I never thought for one minute when I bought my Labrador cross German Shepherd dog back in 1994 as a puppy, that I would still have him now at the age of 17. I also never realised that with that great age might come a variety of tedious problems, none of which he could help. He is now rather like a very old person that loses control of parts of their body and needs lots of understanding, patience and tender care because they find managing themselves difficult. They say dogs don't know when things aren't as they should be, but my dog certainly seems to know when he has let himself down. I am by no means an expert but am happy to share my experiences with you.
Going for Walks. Up to the age of 14 exercise was fine for my dog Duke, but then he developed arthritis in his shoulders and didn't want to go for walks. I guess it was his build being a heavy weight Labrador cross Shepherd weighing in as an adult at 32.5kg (71.5lbs). I had struggled since he was a pup with keeping the weight off although I never gave him things to eat that were not good for him. In fact he did not have an enormous appetite like most Labradors. The vet recommended I put him on Metacam, a medication designed to ease the pain and help protect the cartilage in the joints. This was fine and gave Duke a new lease of life for a couple of years, but the medication had nasty side effects after a while giving our dog an upset tummy and putting him off his food. I had no alternative but to stop the medication. I then discovered high strength glucosamine which Duke has been on ever since, but I have to be careful not to give too much as this also can cause stomach upsets. It is also best to administer in 2 half doses with a meal or snack so that the medication is absorbed with the food. Some dogs are able to have the glucosamine mixed in with their food, but because Duke was not a great eater I could not be sure he would get all the medication if he left part of his meal. I found he was quite happy to lick it off a spoon as it was sweet to the taste.
Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs
Now at 17 Duke's arthritis gives him some difficulty when walking. He needs time because he is very slow and likes to stop every few paces so he can spread his weight evenly over his 4 legs. This could be rather trying especially if I was in a hurry, but I have learned to plan carefully allowing time for him so that he enjoys his walk. Most days he is reluctant to get up in the mornings and would quite happily stay in his bed, but for his own good I make him rise as it is important that he can still go out for walks both to give him pleasure taking in all the new smells, and also to prevent him getting stiff or constipated. A walk of a few miles which used to take an hour now just covers a few hundred yards. In hindsight I wish we had trained him to wear dog shoes as his feet are now a little sensitive and he finds walking on tarmac surfaces difficult. Shoes would undoubtedly have saved him the discomfort he sometimes now experiences.
Training. I have trained my dog, from his puppy years, to be obedient to my every command. He was always reliable whoever was with him and thoroughly enjoyable to be with. However, things have changed a little in these last 2 years. Fortunately Duke has not lost his sight as many old dogs do, but his hearing has deteriorated and he doesn't always respond to commands. I can no longer expect him to 'sit' when told, as he finds this difficult with the muscle wastage that is taking place in his back end. To command him to 'come' when we are out of doors, just doesn't happen as he does not always hear. He often does not register mentally either to what is happening around him and is not sure what he has to do or where to go. Now Duke needs to be given patience, time and careful handling to direct him. In people we would say ' he is a bit gaga'
At Meal Times. All through his life Duke has eaten mainly dry-mix food with a little meat added to stimulate his appetite. He has never eaten like most Labradors as if there were no tomorrow, so I have always had to encourage him to eat at meal times. As he has got older his appetite has slowly diminished and meal times have got more and more difficult. Duke only had 1 meal a day in the evening perhaps with a treat or 2 in the morning. In his latter years I have had to change his food more and more away from dry-mix, as he began to lose weight through not eating sufficiently, and on to tinned dog meat with vegetables and mixer with pasta. However now as he is nearing the end of his life, the natural bacteria which are present in all animals stomachs, are beginning to break down giving Duke a high susceptibility to an upset tummy or diarrhoea. He is not in any pain but meals have to be drier, without much gravy, and small as he cannot cope with a full meal all in one go. Now, instead of feeding him in the evenings, I give him a small meal at about 11.30 am and a second meal at 4.30pm or thereabouts, giving the food plenty of time to work through his system. Everyday just prior to his first meal the vet recommended I give Duke a desert spoon of pro-biotic yogurt, which he has with the glucosamine, to replace the natural bacteria his body is no longer making. This has worked to a point but I still have to be very careful not to give him the wrong type of food mix. Lamb for example is a 'no-go' area. This means that I am not able to leave our dog on his own for long periods of time as he may need to empty his bowels, but the sacrifice is worth it.
Night Time Problems.
Just like very old people, our beloved pet no longer has much voice as he cannot produce the amount of puff required to make a bark. When he was younger and needed to go to the toilet in the night, he used to come upstairs and nudge me to wake me up. Now he is not able to get up the stairs anymore and neither can he bark to tell me something is not right. Night time was never a problem but with age and muscle deterioration Duke now goes to the toilet more frequently. All of this with the added problems of a possible upset stomach means I have to take precautions against night time accidents. If our dog could be left safely in the kitchen accidents would be easy to clear up but our kitchen floor is tiled and gives Duke some difficulty in staying upright without help. Once down he needs help getting up on slippery floors, so I have to leave him shut in our carpeted hallway with towels laid all over the floor. This way if he has an accident I can simply lift the towels, dispose of the offensive material and wash the towels ready for the next night. Thank goodness for washing machines and baby wipes! Animals do not like to dirty their bed, which has been proved as I have found he always goes on the towels.
Age problems demand extra time, careful planning and patience. The tender loving care given to a dog in their latter years makes them feel safe, secure and well loved, and who wouldn't do this for a treasured pet who after all is one of the family? When life becomes too much for Duke or he is in pain then my husband and I will have to say goodbye, but until that time he is worth the extra work. I hope these few tips will help anyone with a very aged dog to get through the last few years without the stress and frustration which might otherwise be the case, and to enjoy their pet to the end.
My Old Dog - How To Cope With Problems That May Occur In An Ageing Dog Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs
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