Senior?

[Guest wjamg]

My girl Peace just turned eight years old. She has had her share of medical problems, surgery to remove a tumor, a terrible infection and abscess from the surgery, xrays for a recurring limp (every 2 to 3 months) incontinence meds..but, she is a happy, playful beautiful grey. She is my first though so I thought I would pose a couple questions to those with experience.

 

How often should I get bloodwork done? is just yearly when she has her dental sufficient? she is on cystolamine and novox intermittently and joint supplements.

 

Is it common for older greys to drop a couple pounds? Her appetite is good, she loves to eat but she has gone from 74 pounds(extremely overweight bounce when we got her) she raced at 59 pounds and was 65 at the vets in August when she had surgery, now she weighs 60. Should I be concerned?

 

and she only goes out three times a day to the bathroom..she never asks to go out but I walk her 45 minutes in the morning and she goes at least ten times, I know she likes to mark and then I walk her for 15 minutes when I get home from work and she goes several times again..and just a quick potty break before bed..I am trying to watch her water consumption and it seems she drinks a lot but I am not sure if its normal because I never paid attention before.

 

Thanks for listening

[Guest Energy11]

I's say, in her case, bloodwork every six months. I would definitely have bloodwork done now, based on the peeing and drinking. You want to be sure her kidneys are functioning properly. I would also take along a urine sample, too.

 

Hoping she feels better soon!

 

 

[PatricksMom]

In a healthy senior, I would think bloodwork once a year with dental, but ask your vet if her meds require more frequent monitoring.

 

As for weight loss, check that the formula on her food hasn't changed--lots have and if the calories/volume is lower, that's could be the culprit. But that's a big weight loss--I'd take her into the vet.

[Burpdog]

Well, she is not what I consider old. 8 is pretty young.

 

You have her on PPA and a NSAID which requires blood work at least every 6 months.

 

Has she had a tick panel done for the intermittent limping?

[Guest wjamg]

Well, she is not what I consider old. 8 is pretty young.

 

You have her on PPA and a NSAID which requires blood work at least every 6 months.

 

Has she had a tick panel done for the intermittent limping?

 

no, I think I will bring that up to the vet when she goes for her dental in March..Thanks

[silverfish]

I agree with Burpdog, she's too young for the weight loss to be related to ageing. I haven't seen 'senior weight loss sydrome' (for want of a better term) in my dogs till they get to around twelve or more. Before that, I'd be looking for the cause.

 

You don't say how long you've had her, and how long it's taken for her to go from 'extremely overweight bounce' to her present weight, or whether the vet thought she looked good at 65lb in August. Could it be that she's just gradually losing the excess under your care?

 

Do check the food for change of formula, also consider if she's doing more exercise than she has done, because that will require more calories too - 45 minutes is a very nice length walk for a greyhound and she may not have been getting anything like that in her last home. I'd say she is on a great exercise schedule right now - a lucky dog!

 

But yes, I'd check the blood work now since she's drinking a lot. I also have a dog who almost never asks to go out and voluntarily goes twelve hours between pees (cast iron bladder!) so that in itself isn't necessarily a problem if she's always been like that, but with her history of medical problems, I'd maybe want to keep a closer eye on things and I probably would do bloods more often than yearly.

 

Also - has she been wormed lately?

[Guest wjamg]

I agree with Burpdog, she's too young for the weight loss to be related to ageing. I haven't seen 'senior weight loss sydrome' (for want of a better term) in my dogs till they get to around twelve or more. Before that, I'd be looking for the cause.

 

You don't say how long you've had her, and how long it's taken for her to go from 'extremely overweight bounce' to her present weight, or whether the vet thought she looked good at 65lb in August. Could it be that she's just gradually losing the excess under your care?

 

Do check the food for change of formula, also consider if she's doing more exercise than she has done, because that will require more calories too - 45 minutes is a very nice length walk for a greyhound and she may not have been getting anything like that in her last home. I'd say she is on a great exercise schedule right now - a lucky dog!

