Old Buddies

[Florrie]

Just got back from the vet's with our 15 year old Shih Tzu cross. He has been quite depressed since we had to have Bonnie put to sleep nearly a year ago (she was 18) and as he is epileptic I've been worried about trying to keep him with us for too long. But good news, the vet said he is in "amazing" condition considering the drugs he has been on for 14 years. When Basha was originally put on phenobarbitone, the vet told us the tablets would kill him before old age did - looks like we might have beaten that prediction :) So, other than being almost blind, deaf, epileptic and with the equivalent of doggy alzheimers - all is well I think as long as he isn't in pain, while he can still enjoy a meal and a cuddle he might be with us for another year or two!

How are your buddies doing?

[ayresorchids]

Lovebug, who is 18, also has some kind of kitty senility that causes her to caterwaul at all hours of the day and night. Night before last I was so sleep-deprived that we had to exile her to the basement with her heated bed and food and water and box and music! She was mopey yesterday and we gave in and let her come to bed with us again last night. She was silent all night (except for the lovely purring). I think it helps to start out with her basking under the covers (nose peeking out).

Thanks for asking. I'm glad that Basha's holding his own!

Maybe if Foyle had a dog or cat, he wouldn't be so lonesome. I notice that Nicola has given him dogs in the story "Shush!"

[Florrie]

Lovebug, what a gorgeous name!

Basha lives inside quite a bit now - especially with the extreme heat we've been having. We've had to put in a kiddie gate to stop him from coming into the carpeted living areas (there have been a few unfortunate accidents) but he seems to have adapted to his rug in a corner of the kitchen. George also built a ramp for Basha to get up and down from the verandah - he will walk down but still attempts to jump up the steps We've got to go back in three weeks for some blood tests to check out kidney and liver functions - hopefully all is good!

[foylefan]

We currently have a cat (Attila; mixed breed and a gorgeous jet black, 7 years old and thankfully healthy) and a registered Sheltie, Benny--our first pure bred animal in hopes we would finally have a smaller dog for inside the house for our son. He had other ideas, and grew a bit big for a sheltie--33 pounds. He has never seemed as healthy as our mixed breeds. He is now 10, and just had to have 15 teeth pulled a couple of weeks ago! He still has most of his molars so he can still chew, but the vet had to pull most of his front teeth (including canines!). He has some autoimmune inflammatory gum disease. He also started having "fits" a couple of years ago, where he would loose his balance suddenly for a couple of hours, and then recover just as quickly. We even took him to a doggie neurologist! He is on an anti-inflammatory daily. We had to put a child's gate at the bottom and top of our stairs so he can't go down on his own. My husband has to carry him down every morning. He is a very happy dog, though, and he and the cat sleep together, play tag and hide and seek together, etc. We had to have our 2 big dogs put down within 6 months of each other a year or so ago, and none of us are ready to go through that again for a while!

[Samfan]

My coonhound/yellow lab mix Ginger (she looks like a mini-yellow lab and howls like a hound) just turned 12, and is really still quite healthy. I think her joints are beginning to bother her, though: Arthritis is starting, I think. She likes to lay on my bed, but to get down, she will get to the very, very edge before trying to jump down. One day this past December, she didn't come to the door as she usually does when I get home from work, and didn't even get off the bed when I walked into the bedroom (not that I need her to greet me every time I walk through the door; it just wasn't like her). Turns out her paw was bothering her, and it did so for quite a few days. I started giving her dog biscuits with Glucosamine and Chondroitin in them, and this seems to have helped.

So, I'm thankful she's still heathy. We could both do with more walks, though

Samfan

[Samfan]

Well, my sweet girl Ginger (12 years old) does enjoy a good snooze:


But, she also still likes to watch for squirrels:


Just thought I'd share....

Samfan

[Wolesley]

Sweet!

Lesley

[Sunshine]

Lovely!

[Samfan]

My dog Ginger (12 years old) is going deaf, I think. When I come home from work, she always used to greet me at the door immediately, even if she was in the bedroom on the other side of the house. Now, I usually have to walk down the hallway for her to hear me. And, a few times, I've startled her while walking up behind her. That never used to happen, even if she was sleeping--she would always hear me.

So, what does one do to help a hard-of-hearing dog? I should probably watch her much more closely when she goes outside--she likes to wander (I have no fence).

Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Samfan

[Samfan]

Anyone know a good, convenient way to give pills to a dog?

My good girl Ginger (now 14), has been diagnosed with incontinence (she has had some accidents during the night while sleeping), and now has to take pills twice a day (in addition to a small pill for a bladder infection for the next week or so).

Peanut butter has worked great for her monthly heartworm/flea pill. However, with pills twice a day now, she is growing wary of the peanut butter. If I don''t slather enough peanut butter on the pill, she will refuse it or spit it out (and the peanut butter mess). She has even started to walk away when I start dishing out the peanut butter (she catches on fast, that one).

I don't think I can grind them up and put them in her food, as she takes the 'leisurely' route to eating, and might not even eat if she smells the pills.

I have some processed cheese slices I could try. And I've read that hot dogs might be good. Every dog is different I guess..

Thanks!
Samfan

[HarrietVane]

[Samfan]

Thanks, HV! I will give this a try. Good idea!
Samfan

[dogstar]

Liverwurst makes a nifty pill wrapper, and my dogs have always welcomed it. You can also find "pill pockets" at the pet store-- soft treats with a slot for pills. They worked very well for my sister's cat.

[Samfan]

I think both the boloney and liverwurst might work. I will give those a try.

Thanks HV and Dogstar!
Samfan

[Samfan]

Thanks for the advice, HV and Dogstar. Processed cheese slices work, and overr the weekend, I brought the Greenie's "Pill Pockets," which also work great. I think I will have to try variey though, as she might even grow wary of the Pill Pockets and cheese.

Samfan

[Samfan]

I've found that Ginger really likes the Pill Pockets, and has not grown suspicious of them

Samfan

[Samfan]