When Is Your Pet "Old?"

Betsy Iole · 01-20-2005, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Dogs tend to be fairly rambunctious for two to three years before they settle into a kind of calm, middle-age period...

Around the end of middle age—about 9 years for a medium-sized dog—you’ll need to start watching for various health problems that take place in the senior years: rotting teeth, arthritis, liver and kidney diseases, blindness, deafness and, eventually, a kind of cognitive dysfunction that’s the equivalent of a canine Alzheimer’s disease. Females may also experience urinary incontinence.

This is an interesting piece. It discusses cats, too. Hamsters are middle aged at twelve months!
Source

Barbara Winters · 01-20-2005, 05:43 PM

I wonder at what age bassets are considered "senior"? Is it around 7.5 like the large breed dogs or is it older than that? I always say that each day after 10 is a gift.

Roady is 11 1/2 and still acts very puppyish and will play for hours to the point of exhaustion if he's in the company of a friend. He started turning gray when he was about 4 but it was a little bit every year and not all over, just the face, head and ears.

He was diagnosed with arthritis in the hocks at age 7 and now has some arthritis in the spine but he's actually has pain less frequently than when he was first diagnosed. Only treatment has been acupuncture and pain meds or muscle relaxants during infrequent flare ups.

He can still catch a piece of kibble tossed in the air so his eye sight is great and so far no problem hearing me whisper the word "cookie"!

I don't know anything about cats as I never had one until a couple of years ago so thanks for the info on cats.

I love bassets at any age but the periods on each end of their life span are my favorites.

01-21-2005, 09:45 AM

Molly is 7 1/2 and even with her recent spinal surgery I don't consider her a "senior". I think most Bassets are "old" when they're approaching 10. And I've never had one live to 13. How sad.....Belinda.

Betsy Iole · 01-21-2005, 05:54 PM

Bugs will be 14 in April, God willing. I think I was still running her in agility at 10. Hard to believe it's gone by so fast.

shallhb · 01-21-2005, 07:27 PM

I have had two females, in addition to the two have I have now...One lived to be almost 15, despite the fact that she had every disease in the book (heartworm, cancer twice, slipped disk),had been a rescue who was found so starved her coat had turned white at the age of two. I didn't know what I was doing, and I overfed her horribly, and she got no exercise. So much for risk factors. She was cruising right up to the last few days. My other female lived to be almost 13. My three fellas haven't done so well--we lost them at 9, 10 and 11 years of age. I miss them all...

01-21-2005, 09:26 PM

my guy is almost 13 and going strong alot of issues, but he is still ok and happy and that's all that matters

pinehawk · 01-21-2005, 09:33 PM

Raider is going to be 11 in May and we still hunt with him,field trial to as long as he is able to.

01-22-2005, 07:19 PM

Franny will be 6 in February and his sweet little face is really going gray quickly. It's funny but the side with the prosthetic eye (his right) is grayer than the left side. He isn't as wacky when he's around other dogs but occasionally, out of the blue, he'll start racing in "figure 8's" like a puppy again. I think the glaucoma is aging him a bit more rapidly or maybe it's just his appearance.....why can't they just live forever???

winnieslo · 01-25-2005, 03:30 PM

Winnie will be 8 next month...started turning white at 3, but despite his diabetes he can go for mile ( 5 mile walk is middle distance) and run with the big boys at the dog park. He certainly holds up better than his mom. Even my foster Daisy who is 10 will walk 3 miles and loves a game of fetch..yeap a basset that fetches

Judy

lnrider · 01-25-2005, 03:44 PM

Leroy will be 6 next month, he's started to grey on his face within the last year. He's become a little grumpier and a little more protective as of late, but we've had a change in our home too. My SIL and two nephews are staying with us for a while. Actually I'm pleasantly surprised at how well he's handled this change, he doesn't enjoy children at all!

