I hate to even say it, but yes, Elsa is most definitely a senior. Uggghhh, did I say that out loud? I’m not ready for this, but in all honesty; we’ve been in it for a while now, whether I like it or not. After losing three of our dogs in three years; I want her to still be a young’n. Elsa has most definitely reached “senior” status very quickly because of the spinal stroke she had over three years ago. The stroke had a huge impact on her body and it’s abilities. There are days when I am really angry that this happened to her; but then I see people who lose their dogs far too young and I feel lucky that we still have her with us.
Elsa will be 12 in July, which is the age when I have typically seen a change in my dogs. Having had Standard Poodles for almost 40 years, I have personal experience to compare with. Tilley had the most longevity of all the Standards in our lives. She lived to be just short of 16 years. Luke was next at 14.5 which was amazing because he lived with severe epilepsy his whole life.
The last year has been a tough one for Elsa and we are plodding along through some health issues. She has been suffering from acid reflux for quite sometime and it has been difficult to get a handle on. I think we’re almost there as far as figuring out what works and doesn’t work for Miss Elsa. Acid reflux can hit any dog but older dogs are more prone because the esophagus sphincter itself can become weaker with age.
The other major issue is recurring uti’s. This is something that Tilley (1997-2012) dealt with in her senior years as well but a daily dose of cranberry d-mannose was all she needed to keep things in check.
Elsa is not so lucky, her anatomy is not quite what it should be so as she ages, things have gotten worse.
(WARNING - TMI ahead for some folks.)
The skin above Elsa’s vulva comes down too far, covering more than half of the vulva itself. Because of this, as she ages the skin has become less taut and is creating a problem. So at nearly 12 years of age we are dealing with constant uti’s. It’s been a struggle to get rid of some of the uti’s but I think we are on a path with a plan now and hopefully things will be looking up for her.
She is on a high dose of cranberry d-mannose which helps to inhibit the adhesion of bacteria to the bladder wall. Making sure that she drinks lots of water is very important as well; so, she gets extra water with her meals. As well as implementing a verbal cue on drinking water for both Riggs and Elsa.
Because she is a poodle, Elsa has to be shaved very clean in her private areas. Close attention is required in keeping everything dry and clean down there. She is honestly so good, she waits for her little drying dab every time she comes in from peeing.
As our dogs age, there is always something to deal with. Because Elsa was struck with a spinal stroke three years ago; things changed for her far too early as the amazing athlete that she was. Elsa has also been losing her hearing lately; faster than any of our previous poodles. All of a sudden she has old dog hearing. Not all dogs lose their hearing. Luke didn’t but Tilley most definitely did. Lots of sign language is now required which is why you should keep up with signing even when they are young.
But if it wasn’t a stroke, uti or acid reflux that we are dealing with it would probably be something else. Each dog is an individual and each will deal with something different as they age. This is the time when we can give back just a fraction of what our dogs have given us over the years with extreme tlc.
There truly is nothing like an old dog and caring for them.