I always love it when Dr Riggs' writes about senior dogs and today is no exception. Even veterinarians are allowed to have a soft spot for the companions in their lives. Dr. Rex Riggs is the owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is a veterinarian, and an Advisory Board member of Embrace Pet Insurance.
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1. The Grey face
There is something about grey faces. I just love them. When many of my patients get on in years, their muzzles and faces start to sprout white and grey hairs. Not unlike me. Their expressions soften. They look wiser, and gentler. It just makes me smile.
2. Hearing loss
Now you normally would not think the loss of hearing as a good thing. It is all in how you look at it. Most dogs start to lose some hearing at 8 years and normally by 12 or 13 years, the world becomes silent for them. Don’t despair, they compensate very well, thank you. Dogs don’t have the psychological side of not hearing. They take it in stride. Their smelling becomes keener and they rely more on feeling vibrations. The best thing is the thunderstorms that often frightened them in younger years, are no longer a threat, and they sleep peacefully through the night, even when we don’t.
3. Quiet times reading the Sunday paper
We and our dogs start to mellow a bit as we age. The things that we thought so important in our youth, we now realize how trivial they really were. That squirrel that tormented our dogs into that futile, never ending chase can run and climb the tree by itself as your dog intently watches, but takes in the sights by your side on the deck. Those bunnies that sit still as statues until the chase starts are just nice to watch now. There are too many to chase anyway. Now my dog is intent on sitting on my deck while I read the paper and drink my coffee. We sit and ponder the bond that has developed between us over the years.
4. A gentler walk
The walks are now civilized. No longer are they the tug of wars of the puppy era. Slower, but just as enjoyable, strolls replace the frantic “runs” of youth. More squirrels and rabbits to observe and not chase. Time to contemplate life.
5. Sharing a lifetime of memories
The best thing about an older dog is the history that you share. Dogs have always been a part of my life and I tend to separate the stages of my life with the dogs I had at the time. I have been blessed with wonderful canine friends. They have all been my best friends. Ryan, Stuy, Boo Boo, Maggie, my 15 year old wonder dog and Ossa, my 2 year old Golden. They have all added so much joy to my life.
Related Posts:
September is Senior Pet Month at Embrace Pet Insurance
Guest Post: Top 5 good things about old dogs
Other posts by Dr Riggs
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Dr. Rex Riggs grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, near Akron. Dr Riggs is co-owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is also on the board of the North Central Region of Canine Companions of Independence, a board member of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society and Small Animal Practitioner Advancement Board at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Riggs lives in Lewis Center, OH with his wife Nancy, their dogs Maggie, and two cats Franklin and Speeder. Outside of work, Dr. Riggs is an avid golfer and enjoys travel and photography.
