Fact: There is nothing better than an old dog.
Another fact: Aging can be tough, no matter the species.
My heart is bursting with the joy and gratitude and love I have for seeing Emmett into these Golden Years. Considering all we’ve been through with him–and the fact that we lost his brother at the unfair age of 9–I watch him frolic around in his 13th year and just burst. I plan to watch him frolic and enjoy many more years, so it’s up to me to make sure he stays safe, healthy, and happy.
That said, I’ve been tallying up the questions I’ve been getting as I’ve been writing about Emmett over the years, and as he’s gotten older I’ve gotten tons along the lines of “what do you use for…” or “how do you guys handle…” {{insert age-related illness or condition here}}. So, I thought I’d tackle as much as I could think of in one mondo blog post!
Here is everything you need to know about taking care of a geriatric dog! Well, everything I can think of today, anyway. If I miss something or leave a question unanswered, please leave it in the comments so I can be sure to address!
Two disclaimers before we get started:
- Some of these links are affiliate links. What that means is that if you click the link to make a purchase, this site gets a tiny commission. It doesn’t cost you anything and in many instances will save you some money with coupon codes and whatnot. However, please know that I’d never recommend something we don’t actually purchase and use for ourselves!
- Please know that I’m not a vet. I’m not a vet tech. I’m not a nutritionist, an acupuncturist, an anything even remotely useful… I’m a dog-obsessed journalist, so research and interviews are the name of my game. Take all this with a grain of salt and always, always, always consult a veterinarian. Everything I’m sharing is what’s worked for us.
I’ve broken this post into three sections: mobility, food and supplements, and treats! Yes, treats get their own section because, well, Emmett demands it. 🙂 Our starting line: Emmett is a 13-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier/hound mix. He had his first bout of cancer at age 9, with a nerve sheath tumor, and is now fighting his second cancer battle with hemangiosarcoma. He’s beaten all the odds for survival three-fold. He’s on Thyrosyn to treat hypothyroidism and Denamarin to support his liver. Most recently he’s been struggling with mobility and skin issues, and dental problems. Basically, he has everything that any old dog would ever get. All at once. But he’s so very happy! So, here’s what we’re doing to support those various problems:
Mobility Problems in Aging Dogs
Last week Emmett started acupuncture. He has arthritis in his spine, and he’s dealing with some muscle atrophy in his back legs. He’s on a course of pain medication, and we’ve added in an anti-inflammatory, along with prescribed exercise routines and the acupuncture. It’s too early to tell how it’s going to go–he’s only had one treatment so far–but it didn’t bother him in the least, and he was totally relaxed.
The big problem is that his back legs slip out from underneath of him. Enter: ToeGrips! Holy moly, these were a game-changer. I did a ton of online research and ultimately decided these were the solution. I ordered a couple packs from the website, and day 1, victory! I mean, he could get up easily, he slipped less, he balanced better. The only thing is that they kept flying off his toes! But Emmett gets these spurts of energy and dashes around, plays with Coop, etc., which sent them flying. As luck would have it, I was thrilled to meet Dr. Buzby in person at BlogPaws. She gave me a couple more packs and–drumroll–super glue! It totally worked, and now we have to reapply them far less frequently. I can’t recommend them enough. Truly, if we could only do one thing to help him maintain stability, ToeGrips would be it.
We also have him on a joint supplement called DGP. He was on another brand for years that worked well, but he needed the stronger stuff starting about a year ago. Lucas started on DGP before his amputation, so we knew it worked… and worked well! So, we stopped the other that Emmett was on and shifted him to DGP. Haven’t looked back! (BTW, I order it from Only Natural Pet because we set up auto delivery for every eight weeks of all the supplements for all the herd because you get 10% off each item plus free shipping… With Em’s stuff, Coop’s supplements, and Newt’s vitamins, it’s a HUGE savings for us.)
Next up: We were lucky enough to chat with the folks from GingerLead at BlogPaws. Oh, how I wish I had known about this for Lukey. Anyway, it’s our next step with mobility and once we’ve tried it, I’ll come back and share the results (with YIPPEE and giveaway!).
Food and Supplements for Senior Dogs
I think over the years, the question I’ve been asked the very most is: What do you feed your dog? Emmett has always eaten kibble. I’m a firm believe in a rotation diet, and he gets a variety of options from Wellness (honestly, they’re all good), Petcurean, and Merrick. The one we feed the very most is Wellness, but I like to alternate just to hit all the bases.
