# Poodle Longevity



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Elsewhere we have been talking about longevity (and health issues) in poodles (size differences) and other breeds. See here: http://www.poodleforum.com/2-member-introductions/240914-considering-poodle.html

I know there are some really great senior poodles whose peeps are PF members. Tell us about the longest lived poodle you've had, what size they were and what you think helped that senior reach those golden years.

Not my dog, but someone in my neighborhood had a tpoo that he inherited when his mom passed. The dog was almost 20 years old when I met him. He passed later that year.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

My minipoo from childhood died of rectal cancer when she was 12. 

My tpoo lived to be 18, she might have lived longer but we put her to sleep preferring quality of life over quantity. Her arthritis and ability to be mobile was considerable compromised toward the end of her last year of life - prior to that she was active and healthy. She needed regular teeth cleaning by the vet but no teeth pulled, home made food due to pancreatitis she developed in middle age due to eating some of the cat kibble and towards the end she wasn't allowed to jump up or down on furniture due to patella luxation which only slipped out a few times in her life so she wasn't a candidate for surgery. 

Age consideration was a minor factor in my decision to get another minipoo rather than a spoo. A more important reason was my ability to lift and assist an elderly dog with mobility problems based on my experience with my tpoo.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

You already know my longest lived girl that would be Flower, she is sixteen. The most important thing to reaching an old age dog or cat in my opinion, is not to let them 'retire', in other words actively engage them mentally and physically, I'm not say running marathons but play is a daily activity with Flower. 

Also appropriate medications to make life livable, Flower has taken arthritis medications for last couple years and it has made her more comfortable and active. 

Flower is my oldest dog but I have had cats live to their late teens to mid twenties with the same mind set.

_Also, Flower is on meds for being incontinent , her thyroid and lastly high blood pressure, if I thought she was at any point not loving life I would reconsider my efforts, but she has a very good time these days _


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

We were talking about how prevalent cancers are in golden retrievers this past decade or 2...but my friend recently had her golden put down. She was 14 1/2. To my knowledge there was no cancer, simply old age and general infirmity.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Whoops I should have mentioned Flower is toy sized


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Beautiful Blue said:


> We were talking about how prevalent cancers are in golden retrievers this past decade or 2...but my friend recently had her golden put down. She was 14 1/2. To my knowledge there was no cancer, simply old age and general infirmity.


It sounds like your friends were lucky to have a golden just simply get old. The lifetime risk for hemangiosarcoma is about 20% and for lymphoma about 6% and then there is a long list of other health problems in goldens like von Willebrand's hip dysplasia, PRA, etc. See this link. Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Shared Risk Loci Common to Two Malignancies in Golden Retrievers

Actually it has made me think that standard poodles are perhaps better off than golden retrievers in terms of genetic risks these days.


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## DCspoo (Apr 19, 2015)

I had a toy poodle, Cassie, who was 18.5 when she passed away. She was happy and healthy all her senior years until cushings hit her hard and then she started having other health issues.

Kodie, our standard, passed away at 14.5 in November. He was prone to bloat and inflammatory bowel disease so gas-x with every meal and meds for the bowels...that was what sustained quality of life. He also just loved his people and I think that kept him going. DM eventually took away the quality of life.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

My only other poodle, Riley, died at 9.5 years from cancer.  Hopefully my boys will at least make it into the double digits.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

Our two standard poodles are 7 and never had a health problem of any kind except in May when one had pyo and the other had a burst anal gland. But other than that, not even a rash. However on holidays in Banff last spring we met someone with an 16-year mini named Muffin who was romping around like a puppy! She was so sweet! The owner said, "she's on a strict healthy diet and only gets apple slices for treats; just like people, live a healthy active life and you'll live to a good old age." But, I also met a guy in the Okanagan who said his tpoo was 21 years old, and this little dog was also romping around like a young dog, although his eyes looked kind of milky like an older dog. However, I don't know those people, just met them on the spot, so have no way of verifying if what they said was true. They seemed pretty legit, though.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I can believe a 21 year old toy poodle. We have a member who posted pictures of herself as a toddler with her toy and on her wedding day. That seemed so rare and wonderful. When we picked up Buck, my husband asked our breeder about longevity of the breed. She said, "When your dog is ten, you might want to begin thinking about another." My oldest Scottie lived to be 14 and I personally consider anything beyond 10 years to be a gift.


