Guest AndyK Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have three hounds - 7, 8 and 14. I've only ever had the one hound who's lived over 10 (the one who's now 14) - with her I would say it was around age 11. She has arthritis and kidney problems and is now down to one slow walk a day but very much loves life still! The other two I wouldn't say have slowed down but are calmer than, say, a 3-4 year old one who's just retired. The situation with Misty (14 year old one) sounds very similar to Carson above. As her kidney issues don't appear to be worsening, I assume at some point the mobility will be the big issue. But, time will tell, she's one tough hound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Another vote for chiropractor and supplements. Henry is almost 8, with only three legs. He walks and hikes about 3 miles a day. Once a week, we'll do a longer hike, about 6 miles. His energy is still fantastic, but I do notice that he gets little injuries a lot more frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundrop Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Such a difficult topic to think about, but very necessary to ensure your pups are well taken care of, I know. Our first girl (in my avatar) was a brood and we adopted her just a few weeks after she turned 8. She loved her twice daily walks - short or long, she loved them! She was our longest-lived hound and made it to 13.5. I noticed that she started walking slower in the last year & half of her life - had to have my husband walk our boys because they walked faster & longer. The last 6 months she was pretty slow, but still very happy to go for her walks - so we just strolled - I let her set the pace completely. She would still play once in a while, too. Our first boy died just shy of his 9th birthday of a heart attack in his sleep. He had multiple heart conditions, so we had to watch him closely - but he had gone for a walk the evening he died and showed no signs of distress or slowing down at all. It was quite a shock when he died. Our second boy we just lost this past Easter - he turned 10 on March 10 and died on April 5. Unknown to us, he'd been suffering from fibrosarcoma and had a 5-lb tumor removed a week & a half after his birthday, and we lost him only a couple weeks later. Honestly, he wasn't really slowing down much at all - which is why we had no idea anything was wrong. We'd taken him to the vet a couple of times in the year prior because he would stop eating - he'd get a full work-up, they'd find nothing wrong and then he'd start eating again. It wasn't until his birthday when he totally stopped eating - no meals, no treats, nothing - that I insisted on an ultrasound and they found the tumor. Like most greys, he was a stoic guy. Our girl now will be 8 on August 1 - she's always been super mellow and never loved long walks much. She got a new little brother on May 30 (he just turned 3) and she's actually been a little more energetic. She loves to play chase with our neighbor's dog (who is also 8) and had a great play session last night at a cookout. All the neighbors were just amazed at how fast she was, but our neighbors are still convinced that their dog could've kept up with our girl "when she was younger" - I'll just let them think that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnnziggy Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Dawn was a wonderful hound. She didn't slow down until her kidneys got really bad. Our old guy now is 12. He loves his walks but they are slower. I let him set the pace except when all he wants to do is have some salad. He plays several times in the house. I need to get a video of it. He plays a diggity-diggity game. It is hilarious. Our 9 year old acts old. He does NOT like to walk when it is hot or humid. Our 4 year old will go as far and as long as you want to go. She doesn't care if it is hot or humid. She loves to go swimming. She scared me half to death when she walked right into our friend's pond! We give Ziggy, our 12 year old, vitamins daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soylette Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Suki didn't stop running until she was 11. She'll be 14 this year and is on the decline However, she's really lived a pretty great long life. It's heartbreaking to see her struggle and get old, but all we can do is make them as comfy as possible and love them a whole lot. As long as she's able to walk and wag her tail and enjoy treats and company, I know she's still living the good life. I really am not looking forward to that day when she's not able to. I know it's relatively soon, but it just makes me spoil and love her even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.