For the first time in his life, Emmett is a smidge on the skinny side. That plus his extremely dry skin (super common in aging dogs) means huge heaps of coconut oil! He loves it, and since he takes so many pills, it helps gloop them all together atop his kibble so he gets ’em all down in one go. Cooper and Newt get coconut oil, too, and Newtie won’t eat the kind that actually tastes like coconut oil (sigh). Instead of having her spit it out all over the kitchen floor, I just buy the organic refined coconut oil at Target.
In addition to the DGP mentioned above, Emmett also gets a senior supplement with breakfast and dinner. It’s a powder from Only Natural Pet designed for seniors. It’s called Senior Ultimate Daily Vitamins, and it’s hugely on sale for a summer clearance thing right now. I order it with our recurring shipment, and he goes through a little more than one jar in a month so not too bad. Also, thanks to the reminder from our friend Forest Poodles, Emmett is also on a daily probiotic, which we also order from Only Natural Pet in our recurring shipment to get the discount (this is a LOT of pills…). He and Cooper share one jar that lasts about a month.
We also get him wet food on occasion as a special topper/treat, but his teeth are getting super worn the older he gets–and he lost one recently!!!–so I’m trialing different canned foods with the thought that some day he might be eating a mostly-wet diet. That remains to be seen, but you know me… I like to be prepared.
We DO keep him on both monthly heartworm and flea/tick preventative. We’re in the woods a lot. Emmett loves to get outside and hike (we found ADA accessible trails that are smooth and slow, perfect for him), and the risks of an additional illness on top of his cancer and ongoing chemo maintenance program just isn’t worth it to us. That said, I’ve been told by many, many people that they would never give their dog preventatives, and that’s just fine. Work with your vet to figure out what’s best for you, which is what we did and continue to do.
Treats
By “treats” I don’t just mean of the food variety, but that’s a big part of it. Emmett gets to enjoy lots of special things he loves. Obviously it depends on your dog’s personality to figure out what those treats are. Emmett loves nothing more than meeting people. The more the merrier, and bonus points if they’re children! So, he runs errands with us. We do all our home shopping at Lowe’s because they’re SUPER dog friendly. He loves it there. We also take him to the two pet stores we shop at, PetSmart and Pet People. Sometimes he shoplifts, but whaddya gonna do? (I always pay for whatever he grabs!)
We also take him through the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru and get him a pup cup. He loves the treat, but it’s less of a fun adventure, though, since there’s not really outside seating to meet new friends.
If the weather’s nice, we take him to Starbucks to sit out on the patio. He enjoys a puppy latte while greeting the adoring fans that inevitably flock to him!
Even though it’s always a teense more effort taking him with us on errands, it’s totally worth it. Honestly, at 13, Emmett gets to do what Emmett wants! I want him to have the happiest days every day! It’s easy with him, though, because he thinks going to the vet is fun… but still!
OK, if you got to the end of this post, YOU deserve a treat. I truly hope I’ve been able to adequately address all the questions that have come in about keeping a senior dog happy and healthy. If I missed anything or if you want me to dig deeper into any topics, please let me know in the comments!
For those of you with seniors, what adjustments have you made? How do you maintain a daily routine? Any special steps or accommodations? Would LOVE to learn more!
Forest Poodles
D’Art is 12 now and over the last year he has shown muscle atrophy in his hind legs too. A vet recently diagnosed arthritis and recommend a daily nsaid. I hesitate to put him on these on account of the hash side effects on liver and kidneys. I’m definitely considering acupuncture (as it has worked well for me in the past). I hadn’t considered toe grips, so I’ll have to look into that. Do you super glue them on? Also, as for dgp, do you have any experience with how it affects a dog’s digestion? D’Art is particularly sensitive in that area. Loving a senior is a true joy, but it does take some extra tlc on our part! Thanks for a great article Maggie!
Maggie
OMG! I’m totally shaking my head (at myself) right now because I totally skipped one thing… will edit the post to add that he also gets a daily probiotic for the digestion piece. Thank you so much for triggering that!!
That said, for the DGP, he’s never had any digestive upset, but Emmett isn’t one who’s ever suffered from GI issues. He might not be the fairest point of comparison for that, unfortunately.
