The aging Boxer

[HaLaHaKa]

My girl Sunny will be 6 in July we have noticed that she has slowed down a lot this past year. She used to run next to my bike and now she trots. She would jump up higher when coming up on the bed and now she just makes it. My Vet told me in December that she would start to slow down this year, but this girl really likes to snooze. Can anyone give some experience on what to expect. Otherwise she is healthy.

Hap

 

[Amee]

Monty is 13 and my family bought him when I was 12. Monty stays with us a couple weeks every month and I get so upset when he's here. He has a hard time with stairs, he has accidents, the saddest thing for me is watching him with my kids. I know he wants to play and run with my kids but he can't keep up, he tries and he adores them but he's nothing like Roxy. Monty is "healthy" he has none of the horrible conditions I have read about but the vet has diagnosed him with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (dog Alzheimer's). He is still happy, bouncy and loving he's just a lot slower and his fur is very grey. For me the hardest part is knowing he's not going to be here another 13 yrs.

 

[ChristyA]

Hi,
Both Dexter & Sophie are 9 1/2. They don't play like they used to, but they played hard up until they were about 7 then started to slow down.

Have you had a senior wellness checkup done on Sunny? A blood panel might be a good idea at this age. At least you will have a baseline for future years.

Christy
Dexter & Sophie both 9 1/2

 

[cantfindlog]

Molly will be 8 soon and she is now starting to slow down too. She is still a spaze but she calms down a lot quicker. Now instead of jumping on guests for an hour its only ten minutes now . I have been giving Molly a supplement that is for her joints with glucosamine and chondroitin. I started this as a preventative measure and seem to be working fine. She too has an occasional problem with getting on to the bed but she manages. I also have been feeding her the highest quality dog food out on the market along with some home cooking and she really has had some great improvement since the diet change. I guess the only other thing I do as she is getting older is to watch carefully that she does not over do it while playing when it is warm out. I also do a full body check once a week so I can stay on top of any changes to her skin such as lumps and bumps. She also has had a senior wellness performed at the vet and she has a baseline blood work done. Other than that I always watch the other health posts on BW to stay educated. Hope some of this helps.

 

[Slobberchops]

Waldo will be 8 in November,and he is slowing down also,though he can still do an impressive burn or 3 round the yard,and still loves a wrestle with his Dad every evening.
He doesn't jump as high as he used to,but overall he's a healthy boy.
I check him every day for lumps and bumps,he thinks he's just getting a massage.Next month he's due for his annual checkup,and I'll ask the vet then if there's anything different I should be doing.

 

[atlasmom911]

Atlas just turned 7 in March. He was starting to become a couch potato until Sydney arrived. He will play pretty hard with her but he knows his limits. When he gets tired of playing he sure does let her know.

 

[boxmom]

My Lucy is 7 and loves to snooze more now too. We also have her on Glucosomine. I made the mistake of letting her put on weight when she started to slow down. We are working on that now. Make sure the vet checks her teeth next time in case she needs a cleaning or has any dental issues. They have to be sedated for that and it gets harder as they get older. They are so cool when they are older and just as much fun, just a little less energetic.

 

[butlersmom]

Butler will be 6 in July as well; the 4th of July to be exact. He is still wide open. To look at him, you'd think he's 3. The only change I've noticed is that he seems more stiff occasionally after he's been napping for awhile. Once he's up, he's fine. We had x-rays done last week and there's no arthritis, so I guess it's the same as with me when I've been sitting for awhile. I'm currently researching supplements to help with any potential, future issues, though.

 

[WAT]

I have noticed that Minx gets a little stiff in her back leg. The vet said the old gal has probably a touch of arthritis. I give her Glucosamine (1,000 mg per day) and sometimes a baby aspirin if she seems to be hurting and really favoring it. Does anyone know of anything else that helps?