Geriatric Dog and a Face Plant

I recently posted about the joys and perils of hiking with dogs and I stand by what I said, that all dogs love it and benefit greatly from dog hiking expeditions. But what do you do if one of your pack is a senior dog? Hmm, this is an issue that should be addressed, and hopefully it'll be of some assistance and consolation to owners of senior dogs when faced with the rapid health decline that affects their beloved canine.

Linguini (dalmatian and german shorthaired pointer mix), Hank and Sue (the rhodesian ridgeback duo) on a hike. The rhodies are only four years old whereas the dalmatian mix is almost eleven

Senior dogs should get regular exercise but not too vigorous. Hikes are great, but watch out for symptoms of fatigue which can hit your senior dog suddenly. Don't ever force geriatric dogs and don't push them any more than they can handle. With that in mind, let me share some pictures of our canine aging dog. 

The beginning of the hike is always exciting and our aging dog well rested

She gets to jump around and enjoy the smells, the fresh water, and the new surroundings

The joy any dog receives from a hike is like medicine, if you don't push them too far

Sometimes, regardless of the owner's good intentions, situations can arise that nobody is prepared for. In this instance, our Linguini, out of sheer joy decided to leap only five feet off a ledge, a situation she's managed easily until now. During our last hike we discovered that jumping from a distance is a thing of the past. As Linguini's front legs touched the ground, they buckled, either due to her arthritis or her dog tumors, and landed on her face.

She was temporarily immobilized because she was in shock

Poor girl, she just lied on her back and took a minute to process

Our hikes are far from over. We'll just have to be even more conservative, cut them short, and keep a better eye on our aging girl. She's doing as well as could be expected. Luckily, for now the term "mast cell tumors" is not part of our vocabulary, or so we like to think. Whatever the case may be, we're going to maintain a positive outlook and hope for the best. 

Caring for a senior dog is difficult, costly, scary at times, but incredibly rewarding. I wanted to end by saying that I not only support all kinds of dog rescue, I particularly appreciate and admire those who are willing to take in and provide a home for the very ill and the aging animals, the ones least likely to be placed.

Twinkie

Rescue Dogs Eating Yummy Dog Treats

We couldn't stay in any longer. We were all feeling beat up by the recent events. M decided to leave the dog tumors behind for a few hours. We would be better off having an outing. She didn't want to strain Linguini by hiking, so she opted for our beloved horse barn. M figured she could always use a (shhh) leash on Linguini if she got too active. Don't worry, Linguini wasn't in the mood to hop around, but she sure cheered up just being there.

As soon as we got to the horse barn, we discovered that the other rescue dogs, our friends, were busy trying to steal their momma's lunch. These guys are on the road so much that they're used to this type of food. I know, some of you think we should only eat kibble, but I am so grateful for the rescues this lady is responsible for, I refuse to pass any judgment. Besides, her pack eats kibble regularly, they're just a bit spoiled and get to eat human treats as well--as does my pack, by the way.

Only problem was... Trixie, the chimeanie, was really hungry

Step aside or she'll eat you

What kind of dog treat do we have here?

A healthy salad!

Oh, and the happy propeller ears belong to Tigger, the other chiweenie

Boomer, the chihuahua, is momma's boy and he gets to go first

I guess Trixie's on a hi-fat diet, so poor Tigger can have some lettuce

On the left, you see Holly, the blue heeler

She gets to clean up

I, Twinkie Twinkerson, the tea cup chihuahua, am not crazy

I love a good dog treat but I don't want to risk my life

Trixie was baring her teeth again

But I stood my ground

I went over to the chiweenie and supervised her having her dog chews, horse hooves

Those are our favorite barn treats, along with juicy carrots

Inside the barn isle, I discovered this mess

There was a dog treat line

All rescue dogs, designer dogs (aka mutts) and "pure bred" dogs too, were eagerly awaiting something to put in their tummies

M took lots of dachshund pictures since they were so liked, but I'll post them separately

What the hay? Where was my treat?

Oh, finally

Whatcha looking at? 

You've never seen a tea cup chihuahua enjoy a dog treat before?

After our feast, Frankie and Dexter, the doxie, tried to drink some of the fresh water dripping out of that pipe

Dexter finally gave in and went for the water bowl

Linguini actually jumped in the car, when we were ready to head home. M squealed because that means that the Rimadyl is working and her girl is feeling better. 

Doesn't our girl look happy? Huh?

Whoever said anything about geriatric dogs? She looks like a pup to us.

After this invigorating outing, we drove home, had some kibble, and then we all crashed

You can put away the camera now, mommy

You already took 500 photos today

I heard something about going to the horse barn tomorrow again. I'm crossing my paws!

Twinkie

Dachshund Pictures, Part Deux

Due to unforeseen ailments, I felt the need to revisit one of my favorite days at the barn with Dexter the doxie. Not only do these dachshund pictures make me happy, they also make my furiends happy. No dwelling upon the dog vet visit today, just a brief update at the bottom.

Happy playful Dexter the doxie

Petey the doxie, Dexter's brother

Not a doxie

This is Petey and Dexter's brother, Nathan

See the family resemblance between Dexter and Nathan? 

They both love grass and they even share the same hair color

L'Oreal Preference #4.4 Dark Auburn

Fun times between doxie and tea cup chihuahua

Additional chiweenie bonus shot

Friendship is . . .

What the bug!

