Generally Healthy At 14 Years Old

[Baby Di]

My Baby turned 14 years old on April 15th. Yes, that's right, she was born on tax day!!

 

She is in good health, but she has a few minor problems. She has cataracts, but can still see quite well, although not quite as good as she could when she was much younger. Does anyone else have a BC with cataracts?

 

Also, she is almost totally deaf. I have seen deafness mentioned in articles about BC's. It doesn't seem to bother her though. She just keeps a closer watch on me to see if I am talking to her or motioning to her with my hands. She can follow hand commands pretty well and I have become quite creative with them.

 

The vet said she heard a slight heart murmer the last time she was in for her routine check-up. This doesn't seem to bother her, either. She still runs, although not as much as she used to, and still plays.

 

Other than these three things, my Baby is still going strong!!

[Caroline]

My Charlie, 12 1/2 and doing pretty well does have cataracts, the vet says the amount of cataracts is higher then usually seen in this age dog but not too abnormal. I see the big difference in some arthritis and fatty tumours that he has now.

Otherwise healthy, happy and still smart as the dickens.

Caroline, Charlie the Senior Advisor and Luke the Apprentice of the Magnificent

[trailrider]

I have a 14 1/2 year old that does well with cataracts. She has trouble with porch steps, and does not work the sheep anymore. Her mother was almost 15 when she couldn`t function well and gave up. The old timers have a good time in their own pace of things.

[BCCrazy?]

In early May I lost my beloved Buddy after 17 years. He, too, had cataracts but could still see a treat headed for the floor!! His hearing was better than he let on!! Of course, he couldn't hear me call his name from 2 feet away but touch the dog food bag, 4 rooms away with closed doors and he would start to bark!! He, too would watch me so closely, looking for a subtle signal or head nod to know what to do next. He had bad hips and suffered a lot of pain until some veterinarian friends from overseas told me about a medication, which he was on for the last 3 years of his life. It was like a miracle drug. Within a week of beginning the medication, he wagged his tail again, he was able to use his hind legs to scratch himself, it was much easier for him to climb stairs. He was even able to play fetch, but the key was you had to roll the ball towards him, not away from him!!! It has just become available here in the US. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory called Metacam. If your dog has any hip discomfort I would highly recommend talking it over with your vet. I currently have three young BC's, 1 year, 2 year and 3 year and there are those days that I wish they were all old and mellow, especially at 4:30 in the morning!!!

[Jer]

My 14 yr old Sadie died a couple months ago. She had failing eyesight, hearing was going, which was good in a way because she didn't have to hear and fear thunder any longer. She developed arthritis in her hips at about 10, used Rymidyl until she developed liver problems, gave her a year without medication and then had to put her on Zuprin because the pain was so great she couldn't sleep. She had fatty tumors which didn't seem to bother her. The last few months of her life she developed a desease that effected her equalibrium, caused a head tilt, and generally made her life rough. The last month she was alive she overcame it,lost her head tilt, and my final pictures her head is straight and she is staring into the camera. Several times in her last year I thought she was done, but with encouragement she overcame alot of problems, showed me a spirit I will never forget. When she was to weak to sit up in the van, she would lay on the bed, stare out the window, and growl at livestock when we passed it.

It was very rewarding to help her with her old age, miss her everyday. Don't give up to soon on your old dog, they still have alot to give.