As for the ToeGrips, YES! We super glue them on, but you definitely don’t have to. Unless D’Art dashes about like Emmett does, if you size them correctly they’ll stay on just fine. Emmett behaves like an idiot frequently, though, which is what caused them to fly off! 🙂
Thanks again for the reminder!! 😉
Forest Poodles
Thanks for the reply and extra info about the probiotics! Also, I may well order some toe grips today!
Becky
We had two pups with congestive heart failure this year so we were doing tons of stuff. They both died of kidney failure, common because the treatment of one is detrimental to the other. Roxy was 15 and Kingsley was 10 (and I miss them so much!). I needed a low salt wet food so I contacted Merrick (love them) and they gave me a breakdown of their salt content. The best low salt is Cowboy Cookout and I hope this helps someone in need. The DGP and Senior Vitamins that you recommend look interesting. Right now we use Alaska salmon fish oil and Zuke’s Hip and Joint. So far that’s been enough for our 14 year old Schnauzer mix but your recommendations sound like good options for later. I read the ingredients for DGP and many of them seem to help digestive issues so I’m wondering if a probiotic is even necessary.
Maggie
Oh, Becky. I’m so sorry for your losses. I understand how much you miss them. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my Lucas, who we lost last October. It’s so difficult.
I appreciate you sharing your experiences, and I’m so glad some of this might be helpful. I’ve been thinking about the fish oil, too, thinking it might help with his dry skin. Maybe I’ll try that instead of the coconut oil for a while and see if there’s a difference. Thanks so much!
And how awesome about Merrick! I love, love companies with great customer service like that! Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Brenda
thank you for the article Maggie. Neo the mange ridden, dog and cat hater, people lover, killer of all things small and cuddly, animal behaviourist defeating SBT who had to have half his face reattached to his jaw and a trachy fitted to save his life because of fighting and two cruciate ops and has tremors and is very lumpy has now against all sort of odds reached the age of 10. We can’t believe it. either. He is lying by my side gently snoring after playing with his ball in the garden. I never never thought this day would come.
leslie l
So good to see Emmett enjoying his treat and the acupuncture! What a great dog he is!
In spite of all the extra effort it takes, I envy you your ‘old dog’. Cole died suddenly, with no warning 3 years ago when he was 10, and Maddie died last year, also with no illness,, at age 9..They were both such good dogs, I was really looking forward to having old dogs.
I hope Emmett outlives everyone’s expectation by years!
Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom
Great article, Maggie!! Sorry it’s taken me a while to get to reading it.
I, too, like rotation diets; HOWEVER, my girls’ digestive systems did not like them at all. And so, after several IBS episodes with all three of them, I had to settle on Hills’ Prescription i/d for Ducky and the Ideal Balance turkey and vegetables for Shadow (and Callie when she was still with us last year). It’s the only kibble I could find (and afford) that doesn’t have powdered probiotics in the recipe. And, after all three had bad reactions to powdered probiotics, I stay far away from them now. Both Shadow and Ducky have been doing great on their current foods, so I’m not changing.
Those toe grips sound like a GREAT idea for Shadow. She has some minor issues with her mobility right now, so we’re treating it with carprofen and leash restrictions. Hopefully, when she goes back to the vet in two weeks, we’ll be able to remove the restrictions and at least cut back on the carprofen if not eliminate it altogether. She does have a hard time on the linoleum floors now and then with her front feed sliding out in front of her. Maybe I’ll order a couple of packs and see if they help.
Chris from Boise
Thank you for a great article, Maggie. Old dogs are indeed special, and come with special challenges. I too am glad to hear about toe grips. Our 12 year old Habi has just been diagnosed with degenerating disks and a bit of arthritis, plus the start of kidney issues. She was such an athlete prior to TPLO surgery this spring that we suspect her core strength compensated for the spinal issues; she lost a lot of conditioning after surgery and once she was mobile again, back pain kicked in. We’ve started acupuncture, which seems to help a lot, and are expecting a lot of PT in the next few months to see if we can regain some of that core strength and rear muscle mass. Recuperation is so much harder at this age than when younger. We’re trying to figure out pain meds – what and when. (Having just had my own back seize up, I’m MUCH more empathetic than when just seeing her well-masked pain). I’ll check out the supplements you listed above. We are fortunate to have some great vets in town – living in a city isn’t always great when it comes to border collies, but having excellent local vet care is a HUGE plus! You’ve had to travel so much for Emmett and Luke’s cancer care that I’m sure you can relate.
