Dog years are piling up
February 1st, 2008 Posted in Pet GamesHe prefers long naps in the sun but rallies for walks in the yard and some bickering with his companions.Such is the life of a geriatric dog.Rudy, a miniature dachshund, recently turned 171/2 years old — about 88 in human years. And if aging is hard on him, it’s been equally tough for his owners, Sue and Terry Darby.They have a calendar in the kitchen to track times for Rudy’s vet visits and medicine, which includes pills for high blood pressure and saline solution for his kidney ailment. They don’t vacation or leave home for extended times; the last time they went away and left a house-sitter in charge, the stress and worry put Rudy in the hospital.More and more people are encountering this experience with their canine and feline companions. The average life expectancy of a cat has nearly doubled since 1930, with indoor cats generally living eight to 16 years, according to the Peoria, Ill., Humane Society. The average life expectancy of a dog is 12.8 years, but the number varies widely depending on breed and size.”Pets are living a lot longer. They get better nutrition, better medical care, and aren’t out wandering neighborhoods having accidents,” says Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, coordinator for community practice at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.For owners, that means more frequent vet visits, constant monitoring of the animal and the burden of figuring out when life-saving measures become more about themselves than their pets. It also can mean costly bills for medical treatment that’s as cutting-edge as what’s available for humans. Older pets can get cancer treatment, heart surgery, diabetes treatment, dental care and alternative treatments including acupuncture, massage and physical therapy.Quality-of-life questions”Kidney disease and cancer, heart and liver disease are the internal disease processes that animals die from,” Lexington veterinarian Butch Schroyer said. “Arthritis is common in (senior) cats and big and little dogs, but not a killer. It’s a quality-of-life issue.”Lexington resident Elberta Bushmiller adopted Buck, her liver-and-white Brittany spaniel, in 2000, after her other dog, an elderly Brittany, had lost her sight. Now, time — and aches, pain and illness — has caught up with Buck.Buck takes medicine for the arthritis in his hind legs that keeps him from jumping onto favorite spots. He also has Cushing’s disease, a deficiency of the adrenal glands. Because Buck needs to go out often, Bushmiller can’t be away from home for more than two hours.The hardest part of having an older pet is “just seeing them not be able to do what they could before,” she said. “I can see a difference in him from a year ago, but it’s such a gradual thing, it (the aging) doesn’t happen overnight.”Some aging-related ailments are inevitable, but owners can do some things to improve a pet’s chances for a longer, healthier life. Schroyer advises clients to make sure pets receive preventive care, regular checkups with a vet, and plenty of exercise, even if they have arthritis.Often, the challenges of dealing with an aging pet can be harder on owners — financially and emotionally.The Darbys spent about $7,000 on three back surgeries for Rudy. To them, the expense was just part of the bargain of bringing a dog into the house, and they saw it as essential to helping a longtime member of the family.”They love us every day, and that is the least we can do for them,” Sue Darby says.The Darbys got Rudy at a pet store in Denver years ago, and the rambunctious little dog ruled the roost.”And he used to run like the wind,” Sue says with a catch in her voice.A balancing actNow he spends most of his time sleeping in a warm, fluffy bed in the kitchen with the other pets. He eats senior pet food with an occasional hamburger, although for his birthday, he wolfed down a Twinkie and a doughnut covered with powdered sugar.They say Rudy’s life is a balancing act — an issue that confronts all owners of elderly pets.”It would be easy for us to be selfish and keep him alive at all costs. But we have the vet monitor him, and there is an agreement that when Rudy is in pain and has no quality of life …” Sue says, her voice trailing off.”We are prepared to lose him,” Terry says. “Every day is a blessing.”
Tags: animals, bet, cats, companions, dogs, fort collins, humane society, love, Pet, pet food, pet store, pets, sleep, vet, veterinarian, walksRelated posts
Tags: animals, bet, cats, companions, dogs, fort collins, humane society, love, Pet, pet food, pet store, pets, sleep, vet, veterinarian, walks