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## Sara0810 (May 21, 2017)

lily cd re said:


> Elsewhere we have been talking about longevity (and health issues) in poodles (size differences) and other breeds. See here: http://www.poodleforum.com/2-member-introductions/240914-considering-poodle.html
> 
> I know there are some really great senior poodles whose peeps are PF members. Tell us about the longest lived poodle you've had, what size they were and what you think helped that senior reach those golden years.
> 
> Not my dog, but someone in my neighborhood had a tpoo that he inherited when his mom passed. The dog was almost 20 years old when I met him. He passed later that year.




Great topic. 
I hope Mila lives to be twenty Without getting sick 
Diet is an important factor. No kibble with fillers etc. And exercise.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> Tell us about the longest lived poodle you've had, what size they were and what you think helped that senior reach those golden years.


Well of course I have to jump in and talk about Bob, even though everyone here has already heard all of my Bob stories. He was a standard. 55 pounds.

Born: August 12, 2000
Gotcha Day: December 26, 2004
Died: May 4, 2017

I like to think that he was almost 17. But to be exact, he was 16 years, 8 months, 22 days. I think Bob was a puppy mill dog, but not sure. I got him when he was 4 years old. He had just about the worst structure of any poodle that I have ever seen. No breeder who knew what they were doing would have produced a poodle that looked like Bob. It was his bad hips that finally did him in. He just got to the point where he couldn't walk or stand well enough to go to the bathroom.

But he certainly was healthy other than the hips. There were a few problems with eyesight and hearing at the end. But no incontinence and absolutely no slowing down mentally.

For the last two years, Bob was very management intensive. I work from home, so I was around during the day. I was willing to sleep downstairs to be near him, and for the last year or so, I knew that I could not take any vacations. 

One thing that I think is very important in managing an older dog is to observe them carefully. Notice what needs to be done to help them. For example, for the final few months, Bob was unable to change positions at night. I would hear him rustling around. The rustling around didn’t just mean that he couldn’t sleep. It meant that he had been lying in the same position for too long, so he was uncomfortable. I would get up and flip him over, and he'd go right back to sleep. He really needed that assist in the middle of the night. Every night. 

I think that a lot of owners would not be willing or able to provide the level of assistance that I provided for Bob. And I actually think that it is OK for people to set limits on how much they are willing to do. We owe it to our pets to make sure that they are not in pain, and not living a life that is too uncomfortable or anxious. So we need to observe and evaluate them. But we do not have an obligation to put their needs above our own. Euthanasia is a good solution -- one that many dog owners would have chosen many months before I did.

Here's Bob a few hours before he was euthanized. I loved that boy.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

Aw peppersb I never knew him but I loved Bob too


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I inherited a minipoo VeVe (Nantes Vivace) from my Mother. She lived to be 20 y/o. At about 18 she became blind and deaf. Her daughter took on the role of service/guide dog. They would run at speed together looking like Siamese twins. Her end came when one morning I found her standing in a corner whimpering. She had lost her scent ability and was in a state of sensory deprivation. A day or two of non stop care did not see the return of scent. I lovingly put her down at home with her daughter in attendance. Her daughter would stop at her grave each day as she began it and sniff the ground. I think she grieved as any human might.

One of many I have lost to this world.

http://www.poodleforum.com/37-pet-memorials/194450-do-we-really-lose-them.html

Eric.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

My 32 pound, 22'' tall Standard girl lived 15 years. I still miss her.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Me too! Buck is so Bob-like in the dinner commands, I think of that guy every day. If ten is a gift, 16 is winning the lottery


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## kchen95 (Jan 6, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> Elsewhere we have been talking about longevity (and health issues) in poodles (size differences) and other breeds. See here: http://www.poodleforum.com/2-member-introductions/240914-considering-poodle.html
> 
> I know there are some really great senior poodles whose peeps are PF members. Tell us about the longest lived poodle you've had, what size they were and what you think helped that senior reach those golden years.
> 
> Not my dog, but someone in my neighborhood had a tpoo that he inherited when his mom passed. The dog was almost 20 years old when I met him. He passed later that year.