A few other thoughts:
1) nail care has been a priority as Habi ages. We’ve just trained both dogs to a Dremel, and I’m less intimidated by their black nails than I was with clippers. I’m sure many of your readers have seen Susan Garrett’s video of Leslie Woodcock DVM on the importance of trimming nails, but here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM4HQDb1Ef0
2) Dental care. Tooth and gum disease can lead to kidney problems (though even daily toothbrushing, as we do, can’t forestall all kidney issues). In humans it can also lead to cardiovascular issues, not sure if it’s the same in dogs – in any case daily brushing is a good habit to get into. Both our pups line up for the electric toothbrush – took about a month to accustom them to it.
3) Mental exercise. It doesn’t replace physical exercise, but is a wonderful adjunct especially on the days when Habi is too gimpy for a normal walk. Games, tricks, food toys, nosework, etc. And we feed all meals scattered throughout the house or yard – never a bowl for our pups.
4) Focus on quality of life, and treasure every minute with the old ‘folks’. We learned with our dear departed Bandit’s last couple of weeks that every day could be a Best Day Ever, and have done our best to apply that to Habi and Obi’s lives ever since. It helps us focus on the Now, and not so much on What Might Be Around The Corner.
We wish many more Best Days Ever for Emmett, and many many for Cooper and Newt!
Leigh
It’s great to see your pup looking so happy in that last picture! I love the idea of giving them treats. As sweet as older dogs may be though, it’s tough to see them age.
Jan K
I wish I’d known about the toe grips with our beagle Kobi, he really could have used them. I haven’t tried them on Sheba yet, but I do have some. She’s doing surprisingly well with just a joint supplement and a half dose of NSAIDS. I think just keeping dogs active – and playing like Emmett does has to be the best for him! – can make a big difference. Kobi was kind of a couch potato, but Cricket is so much more active I hope that she won’t have some of the issues that he did.
There is so much great information here! We’re doing well with the joint supplements we use now, but it’s always good to know of another good one in case a change is needed at some point.
We are very happy with Wellness food too (kibble and canned as a topper some days) and are sticking to just that for now. Sheba gets Orijen, since that was recommended for the dog cancer diet. It’s so pricey I just can’t justify feeding it to all of the dogs though. I love that Wellness is quality and reasonably priced too.
We don’t give any vitamins now but I’ve been thinking about it, so I’m going to take a look at those too.
Megan Ayrault
What a fantasitc blog you have here! And it warms my heart to see this post about the seniors. Thanks for the tip on toe grips– sounds very helpful! My mom’s dog has been having some trouble slipping getting up when lying on the brick hearth, one of her favorite spots.
Also, at the risk of being a downer for people, but an important resource to know about at this phase of life… http://www.ahelpproject.org/ and http://www.iaahpc.org/ and http://www.spiritsintransition.org/ are some good organizations to reach out to if needed.
Paul Manson
What an awesome blog, actually, watching a lovely pup grow old is definitely tough. People who have come a long way to see their dog’s golden days know better. I must say those who have been having a hard time taking care of their ageing dogs have found a helpful share of thought to guide them on making life happier and better for their old canine friends. Emmett must be a one lucky and happy dog, he must be so proud of you. He is also a great pet to be with, dogs that are friendly and fond of people, especially strangers are the best friends one can have to hang out with, long live Emmett.
Lady Osborne
Its sad to watch someone you love age and experience pain. I hope you find lots of joy in these later years of taking care of your beloved dog.
Btw, the tip about the toe grips is new to me… I will be sure to pass the word about this cool invention
Cynthia
My Bauer is 10 1/2 and has been super healthy except for some awful skin issues we finally seem to have conquered. But as he heads into his second decade I’m worried about a couple troubles…
His teeth – he’s a terrier mix with a testy side (maybe spoiled, I’ll admit). He does not sit still or cooperate, even for me with teeth or nails. Is there a trick or produce I should try for taking better care of his teeth if he will NOT let me “brush” them?
His haircuts – I had hoped he’d get calmer with age but, unfortunately, grooming is just getting more and more traumatic for us both. And his hair gets completely wild and has to be cut about once every 8-10 weeks. I’ve tried a few different local groomers; had one that was working well but I think his regular girl quit. So I’ve taken him to the vet (which he HATES) and had him sedated the last two times. That’s so expensive and I’m really not comfortable doing that.