 

But yes, I'd check the blood work now since she's drinking a lot. I also have a dog who almost never asks to go out and voluntarily goes twelve hours between pees (cast iron bladder!) so that in itself isn't necessarily a problem if she's always been like that, but with her history of medical problems, I'd maybe want to keep a closer eye on things and I probably would do bloods more often than yearly.

 

Also - has she been wormed lately?

 

Peace has been with us for just over two years. It took 18 months to get her weight to 65 pounds and now she s 60 and the vet said she looks perfect, it just seems fast to me, to lose that last 5 pounds only since August but in looking at this now, thats roughly a pound a month since we got her. I know she didn't exercise at all in her old home, it took several months to condition her to walk 45 minutes. Maybe I need to up her food, right now she eats a cup and a half kibble with extras twice a day..extras are green beans, yogurt, sweet potatoes, eggs, peanut butter on wheat toast or whatever meat we have for dinner. She loves to eat and walk..with her arthritis, I don't let her run at the ballfield anymore. I need to figure out how much food she needs to just maintain her weight now, I want her to stay right at 60 pounds. My husband made the comment that she probably burns more calories walking in the winter because of the snow and brisk winds lately. Not sure thats true. She did have her heartworm test recently and she was fine. I think that I am extra paranoid about kidney disease because my last dog had it for several years before she passed away.

 

Thanks for your answers!! I appreciate it.

[SAVED2]

If she was mine I would cut the walk time in half , our gang go in the yard unleashed for 5 mi four times a day and they are all healthy two are 12 now and have done this for 8 years.

[silverfish]

 

Peace has been with us for just over two years. It took 18 months to get her weight to 65 pounds and now she s 60 and the vet said she looks perfect, it just seems fast to me, to lose that last 5 pounds only since August but in looking at this now, thats roughly a pound a month since we got her. I know she didn't exercise at all in her old home, it took several months to condition her to walk 45 minutes.

 

I can imagine! It took us a while with Sid, who also has special problems being a tripod. He was living in his trainer's house with her other dogs when we adopted him and he had no exercise beyond being let out into a very large property several times a day. But he just used to pee and run straight back in! The first time we took him for a walk, we only made it a few hundred yards. Over time, we've also got to the 45 minute walk stage.

 

Good news that the vet thought she looked perfect!

 

 

Maybe I need to up her food ..... I need to figure out how much food she needs to just maintain her weight now, I want her to stay right at 60 pounds.

 

 

Yep, I'd say give that a try. If she maintains her weight easily when you feed her a little more, you have no worries. She just needs more calories.

 

My husband made the comment that she probably burns more calories walking in the winter because of the snow and brisk winds lately. Not sure thats true. She did have her heartworm test recently and she was fine. I think that I am extra paranoid about kidney disease because my last dog had it for several years before she passed away.

 

I understand the paranoia. Something I suffer from too!

 

But your husband is right. Being outside walking in the winter does use more calories, because the dog is using some to maintain body heat, even with a decent coat on. They lose a lot through the ears, and under the belly, and of course, from the lungs.

 

Also, it wasn't heartworm I was thinking of, but internal parasites like roundworm and tapeworm and so on. They can drastically reduce the amount of nourishment a dog gets from her diet, because they eat it themselves. If you haven't done a routine worming lately, it might be worth it.

[Guest wjamg]

If she was mine I would cut the walk time in half , our gang go in the yard unleashed for 5 mi four times a day and they are all healthy two are 12 now and have done this for 8 years.

 

the vet told me walks were really important with her joint problems..she would go longer but we cut the walk off at 45 minutes..oh course, its not like she is sprinting the whole time, it starts out as a brisk walk for 5-20 minutes and then turns into a slow stroll which she would like to do for hours I imagine...she just came in from her second walk of the day and is zooming in the front room right now as I write this!