Haha I was the one whom Catherine referred to above, on discussing longevity. I've heard some people make the claim that dogs are living shorter lives now, that back in the days (whenever that is, 1950s, 60s or 70s), dogs routinely lived an average of 17 years. Obviously comprehensive and accurate data weren't kept back then, but anecdotally, has any of you observed this to be true? I'm not talking about any one individual dog who lived in the 60s or 70s who happened to live to 17, but rather I'm talking about "average" - that, pretty much ALL dogs you knew who lived back then made it to that age or close to it? Intuitively, I find it a bit hard to believe...

Kevin


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

kchen95 said:


> Haha I was the one whom Catherine referred to above, on discussing longevity. I've heard some people make the claim that dogs are living shorter lives now, that back in the days (whenever that is, 1950s, 60s or 70s), dogs routinely lived an average of 17 years. Obviously comprehensive and accurate data weren't kept back then, but anecdotally, has any of you observed this to be true? I'm not talking about any one individual dog who lived in the 60s or 70s who happened to live to 17, but rather I'm talking about "average" - that, pretty much ALL dogs you knew who lived back then made it to that age or close to it? Intuitively, I find it a bit hard to believe...
> 
> Kevin


Dr. John B. Armstrong studied the longevity of standard poodles and how it relates to inbreeding. Looks like he does have some evidence that standard poodles are not on average living as long as they used to.

Paris Poodles- Longevity in the Standard Poodle, Canine Health, Poodle, poodles, inbreeding,

Canine Genetics Dr John B Armstrong


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## kchen95 (Jan 6, 2016)

peppersb said:


> Dr. John B. Armstrong studied the longevity of standard poodles and how it relates to inbreeding. Looks like he does have some evidence that standard poodles are not on average living as long as they used to.
> 
> Paris Poodles- Longevity in the Standard Poodle, Canine Health, Poodle, poodles, inbreeding,
> 
> Canine Genetics Dr John B Armstrong


Interesting tks! What would you guess are the main reasons for the shorter lives now, out of the potential reasons cited by Dr. Armstrong? 

Kevin


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

The article I was reading about Goldens - wondering if my friend's dog was unusual - said that a fifteen year lifespan was commonplace, very little cancer, until I think mid-90s.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

kchen95 said:


> Interesting tks! What would you guess are the main reasons for the shorter lives now, out of the potential reasons cited by Dr. Armstrong?
> 
> Kevin


It seems to me that many dogs are not living as long as they did 50 years ago. I wonder if the ever-increasing amount of toxic chemicals in the environment is part of the problem? I used to assume my spoos would live to about 15, but in more recent years, they are quite old at 13.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

kchen95 said:


> Interesting tks! What would you guess are the main reasons for the shorter lives now, out of the potential reasons cited by Dr. Armstrong?
> 
> Kevin


I'm no expert on this, but I think the main reason for shorter lives is inbreeding, including both the over-use of popular sires, and the bottle-neck of the Wycliffe kennel in the 1950s and 60s. Also, while PFers hopefully are buying their poodles from reputable breeders, there are lots of puppy mills that are breeding unhealthy dogs and successfully selling large numbers of them to unsuspecting buyers. I know of a number of health problems in dogs that have come from just one really bad kennel. It is a kennel that is mass producing puppies and selling them at a cheap price. So health problems of course translate into shorter lives. 

If you are not familiar with Wycliffe, it was a kennel that is largely responsible for the way standard poodles look today. Its owner, Jean Lyle actually bragged that she had the most inbred dogs in the world. She took 5 dogs (yes FIVE) and bred them to each other and to their offspring (and offspring's offspring, etc.) for over three decades, with no genetic contribution from outside dogs. She got poodles that look exactly like what she wanted them to look (and yes, they were beautiful), but many people think that this extreme inbreeding also produced some of the diseases that we see today and perhaps a shortened lifespan. Today the genetic material of most black, white and cream poodles that are from show lines is over 50% Wycliffe. That means 50% comes from those five dogs. 

