Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.

I think one of the most challenging things about pet parenting is that our pets are most certainly going to age and worse yet, suffer the pains of that age right before our eyes. Dogs and cats have incredibly short lives and as their caretakers we often need to help them in their twilight years. Of course we would all prefer this to the alternative and so we do what we can to make the best life for our pets.

Sharona will turn 13 in February. That’s 91 in people years. For the most part, she is in excellent health for her age. However, she is having trouble with arthritis. She was a bit of a wild child in her younger years and she had surgery for torn ACLs on both of her back knees. Now she has trouble getting onto the bed and couch. She’s been having trouble getting comfortable and unable to sleep in one place for long. Additionally the old gal has some urinary incontinence issues, which basically means wet spots when she gets up from a nap and the frequent and urgent need to go (that means our thumbs are called into duty to open the back door and let her outside more that I would like).

Oh the indignity for such a wonderful old lady to endure! I believe she was also suffering from a bit of depression at this decline in her body.

I may be old, but I am still gorgeous.

Luckily, with our Veterinarian’s help, we seem to have hit on a wonderful cocktail of drugs for her pain and discomfort, combined with a healthy diet and supplements, plus a nightly deep tissue doggie massage from yours truly. I’ve noticed a great change in her demeanor since she stated on the drugs and the massage therapy. I can see she is sleeping better and playing with Winnie Cooper a little more. She has a number of good years left and I look forward to being her Mom forever.

Do you have older pets? Do you have experience with arthritic dogs? Am I missing something that could help?



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