Lessons learned from my elderly dog

[nadine_mn]

I post a lot about my lab/Chessie mix Jazz mainly because she is amazing. She will be 16 in a couple of months which is pretty good for a large breed dog.

She has horrendous arthritis, I mean her back legs and hips crunch. She is on medications and gets acupuncture and laser therapy every 2 weeks. But she just doesn't give AF aboout the pain.

Quality of life is big concern of mine, so I am constantly checking in with our vet, but Jazz is stubborn and super feisty. She still climbs on furniture and up stairs, still barks at all the neighbors, and feels the need to supervise me.

Which brings me to lesson one: Stay feisty my friends.

I try to coddle her, make sure she can just rest. When we had repairmen over in our house for 6 days straight - she barked for hours and was ready for action each day. I was worried it would be too much. But each day she had extra pep in her step and was looking forward to give what for to the next stranger. When they stopped coming, she seemed saddened. When the landlord stopped by to check out the work a few days later, it was like Christmas for her- she was so happy to be tough again.

Lesson 2: you are never too old to be a puppy again

I gave her a bath last night (she has had some accidents and the yard is mucky). She struggled like a champ and it was hard to hold her firmly (so she wouldn't hurt herself) yet not too hard because she is fragile. When she was a pup, her favorite game was keep away..she played it with us and the other dogs. Once she had something in her mouth, her dodge and feint techniques were a thing of beauty.
Last night, as we tried to dry her off, she went full puppy zoom (just in slo mo) - she ran! around the house. We'd catch her, dry a little then off she went. I took a video to show the vet. There is one point where she has her legs braced, looking right at with me with the best "bring it on" look I've seen.

Lesson 3: take advantage of when others underestimate you

Our other senior dog gives in to her constantly - let's her eat from his bowl (she just ignores that warning growl...I mean not really a growl, more of a "hey yo have your own&quot , moves off the furniture when she wants the spot, acts as her pillow. She has some hearing loss, which seems to be particular to the word no. Because she is so old it's easy to assume she is weak..so we have a tendency to not hold her leash tightly in public. We (and the occasional vet tech) are surprised at her ability to pull us in the direction she wants to go.

Lesson 4: enjoy the outdoors
She will lay in the sun on the hottest day and will sit her butt down in the snow and watch snowflakes fall. Warm days make sense, but she even likes it cold.

Lesson 5: there is no shame in needing a little help

We got her a fancy dog ramp, which she was not happy about. But soon she realized it helped her easily climb on the bed without hurting herself and keeps her independent so now she uses it daily. Sometimes getting out of the car is tough, so she lets us carry her off the backseat. Not sure how she is going to feel about the doggie diaper she is getting.

Lesson 6: enjoy the finer things
This means home cooking, heating pads, lavender essential oils, soft beds, and lots of hugs and rubs. Treats are required, naps spent cuddling and hogging the covers are essential, and stealing contraband when we aren't looking makes life fun.


This is long I know, but I love her so much. I was just stunned watching her romp around last night. She occasionally has mini zooms in the morning, but last night she was ready to rumble. Ooh and she napped hard afterwards. She has used her bony butt to edge me off the bed a bit and is in deep snore mode. Whenever I get really bummed and feel defeated, I look at her and think ok, I need to quit bitching. Her hip dysplasia and arthritis have to be a nightmare, but her spirit is so much stronger than pain.

Everyday she wakes up and is ready to bark at kids waiting for the school bus, steal a dog bed when our other dog gets up, grab a snack off the table when no one is looking, and most importantly give kisses and demand ear scratchings and belly rubs. She has had some tough days, but she never looks back and doesn't worry about tomorrow. Today is her moment and she is going to live it with passion.

[tazkcmo]

1. Dogs.

A higher life form.

[orwell]

2. Thanks for a nice start to my day.

Dogs are the greatest and she sounds like a special one.

[Scarsdale]

15. Thank you

for sharing this. Too bad EVERY dog does not have a loving family like yours. She sounds as though she loves life with you. They bring so much love into our lives and ask for so little. Some attention, and food of course.

