Senior Dog Woes

[Delaney]

Sorry in advance for the rambling…

Over the last year I’ve come to the rough realization that my handsome baby barn dog Bo isn’t so much a baby anymore… nearly exactly a year ago he had a pretty tough scare with his liver but is well on the mend now.

At nearly 12 he’s really starting to slow down - though we recently spent a month at the beach and he was like a pup again! Chasing waves and making every effort to eat cannonball jellies and fish scraps. (Once a barn dog, always a barn dog…)

He’s been having an increasingly hard time getting up and going up the stairs on hardwoods and is just generally ouchy. Due to our current living situation we’re not able to add a stair runner, but I have put many throw rugs down to help. I do have him on a senior dog supplement.

I bought him little rubberized booties (my sister calls them his “hospital socks” ) but he’ll rip the front ones off within seconds of me putting them on… (shouldn’t be shocked… Border/Heeler mix…)

Despite the fact that he’s not a pup anymore - he’ll always be my baby! Do you have any advice to help a senior dog “age gracefully”?!

Open to all suggestions!

ETA: I’ve been eyeing a BOT coat and bed for him… I’ve loved their polos, any dog recommendations?

[Cammie]

Mine is 10 and having issues with her back that is undiagnosed so far.

Adequan- she’s much less stiff, generally bounces back faster if she overdoes things after being on it for several months.

Joint supplements- phycox.

Acupuncture- making a big difference with the undiagnosed back issue. Neurologic response is improving.

Orthopedic memory foam dog bed- she has many beds to choose from and has really taken to the cushier one recently.

I just ordered the mesh Back on Track dog blanket but sent it straight back. Terribly designed, a dog cannot go to the bathroom while wearing it. Who puts a tail slot in a dog blanket and has fabric hanging down nearly to their hocks like a skirt underneath?!? My dog is only 23lbs, so it was a lot of “stuff” in a small amount of fabric too- buckles, snaps, lacing, toggles. On a larger dog it would be more reasonable if you could get past the bathroom dilemma.

I do have Back on Track dog pad that she sleeps on occasionally but the cats are far more attached to it than she is.

[Delaney]

Thank you @Cammie!!

I can’t believe I haven’t thought of adequan for him!

Another issue is beds… He’s gotten very good at putting his front paws up on our bed for me to lift him in at night - with three therapeutic dog beds in our room he’ll jump down somewhere around midnight and situate himself neatly between them

[TheJenners]

Adequan seemed to help my super senior too, but I keep spacing his shots so I gave up. He gets rimadyl some or most days, it can affect their tummy or liver but he has been fine and at 16 with advanced arthritis, comfort versus the small chance of liver damage, I’m going for comfort. He is mostly Aussie with a smidge of Kelpie, so 16 is pretty advanced. He runs around, plays ball, jumps in and out of the truck(s) and my SUV fine. He was falling in the back end getting out for a period of a couple weeks a couple months ago, so I said he had to be picked up to get out. He HATES being picked up, always has, so after a couple weeks of “that bullshit” as I’m sure he was thinking, he quit falling I’m still there to catch him by just looping my hand under his tummy or bracing his side, but he hasn’t come close in a couple months now.

His xray showed arthritis in both hips, under his pelvis, and even his little nub of a tail - he spent the first four years of his life as a working cow dog so I’m sure he got kicked or stomped a few times. I think he has some arthritis in his elbows or shoulders too, but I only had the back end xrayed after he rolled over a jolly ball size ball while chasing it and it bent a back leg back funny, and he went three legged.

I also watch his weight, because like most Aussies, he tends to be a little chubby.

[Always_WIP]

Have you tried arthritis meds? I recently put my eight-year-old border collie on anti-inflammatories and it has made an absolute world of difference. He was really slowing down to until he got put on his meds. Now he takes Rovera (used to be called Rimadyl) once a day.

I’m also using a joint supplement on top of that. My vet recommended something with glucosamine and omega threes.

[mommy_peanut]

My old gal is on the downhill side of 13.
She’s my retired competition dog & has lived every minute of her life to the fullest.
So needless to say, she has an “old dog” body now.
Not that she thinks she’s old. She still runs laps around the outside kennels & teases the kennel dogs. She loves to chase the squirrels & bark at the birds n
She’s been on a joint supplement for years & we added Carprofen to her daily regimen about 2 years ago. HUGE! HUGE! Improvements in her day to day activity level.
While it can cause GI/liver issues in some dogs, I figured I’d rather her be live a bit shorter life & be comfortable, than a few months/year longer yet be in pain.
Just this fall we’ve added an actual pain reliever for those days she’s been super active & can’t get comfortable come night time.
Keeping her as fit as possible & quite lean has really helped as well.

[Equibrit]

Musher’s wax for feet, https://musherssecret.net/#products

Non slip on slick surfaces.

[rothmpp]

@Delaney

Another issue is beds… He’s gotten very good at putting his front paws up on our bed for me to lift him in at night - with three therapeutic dog beds in our room he’ll jump down somewhere around midnight and situate himself neatly between them

My thought with this is - sometimes those therapeutic beds/mats/etc… will sleep hot, so he may be objecting to that. I love the BOT stuff for myself, got my dog a mat for over his therapeutic bed and he literally will not lay on it for any length of time at all.

[Marla_100]

Got the BOT blanket/jacket for my old girl and she would NOT keep it on. She hated it.
adequan did help but for only the first shot after that, nothing.
We went through all the glucosimine/chondroitin supplements and some help and some not so much.
May cat loves the BOT small blankie.

[jherold]

I got a step stool out for my old shepherd to get on the bed. Initially she would only it if I wasn’t watching! I also recommend adequan.

[hokiekat]

Another vote for Adequan! Just started my 9.5 year old Rott/Aussie mix on it a few months ago - hip arthritis. He is now running around and harassing our younger dog again. Huge change! I time his monthly shots with flea/tick/heartworm so I remember.

[Delaney]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! Give all your sweet senior pups some love from me and my boy!

[mommy_peanut]

@Delaney

Another issue is beds… He’s gotten very good at putting his front paws up on our bed for me to lift him in at night - with three therapeutic dog beds in our room he’ll jump down somewhere around midnight and situate himself neatly between them

I have a wide array of beds for the dogs… thick, cushy ortho beds, bolster beds, super soft snuggly beds & yet most of the dogs (especially the old dog) LOVE the cot/Kuranda style beds.
I do have those thin fleece crate mats on top of them… but they sure don’t look as comfy as most of the other beds.
Yet that’s what they seem to prefer.
Maybe try one of those.
Amazon usually has a decent deal in the Coolaroo brand of cot bed.

[Equibrit]

Just saw this sale; https://www.alphapaw.com/collections/bestsellers

[anon40672407]

My oldster is showing hip problems. I’ve built a ramp so he can get in and out of the house, and I tried adequan (no good for him). Then I tried CBD oil. Getting the dosage right is tricky, but that has made him look forward to his morning runs again.

I give him 5 drops am and pm of 30/1 CBDA/THCA and he’s able to move sound. I had tried a 20/1 CBD/THC which didn’t work as well. The A version (which the guy at the pot shot explained is a precursor? Who knows!) works better for my big guy.

I also got him his own dog 2 years ago. A smaller schnauzer that he plays with sometimes. Big dog was bored being only dog. He’s happier with a companion.