01-20-2005, 05:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Barbara Winters Senior Member Join Date: Dec 1998 Location: New England Posts: 1,960	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" I wonder at what age bassets are considered "senior"? Is it around 7.5 like the large breed dogs or is it older than that? I always say that each day after 10 is a gift. Roady is 11 1/2 and still acts very puppyish and will play for hours to the point of exhaustion if he's in the company of a friend. He started turning gray when he was about 4 but it was a little bit every year and not all over, just the face, head and ears. He was diagnosed with arthritis in the hocks at age 7 and now has some arthritis in the spine but he's actually has pain less frequently than when he was first diagnosed. Only treatment has been acupuncture and pain meds or muscle relaxants during infrequent flare ups. He can still catch a piece of kibble tossed in the air so his eye sight is great and so far no problem hearing me whisper the word "cookie"! I don't know anything about cats as I never had one until a couple of years ago so thanks for the info on cats. I love bassets at any age but the periods on each end of their life span are my favorites.

01-21-2005, 09:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Molly is 7 1/2 and even with her recent spinal surgery I don't consider her a "senior". I think most Bassets are "old" when they're approaching 10. And I've never had one live to 13. How sad.....Belinda.

01-21-2005, 05:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
Betsy Iole Senior Member Join Date: Dec 1969 Posts: 4,901	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Bugs will be 14 in April, God willing. I think I was still running her in agility at 10. Hard to believe it's gone by so fast. __________________ Betsy, Mom to CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Caper UD RE TD BHCA-VC CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Cuppa Joe TD CH Bugle Bay's AllUCanEat Buffet CDX RN TDX NA CGC BHCA-VCX, 1996-2008 "Bugsie" UDX NA NAJ CGC, 1991-2006

01-21-2005, 07:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
shallhb Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: San Francisco, Ca Posts: 1,348	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" I have had two females, in addition to the two have I have now...One lived to be almost 15, despite the fact that she had every disease in the book (heartworm, cancer twice, slipped disk),had been a rescue who was found so starved her coat had turned white at the age of two. I didn't know what I was doing, and I overfed her horribly, and she got no exercise. So much for risk factors. She was cruising right up to the last few days. My other female lived to be almost 13. My three fellas haven't done so well--we lost them at 9, 10 and 11 years of age. I miss them all... __________________ Sharon Hall Grace (puppy in training) Bella, UD, VER, TD, RE, CGC Pearl,UD, TDX, RE, CGC (Waiting at the Bridge) Samantha, Theodore, CGC, Louella, Zeke and Arty, Bassets All; (All Waiting at the Bridge)

01-21-2005, 09:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" my guy is almost 13 and going strong alot of issues, but he is still ok and happy and that's all that matters

01-21-2005, 09:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
pinehawk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Cassville,N.J. Posts: 936	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Raider is going to be 11 in May and we still hunt with him,field trial to as long as he is able to. __________________ </font>[list]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

01-22-2005, 07:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Franny will be 6 in February and his sweet little face is really going gray quickly. It's funny but the side with the prosthetic eye (his right) is grayer than the left side. He isn't as wacky when he's around other dogs but occasionally, out of the blue, he'll start racing in "figure 8's" like a puppy again. I think the glaucoma is aging him a bit more rapidly or maybe it's just his appearance.....why can't they just live forever???

01-25-2005, 03:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
winnieslo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Pgh Pa Posts: 622	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Winnie will be 8 next month...started turning white at 3, but despite his diabetes he can go for mile ( 5 mile walk is middle distance) and run with the big boys at the dog park. He certainly holds up better than his mom. Even my foster Daisy who is 10 will walk 3 miles and loves a game of fetch..yeap a basset that fetches Judy

01-25-2005, 03:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
lnrider Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: St. Louis, Mo, USA Posts: 1,410	Re: When Is Your Pet "Old?" Leroy will be 6 next month, he's started to grey on his face within the last year. He's become a little grumpier and a little more protective as of late, but we've had a change in our home too. My SIL and two nephews are staying with us for a while. Actually I'm pleasantly surprised at how well he's handled this change, he doesn't enjoy children at all! __________________ Lesleigh, Momma to the Brown boys, Leroy and Cooter

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