[woodsprite]

3. That was a wonderful write-up! I can tell how much you love her!

Dogs are a wonder! Ours is almost 10yo, 80lbs worth of German Shepherd named Noelle. Your dog sounds so much like ours. I hope ours is still going as strong and playful at 16yo. Just had to do an emergency vet run a week ago because she was bitten by a neighbor's Jack Russell mix that slipped it's collar. As gruff as she sounds with strangers and other animals, she didn't bite the smaller dog back. Just kept trying to get away. Ended up with some puncture wounds on her hind leg. Noelle's getting lots of extra rubs, treats and comfort this week, and eagle-eye supervision when we give her free time from the "cone of shame". I think she's finally figured out if she doesn't lick or bite her leg, then we'll let the cone stay off for awhile.

Give Jazz a hug from me!

[nadine_mn]

9. Hugging the big baby now

Our German shepherd is 12, but doesn't know it. We rescued him at age 4 so I think he just reset his clock to then because he definitely acts like an 8 yr old. Jazz uses her cone as a weapon whenever she has had to have it and quickly adjusts to navigating around with it. Durango, our GSD, is afraid of it (probably because of Jazz whapping him with it). So he is the only pet we have had who completely leaves his incision areas or sore spots alone. He had major surgery on his side and had a big area that was stitched up...licked it once as a "what is this" and left it alone until the stitches came out.

What a good dog not to bite the smaller dog! Durango would have, he does not play well with other dogs esp if Jazz is around. He is so protective of her. Also Durango doesn't know what a big guy he is..our cat taught him quickly that he couldn't rough house too much with a 10 lb clawed feline. But weirdly, Durango could put his whole mouth over Scout's head, and other than massive slobber, our cat didn't mind. Scout also enjoyed swatting Durango's butt whenever he walked by.

And time for more hugging for both dogs!

[shenmue]

4. Woof

[Polly Hennessey]

5. Jazz

your life is and has been beautiful. Nadine_mn you are a wonderful dog-person. You get the joy and uncomplicated love we receive from and give to our beloved pets. Now about those essential lavender oils----. As an aside: I let Caleigh and Buck out for a before bedtime bathroom break. Caleigh (Golden Retriever) spied two ducks swimming in our pond and off she went. It was also raining (I live in Northern California) and cold. Have you ever slept with a wet dog? It takes five minutes to get used to the smell. Ducks swim at night? -- who knew.

[nadine_mn]

8. Lavender oils are amazing for her

It started with my insomnia, I would use a lavender infused oil on my skin at night and would rub a little on her ears and poof she was asleep. She came to expect it. I now use lavender pillow spray which she also approves of. With the cold and damp, we made portable heat packs (socks filled with rice and lavender oil drops that we can warm in the microwave before bed) she was suspicious at first, but one whiff of the lavender and she put her head down and fell asleep.

Ahh the sweet smell of wet dog...somehow just a few drops of rain on fur can permeate the whole house. But I bet your dog had fun going after the ducks!

[True Dough]

6. Thank you for this, Nadine!

It's rather timely for me. Great to read your insights as an experienced owner of a dog with arthritis and hip dysplasia. My wife and I adopted a 4.5 year old German shepherd/English mastiff mix from the SPCA 3 months ago. He had been diagnosed with severe arthritis in both front elbow joints and mild hip dysplasia. I took Duke to a veterinary that specializes in joint and mobility issues. Her professional opinion was that the arthritis is bad enough that Duke must be in pain on a regular basis. Yet he doesn't show any signs of it, he gets up and walks without any visible discomfort. He doesn't limp or compensate for a sore leg. He doesn't whimper or whine (except if we're near the treat jar).

The vet said we should consider having him on pain killers permanently. I told her that we're going to hold off until he gives some indication of not feeling well, although I did get a modest pain reliever prescription filled to have on hand if he has the occasional "bad day." The downside to taking them regularly is that they're hard on the stomach and the liver, but when the time comes that the pain is debilitating then we'll have to take those chances.

The greatest point of conflict that my wife and I have in regards to Duke is whether to take him to the off-leash dog park. The vet was very clear about that not being good for him at all because running with other dogs leads to a lot of quick turns/pivots which create torque on the joints. She said that's extremely hard on him. Muscle tone is important, of course, but the vet recommended on-leash walks, preferably on softer surfaces (like a dirt trail as opposed to a concrete sidewalk) and going uphill is also best.

My wife, on the other hand, feels that occasional trips to the off-leash dog park aren't going to result in any significant damage and that we should let him enjoy himself unrestrained by a leash.

He's rather indifferent to other dogs and happy just to go walking on leash and sniff and mark territory, so I don't agree that the pay off is worth the periodic trips to the dog park. Thankfully spring is coming and we can get him in the water in a few months because swimming will be the ideal low-impact exercise for him.

