At What Age Do You Consider Your Grey A Senior?

[fourofem]

My two girls are both 11 so I guess they're seniors although perfectly healthy and active. Sure, both have slowed down a little bit and take the steps more carefully BUT when all of them (two younger boys included) get cranked up in the backyard, the girls are right in the thick of things.

[Guest WhiteWave]

Ronon will also be 7 in August. I don't consider him a senior. He is more active now than he was at 3. Although in the last month, he has really greyed a lot in the face. I do give him joint supplements along with Casper 8 yrs old and Pongo 15 yrs old both nongreys. I find they do help if you give a high enough dose and give it daily. I use powdered horse supplements.

[Guest Lovey_Hounds]

Vegas will be 9 this August and i don't consider him a senior he still tears around the yard with Chili who is 3 years old and acts like she is 8 months old, he is still just about faster than her on most days.

 

I will be starting him on joint supplements this winter as he has previous leg injuries and he gets still because of the cold. I don't think there is an exact age to start supplements i think you should base it on how your dog is and if they need them, I did not start D.C on joint supplements until she was 10 years old and that was because she had an old hock break that was bothering her and once they kicked in she was fine.

[seeh2o]

Claire showed some rear end stiffness last year in Solvang, she had literally just turned 8 that weekend. Lots of walking, few naps, it was very very cold/damp and we were in a basement room with a cement slab floor...even though I had a dog bed there, she had a tough time. I put her on my bed that night and it was the first time she ever slept on my bed (the last time, too but not because she hasn't been invited or picked up and put up on the bed). The night I saw stiffness in her back end it snowed for about 10 min in Solvang. I started her on Dasuquin right away, but because of their sponsorship of an anti-choice "emergency pregnancy center" I have switched her to MegaFlex per my vet. She has never had a moment of back end stiffness the year since I started her on the supplements.

 

I didn't start Carl until this year. He's not stiff, but I'm trying to head it off at the pass. They are littermates and are 9. I don't consider them seniors by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure when I will, but it's not now! You should see how the bounce up and down every morning when they get their duck necks (part of breakfast). Claire jumps so high her eyes are level with mine!

 

Edited for clarity and spelling.

Edited March 18, 2012 by seeh2o

[Guest PhillyPups]

Personally, I think at 10, but don't tell AnnaBanana, LadyLu or 13 year old Moe tht they are seniors, they will probably smack you with their muzzle, or poop in your shoes. I am with Batmom on supplements. All but one of my greyhounds made it to double digits, the oldest for me was SugarBear at 14.5, but most to 13 or more.

[3greytjoys]

We also like to consider our playful, spry 10 year olds only as young/early seniors. I agree with others that Greyhounds are considered longer lived than most large breeds.

I've read that Greyhounds are included in these estimates...

7 - 9 year old Greyhounds are considered "Seniors".

10 and up are considered "Geriatric".

 

Examples of dog to human year equlivalents:

Dog = Human

8 = 55

10 = 66

12 = 77

14 = 88

16 = 99

17 and up +

 

I'm going with 16 is the new 12 for our hounds.

Edited March 18, 2012 by 3greytjoys

[greg1229]

Bijou turned 13 in Feb. She is slower, thinner, gone from a "blue" to so much white she is grey Pretty much deaf now but eyesight is clear as ever. I think she is a Senior, but then she will go out and run after the 6 year olds. So go figure

[Guest BassoonMo]

It really depends on the dog and the kind of life they've had. Our Sadie is about 8, but has obviously had a rough life with not a lot of care. She is stiff, sometimes limps, trudges up the stairs, has a hard time keeping up on walks and seems a whole decade older than our other greyhound (who is only 2 years younger). Like my mother always used to say "It's not the years, it's the miles".

[Guest tricolorhounds]

Makes no difference here. I don't use supplements -- haven't found them to be useful for anything except emptying my pocketbook.

 

 

Would have agreed 100% until I started taking curcumin a couple of weeks ago. I feel like a new person.

 

I've given mine glucosamine/chondroitin supplements in the past but have never noticed any improvement in pain relief / mobility.

 

My Savannah is 11 1/2+, she is basically a tripod from broken hock/track injury and broken heel/backyard injury but she is more hale and hearty then Bonkers who is 10 and even Bonkers is more active and playful than my two 3 year olds. Gain is 7 1/2, his face is turning white but in no way does he act like a senior.

 

 

A couple of years ago we houndsat for a 9 year old greyhound that was frail and definitely would have been described as a senior.

[Guest vahoundlover]

double digits! Dr Q told me some dogs will respond to supplements and others won't. If you see a good response then by all means, otherwise don't waste your money. Regular acupuncture might do her more good.

Edited March 19, 2012 by vahoundlover

[Guest Luvastorm]

Our oldest is now 12 1/2 but she didn't start to act or look "old" until she turned 11. Our 9 1/2 year old would be insulted to be called a senior. She still races our 4 yr. old.

[3greytjoys]

Our oldest is now 12 1/2 but she didn't start to act or look "old" until she turned 11. Our 9 1/2 year old would be insulted to be called a senior. She still races our 4 yr. old.

 

We hear ya! Our (then) 8 year old brood mom beat her own 2 year old during their post retirement fun runs. Guess thats why she was a brood.

[greytluck]

Although I call Wally my old man sometimes, at 8 years old he is far from a senior. He is and has always been very lazy around the house but take him outside to run and you get a different dog. He does zoomies every time he goes out which is multiple times in a day. He fetches, plays soccer and just loves to run run run. I swear he is more lab then greyhound. He hasn't shown any sign of slowing down yet and still runs circles around my 4 year old. Other then his handsome white face you would never know he was older.

[Guest Babs]

Our Mac and Cleo will be 8 years old this year. (May and September). Despite the fact that Mac has some major health issues (hypertension and Mesothelioma) he and Cleo are both young at heart and look young (good genes!) I think that their time at the track was so rigid and structured that they didn't have time to be puppies and are making up for it now! They are both happy, good natured, funny typical hounds, who kick out the rabbits and get excited when they see the deer and fox in our woods!

Edited March 20, 2012 by Babs

[MP_the4pack]

My Little Old Lady Onyx who made it to 15 1/2 didn't get "old" until about 12.

 

My sisters were 'young' until the day they died. Both were 12 and succumbed to cancer. In fact, Diamond was such a young 12 yr old, the doctors at OSU believed she could do well as a tripod. And she was for 6 months until the cancer took over another leg.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

My new girl looks much older (in photos anyway) at ten than my Whippet does at 14.5, that's for sure. I'm curious to see what gradual exercise will do for her. It's obvious my Whippet has benefited from extensive routine exercise and a very soft life.