muscle. As does different surfaces to promote neurological engagement.
And a personal view- I try not to keep walking on and waiting for him to catch up when off lead. For some reason I feel this could be disheartening so I let him go his own pace, wait for him to finish a sniff then let him lead on.

 

[druid]

Weight management (most dogs I see are too fat)
Start a joint supplement in working dogs at 1yo (just glucosamine and MSM)
Add other supplements such as Green Lip mussel later in life as needed.
Nail trimming, they shouldn't be touching the ground when dog is stood.
Dog suitable flooring or mats/tiles to mitigate
Dry off and warm up dogs as soon as possible after wet or cold exercise
Exercise management - sensible and appropriate for age and health

 

[blackcob]

Splendid Pets do really good value ex commercial non slip mats. I constructed an arthritis runway and it stayed in place for the giant moose pup as well.

 

[I'm Dun]

My oldest whippet is 8yrs old, so slowly approaching old age. I've got a question about when you reduce the walks? Hes hard fit at the minute, does about 50miles a week about 75% off lead and quite a lot of fast sprinting and wrestling with the younger one. We tend to do 2 or 3 big walks, then a quiet day and roughly repeat. He is incredibly happy and loves his walks, but he's also a bone idle whippet and usually has to be removed from under the duvet if its wet/cold or early. Its always been that way though, so I don't know how I judge when to reduce the exercise. Or how I'll do it when he wont be left and the young dog needs a lot of exercise. Thats a problem for another day though!

Hes obviously very slim, fit with no known issues and looks like a young dog to most people so hopefully a while off yet. I've just been mulling it over for a while and this seemed a good place to ask!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I don't really know enough about whippets but mine was 7 when he was retired from sports (lack of control rather than fitness, he could have probably competed up til about ten, based on how he was) and he continued doing sporadic helper training (bitework) up until 11/12, walks reduced because I had too many dogs but also coincided with age, he only started physically slowing down since about 12 onwards (getting puffed on walks, not as happy getting in and out of van) and then a big slowdown since Christmas just before turning 13.

 

[AmyMay]

My oldest whippet is 8yrs old, so slowly approaching old age. I've got a question about when you reduce the walks? Hes hard fit at the minute, does about 50miles a week about 75% off lead and quite a lot of fast sprinting and wrestling with the younger one. We tend to do 2 or 3 big walks, then a quiet day and roughly repeat. He is incredibly happy and loves his walks, but he's also a bone idle whippet and usually has to be removed from under the duvet if its wet/cold or early. Its always been that way though, so I don't know how I judge when to reduce the exercise. Or how I'll do it when he wont be left and the young dog needs a lot of exercise. Thats a problem for another day though!

Hes obviously very slim, fit with no known issues and looks like a young dog to most people so hopefully a while off yet. I've just been mulling it over for a while and this seemed a good place to ask!

Daisy’s 10. And it’s really only towards the end of last year that I reduced the ‘workload’. So where we would do two good walks a day of around two hours each I now do one short and one longer. She has slowed down somewhat. But still loves ball (don’t do it every day, and really only at her request. She prefers to dig up the sand and hide it now).

I’ve reduced things having been guided by her really (Bichon).

 

[CorvusCorax]

Oh, good reminder, I don't chuck balls for mine at all any more, stopped it years ago, seen too many stupid injuries. My older dog would chase a ball until the point of death and he has one on him/carries it at all times, just no chucking/chasing. I do think one of the reasons he was very wobbly after Christmas was because I forgot to tell the girls at the kennels this. Oops.
A ball is their primary reward in training but I just drop it to them, throw or kick it a very short distance or throw it, let it go dead, then send them. Always bowled along the ground 'running rabbit' not high in the sky like a bird.

 

[druid]

Ball chasing (or any retrieve that isn't from a dead) is just so hard on joints. Pet peeve!

 

[SkylarkAscending]

Just remember to love them more than anything and tell them so all the time. After years of losing greyhounds at around 12 years old I thought I’d have George for longer - he was “only” 15, but he had absolutely everything and anything he needed or wanted.

Monthly Librella injections supplemented with Metacam/loxicom/paracetomol as he got older and arthritic (he had fused discs in his back I found). Any little issue meant he was whipped straight down to my long suffering and wonderful vets, who were amazing with him and me. His teeth/weight/nails were kept 100%

He adored hydrotherapy and I’d use it again in an instant to keep an older dog mobile.

He walked in the way/as much he wanted to walk - we dawdled for sniff stops, or strode out together on a good day. if he had had enough, he was carried or we went home. His choice.

His diet was varied quite often as he had an IBS type condition which meant feeding him was a bit of a challenge. Everything from raw to cooked meat to tinned food, whatever he fancied. And always Prokolin in the house for tikes when I just couldn’t get it right for the poor lad.

He slept, or played, or chilled just as he wished, he made his feelings clear!

I’ve used physio for previous older dogs, utilised raised bowls and specific feeding methods for elderly greyhounds and lurchers, always ensured there is plenty of fresh water available (changed twice daily) as some medical conditions may mean they drink more, and always a huge choice of beds so they can choose what makes them comfortable.