Here's some more reading if you are interested. 

http://nrbreedersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/VaccinationsBloatSeizuresDistemper.pdf

Genetic Diversity Test for Standard Poodles - Poodles de Grenier
(click on the screen to go to the next slide)


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

Johanna said:


> It seems to me that many dogs are not living as long as they did 50 years ago. I wonder if the ever-increasing amount of toxic chemicals in the environment is part of the problem? I used to assume my spoos would live to about 15, but in more recent years, they are quite old at 13.


Interesting thought. In addition to toxic chemicals, I wonder if commercial dog food might be part of the problem. Seems like the standards for what non-human grade meat can be used are pretty low. Actually eating factory-farmed meat seems like a bad idea for humans as well as for animals. But feeding dogs meat that is not even "human grade"? No thank you.

Here's more on what is in your dog food:

https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10018997/Patrick06.html


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am happy to see that this discussion has been having an interesting life while I've been at the workshop I am doing with Javelin from today through Sunday. 

I have noticed lots of low grade health issues resolved really well when I switched from commercial kibble (Blue Buffalo) to home cooking. I suspect that food may well be a source of ingredients that don't do our dogs any favors.


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## mashaphan (Sep 4, 2014)

my first dog, mpoo was about 17 when he died,a few years after my 1st airedale who was 4 years younger. My whippets generally went 14-15 years or so,and even my IWs were nearly 12,which is generally unheard of in that breed. Salukis were 17 (old age,though she had been through 2 bouts of cancer) and her daughter (cancer) was 12 or 13,i think. 

I am told bigger dogs live shorter lives,and as i am all about big whippets and Spoos..sigh. i am most terrified by bloat, as it is nothing I have ever experienced.

Very glad to hear of a 15yr spoo,as most i have seen lately are 12-13,and that is generally young for a whippet,the breed with which i have the most experience!

Martha and Otter,who is not even 8 months yet :biggrin1:


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Here on Kangaroo Island people live about 10 years longer than on the mainland. Dogs live about 3 years longer. I put it down to clean air. Not only is it clean and free from pollution (it comes from Antarctica) but it has 5% more oxygen due to cold water up-welling of the south coast.

Eric.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Jupiter died at age 15 and a half, and had been noticeably getting older for about 2 years. His more rapid decline was about his last four months, but even so, the day before he died he had a lovely longish walk, and I have a video of him running around a bit two days before. Jupiter was born in West Africa, so his parents were untested -- his mother was a Russian mini, his father a mini from Lebanon. So most likely as unrelated as possible, but nevertheless, backyard-style breeding. The mother's family were friends of my (Russian) vet, so presumably she had good pre-natal care! He did not eat quality food his first year because of where we lived, but we moved to the States when he was 15 months old.

Hecuba was a rescue so I am not clear on her background. She came to me at age 7 and died at 16. My guess is she came from a pet store. She was an oversized toy (13 pounds when she came, 10.5 for the rest of her life), and her structure wasn't great and her hair a bit sparse. She had Cushings for the last 18 months of her life, and exceedingly high triglycerides so I home cooked from then on. 

One of the reasons why I don't generally home cook is that I had such a bad experience with my first dog, Lola (a wire-haired fox terrier) when I lived overseas. There was no kibble in the places where I lived, so I cooked what the vets and the books I found told me -- meat (beef or chicken) plus rice plus vegetables. I didn't, until late in her life, add any vitamins. She had a terrible vitamin deficiency when she was 8, and that's when I started the dog vitamins which I bought in quantity every time I went back to the US or Europe. Lola lived to age 15.

When I home cooked for Hecuba, on the vet's advice, I added a carefully measured amount of BalanceIt to her food.


