When do you decide enough is enough? When do you think this dog has had enough, I'm keeping him going for me and not him? Well I guess there is no answer. It's all individual, and age has little bearing on an individual. The average life span in the breed is now listed at 9 - 13 years, in my 25+ years with the breed that has changed from a static 9 and a half years. Yeah it sounds like we are going the right way. Health testing and education must be a huge asset but common sense must always prevail in the end.
Finlay is now 13+ ... a very old dog for this breed! He's incontinent has early CDRM and poor hearing. We also know he has a tumor on his spleen so we take every day as it comes and some days are far better than others. He sleeps a lot and potters about, he enjoys his food providing it has something "added," and he really wants to go for his walk. We have adapted and changed our routines to suite him. The walk is so important for him mentally, the mind is very willing, but sometimes the body lets him down. I'm happy that Finlay still has a good quality of life and all we can do is reassess daily!
Tali is old now too. There is no doubt she has "aged" over the last six months. Her hearing has deteriorated, she's lost a bit of weight and she sleeps more. But Tali, at 11.5 years still does a full walk, still plays with her toys, swims like a fish and still has an attitude problem! (being honest .. of course I don't want that to change .. who she is frustrates me at times, but her independence and strength of character can only be commended, and she does make me smile) Generally Tali seems fit and well but in this breed she is an old dog!
Then there's Asha and Mikey ... 8 years old next Sunday. Classed as veterans .. maybe not "old dogs" but they are older dogs, thank fully give or take a lump nothing has changed .. and I guess no one has told either of them yet!
Sadly I fear too many dogs are kept going for too long, an owner fearing the loss will do anything within their power to keep the dog going, and that may not be in the dogs interest. A vet suggest PTS, they refuse point blank to consider it as an option, go home and bury their heads in the sand! Usually a vet does not suggest this lightly and the consequences of not considering the option could be that a much loved dog may be kept suffering in silence. On saying that often I feel we the owners know best, we live with them we see how thing are day to day, but lets not forget their ability to hide pain from us. We should only think of Krizzie and realise how good they are at hiding the pain. She practically had no liver left, and was still bouncing into the car and barking at passers by!
I hope sanity prevails, I hope they are reading him correctly, I hope his health and well being are paramount! Simply, I hope they put him first!
