Our Aging Boxers

[trc4941]

I thought that a thread about what we might expect or how others have dealt the different aspects of aging boxers. Rocco will be 9 in April and I can't help thinking/worrying about what's to come. I know Boxers don't have a very long lifespan and I TRY not to think about it but it still comes to my mind.

Rocco is in very good shape as of now. We've noticed he sleeps a lot more and sleeps very soundly. His beautiful black mask is now pretty much gone to gray/white and I can see some of his fawn fur is starting to gray now too.

So, I'd love to hear from others with old guys or gals.

 

[Gatorblu]

My boy Thor is 10. He's had some health issues over the last few years. He is taking meds daily for hypothyroidism and his heart. He didn't start on those until he was 8 (thyroid) and 9 (heart). With the medication, neither issue effects his day to day life. He suffers from chronic pancreatitis so he is on a strict low fat diet.

Our biggest issue is arthritis. Most days are good, but too many for me are not. I can't stand the thought of any day with the slightest pain for him. He is very stoic about it and if you don't know him you may very well miss him slightly favoring a leg. Now that winter is here I can see it more often. I have a thermal t-shirt that has been cut to fit his shoulders. Plus he and Arabella have taken over the heated throw I got for Christmas last year. I keep it on the bed and set it on low so his joints don't get too cold and stiff over night. He does take tramadol from time to time when I see him limping.

Mind you with all the issues, most days he still chases his sister, who is 1/2 his age thru the house! The play times are shorter and he'll sleep a bit more, but he is still active, happy and healthy. He is my mama's boy. lovicon The thought he won't always be around breaks my heart and I try my best to put it aside. I try to make sure everyday is a good day.

 

[Lisa H]

DH and I don't have any skin children. I had Justice for 5 years before we even started dating and have a stong bond with her. She is now almost 11 years old and I am an absolute basket case when it comes to losing her. She too has had thyroid issues, a MCT and IBD. We are on daily meds but her quality of life is still fantastic which makes me sooo happy. She literally runs circles around my parents dog who is 5 years old. I am worried that I will not be able to fuction though when the time comes that I have already spoke to the vet, researched a pet funeral home/creamatory and found an urn. I have also warned a friend of mine who is a psychiatrist that I may need meds....how crazy is that???? I literally bawled on Xmas wondering if this was going to be her last one....how pathetic is that!!!!

 

[Britbox]

Hi All...Not written on here for a long time, but drop in now and again to see how everyone is getting on...Ageing Boxers?!! I feel I can talk as somewhat of an expert on this one..We lost our last Boxer Poppy at 13 (quite a respectable age for our breed)...And of course then there is my beloved Millie Boxer..12 this year. She had major surgery on her leg about 18 months ago for a cancerous tumour, that involved extensive and radical loss of muscle and tissue, and a huge 'flap' skin graft, and was in danger of losing her leg if the op wasn't successful..Hair raising stuff, but I have a fabulous vet, and thank God, she came through it all, recovered at miracle speed, and goes on thinking she's a puppy!...
I cherish every day with her, and I too wondered if this Christmas would be the last that me and the old man would be spending with her. She got a bit over excited with all the presents on Christmas morning, and collapsed into my lap, after suffering with one of her heart 'episodes'..She has an aortic stenosis that was discovered when we first got her at 8 weeks old, and were told that she would never get to adulthood (nobody told Millie, she wouldn't have listened anyway, she wasn't intending going anywhere!!!) They said that one day she would just have a fatal attack, and there would be nothing anyone could do.....That was a very, very long time ago, and of course, she's had many, of her 'heart attacks' throughout her life, but she's still here, every bit as beautiful, funny, and bouncy as she's ever been....Albeit a bit greyer, and maybe the markings are not so flashy as they used to be...But hey, I look in the mirror and empathise...Same here!!!! Lol..She sleeps a bit more than she did a few years ago, but she is not in pain, enjoys sitting in the sun in the summer, or annoying hedgehogs and chasing birds off the lawn in the garden..In short she is happy, and I like to think we can have a few more wonderful years together before we have to say the inevitable goodbye, I too find that a totally devastating thought..She is such a special dog, and we have been privileged to have her share so much of our life.. Point that I suppose I'm trying to make is, Millie is still here against all odds and age is just a number, so I try not to dwell on what may happen tomorrow. Be happy that we still have our seniors with us today.lovicon

