Sexy Seniors

On September 30th most of the original Active Paws crew headed out to Hopkinton State Park for the annual Boxer Bash party hosted by The Boxer Rescue. It was a rainy cold Autumn day that brought out 10's of rain-coated Boxers and their adoring owners. Over $1400 was raised for the rescue, one of the most successful single-breed events I have ever attended and on such a dismal day.

Among those Boxers that attended the event I saw a lot of white-faced seniors milling around collecting cookie bounties and pets from anyone that would doll them out. I noticed the seniors were a bit more sly than the youngsters. The young pups would jump and bark at people, overtly misbehaving so that their humans would give them a command then reward for doing a good job. The seniors had it all figured out and rather than be bad to start with, they would saunter up to an unsuspecting cookie-wielding human and just give the look. You know that look;

As humans we generally think of youth as the cornerstone of health, beauty and all that we strive for with the millions spent on beauty products that make us look younger. With dogs however, I have found myself drawn to the seniors, the older the more I want to squeeze them! With Boxer's especially they get that white face that never lies. It shows the life of the dog through the peppery white hairs to the clouding eyes that say, 'love me harder, hold me closer and you know what, let me get away with it because I'm old!'

I'm not exactly sure how my love of senior dogs manifested but I pickup the pace every time I see one. I get down on my knees and beg for them to come lean into me. I just want to shower them with love. Don't get me wrong, I love the young-ins but they get all the attention. Seniors need and deserve that little bit more.

As dogs age, just like with humans they need different care. This means feeding better nutrition, paying close attention to any growths that show up, checking out their teeth more frequently, paying close attention to any lameness and of course making life easier/less stressful on their bodies.

According to the AVMA, approximately 40% of dogs seen by veterinarians are 6 years or older, remember, old age is a stage of life that carries with it special attention just like you would pay special attention to a puppy. We would care for a puppy differently than a 4 year old dog so please think closely about what could better your 10 year old's life. Aging occurs slowly and almost imperceptibly over time for our pets, try and be objective and proactive, finding a limp or a lump too late can be devastating for you and your pet.

Its fun and a great bonding experience to help improve the quantity of your senior pet's life. Pet Health Academy's Pet CPR & 1st Aid course will teach you how to recognize when they are not themselves and how to ceate an action plan to treat your sexy senior. Take a video of your pet's gait so you know when its off, and for our senior friends, you will have a point of reference on age. Are they stiff when they get up? Could they benefit from a joint supplement?

I know some people see the white in their pet's faces but don't see any of their age, I used to be one of these people until I really stepped back and took a long hard look at my dogs. If your pets show any of signs of not being themsleves or their routine changes, get them in to see the vet sooner rather than later. Dogs are stoic by nature, its weak to seem weak, its our job to recognize when they are not themselves. 

Senior pets should see the vet more frequently regardless of any apparent issues. Vital organs can start to head south very quickly, its better to catch an issue early before it causes discomfort or worse, death to your pet. Plus, older pets have a reduced ability to withstand the effects of infection, injury or disease. They need our help more. Kidney disease is the #1 killer in cats, #2 for dogs (heart is #1 in dogs).

So the long and short of my sexy senior rant is don't be afraid to pay close attention to the older feline and canine companions out there. They might not chase after the laser pointer or retrieve the ball like they used to but they deserve even more of your time and attention; after all, they have spent the larger portion of their lives loving a human so love them back greater. Also if you're looking to adopt and look over the senior pet because they wont be with you as long, keep in mind they will appreciate your time and attention so much more.

I wanted to take some time to share with you some of the white faces with whom we have had the pleasure to share our days.

In this video link is our friend Lexi, she is 12.5 years young! https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=519568240005

Pet cpr and first aid class!