Our last dog was a German shepherd/husky mix and she lived for chasing and catching a Frisbee. She would leap high and snatch it out of the air, and she'd do it all day if you could stand to throw the darn thing that long! She started hobbling around age 10 and then we wondered if all those hard landings from Frisbee playing contributed to her mobility difficulties.

It can be a tough call.

Anyway, glad you have Jazz and Jazz has you!

[nadine_mn]

7. Cold laser therapy and acupuncture work wonders

Dogs are so stoic and rarely show that they are in pain, so we went by the signs of her having a harder time getting up and some limping after long walks - that was 3-4 yrs ago. She is on Tramadol, amytriptaline, meloxicam and gabapentin and just had blood work down on her liver and kidney, both are doing ok (kidneys are wearing out so we will be worrying with the vet on a better diet).

The meds didn't seem to be enough last year and I really was worried about what to do - she is so full of life, but the pain has got to be a nightmare. Fortunately we found a wonderful vet who does the acupuncture and laser therapy (some dogs, just the laser is enough) and it has really made a difference. She still limps a bit but she also climbs on furniture and stairs so she is just living with it. If I could do it over, I would have been more vigilant on giving her joint supplements and started non medication therapy first.

A note about the dog parks: you cannot always predict other dogs behavior...one body slam from another dog (if your dog is nearby two younger ones wrestling) could be devasting. Our vet has said a broken hip would probably be it for her, so we really try to supervise. Our German shepherd is learning to slow down when he is around her, check behind him when he backs up, etc. shorter more frequent walks would help your dog more I think.

We had a Lab whose passion was tennis balls and catch, and I agree I think the hard play shortened his life a bit. But he had a blast so maybe it was worth it. Swimming is awesome therapy! Your Duke sounds wonderful.

[True Dough]

12. We feed him a combination of joint/mobility formulated dog food

We usually mix GNC Authority and Hill's Science Diet joint/mobility food. We top it off some good quality canned food (it actually looks like stew that we'd eat ourselves), just to make it more enticing. We often put a little cap-full of glucosamine/chondroitin in there as well, even though the food includes it as well as key omega acids (we were told that he can't OD on glucosamine, so a bit extra can't hurt).

Of course we're mindful of portions. Keeping his weight down is essential. He's a very healthy 105 pounds. He could easily be 115 pounds and still be in good shape, but that extra weight over years is a substantial burden on his joints.

You mention noticing a limp 3 to 4 years ago. At what age was Jazz diagnosed with arthritis and hip dysplasia?

[nadine_mn]

14. She was diagnosed with arthritis probably around age 11-12

It wasn't until 12-13 that it needed medication. We also had (now looking back) a crappy vet - long story on that awfulness.

Her new vet took xrays last summer and diagnosed the dysplasia, however she probably had it for a few years. Our vet has said she has the worst dysplasia she has ever seen but then again a lot of it is due to age. Other dogs may have died from something else before it progressed to this extent.

She has lost some weight recently - combination of muscle tone and every now and then low appetite so that has helped her joints. I cannot describe the sound of her back legs and hips crunching when she moves - esp during acupuncture because I am holding her and my ear is right up against her. I honestly don't know how she does it.

The fact that she is still so spirited and engages with the family (no going off to lay down by herself), still investigates every little smell, and will root around in the recycling bin to see if we didn't wash out a can well are all good signs that we are doing the right thing.

[True Dough]

19. Dogs have an indomitable spirit

Jazz is a perfect example of that.

Our last dog that loved to play Frisbee, Shiloh, she would still drop it at your feet even at age 12 and 13 even though she could no longer jump for it. We would just give it a short toss and she would hobble over, pick it up and leave it at your feet again. Her tail would wag upon return, thrilled to be engaging with the Frisbee again even though it was so much more limited than in the past. Can't help but be in awe of their strong will and desire to please.

[yankeepants]

10. My Chessie, Yankeepants, is 15.5

I am learning so much from my best boy too. He is on meds for his crunchy hips and Lasix for his congestive heart failure but he is not throwing in the towel. He gets up and goes to work everyday. Albeit slowly. Until he tells me he has had enough I will continue to help him up stairs, into the car, to stand up, to lead him when he can't see, and yell loud enough for him to hear. I hug him harder every day. He's not old to me. He's just getting started in another direction.

Here's to the vintage canine warriors Nadine!

