Old Age Regardless

[Kirislin]

Sometimes dogs live to old age regardless of how well, or how badly they've lived. When I got Penny whippet there was an older couple with 2 labradors just a little bit older than Penny. I have always fed my dogs well, kept them fit and healthy and I've been lucky in that none have any real health issues.

These 2 labs, although much loved were raised on tinned food, their coats always smell and feel greasy to touch. When ever I'd see them at the park they were always dragging their backsides. They are both fat, have dirty teeth and arthritis from quite a young age, and yet, my Penny has been gone these past 8 weeks and these 2 dear old girls live on. They are now 16 years old, a good age by any standard but for fat unhealthy dogs I think it's amazing. I cant imagine they could have lived any longer if they'd been fed a good diet and kept at a healthy weight. I suppose they might have been more comfortable, but who knows?

[flame ryder]

I've thought about this also. Before all this wonderful info on the internet I used to feed my dogs the cheapest possible supermarket dry food and as a treat a tin of pal, bones on their birthdays and xmas day. They lived to pretty good ages, and we rarely went to a vet. They were also nearly always mixed breed muts from pet shops or advertised in local classifieds.

The same goes for humans, my mum smokes and she is in good health for 88. However her sister died quite young from lung cancer and she never smoked...ever.

[kelpiecuddles]

I know it's paid for by a dog food company but the topic being researched was actually not related to brands of food but the way owners fed their dogs(feeding to keep them lean as opposed to overweight) but I was looking at this 14 year study today which was done by Purina US. Showed a 15% increase in life span on average in dogs fed to keep them lean. So while I do agree there will be some dogs that just keep going on average I think many more would pass away early due to ill health.

http://www.purina.com.au/dog-food/feeding/nutrition/extending-healthy-years

[Maddy]

Having only recently let my two oldies go, it's something I've also been wondering about quite a lot.

Mine were raw fed, we did everything right and we still lost them far younger than I was prepared for (Sally, 10, an aggressive thyroid cancer; Kiff, 12, issues with his back, amongst other things), yet I know people who feed nothing but supermarket rubbish, never take their dogs to the vet and their dogs live to 18.

It's a bit frustrating and feels unfair but I suppose some of it just comes down to luck/genetics.

[kelpiecuddles]

I think there is a lot f luck/genetics at play. I suppose it's no different to the amazing couple who would make awesome parents struggling for years to conceive while a drug addict who can't care for their own kids breed like rabbits.

I guess you just do the best you can and turn the rest over to the universe.

[tdierikx]

Regardless of luck, food, etc... I'd rather see a lean, fit, and happy dog any day.

I know for a fact that my Zeddy (now 15) wouldn't be here if she was chubby. She has arthritis in her back end/legs, and extra weight would make it near impossible for her to move comfortably. Keeping her lean (and warm in winter) means she stays a lot more pain free and happy... and will be with me longer...

I recently had to rush to a friend's house to help take her fat lab boy to the vet for his final visit. His ideal healthy weight should have been around 27-28kgs - but carrying 40+ kgs around for years had sadly taken it's toll on his back and hips, and they had just finally given out completely. Lifting a 40+ kg dog into the car because he can't move and has crapped and wet all over himself was more heartbreaking than the fact we were taking him for his last vet visit.

I believe that the above dog was loved to death...

T.

[YippeeGirl]

It always seems unfair when you see owners who only buy their dogs from BYBs/pet stores, feed crap food, and only take their dogs to the vet to be desexed and euthanised, and they never seem to have any problems with their dogs.

However, I do wonder if the less you know, the less you can see when something is wrong.

For example, we had no idea what bloat was until our German Shepherd died of it when we were away and my mum took her to the vet to get a necropsy. We also thought our previous dogs had nice coats when they were being fed a lower quality diet. Looking back, they were always dry/coarse feeling and had a lot of dandruff.

A lot of people don't seem to know what a healthy dog looks like. We regularly get told our dogs are underweight, but heaven forbid you tell that same person their own dog is terribly overweight.

I doubt those labs have lived a happy life. Surviving is not thriving. You should take comfort in the fact you gave your whippet a better life than they have lived.

