Sometimes my old dog has a 'ruff' day.
Different dogs have different challenges they face as they get older. I thought I'd share two of the biggest challenges my senior dog sometimes faces at 15 years old.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
#1: Low Stamina
My senior dog, Shadow, cannot walk as far or for as long as he did just five years ago. He is a 15-year-old black lab mix. Shadow has arthritis which is common in older dogs. He also has hip dysplasia common in large breed dogs. These things contribute to his low stamina and mobility issues.
At his current age, he is not moving fast or far. This just means Shadow either needs to walk shorter distances or take frequent rest stops while we are out and about.
Shadow still gets daily exercise. He and my Dad walk around the house every morning. Shadow also hops with excitement, especially while playing with me or watching TV. Sometimes he will rough house with my small dog, Rascal, for a few minutes. These are essential activities to ensure Shadow's quality of life.
Sometimes we will walk at the park. Shadow leads our walks so he can determine how far to go and when to stop. If we are going to stay at the park for a few hours, he is responsible for choosing our picnic spot. Shadow usually chooses an area under a tree or at a picnic table.
Many professional dog trainers do not recommend allowing a dog to lead a walk. At Shadow's old age, however, I believe it is beneficial for him to lead our walks since he knows his physical limits better than I do.
Our walks are slow paced and usually lasts no longer than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. On colder days, Shadow may be able to walk longer and further, but I make him take multiple breaks, so his joints do not fail later in the day.
Instead of us walking the 3 blocks to the park, I will drive there so he can enjoy walking at the park. He could walk to the park but will lose his breath and strength by the time we get there. I want him to enjoy his time at the park.
Shadow uses a ramp to get in and out of the vehicle (and also onto my old daybed at my Mom's house) to make it easier on his joints. He enjoys going anywhere and will not hesitate to get into the SUV. Shadow will stick his head out of the window to take in the fresh air, but he does not do it for long because of his low stamina. He often lays on the backseat and enjoy the view out the windows.
I give Shadow prescription medication (Galliprant) daily to ease his joints. I also make sure he moves regularly during the day. If I do not give Shadow a reason to move around regularly, his joints would stiffen making it harder for him to move. I especially makes sure he moves around after a nap or joy ride.
There have been times in the past when he could not stand on his own after being immobile for a few hours. Shadow would need support to get up. He will let Rascal and me help him up. Rascal cannot lift Shadow, but he tries with all his might by burrowing his body under Shadow's chest while I lift around Shadow's hips.
For some reason despite their close bond, Shadow will refuse my Dad's help. Maybe Shadow worries that my senior Dad should not be lifting a 70-pound dog? It is strange to me that Shadow will allow a 17-pound dog and I help him up but not my senior, yet stronger, Dad.
Shadow's stamina will continue to challenge him as he gets older. I want Shadow to continue enjoying life until the day he dies despite his mobility issues.
If or when the time comes, I will buy a support sling to help him stand or walk. I have also considered buying a wagon when the SUV is not feasible. This may also encourage me to exercise more and lose weight.
#2: Potty Accidents
There are times when Shadow cannot hold it in. No, I am not making him hold his bladder for hours. Shadow lets me know when he wants to go out to potty. I also know he needs to go out immediately after he eats his meals.
I also pay attention to when he goes out. If he has not gone out in three or four hours, I make him go out. Shadow can hold it longer than four hours, but there is no need for him to do so when I am always home to care for him and let him outside.
As gross as it sounds, I pay attention to how often he poops in the morning and evenings. For example, Shadow usually poops twice first thing in the morning. If he only pooped once first thing in the morning, my Dad or I make him go out again within a half hour because we know he will need to poop a second time.
If we are going somewhere, I make sure both dogs go potty before we get into the SUV. This is the routine even if we are only going a short distance and away from home for a few minutes. On day-long outings and long road trips, I stop every couple of hours to give my dogs a potty break.
Potty accidents happen on average once every three or four months. Sometimes it happens when he gets really excited about something. Other times it seems to happen randomly.
This morning I had to take my Dad to an appointment. Right before we left, my Dad took the dogs into the backyard to potty while I setup the ramp to the backseat of the SUV. Shadow pooped twice as expected. As soon as the dogs finished their 'business,' they walked from the backyard and headed straight into the SUV.
Dad was at his appointment for less than an hour. The dogs and I waited in the SUV as we always do when Dad has an appointment or goes shopping. I take the dogs because it beats them being stuck in the house.
After Dad's appointment, we went to a coffee shop. At this point, we were away from home for an hour and some minutes. The dogs were treated with a small pup cup they shared and a few bites of a warm blueberry muffin.
Shadow was excited about the blueberry muffin. It is not something the dogs are treated too often. Shadow's tail wagged constantly while my Dad fed him a small piece of the muffin.
We were less than five minutes from the house when Shadow pooped in the backseat. I pulled into an empty parking lot, and we cleaned the backseat.
When we got home, I cleaned Shadow outside before allowing him to go into the house. He pooped again in the backyard before heading inside.
An hour passed and I fed the dogs their lunch. Shadow headed towards the back door after finishing his meal like usual. Unfortunately, he was not able to make it to the back door before he peed on the floor.
Today was an extra challenging day for Shadow.
At his old age, potty accidents are expected. I always console him and say, "that's OK. You did well." I never get angry because things like this are out of his control. I let him out and cleaned the floor.