 

[djheitz]

My Roxi will be 12 in May. Other than dealing with arthritis, she's doing very well. She sleeps a lot more and is in a deeper sleep faster. I worry if she doesn't come running to the back door when I call (she's usually grazing way in the back of the yard), but it's definitely me worrying, not anything she's done to cause it Her whole face is gray and the color on her front legs is fading now, too. She can still jump up on the sofa with a running start, but hasn't gotten up on the bed in a long time.

We giver her her arthritis neds (tramadol & derramax), glucosoumine/condroitin, benadryl, acid reducer, vit E & fish oil. We're on grain free food, too. She's had 3 MCT's removed over the years and also had to have her knee fixed at age 7.

All in all, she's in great shape for her age & history. I can't even imagine not having her here, so I just keep thinking about the 15 year old who came into our rescue last month...we have years left!

 

[ColePaityn]

12 year old

I have a 12 year old brindle boxer name Dixie. She's quite health considering her age. Of course she does spending a lot more time napping, but she still has her energy spurts through out the day. I just had to put down our 9 year old Fawn boxer in November. She ended up with a huge tumor in her belly that blocked her inetestines and bladder. Dixie was my first Boxer and I'm going to miss her dearly when it's time for her to go.

 

[GremlinPup]

We put down our 12 year old fawn boxer last year. She was aging really well. I know that you may not want to hear about it, but before she died, I figured she was going to go on for quite some time! She was still trying (and mostly succeeding) to keep up with the puppy (he was just turning 2). Although she slept more often and had quite a bit more grey, the arthritis in her joints barely slowed her down. She went so fast, I barely had time to prepare. It was a brain tumor that no one had even suspected that took her life. She didn't show any signs until the last two days of her life.

So the moral of the story is prepare for anything and enjoy the time that you have with them while they're still around, same with everyone and everything in your life. Life is precious!

 

[lhsdavis]

Ashley turend 12 in Dec, and shes a pretty tough girl. And food still rules her world you know its time to eat because it revs her up pretty good. Had a scare a couple christmas ago when she wouldnt get up one day and I thought this is it, got her into the vet, was pancreatis, so spent 3 days at the vet. Came home back to normal, but vet felt that something caused her problems and suspected cushing based on her blood tests etc, so two weeks later took her back for the full day cushing test. She testing positive for cushing on the low end of the spectrum, and vet suggested a couple of alternatives for me. I really didnt want to do anything that would make her feel worse, so went with the anapryl that is just supposed to manage the symtoms (drinking more water than usual etc). It has done wonders for her, and has helped the accidents she was having in the house. I just thought it was all a part of age. She went in for a abcess tooth a few months ago, and the vet was so impressed with her bloodwork(totally normal) they took before they pulled the abcess, she said the meds for the cushing are working very well. She has also pretty much gone deaf, but shes happy.
Noah turns 11 in march, and hes doing great. Had a scare a few months ago, but vet thought it was just a combo of his arthritis and maybe playing and pulling something. Also after xrays noticed his rear knees are pretty bad so feels he may have something like HOA, but she says its just something that gets worse as he gets older (had since he was born), but he really does manage well. Also she said it can cause some anerexia in dogs, and now I know why I can never put weight on his skinny butt. He has had sensitive stomach issues over the years too, and at times his food may still sit uneaten, but as both of my babies have gotten older have added some soft food to the dry to help them out, and that seems to get noahs appetite where he'll eat more. And he still thinks hes 5