[nadine_mn]

17. Is your Chessie extremely stubborn?

I am pretty sure that is the Chessie in her - she is stubborn and very determined to do things on her terms. The vet thinks that is key to her longevity. I say feisty, my husband says bossy - lol. She just had all her organs checked out, the kidneys are wearing out but other than that she is clicking along just fine. Oy, but those crunchy hips...so painful to hear.


Here is one thing that has helped her in the cold and damp weather - I took some long fluffy socks, filled them with about 2 cups of dry rice and a few drops of her favorite scent lavender essential oil, then tied them shut. Every night, they get popped in the microwave for a few minutes to get nice and toasty. Once she lays down for the night, we tuck them in around her hips (one on top, one on the bottom - she will shift around if we do it wrong). It makes mornings so much easier for her. Now when she hears the microwave at night, she gets up and heads to the bedroom.

[yankeepants]

21. We have a joke about Yank

He was my only dog for his first seven years then I took in an Australian Cattle Dog and eventually three more dogs in addition to opening my dog boarding and training business. We figure he is this old out of spite. He is not going to relinquish HIS house to the infiltrators!

He is very good natured and has been a true gent his whole life and we find so much wealth in getting him through his dotage. I love that you do the rice wraps. I need to do that. I have an electric lap blanket that I lay on his hindquarters but he gets up several times a night so I.m not sure if it's too warm. I'll try the socks. Thanks. All hail Jazz, Yank, and all the old dogs in our lives!

[lucca18]

11. What a great dog!

I love her spirit!

And yes, we can learn a lot from her!

Thank you for your post....It made my day.

[No Vested Interest]

13. Jazz is so lucky to have you as her human, Nadine.

True and appreciation between two species.

[nadine_mn]

18. We refer to her as our "accident"

We already had a Lab mix and a collie mix, and cat who thought he was a dog but we kinda wanted to expand the pack. One day we were buying dog food at PetCo and it was pet adoption day. We jokingly said oh no...but lets look anyway. So we wanted a female pup (balance out the genders) and were partial to black Labs. After looking around, we didn't see any and breathed a mixed feeling of awww and relief.

The lady from the pet rescue asked us what we were looking for and we told her. She said we do have a black lab female puppy - and pointed to a kennel on the other side of the adoption area (she was kinda off by herself). I walked over to see this 6 month old gorgeous girl who did that head tilt dogs know melt hearts. My husband, hadn't even seen her, just saw my face and my head tilt and wrote out the check. Love at first sight!


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[BlancheSplanchnik]

24. ❤

[Stuart G]

16. Great Post, thank you...k and r.

[joanbarnes]

20. Thank you for the joyful reminder of my Late Great Dog, Wendy.

She lived to 16, feisty until the end. I prayed for the wisdom to know when it was her time to go. Alas, she suffered a stroke and her bright eyes literally dimmed, the sign I needed.

[WiffenPoof]

22. You are in for some terrible hurt...

...when Jazz is gone. Your love is so strong.

[nadine_mn]

23. Oh I know. Our 17 yr old cat passed away last yr

We tried everything to save him because he still had a fighting spirit but his body failed him. Scout was one of those cats that who thought he was a dog and he was always near me or on me. Sometimes at night it feels like I can still feel the weight and warmth of his little body on my hip while I sleep.

Jazz and I are such kindred spirits: independent, bossy, stubborn, not overly physically touchy feely but we love fiercely and we are loyal. We both get anxiety out in public and yet our mood improves after we have interacted with people. It is going to be so tough to say goodbye. That is one of the shittiest things about pets - saying goodbye. All I can do is pack as much love as possible into everyday.

[WiffenPoof]

25. You are a good friend...

... And so is Jazz.

[madaboutharry]

26. My dog is 13 and like you,

I don't know what I would do without him. He really is a best friend. He has the opposite personality from your dog Jazz, he is super mellow, but despite all his problems which include arthritis, he has only love to give. There really is nothing like a dog to love who loves back.

The best to jazz and you.

[Metsie Casey]

27. That's great

I love animals. Thanks for sharing that story.

[oasis]

28. Your story was both moving and lovely. Thank you.

[redstateblues]

29. My Daisy is 15 and still has a spring in her step.

She gets up the stairs before I do in spite of her arthritic hips. Knowing her time is limited, she has taught me to appreciate every minute of time spent with loved ones. I wish I had learned it sooner.