Dexter's brother, Owen

He used to charge after Linguini

He eventually figured out it wasn't such a good idea

He's adorable

Linguini has forgiven him

Speaking of our Linguini

Linguini's health update: Not the best news to report. She's having more difficulty moving around today. We can't help but wonder how much the dog tumors are affecting her, but at least she's not in pain when she's not moving around. It could be that it's plain arthritis, that geriatric dogs are prone to, since it rained all night long and today she's worse. We're keeping her warm and safe and surrounded by love. Dog vet's orders, not really, M's orders more like it. 

Twinkie

Dog Tumors On Geriatric Dogs . . .

I wanted to avoid this one. I wanted to post happy horse barn photos, or more fun dachshund pictures, something enjoyable to start the week with. This is a post I'd rather skip, but at the same time, I feel it would be dishonest. After all, you my furiends, are braver, and you share both the good and the bad times. I'll join you. 

This past weekend was a bit rough for family. About a year ago, M discovered ... dog tumors, on her beloved Linguini. She was ten at the time and M freaked out. For once, she lost control and the worst thoughts entered her mind. She's not afraid of saying goodbye, she's more afraid of having to make the ultimate difficult and at the same time loving decision. For a couple of weeks, Linguini got tested and retested and finally we were told that she had fatty tumors and to watch them. They're common on geriatric dogs. The general rule for dog fatty tumor treatment, is let it be unless it becomes a problem. Mast cell tumors in dogs are another story, one we haven't had to face, yet.

Dog tumors are camouflaged on a spotted breed

We spent a year, aware of the tumors, but after the first few months, we relaxed a bit. We tried to live a normal life hoping that things could go of like this indefinitely. Friends recommended we gave Linguini K-9 Liquid Health Glucosamine with Chondroitin and MSM. It seemed to work like a miracle, and perhaps it did for a year. Linguini started hopping and goofing around like she was a born again pup! But we knew we were treating her joints instead of the the dog tumors.

Well, this past weekend, Linguini started to limp all of a sudden. M checked and her fatty tumor in her leg joint had more than doubled. Linguini had moments of discomfort when she would start to shake, and she spent all her time within inches of M. When our girl is sick or scared, that's where she finds comfort.

We're taking Linguini to the dog vet in a few hours. We don't know what's to come, and we're all very concerned. Most likely, the offending fatty tumor will have to be surgically removed at this point. They'll have to run a new biopsy to rule out canine mast cell tumor. Geriatric dogs are prone to both types. 

If it's a canine mast cell tumor, nowadays these dog tumors do respond to modern therapy which usually entails a combination of surgery or chemotherapy, even radiation, complimented by immune system enhancers. 

Sometimes though, when it rains, it pours, and Murphy and his Law rule. Unable to take Linguini to the regular dog vet during the weekend, M didn't want to risk the emergency dog vet clinic, she decided to conduct an extensive dog tumor screening. The strangest thing happened. She found a small tumor on Frankie's neck. 

Dog tumors usually are well hidden and can go by undetected

Screen your pets regularly for dog tumors

If you have geriatric dogs, the more vigilant you have to be

So, we have an appointment for both my sissies. Of course, we're all hoping for a dog fatty tumor verdict on both. M even hopes that the chiweenie only has an inflamed gland. We shall see...

The question now is,

who will take care of whom in this equation

We're a bit in shock at the moment, but we're not sad, just concerned. We love our quirky designer dogs and we don't want them to suffer one bit. We have a wonderful dog vet who we trust a lot and we're looking forward to good news to share shortly. 

Twinkie

Blue Heeler | Madi

Inspired by my blog buddies at gustheblueheeler.blogspot.com, I feel the urge to talk to you about one of my blue heeler friends. My beloved friend Maddie! She's approximately ten years old, you're never certain about such things with rescues, and she's a horse dog. Ha ha, you're wondering what I mean by that. Her mom is a horse trainer which means that Maddie is constantly around horses, therefore, she's a horse show dog. At our barn, where she spends the majority of her day, she is surrounded by other dogs and horses. During horse shows, Maddie's always around, always off leash (and we all get very offended on the rare occasions we're asked to put her on a leash), and always near her mama. A leash is not part of Maddie's vocabulary and that's a fact. She's the perrrfect heeler. She knows her place and she never bothers anybody. Everybody in the horse world knows her too, by name.

Maddie's mom is my human sister's horse trainer. She's a rescue-mama. Her pack ranges between 5-10 dogs at any given time. I won't even mention the horses and cats she's saved. Maddie accepts everybody her mom brings home. She immediately informs them about who is the boss, yes she's Alpha, and then she proceeds to gently guard and protect them. Like all perfect dogs, Maddie, the blue heeler, sometimes gets into mischief too. I really like it when she joins us in being rascally!

What are you doing on top of the trash cans, Maddie?

Maddie's tummy is full of dog tumors, like many geriatric dogs including my sister Linguini, the Dalmatian German Shorthaired Pointer Mix but she's doing really well. She's never been a playful dog, but she sure can get around. Just like the rest of us, just let her be near her mom. A simple look from her mom makes Maddie happy. She's the sweetest, kindest dog I have ever met. Mom took a picture of Maddie being playful for a change.

Maddie, the blue heeler, playing with one of her brothers, Boomer, the Chihuahua

Three woofs for Maddie! May you live a long happy life for years to come, my friend.

Twink!