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  1. #1
    Puppy I told Althea's Avatar
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    14 years and still going strong!

    Hi,

    I am the proud owner of a teenaged black Lab named Prefontaine (Pre). She turned 14 on 8/20/14.
    I've had good luck with Labs all my life, most lived to high 12's, early 13's, but Pre is my oldest so far and I'm in unchartered territory. She just keeps waking up every morning, seemingly unchanged from the day before, plugging away at life, happy as a clam.
    She does have some minor issues. She has diabetes insipidus (water diabetes). Her urine won't concentrate and she spent 2 months "flooding" while we ruled out everything else. Now she gets one drop of Desmopressin in the eye a day and has been dry ever since.
    She also had 2 vestibular events last January, but recovered fairly quickly and hasn't had any since. I have an in-home vet taking periodic blood, urine, and fecal and everything always come back normal.
    So really, I'm here to celebrate with others that have geriatric dogs and I want to hear and share stories of how we keep them happy and healthy at this stage of life. I also have a 4 year old Lab named Althea and I do think that is part of the equation for keeping Pre here with us so long. She grew up with her pal Dalie that passed in 2010, and now that she has Althea, she's always had a canine companion in the house.

  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to I told Althea For This Useful Post:

    lovemylabby (10-24-2014), Lynn5707 (10-13-2014), mhb (10-10-2014), Moby and Barley's Mom (05-18-2015)

  3. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Hello and Welcome!

    Yeah, another senior! Our first lab was a senior and we've never turned back. IMO they are the best of the best.

    14 years is amazing - shows how much care and love she has received. Looking forward to a picture of her and of course her pal Althea.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEFONTAINE!

  4. #3
    Best Friend Retriever LucyTudeOn4Feet's Avatar
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    Love hearing about your 14-er. What an awesome, unique name!

  5. #4
    Senior Dog MikeLynn's Avatar
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    Hello, welcome and
    Happy Birthday, Pre!!!
    14 is an amazing age, fingers crossed for a few more M&M
    Hidden Content
    Lynn 5/17/1999 - 7/23/2013
    You shall never be forgotten, my friend

    Mel *6/14/2013
    Hidden Content Hidden Content


  6. #5
    Senior Dog 4Thelove's Avatar
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    Hello and welcome- our Ginger just celebrated 11 years on the 23rd.
    Looking forward to pics of your girl!

  7. #6
    Senior Dog
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    Glad your girl is doing so well!

    Our first lab, Scully, made it to 15 years, 2 months.
    Jolie, who we took in at almost 12, made it to 14 years, 10 months
    and Mulder, who is our second lab, is still going strong (albeit with a few issues) at 15 years, 4 months. We also have his daughter Chloe, who is 5.

    Don't know how much is genetics (Mulder and Jolie were littermates and were closely related to Scully who was from the same breeder) and how much luck or if we're doing something right, but we have been very blessed, and we are grateful every day.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  8. #7
    Puppy I told Althea's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone! Wow, it's so nice to hear about senior success stories. Last winter was really rough on Pre with all the snow and ice, and her 2 vestibular events. I so hope Mother Nature is kinder to us this year and Pre lives to see another spring.
    So, not to bring back bad memories, but what did everyone's senior pups eventually die from? Of course, I'm hoping that Pre dies one day in her sleep, lying in her favorite spot next to the fireplace, with me and my husband and Althea close by....

  9. #8
    Senior Dog
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    Scully went into kidney failure ... most likely due to years of strong meds for severe elbow arthritis.

    Jolie had a large splenic mass which eventually caused her to stop eating.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  10. #9
    Puppy I told Althea's Avatar
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    Here's a picture of Pre taken 2 weeks ago.


  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to I told Althea For This Useful Post:

    bett (10-11-2014), Georgie (10-10-2014)

  12. #10
    Senior Dog MikeLynn's Avatar
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    She's a sweet girl and still very cute Great pic too; thanks for sharing.

 



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