Comments on: My Intrepid Senior

By: Barb S.

Barb S. — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:59:41 +0000

Aw- thanks for all the good, kind words. It was incredibly hard, mostly because Dulse was the last of the “old crew” that a friend of mine and I had… I will miss his “old man bark” and his perpetual watchfulness.

By: Bonnie Ramba

Bonnie Ramba — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:04:03 +0000

Dear Barb ~
I am so sorry to hear about your loss In our 35 years of marriage, my husband and I have only lost one dog. The day I took him to be put to sleep, I cried harder than when I lost my parents. I treasured his collar that I saved and put it on a stuffed collie (although “Jasper” was a sheltie, it was close enough) that my nieces gave me. If there is such a thing as a “proper mourning period’, I think I violated it because I just couldn’t do without a dog! Within 2 weeks, I contacted a greyhound rescue and by 6 weeks, I had my dog, “Clarence the Angel”. I hope that there will be a new addition to ease you pain when the time is right.
God bless ~
Bonnie Ramba (hamstr1)

By: Dennis Bourgoin

Dennis Bourgoin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:09:39 +0000

Its really hard. My little one will be 15 in Nov. and I know the day is coming. Tearing up here as I type. All I can say is that I give him all the love I can give and always make sure he has everything that he needs. he looks at me at times and I just know that he knows that he is loved and in the best hands. Keep your chin up.
Dennis

By: Janet S.

Janet S. — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:54:25 +0000

Sorry to hear about Dulse. Sounds like you were a great mom!

By: JulieD

JulieD — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:46:18 +0000

Barb, Ellen tweeted about your loss. I just wanted to comment and say how sorry I am to hear this. It’s so heartbreaking and it isn’t easy.

By: chris wright

chris wright — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:31:41 +0000

My little dog Bobbie is a Jack Russell x Chihuahua and he is 14 years old. He will be 15years old in January 2011 God willing. He is my world and I am so scared of losing him when he isn’t well. He has a Perineal hernia and keeps straining to go to the toilet when nothing there. He sleeps a lot now and if he is not well we lie down together as then I know he is relaxed. We go on holiday twice a year. He has been with me since he was 9 months old and always had to stay at home while I went to work so when I was 60 last year I retired so we can spend all our time together for as long as we have. I lost my only son in 1995 and my 12 year old dog Tanna in 1996 and when Bobbie came along he gave me a reason to live. God bless my wonderful dog. I love him so much.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:02:48 +0000

I have an almost 11-year-old border collie/black lab mix who is slowing down physically and seems to be getting bored mentally. In the hot summer months I don’t know what to do to entertain him when he’s in the house all day long because he refuses to go outside. Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping an old, tired dog happy indoors? Thanks!

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:55:09 +0000

Great story! I had two senior ladies – a 16 year old bichon, Courtney; and an 18 year old shih tzu, Shaina. Courtney pass the dayt after last Thanksgiving and Shaina passed the day before Mother’s Day. It was a pleasure to make their last days comfortable, safe, warm and full of hugs and kisses.
Courtney had two back surgeries and was very arthritic. I would carry her up and down the stairs to go out, but, towards the end she didn’t want to go out and used the pottey pads. Shaina was deaf, blind and toothless. She was very afraid of going outside so she used pottey pads everyday. Thank goodness I discovered that human incontinence pads are washable. Shaina also got her food put through a blender as it was easier for her to slurp it.

Friends thought I was nuts, but, they gave me so much love, it took so little work to make their last days peaceful. They taught me so much that made me a better human.

By: Barb S.

Barb S. — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:29:47 +0000

It really does my heart good to see how many people out there really appreciate their seniors and make their lives easier. Sorry I haven’t been able to comment for a while…
Barbara: So sorry that Jax and Britt are not doing as well as when they were younger. It sounds like you are doing as much as you can. It is difficult raising littermates, so I applaud you for giving them great lives.
Jasmyn: Wow- it speaks volumes about your care that Clive (love the name) is 16! I really want to encourage you to use Piddle Pads for Clive. They seem to work well for Dulse and they are really easy to pick and toss out. It seems like older dogs are similar to puppies in their potential for “accidents”. I like to think that the Piddle Pads are providing Dulse with some peace of mind because he knows he is allowed to eliminate on them.
Bridget: What a lucky dog Casey is to have two people to care for him like that! I love the idea of a Pet Loo on your deck – I have that, too – Dulse thinks he’s going on grass and it is easy to hose down. I really recommend our Quilted Deluxe Bed for Casey. Dulse was snoozing on his last night and looked so comfortable I wanted to lie right next to him!
Thanks so much for all of your comments.

By: Bridget Williams

Bridget Williams — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:57:23 +0000

My boyfriend and I have an 11 yr old labrador/retriever named Casey. He has moderate arthritis in his hips. My boyfriend carries him up and down the stairs twice a day. We also set up a pet loo on our deck so he can have “bathroom breaks” often. We give him joint supplements plus a prescription called tramadol. I set up alarms so Casey gets his medication on time every time. We also are buying him a new “orthopedic support” dog bed. I will continue to make changes in my schedule and add anything I can too keep Casey as comfortable and happy as possible well into his “retirement” years,