[pepe001]

I don't think we can compare health of dogs from years past to those of today due to the increase in toxins in everyday life. Car exhaust, pollutants, chemicals in food and in everything we touch which is manmade (plastics etc). Most dogs (and people) I know seem to die of some sort of cancer now days.

But I do agree. It seems the more someone cares about animals the more things go wrong.

Edited October 13, 2014 by pepe001

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Don't be fooled - doubtless some of these dogs are in pain with bad teeth. Every older dog I rescue needs a dental, badly. I'd rather have a dog for 10 years in great health than a dog I managed to keep alive for 13 years but neglected.

I rescued a little 14 year old dog from people and she'd had a bloody rotten life - only ever kept outside, on her own. No company, not much shelter.

She'd lived on No Frills tinned petfood all those years. When I arrived, she was out in the street eating dog poo - this was all near a major road in Sydney.

I took her home, got her to the vets (she hadn't seen one since she was desexed as a puppy) and she had most of her rotten teeth out. I was too late though, her heart was bad and I only had her for 8 months before that killed her (in spite of meds and regular vet check ups).

At least her last 8 months she had love with me, she became an inside dog and loved her doggie friends, her walks and everything else her.

Many people who want to rehome their dogs tell me they have no idea about their pets' teeth, they've never looked. I've just rehomed a 13 yr old for a person who took a lot of convincing that the dog needed a dental before she went. Sure enough, the vet took 4 teeth out ....

Edited October 13, 2014 by Her Majesty Dogmad

[Loving my Oldies]

It's a bit frustrating and feels unfair but I suppose some of it just comes down to luck/genetics.

This: genetics and luck and the quirks of sperm and eggs :D

I find the genetics side of one's makeup particularly interesting as I am one of four siblings - I'm the youngest at 68 :laugh: :laugh:. Anyone looking at the four of us and listening to us speak and watching our mannerisms would know we are blood relatives. Yet we are all so different in terms of health, build, ideas, abilities, etc. I am short and plump, the two middle ones (twins male and female) are tall and slim and the eldest woman is short and slim. All my siblings went grey yonks ago and I still have my natural colour. In terms of interests and abilities, it is hard to believe we are even related.

And, getting back to dogs, you see lots of difference in temperaments in litter mates.

I don't think we can compare health of dogs from years past to those of today due to the increase in toxins in everyday life. Car exhaust, pollutants, chemicals in food and in everything we touch which is manmade (plastics etc). Most dogs (and people) I know seem to die of some sort of cancer now days.

And this. The air we breath and the food we eat is all very very polluted.

[Leah82]

I think diet and lifestyle is more about keeping the dog young and active for a longer period of time rather than lengthening their life.

We all know we feel better when we eat well and exercise but at the end of the day the body is great at ticking along on the bare minimum, it's just not much fun.

Unfortunately things like cancer and other chronic conditions creep up on the best of us

[sas]

Sometimes dogs live to old age regardless of how well, or how badly they've lived. When I got Penny whippet there was an older couple with 2 labradors just a little bit older than Penny. I have always fed my dogs well, kept them fit and healthy and I've been lucky in that none have any real health issues.

These 2 labs, although much loved were raised on tinned food, their coats always smell and feel greasy to touch. When ever I'd see them at the park they were always dragging their backsides. They are both fat, have dirty teeth and arthritis from quite a young age, and yet, my Penny has been gone these past 8 weeks and these 2 dear old girls live on. They are now 16 years old, a good age by any standard but for fat unhealthy dogs I think it's amazing. I cant imagine they could have lived any longer if they'd been fed a good diet and kept at a healthy weight. I suppose they might have been more comfortable, but who knows?

Genetics....

Also the topic of epi-genetics is even more interesting.

[sas]

I don't think we can compare health of dogs from years past to those of today due to the increase in toxins in everyday life. Car exhaust, pollutants, chemicals in food and in everything we touch which is manmade (plastics etc). Most dogs (and people) I know seem to die of some sort of cancer now days.

But I do agree. It seems the more someone cares about animals the more things go wrong.

Epi genetics...