Dôg õwners, can we talk?

[Wisconsin Beth]

My chocolate lab is 13 years old. Her senses are clearly diminishing and getting up and down is more of an effort for her but overall she's got a good life going (so quality of life isn't the issue here, at least not yet.)

She's been spending more time than normal by me. Like laying down in the doorway of my bedroom when I'm making the bed, following me to the kids' rooms when I'm getting the up/down/ready, etc. DH didn't see her last night and almost stepped on her when he was coming into our room. I've been told that as pets get older/closer to death they tend to want to hang out with their owners more. Has anyone run into this?

[cronewitch]

We have a very old cat that has taken up liking me, she didn't like me much before but now wants me to pet her and has climbed into my arms to purr.

[midjd]

It seems like it usually goes one of two ways near the end... the animal gets very clingy and protective, or it starts to wander off for long periods of time (we've had a few dogs go out into the woods to die). Hopefully this isn't the case...

[Tiny]

My extended family has dogs... many of them over the years. So, I've heard of older doggies hanging out with their people more for comfort/reassurance when they couldn't see or hear as well (but weren't experiencing doggie dementia and forgetting their people) or for comfort/reassurance when they were in more pain/not feeling so well.
Labs are pretty people oriented - maybe her diminishing senses makes it harder for her to keep track of where you are in the house (or even if you home!!) so it's possible that's why she's more clingy. If she's still eating, drinking, doing her "doody" without any change... she's probably not knocking on heaven's door just yet she may just not be as 'comfortable' with her joint pain or diminishing senses #angell#

I had both ends of the spectrum with elderly sick cats - one got more clingy/demanding, one wouldn't give up the heated cat bed, one wanted 'cover' and hid in the covered cat bed - that no cat ever used. All three exhibited 'hidding' behavior as it got closer to the Last Visit to the Vet. Those are cats though. I know doggies are different.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Well, she's 13. I know we aren't going to have her a whole lot longer.

And she's still awesome about the kids pulling her tail. I discourage it and will gate her in the kitchen when distracting the kids doesn't work.

[Cass]

Aw, no advice but karma for you. I have a 13 year old as well, and I am noticing his hearing is in decline. He no longer greets me at the door because he doesn't hear me come in. He has also become more 'clingy' which I attributed to the hearing, but so far he is still very healthy otherwise. I am hoping to have him a few more years.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 13, 2011 13:07:44 GMT -5 Cass said:

Aw, no advice but karma for you. I have a 13 year old as well, and I am noticing his hearing is in decline. He no longer greets me at the door because he doesn't hear me come in. He has also become more 'clingy' which I attributed to the hearing, but so far he is still very healthy otherwise. I am hoping to have him a few more years.

Yeah, her cataracts are worse, her sense of smell is going (she only goes for food on the table when it's really aromatic and she doesn't bark when people come in the front door anymore, although the door bell still triggers her bark.

ETA and thanks for the karma and I hope you have your dog for a while longer.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My parents' pug is close to 17 years old and he is very clingy to my dad. My dad is the one he feels most comfortable with and trusts, so he'll follow my dad all over the house or sit in the chair with him. He waits for him to get home every night just like he did when he was a puppy.

He still has a healthy appetite and goes regularly so there is no reason to assume that he is on death's door.

[Cass]

He also misses people at the door and now barks at completely random (not there) things! He will miss the mailman and then wake up from a nap in full on house protection mode.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Yeah, small dogs tend to live longer than big dogs and mixed breeds tend to live longer than purebreds.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 13, 2011 13:13:59 GMT -5 Cass said:

He also misses people at the door and now barks at completely random (not there) things! He will miss the mailman and then wake up from a nap in full on house protection mode.

Aw, maybe he's dreaming?

[oreo]

My dog is only 8 or so and she follows me all around the house too. When she had a sister (passed 3 years ago), she wasn't as clingy but now she is more lonely and follows me around.

[Cass]

Aw, maybe he's dreaming? [/quote]

Maybe- we are both startled when it happens Hope you and your girl have a few more good years together too!

[dannylion]

Labs are so cool. You must be a good dog parent for her to have reached 13. I wonder if she might have some systemic issue that is making her feel different from her usual self. Has your vet checked her liver and kidney function? Early liver and kidney problems sometimes don't have many obvious symptoms that the dog's person will pick up, but the dog probably feels different, and that might be something that would cause her to try to stay close to you. I hope that's not the case with your sweetie. It might simply be that her senses are diminishing, as another poster suggested. She wants to be sure she doesn't lose track of you.

Sending good thoughts. Dogs are the best.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 13, 2011 14:04:47 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Labs are so cool. You must be a good dog parent for her to have reached 13. I wonder if she might have some systemic issue that is making her feel different from her usual self. Has your vet checked her liver and kidney function? Early liver and kidney problems sometimes don't have many obvious symptoms that the dog's person will pick up, but the dog probably feels different, and that might be something that would cause her to try to stay close to you. I hope that's not the case with your sweetie. It might simply be that her senses are diminishing, as another poster suggested. She wants to be sure she doesn't lose track of you.

Sending good thoughts. Dogs are the best.

We've only had her 4+ years. My graduation present to myself was a dog. Then I fell in love with a pair of older dogs (choc. lab and a lab mix) and talked DH into them.

[dannylion]

We've only had her 4+ years. My graduation present to myself was a dog. Then I fell in love with a pair of older dogs (choc. lab and a lab mix) and talked DH into them.

So many people won't consider adopting older dogs, but they can be the most rewarding pets. I hope you have much more quality time with yours.

