I don't really recall why I walked into the pet store that day. I know better than to buy from a 'place like that'. I'm aware of puppy mills and the despicable conditions that those poor souls have to endure. A part of me feels guilty for how I picked my puppy, but a bigger part of me is so happy that I was drawn into that store and God put her into my life instead of someone else's. I brought her home and began the process of trying to figure out a name for her. My husband came up with Diva; "Dewey's Diva Las Vegas". It was perfect! She has managed to live up to her name for the last 16 years. As with every living thing, her body is starting to slow down with age and there are telltale signs that the time I have left with her is beginning to lessen. Her hearing is almost gone. It saddens me so much to know that she can't hear me saying "I love you" or "Good girl" anymore. It also poses safety risks; she can't hear me calling her if I have her in the front yard in our culdesac and I see a car coming. However, she can hear me clap, so that's how I communicate my "Hey, come here girl", nowadays. If it's dark outside, I flash the back porch lights on and off to get her attention.
Although, I think she uses her failing hearing to her advantage at times. (smile). Her eye sight isn't quite what it used to be either. At least I think that's what it is that prevents her from confidently bouncing down the stairs. It could also be that she's hurting a bit in her hips but usually going up the stairs poses the problem, not down. I think that's the effect of her aging body that bothers me the most. She has always, and I do mean always, slept in my bedroom at night. We've owned only two story houses, my room has always been upstairs, and she has always followed me to bed. About six months ago she communicated to me that she didn't want to travel that incline any longer. It hurt, and still hurts, so badly. However, as bad as it hurts me, I know it must hurt her more to climb those stairs so I resigned to letting her sleep downstairs. Sometimes, she will make my heart sing for joy by following me, but most often she stays downstairs.
I'm assuming that if you're reading this you are either a dog lover, or a dog lover with the same issues as mine. For your sake as well as mine, I'm going to write down some things I've learned about aging canines along with what my vet recommends. Let's start with hearing loss.
There are many reasons that a dog can lose its hearing but I'm going to focus on aging for now. Depending on your dog's breed, a larger canine is considered to be a senior somewhere between the ages of five and seven. Bigger dogs seem to age more quickly than little dogs and their average lifespan isn't as long. It's not uncommon for a miniature poodle to live to eighteen years of age, while a Golden Retriever may only last until ten. In that case a miniature may not show its senior traits until the age of eight to ten.When your pal hits that senior mark here are some things to look for in regards to hearing loss. Since this is a gradual process you might not notice it until it is severe. A lot of times the first sign might appear to be aggression. Your pet may get startled when they're touched, or get scared because it felt you sneaked up on him. Often times your beloved suddenly, or what you see as suddenly, stops listening to your commands. Nope, he's not being defiant, he just can't hear you. I was involved in 4-H as a kid and I showed my dog in conformation and obedience. It's second nature for me to teach them hand signals as a puppy simultaneously to normal puppy training. This habit has proved to be very beneficial when dealing with Diva and her loss of hearing, especially the "Come" command. As I also said earlier, flashing lights in the darkness are also a good form of communication as well as clapping or stomping your feet. Age related hearing loss is usually not reversible so it's an obstacle we need to learn to work around.
Lessening mobility is another age related condition that affects dogs as they age. Their hips and joints get arthritic just like ours do. I give Diva a liquid glucosamine-chondroitin supplement each morning in her food. It is very easy to come by and I don't find it too expensive. The blend is good at supporting the synovial fluid and fish oil is another good additive. I've used salmon oil in the past, and I've also just thrown in a good quality, human grade, fish oil pill in her food. Fortunately, I don't have a picky eater on my hands. In fact, I don't think I know of a picky Golden anywhere! My vet recommends both of these and I'm also conversing with him about starting her on an occasional Rimadyl. Rimadyl scares me as I've read a lot of horror stories over the net and I've voiced them to my vet, whom I trust very much. He loves Diva and I know he puts her first and foremost above money and/or drugs. He tells me that a lot of what I read on the Internet simply isn't true. Of course there are concerns with taking any medication, human or canine, but he seems to think that the Rimadyl scares are exaggerated. I'm considering picking some up to have on hand for her really bad days to provide a little relief from the pain and swelling. Don't give your dog aspirin, it's hard on their stomach among other things. If your fur baby is experiencing mobility problems please talk to your vet or other trusted dog people. I always wonder if Diva is experiencing more pain than what she leads on, her tolerance is pretty high and she's never been a whiner. She will still fetch her tennis ball; seriously, her tennis ball is like crack to her. She lives for it! Even so, I can only get a couple fetches out other nowadays before she either tires out or forgets what she's doing. I really don't know which it is! She will run after the ball, find it, and then lay down and eat grass. I will then walk away, or pretend to, and she will come traipsing back with the ball in her mouth.
That leads me to canine cognitive dysfunction. This condition is thought to represent sixty-two percent of dogs aged ten and older. As animals age, nerve cells die off and are not replaced. Sometimes, certain proteins surround the nerve cells and cause them to malfunction and the communication between the cells may be altered. In some dogs, the changes in the nervous system are severe enough to change behavior. If certain signs are present, they call it canine cognitive dysfunction. The signs include confusion or disorientation, restlessness at night, Loss of house training abilities, Decreased activity and attentiveness, and inability to recognize family members and friends. The next time I take her in to have her anal glands expressed I will talk over the possibility of her being afflicted with this with her vet. She has The restlessness at night and also seems disoriented at times but I don't know if it's just normal aging or not. There is a medication for it but I am not in favor of giving pills unless absolutely necessary.
Well, these are a couple things I am encountering while sharing my life with my senior companion. It's hard to watch her age, but not nearly as hard as it will be when I no longer have her in my life.
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