Growing Old With Robbie

                                                                     

                          Veterinary medicine is a family affair in our household. My husband and I have been practicing together for 30 years now and we eat, drink and sleep with animals by our sides. We have been through generations of our own pets, and the current generation of dogs is now growing old together. Our half-sibling Border Collies, Robbie and Jimmy, are now 13 and 10 years old, respectively. Welsh Corgi Betsy Louise is riding the crest of middle age and still bossing the Border Collies around. Soon she, too, will be a senior citizen.

                        While Betsy may think she is "large and in charge," it is only because alpha dog, Robbie, lets her believe so, and pleasant boy, Jimmy, chooses to concede on the matter. (I like to think he is "too smart" to challenge one female dog, let alone two.)

                        Robbie celebrated her 13th birthday last December and little things are cropping up that remind me every day with her now is a bonus. Epilepsy has been a part of Robbie's life since she turned three. Unfortunately, her genetic epilepsy has been typical of many of her breed, as she falls into "the most difficult to manage" category. In fact, over the duration of my  career, she has been THE most difficult.

                        Robbie is on two different anticonvulsants twice daily, and high doses of them. Missing a dose is NEVER an option, and timing is of the essence. So much so, that my husband has alarms set on his phone for precise and consistent dosing. We also make use of, not one, but two daily pill boxes: one for her morning medications and a second for the evening. One of her epilepsy medications has begun to impact her liver so she now takes a geriatric multivitamin, Vitamin E and a liver supplement called "Denamarin"  to help her liver work more efficiently.

                        Because her anticonvulsants make her drink and urinate more, and because female dogs often develop estrogen-deficient urinary incontinence, Robbie also receives an estrogen-like incontinence medication called "Incurin" twice weekly. Many of my clients often lament that their dog is on more medications than they are...I feel their pain now.

                        Anyone who knows my husband also knows that he and Robbie are pretty much inseparable. But, what is frustrating to me, and most anyone else in the same room with this "man and his dog," is that Robbie does not acknowledge the existence of others when "her person" is around. That means following commands from others is simply not going to happen for her.

                        Robbie is highly intelligent. So much so that she has claimed the title of the best working dog we have ever owned. That title, however, has come at a price. Every working dog demonstrates great athleticism and Robbie is no exception. I have witnessed her scale four foot gates in one leap, straight up and over, from a standing position. She was also "lightning- fast" on her outruns to bring sheep flocks in.

                        The toll she has paid for doing her job well is the development of osteoarthritis, especially in her hips. For this problem she receives a fish oil capsule and chewable joint supplement called "Dasuquin." Occasional doses of pain medication are doled out to aid her quality of life as needed.

                        As her golden years have crept up on her, we notice that "down time" is even more precious to Robbie, and awakening her is more challenging. It's not unusual to ask her more than once if she wants to get up to go outside. Once outside, we are careful to not let her stray too far as her hearing is not great anymore. Bleating sheep during chore times and age have stolen more than a few decibels from her.  In short, her "selective deafness" was not her choice, just a casualty of her job and age.

                        So, as I'm tripping over this "love of my husband's life" that can't move fast enough to get out of my way anymore, and realizing for the 900th time that even if she could hear me well, she wouldn't listen anyhow, I think to myself "There by the grace of God go I"---in several years. The difference is I will be able to tell others what I am feeling and what troubles me. Four-legged family members cannot.

                         Please don't ignore your aging pet's non-verbal cues and cries for help. Discuss any changes in your senior pet's behaviors, appetite and attitude with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Let us help make your pet's golden period more golden, for them and for you.
 

By Dr. Bonnie Jones

Dr. Bonnie Jones practices at Delphos Animal Hospital. Providing care for senior pets is one of her greatest passions.