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## Sara0810 (May 21, 2017)

mashaphan said:


> my first dog, mpoo was about 17 when he died,a few years after my 1st airedale who was 4 years younger. My whippets generally went 14-15 years or so,and even my IWs were nearly 12,which is generally unheard of in that breed. Salukis were 17 (old age,though she had been through 2 bouts of cancer) and her daughter (cancer) was 12 or 13,i think.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Salukis are beautiful dogs!
What is bloat? Is it reaction to certain foods?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Look here for an extensive discussion on bloat. http://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/11388-gastric-dilatation-volvulus-bloat.html


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## Sara0810 (May 21, 2017)

lily cd re said:


> Look here for an extensive discussion on bloat. http://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/11388-gastric-dilatation-volvulus-bloat.html




Thank you for this info lily cd.


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## Madeleine (Jun 25, 2017)

I put Carley down at almost 13, but a lot of you would not have done it so soon. I don't let my dogs suffer at all, when the quality of life goes down hill, I find the strength to let them go down with dignity . I don't let my dogs get blind , deaf, down in the hips with the tongue hanging out, like I see so many old dogs live. We have to all come to that place sooner than later and I wish I could do the same for myself. My little Shih tuz's were 17 years old. It never gets any easier.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I think it is often really the most generous thing we can do to help an old, sick or injured animal die with some dignity and before pain makes living into deep suffering. It isn't easy, but many times in their better interest.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

But how do we know when it's time? One part of me says I should have let Jupiter go a bit sooner, as his last night was awful. But two days before he was really enjoying himself? Madeleine, how did you decide? Many days I wish I had had the strength and prescience to put Jupiter to sleep earlier.


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

Now, having done it once - I wouldn't hesitate to pick the time, circumstances, and state of health at which to euthanize, again. 

It was humane, intimate, sweet really.... and sad. But I felt I had done just the right thing. Could we have stumbled along for another few weeks? Could she have lived another couple of months? at 14 years old, who knows. 

Contrast that to the Cream Girl who had died just 2 months before. She was 12. We struggled - - back and forth - - for about a week and then I decided that it was worth a try, that with surgery maybe she would be okay and possibly live to be 14 also. (Insulinoma on the pancreas)

That's the one I regret!! Let's throw a couple thousand dollars at the inevitable ravages of age. Let's have her go off by herself to the care of the vet and his clinic. Oh, good, she has survived the surgery and he is hopeful. Oh, there may be some spreading to the liver. Oh. Sorry, she died overnight, maam. So sorry. 

I never got to be with her to tell her what a good girl she was. And she was.

That's the one I regret. And it will never happen again


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

marialydia that decision about when it is right is the thorny issue, isn't it? I was thinking about this aspect of this discussion when I replied to Madeleine.

I had to euthanize all three of my cats and for two of them I still feel in some ways I waited too long. For BF his last GSD died at home, but no one was there when he left this plane of existence. I don't always think I know which is better, but I hope I can be altruistic to all concerned in these things.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I have always had toys, Tina was 4 pounds and she lived to be 19.5 no teeth, blind, never went in the house, but started passing blood. My other unless a tragic death lived to be 15 to 17


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## Sara0810 (May 21, 2017)

lily cd re said:


> I think it is often really the most generous thing we can do to help an old, sick or injured animal die with some dignity and before pain makes living into deep suffering. It isn't easy, but many times in their better interest.




Yes, my cat suffered too much. I listened to the vet. I know better for next time.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

It is, indeed, so very hard to be sure you are acting at the right time. We lost three old dogs this spring (out of four). We knew it was likely that they would all go at about the same time. For each one, there was suddenly a clear indication that it was time.

First was Honey - a cattle dog. We think she was at least 13 and could have been much older. She started having trouble getting up and down. Then one day she went down and could not get up at all. It was time.

The remaining three dogs grieved for her, especially her best buddy, the standard poodle, Lili, who was 13 years old. Lili followed Honey a month later - again she could not get up by herself.

Then a month later, we found the whippet, Marley lying on his cushion with his front feet contracted. Marley was only 12 1/2, not terribly old for a whippet. He had, however, been withdrawn for some months.