For potty accidents, I use a cleaning solution that is supposed to work well for eliminating urine and other waste. Personally, I have found Natures Miracle great for use on carpet or other fabrics.
In the backseat of my SUV, I have three layers of protection:
Seat cover. I have a seat cover attached to the seat. It serves as the last layer of protection if the first two layers are unsuccessful. It also serves as extra cushioning for my dogs. It has yet to encounter anything.
Potty pads. I place a couple large potty pads on top of the seat cover. This is primarily there to soak up urine if Shadow were to pee. It is usually enough to keep the urine from leaking to the seat cover.
Blanket. A five-foot-long blanket is the first and top layer of protection for the backseat. It is easy to pull out and fold when Shadow has a potty accident. If Shadow pees a little, it is enough to prevent urine from leaking to the potty pad below. The blankets I use also look good (when clean anyway) adding to the aesthetic factor inside my SUV.
In my previous car, I only used a blanket and a couple potty pads. One day, Shadow peed so much that urine leaked through the potty pads. It took a lot of time and effort to clean the backseat and get rid of the urine smell. When I bought my SUV a few months ago, I did not hesitate to buy a seat cover as an extra precautionary layer just in case.
Other Challenges and Some Good Things
Low stamina and potty accidents are the biggest challenges my senior dog faces based on how uncomfortable it makes him. We are fortunate that these two major challenges do not prevent Shadow from moving around and enjoying life.
There are a few other challenges Shadow faces in his old age. I consider these minor since they do not appear to bother Shadow in any way:
Gray/white hairs,
Bald spots/hair loss,
New lumps (benign lymphoma lymph nodes not uncommon in large dog breeds), and
Bad breath (despite regular teeth cleaning and dental chews).
Otherwise, Shadow is doing well and does not show signs of struggling or unhappiness.
Shadow still has a healthy appetite. My dogs primarily eat dry dog food, but I will sometimes add something as a bonus. For example, the dogs always get a side of meat like carnitas from Chipotle when we get takeout from that restaurant. Sometimes I will mix wet dog food in with the dry dog food.
The dogs get a dental treat every evening around 9 P.M. Any other treat they receive, like this morning's small bite of blueberry muffin, is random. The dogs are always happy when they get a dog treat or small amount of 'human' food at any point during the day.
Speaking of happiness, Shadow enjoys different activities. For playtime, Shadow enjoys playing hide and seek (he seeks while Rascal and I hide) and play fighting. Shadow play fights gently with me and Rascal, but he rough houses with my Dad.
Shadow loves a joy ride in the SUV. When we say, "Let's go," he does not hesitate to head outside to potty and then walk into the vehicle. He does not care where we go as long as we go somewhere together.
When I am busy or lazy, Shadow enjoys watching TV. Yes, Shadow loves watching other animals (real and cartoon) onscreen. Shadow also loves watching programs like America's Funniest Home Videos and Ridiculousness. If someone falls, Shadow is watching with a smile on his face and tail wagging constantly.
If Shadow is watching TV by himself and there is something interesting on, he will either leave the couch to get me or let out a bark when he wants me to join him.
Sometimes he gets so invested in a TV program or movie that gets him energized. For example, if he watches someone or something get hurt, he will bark angrily at the 'bad guy' or howl with empathy for the injured. If he watches animals or children playing, he will get off the couch and start hopping with joy.
Even with low stamina and mobility issues, there are things that will keep Shadow moving and happy. He is motivated to get out of bed every morning and do things he enjoys throughout the day. It helps that he can spend the day with the people and small dog he loves.
My Dad has always said Shadow's purpose in life is to make sure we are all doing well. Shadow is a caring, empathetic dog and will do anything to make sure we are OK. For example, if any one of us are sick, Shadow stays close to our sides.
When Rascal returned from dental surgery last spring, Shadow followed Rascal around the house for weeks. Rascal had a lot of teeth removed and could not bite into the larger dry food pebbles he once ate easily. Despite the fact that we gave Rascal smaller dry food pebbles, Shadow would bite his dry food pebbles and drop the broken pieces in front of Rascal to eat. Rascal always ate the food Shadow gave him before eating the food in his own bowl.
One day, a store manager gave Shadow a raw hide. Shadow carried it to the car and gave it to Rascal. Rascal tried but could not bite into it. He abandoned it after a few minutes. I thought Shadow eating it after that, but he instead softened it to make it easier for Rascal to eat. Rascal was able to eat the entire raw hide because of Shadow.
My parents and I suffer from depression. If any one of us are having an off day, Shadow always finds a way to make us feel better. When Mom is having a bad day, Shadow keeps her company and refuses to leave her side until she feels better. When Dad's PTSD takes hold of him, Shadow gets Dad moving and active keeping his mind occupied with something other than flashbacks of his past with the military.
When I am sad, Shadow does something goofy to make me smile or laugh. Last week for example, he placed a different plush toy on my pillow before bed four nights in a row.
As long as Shadow finds motivation and happiness each day, then I believe he has a great quality of life. Whenever his time comes to an end, I feel good knowing that he enjoyed his life.
What's Next?
After a 'ruff' day, I will spend the rest of the evening hugging and watching TV with Shadow for some one-on-one quality time!
What is a challenge your senior dog faces? Comment below to share your senior dog's story.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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