How Old Is Old?

[Jodi]

My rotti x is 8 years 9 months and she just seems to have turned into an old lady over night.

Her hips are starting to go, no obvious sign of pain (yet), her eyes have gone all gunky, she dislocated her jaw last night (and relocated it herself, it was hideous), she has a bald patch on her back and her ears are all dry on the inside. Her front teeth have started to wear away and break too. She is happy within herself and eats and drinks and still manages little walks. She just looks like a poor decrepid old dog! LOL.

We are going for a vet check up Monday arvo, but I was wondering, how old is old? I know rotti's don't have a huge life span, does the cross (not that we know what with she was a poundy) make much of a diff usually? She has been a really healthy dog all her life, I know the hip thing was bound to happen, but I'm not ready for my baby to be an old lady.

[Kirty]

I don't know Jodi, but am going through the same thing with my old girl. She is 10 and had cruciate surgery a few months ago. We have just been away for a week, and when we came home I suddenly realised how old she looks.

[ness]

Think it depends on the individual - my "oldie" is 11 in a few weeks, and a Border Collie yet out ran her young sister at the beach yesterday afternoon (but the youngster is still recovering from a shoulder injury) and we are just back from a walk up the creek and the oldie enticed the youngster into a game of zoomie chasey. I keep thinking she has slowed down but she has never been super active and if anything she is being more feral now then she was when she was younger.

[Tapua]

Its sad to watch isnt it - my oldie aged in about a week from a bubbly bossy boots chasing the young ones to - nah not getting off the couch and I cant possibley run - its like a cog shifts somewhere and they slow down to a different spead. Our old girl reamained bossy till the day she died - from the couch though

Edited September 3, 2011 by Tapua

[Sharna3]

It's so sad but for rotti's I'd say 10 is the golden goal... Sadly, anywhere from about 8 onwards this breed is considered "senior"... The cross may help or hinder, depending on cross with what? And the overnight... Definitely hear you there! My beautiful boy was fighting fit until he hit 9.5 then literally his health changed in a week. That said, as long as shes happy and eating/drinking, no pain, she could be around for years yet! Enjoy your amazing girl x

[Little Gifts]

My stafford really never really slowed down and needed help doing normal things until her 16th year. She was one tough cookie.

[tdierikx]

My pure Rotti heart dog was 11 when she went to the Bridge... her nephew was 13 when he decided it was time to join her. They both had quite advanced arthritis by the time they went, but it didn't seem to slow them down too much if there was a tennis ball on offer, or a cat to remove from the yard... *grin*

My current Rotti X girl just turned 12 and shows no sign of slowing down - even though she is getting greyer around the muzzle by the day it seems. She has a little bit of arthritis in her knees - but that only slows her down a little bit when we have cold weather - she can still easily jump up onto the bed or couch and play zoomies with foster pups... hehe!

T.

[Gayle.]

Last weekend I watched a 10yo rotti, recently recovered from a leg amputation, pass a herding instinct test and go on to gain her first herding title. She did not look or act old and her disability didn't hamper her in the slightest.

[HazyWal]

Yeah I know what you mean.My RidgyX had never had a sick day in his life until he had a stroke aged 14.He was still a happy boy after he recovered but was never the same.He aged overnight.Everything slowed down his arthritis was punishing but he always battled on.He was the light of my life until cancer took him 2 years later.So how old is old?I don't know just love em for every day you wake.

[indigirl]

I know what you mean. My big old boy Spud (rotti x) seemed to age overnight. He made it to 13 and was PTS because i didnt wnat to subject the old guy to further surgery on his leg, he had a tumor that had already been removed once and grew back. I had him PTS when I saw the tumor starting to rupture. His only option was to have his leg amputated and I felt that at his age and with the 'good' leg having had cruciate surgery in the past, it just wasnt feasible.

[Teebs]

Atlas has always been an old dog, he is 8 now and he just seems so old to me at times

[dancinbcs]

It all depends on the breed and the lines. Most Border Collies are fine until 12-13 then suddenly turn into old dogs. Not sure about Rotties but Bullmastiffs apparently are considered old at 8-9. The little breeds that tend to live well into their mid-late teens usually don't age until much later.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Emma was a spritely senior until she went blind (at 12yo). That aged her immensely. But she did still keep up with everything we were doing. Really it wasn't until a few weeks before she was PTS that she really seemed really old (a bout of pneumonia didn't help!), and just like you that seemed to happen almost over night. She was 12.5yo then.