You're Only As Old As You Feel

DixieLee

Hey Y’all!  It’s DixieLee.  

Mama was worried about Zeva so she asked me to do some research for her.  When I showed her what I found, she said I was a Good Girl and asked me to write a blog about it.

You see, Zeva is getting old.  I know, we all are and none of us likes it.

 Mama saw stuff.  Saw changes in Zeva that bothered her.  She thought Zeva might be getting something called “Dementia”.

 

Dementia is something that can happen to older dogs, just like it can happen to older peoples.

The biggest thing was that Zeva would just stare into space and not listen when Mama called.

 

I found that staring into space and not listening are things that dogs do when they get dementia.  Staring into space is also something that dogs do when their eyes get old.

Mama has said that Zeva has needed glasses for a long time now, and it’s not like Zeva listens when Mama calls most times.

Here are some other things I found out about dementia in dogs that I am going to share with you. 

        

1.     Confusion

2.     Anxiety

3.     Aimless wandering

4.     Peeing in the house

5.     Lack of interest in playing

6.     Sleeping more

If you are having these symptoms, your human should take you to see your Vet because there are things you can do to help.

We looked at the list and decided, Zeva probably isn’t getting dementia after all.

Zeva has always been a little absent minded, not confused but if she were a human, she would be blond.

The only time Zeva is anxious is when there is a thunder storm or someone is making fireworks go boom.

Her wandering isn’t aimless, it’s usually because she finds so many things interesting.

She can hold her pee for hours!

Every morning she insists that Mama play games.  Doesn’t matter that it’s Mama breakfast time.

Sleeping is Zeva’s favorite thing to do when she is not going for walks or playing.

Mama will talk to Doctor Katrina when she sees her for our regular check up and she will keep an eye on things but all seems good so far.

One thing I learned from this, writing a blog is hard work.  No wonder Zeva takes a nap when she is done!

Be good boys and girls,

Love,

DixieLee

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, go to pawpalsboutique.com 

          

Seniors for Seniors

I recently read a story about a dog who had to go live in a shelter because his human could not afford to keep her.  Her human is old and got sick so he had to go live in a place where he could not have a big dog. My heart broke. But this story had a sort of happy ending.

She was a lucky dog because she got adopted right away. She is a big dog with lots of energy so she is going to live in a house that has children and a big yard. Lots of dogs aren't so lucky. Especially older dogs. Older dogs that end up in shelters have a hard time getting adopted.

That is so sad. Older dogs have lots and lots of love to give and there are lots of good things about older dogs. They are probably already house broken, leash trained and know basic commands like stay and sit. Oh, and old dogs can learn new tricks!

Older dogs aren't as energetic as puppies. They like to go for walks but they don't need to play, play, play all day long. They are happy to sit by your side and nap.

Older dogs make good companions for every body but especially for older people. There are even programs that help older people adopt older dogs! Some shelters give a discount or even wave the adoption fee for senior humans who adopt senior pets. Our vet gives a discount to Mom because she is old.

My Grandmom lives in a community for older people. It's a really nice place because, unlike some places, the people who live there can have pets.

The houses/apartments are small so there are rules about how big a pet can be. That's okay. There are lots of small dogs looking for homes.

So, if you are “getting older” and thinking you should not get another dog because you might need to move into a smaller house or apartment, think about getting a smaller senior dog.

Senior cats make excellent companions too!

Adopt a senior…. I know he or she will be your bestest friend.

Love,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion. Looking for a super gift for your favorite pet? Check out the huge selection of gift baskets at pawpalsboutique.com I know they'll love it!