Slight loosening of bowel control- help me control my panic

[outrag]

Sending good thoughts. I read an article recently that stated dog owners are terrified of entering the double digits (age). I think your situation is certainly something to monitor along with getting regular "senior" checkups. It sounds to me like something that would be manageable for quite some time however...

Bob

[barry581]

Kimbersmom I know exactly how you feel. The only advice I can give you to to enjoy each and every day you have with your girl. You may have a day, you may have a week, you may have 6 years. You just never know. In the end it won't matter, the time we have with them is never, ever long enough.

[Tanya]

I have no experience with this just wanted to send you a hug/good thoughts. It's awful navigating thru the aging process

[ZoeysMommy]

I understand how you are feeling, as a dog ages so many thing begin to cross your mind

I have no experience with this specific issue but letting you know I am thinking about you and Miss Kimber

[Tilly]

Ditto the no experience with this issue and ditto Barry's comments that we will never have enough time with them. I think one of the most important things that we can learn from our dogs is to live in the moment and love them each wonderful day that we have with them. Sending good thoughts for lots of wonderful days for you and Kimber.

[SoSiouxme]

This started happening to my senior boy (age 13) in the last nine months. I've found that taking regularly scheduled "business walks" helps. Recently, I started him on Adequan injections. I had him on Rimydal for two years and I noticed his pain was getting worse and he was refusing to go up the 8 stairs needed to get into my house. I didn't want to increase the Rimydal because of all the unpleasant possible side effects. No unpleasant side effects with Adequan, but it can be expensive - especially in the loading phase and it may not work. It doesn't work with all dogs. Thankfully, we are about 2/3 done with loading phase and my old guy is showing marked signs of improvement. I also have him on a low dose of Tramadol to help with his aches and pains. I would talk to your vet to see if Adequan might be an option. The drug itself is not cheap...it's about $250 for load phase for a 100 lb dog for the drug, but if you can get your vet to write you a script, you can administer the shots yourself which saves a lot of $$$. After the load phase, you inject as needed which depending on how frequently your dog seems to need it, may actually end up more cost effective than Rimydal. My Rimydal Rx is $110 for a 60 day supply (1 tab a day).

Sending mojo to you and your senior lady.

[knuthf]

"Bamse" (Sp: "Ositos") is 13 soon, and doing fine, but incontinent. I take "cod liver tablet" daily - and have for some time handed him one as well since it has a proven effect on joints and was known even to the Vikings as magic, but smelly potion. Well you can get it as tablets now, which I can recommend. Many use oil from seals that has a higher content of omega-3 fats. I have made a band that goes underneath his belly and is held in place at his collar. On good days he will jump across a fallen tree trunk, and that is how I know these work. A senior dog is a buddy, faithful companion but he will still chase bitches during their season. I like that, it usually gets him back running for a while. He walks beside me, and should the direction be wrong, he will bark. He is still alert, stops for green light but impatient and barks at the red light after a while - seems to make a difference because after a while it usually change... He use Rimadyl but I am looking for something that can help him.

[knuthf]

Try to change food to fish and as fat as possible - mackerel and tuna and salmon.
It does wonders to Bamse, gets him jogging and can even leap on a good time.
The effect of the cod´s liver has been known for centuries on humans, and the "magic substance" seems to be a fatty acid called "Omega-3". You can buy tablets of these in regular grocery, and will do you good and your buddy and his/hers joints better. Fish is very good for joints.

[Tanya]

I know this thread dates back to October, just curious how Kimber is doing these days?

[kimbersmom]

I know this thread dates back to October, just curious how Kimber is doing these days?

Thank you so much for checking in! Kimber's doing pretty good. Her bowel control hasn't worsened. We continue to struggle to keep her back end strong. Our friends watched her for us while we were on vacation recently for a long weekend and they aren't as active as us; I think Kimber didn't get much formal walking. When we picked her up, my friend said, "She fell over while peeing- does that usually happen?" NO. She had atrophied so fast. She seems better now, but it's hard to figure out how much to push her.

So...I remain somewhat fearful and neurotic, but do not have immediate, pressing concerns. That's probably the best I can hope for with a 10.5 year old!