He also has a very sensitive tummy and it’s all I can do to get the flea/heartworm pill to stay down. I give him yogurt and have used coconut oil – need to get him back on that consistently. I’d love to try the other supplements you recommend but they’ll need to be spaced out to get him used to it. Those things I can work on but, the older he gets, the more troubling his “don’t mess w/me” attitude is going to get, I know.
Leigh
I make sure that my senior fur baby will have the most comfortable days. I would spoil them all the attention they need and would talk to them more so they’d be reassured that they’re still very much loved.
Laura
I hope the acupuncture works out for him. We had a potbellied pig who received a treatment, and the results were like night and day! One day, he was feeble and sickly, and the next, he was running around and full of energy. I know it’s not always so dramatic, but I think it’s usually beneficial across the board. Will be interested to see how this pans out. Good luck!
Maggie
Thank you so much for sharing, Laura! It’s so funny… we JUST met a pig (not potbellied, a commercial pig living at a farm sanctuary) who has hip dysplasia. We actually wondered if acupuncture could help a pig, and then your comment showed up! 🙂
Emmett IS doing much better. I have so much more to share about this experience. Coming soon. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!!
Stacey Bender
I can’t agree more. We started our 14 (now 16) year old Yorkie on acupincture to help his back and kidney disease. Doc says you will know if it works after one treatment and we did! It did work! Night and day. That plus healthy diet (as in custom and home-made) is the key to longevity of life for my fur babies. Plus a healthy dose of love- always and in huge doses!
andre mendes
Acupuncture is amazing 😉
Maggie
Agreed! 🙂 He’s doing SO well. We couldn’t be happier!
Brittany W.
Senior dogs are the best dogs! We recently lost our nearly 12 year old Boxer. I had heard about the acupuncture on our quest to ease her sore body. I was skeptical since I had it a few times and did not like it so I did not want to do it to her. Tried lots of supplements as well. In the end massage with special doggy essential oils seemed to help the most. Thanks for sharing your tips! I will keep them in mind for my next hospice foster!
Emma Regnier
I loved reading your blog, I love dogs and I think it is amazing that your dog has beaten cancer and is 13 years old! I pray for him to stay healthy and keep beating the odds. I also have a dog but he is 11 months, he is super spoiled but deserves it! I love giving my dog treats as well, but he always gets the healthy stuff or homemade. Nice blog, it is well put together.
Lauren O'Donovan
Emmet and his pup cup are super cute XD I worry already about my dog becoming a senior, even though thats a ways away yet. After reading this post, I feel a little braver to face the future! Emmet seems to be taking it all in stride 🙂
Thanks, Lauren
http://thediydogblog.com
Amber Ruchti
This post was super helpful to me as I have a 13 year old yellow lab who is just now beginning to really slow down and show his age. He’s on some light pain relievers right now (previcox) for his arthritis (it flares up in the fall/winter seasons here in MN as the weather gets colder) but we will have to start looking into more age appropriate treatments/ailments as he continues to age. He absolutely loves coming with us wherever we go- so we generally end up tagging him along on our errands as well 🙂 He loves nothing more than car rides and children. What a blessings these geriatric beings are to us!
Chrystal Richter
Thank you for the info on our aging pooches! I would love to try the acupuncture! I just don’t know who does that around the Austin area. I searched the website that you have a link for DGP and I didn’t find the product. Is it a glucosamine supplement?
Maggie
So sorry you couldn’t locate it!! I found a direct link for you: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/DGP/205000.aspx. It’s actually not glucosamine, but it’s been very effective for Em. Hope that helps!!
Carole
Emmet is one lucky pup to have you caring for him. I wish him lots more runs in the park !
My dog is now 15, he is an American Eskimo. His front leg gives him some trouble but other than that he is ok. We give him Glucosamine. The vet says it is arthritis. I don’t walk him as much because he tires easily but he has the whole backyard to run in when he wants to. Its hard watching him grow old but the love of a dog is one of the best things we can have in this life.
Lan Hoang
Your Emmett looks so handsome, like a noble one. I love the way his eyes are gleaming. I hope you two can continue to share the best time with each other.
Bill
Looks like Emmett is a very happy and lucky dog based on the pictures. 🙂
Never thought to try acupuncture on dogs before. Would be interesting to hear how it’s going and if you are still doing it with Emmett.
OnlyDogz
Thanks for sharing that story with us, i really love dogs <3 🙂
jansfunnyfarm
How nice to meet such a handsome senior.