Anyone have a dog that made it past 15 and...

[ChattyCathy]

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread

Thanks for sharing. He lived a long time. I know how you feel... I miss mine everyday too. They become such a part of our families!

[TippysMom]

Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast.

We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!

I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".

[Lovemymunchkins]

This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.

I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?

[Winniesdad]

I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.

I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.

[Postal]

I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.

I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.

I agree very much with this.. It's the same for us. An active person that believes in regular exercise on top of their well balanced diet usually tend to live longer than the lazy slobs that sit around and play World of Warcraft on their computer all day and night :) Poor people heh

Dogs with healthy, active lifestyles just have more of a chance to push their age limit.

Some guy told me a couple days ago that Reader's Digest said that every step you climb in life adds 4 seconds to your life. Just a rule of thumb

[lorih1770]

Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed! :(

My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.

[ChattyCathy]

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread

WOW! What a great story and sounds like he was such a wonderful dog! I understand how you feel... I still miss two of my dogs that had to be put down a few years ago.

[ChattyCathy]

Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast.

We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!

I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".

I AGREE!!!! Dogs should live as long as we do.

[ChattyCathy]

This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.

I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?

I have to say that I don't think feeding dogs the "best" food plays 100% towards their health. Their are many factors such as environmental (like Winniesdad's post). Dogs knowing they are loved helps tremendously as does their genetic background and exercise all lead to a well-rounded and hopefully long-lived animal.

[ChattyCathy]

Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed! :(

My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.

OH, I'm so sorry for your loss....