[alabamagal]

We just had a 14 year old black lab put to sleep. She had been going downhill for the last several years. She was just much less mobile than in her younger days. As long as they are happy, just let them be. Our vet said it is rare for a lab to live that long (ours was actually lab mix)

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

My staffie likes to be near me, but she's been that way for years.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 13, 2011 14:30:49 GMT -5 dannylion said:

We've only had her 4+ years. My graduation present to myself was a dog. Then I fell in love with a pair of older dogs (choc. lab and a lab mix) and talked DH into them.

So many people won't consider adopting older dogs, but they can be the most rewarding pets. I hope you have much more quality time with yours.

My requirements were lab/lab mix and over 5. I didn't want to deal with a young lab. And then 6 months later we found out I was pregnant. My friends started cracking jobs about it was because I'd adopted.

[zibazinski]

What are friends for? My girlfriend was finalizing her adoption and pregnant with her other. 2 kids 6 months apart!!! ;D

[Anne_in_VA]

We had our 15yo mixed breed dog put to sleep in January, and she was very clingy in the last 4 or 5 months we had her. She was losing her sight and hearing and just slept a lot of the time. She was DH's daughter's dog for many years, but when she got a new place and couldn't have a dog there, we took her. When we first got Sasha in December 09, she was very lively and would follow DSD around, but after DSD moved out, she seemed to go into a decline and we had to put her to sleep about a year later. I think she just missed DSD too much.

Karma for you for taking in an older dog.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 13, 2011 14:49:55 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

We had our 15yo mixed breed dog put to sleep in January, and she was very clingy in the last 4 or 5 months we had her. She was losing her sight and hearing and just slept a lot of the time. She was DH's daughter's dog for many years, but when she got a new place and couldn't have a dog there, we took her. When we first got Sasha in December 09, she was very lively and would follow DSD around, but after DSD moved out, she seemed to go into a decline and we had to put her to sleep about a year later. I think she just missed DSD too much.

Karma for you for taking in an older dog.

I couldn't tell if she's sleeping more or not. Cocoa sleeps a lot.

[CarolinaKat]

My parent's dog started to get more clingy when his eyesight began to fail (around age 11). He's less clingy now that he's gotten used to not seeing so well (age 13). If he realizes he is the only one in the room, he will bark loudly until one of my parents goes and brings him to where they are. Then he'll settle down and go to sleep in that room. He knows that they will bring him his food if he can't find it, and the water bowl doesn't move so he can find that. What's funny is he still runs around outside like his vision is perfect and hardly ever stumbles, but he has more problems inside.

ETA: It sounds to me that for her it's easier to keep tabs on you if she follows you around. She could probably do it before using her hearing or vision. I hope you can enjoy her company for a while yet.

[sheilaincali]

We lost our 14 year old dalmatian just after Christmas. The past year or two she couldn't stand to be alone. She was with me if I was home and if I wasn't home she was right next to her sister (our 9 year old lab). She would lay under my chair at the table during meal times, under my desk at home, under my feet if I was sitting on the sofa, etc.

[startsmart]

My lab isn't especially clingy but I also have a smaller house so proximity happens regardless. Of course as I type this he's sitting on the blanket at my feet.

Beth have you considered your dog's eyesight might be the problem? If he's staying close to you it might be comfort as he's unable to navigate the house.

My smaller dog is much more clingy, insists on sleeping in my office while I work and sleeps right up next to my head.

[kimber45]

Hi Beth, while I haven't experienced it with our older dogs, there might be something to it. Our German Shepherd is 11 now. She was 2 when we adopted her and her older (11yo) friend. She still seems to have fairly acute senses (she can smell me smoking from quite a ways away and comes and finds me). Her main problem seems to be in her hindquarters. No pain but she drags her back feet once in a while. The vet said it was neurological, due to aging and not much to be done for it.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Thanks.

Yeah, Cocoa's eyes are pretty cloudy. And her hips aren't what they used to be.

[Abby Normal]

Beth-

I'm coming into this conversation a little late. But she's not necessarily at death's door. As dogs lose their sight or hearing, they start to become more "clingy" as you describe it as they are looking to you to be there eyes or ears. They are pack animals. When they start to feel vulnerable, they will look to the pack for protection. They do start to adjust to the the loss, but it takes a while. Our 13 dog is losing her sight and she still does agility (obstacle courses). Because we've been doing it long enough that she trusts me to get her round the course with out running into everything. She'll still goes outside to do her business on her own, because she knows the way. But we don't move the furniture. In an unfamiliar environment, she sticks to me like glue. When things out of routine around our house she is either right with a family member- or isolates herself away from the commotion- depending on what is going on.

As long as you're dog is still active (for her ability), eating and going to the bathroom. Don't stress too much on her wanting to be with you. Just enjoy it while you still have her.

[kgb18]

Beth, Hugs to you. I don't have any advice, but I hope get to enjoy the time you have left with her.

Years ago we had to put our black lab to sleep. He was 13, had hip displacia, cataracts and he starting biting, which was something he had never, ever done. He was in such pain and couldn't see that it was causing him to nip at everyone. And he could barely walk. It was so hard to do, but it was the right decision for the situation.

[Elderkind]

Hi Beth! I had to put my beloved Airedale, Laddie down last year but he started exhibiting the same signs and your baby a year earlier so I took him to the vet and had him checked. Turns out he had Cushings disease and was put on medication. That helped him immensely and he had a great quality of life for another year. He was a big dog and had arthritis in his hips so I had him on Rimadyl for the pain and took him in once a month for Glucose shots which really helped... Yes, he was expensive during his last year but it was worth it as long as his quality of life was good. His kidneys started to fail and on Valentine's Day my fiance and I had to have him put down... By that time, he was sleeping about 20 hours a day.