We still have the fourth one - a whippet/border collie cross, Cruise. He just turned 12 and is still playing with the puppy. He does show signs of age, but still likes to play with the puppy and play ball. I hope he lasts a few more years.

One thing we learned - it's really hard when you have several dogs who are about the same age because they tend to go one right after the other. I know that grief is a big part of that.

So Marialydia, I think that when people are close to their dogs they know when it's time to let them go - but that's never easy. My tears are flowing as I right this - it's always so very sad, but I celebrate all the joy my dogs have brought me over the years.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I won't go into the list of great friends that I have lost over the 70 years. As a child I suffered asthma and my parents would not allow dogs. My father was a returned serviceman with PTSD (Shell Shock, Lack of moral fibre etc.) He was an abusive man. I would break out or run out of home and give a shrill whistle. At least three dogs would jump fences, out of windows etc and accompany me as I roamed the hills and gullies of my environs at age 6. I stole my dogs from neighbors. One especially. A Golden R bitch who protected me and kept me warm at night when I slept rough avoiding my irate father. She was an older dog and to this day I remember her death. I helped her owners bury her at age 8. That dog was my mother. Even now I can bark and growl like a dog and have others understand my message.

Gracie knows I am half dog. 

About 20 years ago I decided, no one should have to do my dirty work and put down my dog. Under supervision, I put down my own dogs in my own arms, looking into their eyes as I do so. The tears I shed as I do this are cleansing and anoint their passage to a new life. It's not easy and not for all. My vets have been accommodating and very respectful. They do not like to be the angel of death and when someone steps up and takes that responsibility they are supportive.

Gracie may well survive me. There are a list of people who have come forward and said they will care for her. (She is a popular dog, loved by many.) It is my hope when her time comes that she will be cared for and returned to me with the many who precede her. It will be quite a pack.

Tearfully, Eric.:amen:


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)




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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

Eric -- Thank you for your very moving post. Your comments about your childhood are just heartbreaking. Good to hear that you have had dogs throughout your life, and that Gracie is there for you now.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

My rules for when to euthanize:

1. If the dog is in pain or has been diagnosed with a disease that causes pain (e.g., cancer), sooner is better than later. Don't wait until it is obvious that the pain is unbearable. As someone on this forum said: "better a week too early than a day too late." 

2. I've heard people say that you'll know that it is time because they stop eating or because there is a look of sadness in their eyes. Maybe that is true in some cases, but don't count on it. Bob never stopped eating (that boy loved his dinner!) and while there was some anxiety (especially when I left the house), his eyes were full of life right up to the end.

3. If your dog is just getting old and incapacitated (Bob could no longer walk at the end), take into account your own quality of life as well as the dog's quality of life.

As most of you know, I really loved Bob. Such a character. But at the end he needed a lot of support. For many months, I'd have to lift his hips up to get him into standing position so that he could walk. And at the end, even that wasn't good enough. Managing his needs was time-consuming. I'm glad that I did it, and I loved every day that I had with him. But when Bob finally died, it was in some ways a relief. Now I'm doing things with Sam and Cammie without worrying about leaving Bob home alone (he hated being left home alone), getting more exercise (which I need), and even taking short vacations. So I just want to say to anyone who is caring for an old dog, make sure you take care of yourself too. Euthanasia is quick and painless.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Beautiful Blue said:


>




That is awesome!! I know my dog is in pizza heaven. 


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

twyla said:


> You already know my longest lived girl that would be Flower, she is sixteen. The most important thing to reaching an old age dog or cat in my opinion, is not to let them 'retire', in other words actively engage them mentally and physically, I'm not say running marathons but play is a daily activity with Flower.
> 
> Also appropriate medications to make life livable, Flower has taken arthritis medications for last couple years and it has made her more comfortable and active.
> 
> ...


My daughter;s mini/toy poodle Gabie just passed in her sleep at almost 17. She had a lot of issues - and meds - but she was still enjoying life. Her littermate Cassie passed a year earlier.


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