Thoughts on being overwhelmed...senior furkids.. - YorkieTalk.com Forums

WidsMom · 01-19-2008, 12:16 PM

I have a multiple furkid household. I am totally 'owned' by four furkids. My toy poodle is eight, she's started showing some aging. She requires a little more TLC in the..ahem..personal cleanliness department.

The thought that keeps me from opening my home again and again is this: How would I handle having five, six, seven or more furbabies all aging at the same time?

I mean, I read the forum about illness, the R.I.P. forum too, and I see all that everyone goes through keeping their aging babies healthy. Could I do it with more? I don't think so....

Three of mine are within two years of each other agewise, and even the thought of potential eye issues, kidney issues, blood sugar issues, bone issues...and they are like people, they will have issues with aging, makes me seriously consider my responsiblity at this point.

It's not all fun and games is it? Can any parents of senior furkids give a little insight? Could you or do you give care to more than one geriatric furbaby?
How on earth can you do it?

I think we lose sight of this..in the happy, happy moments. Lifetime responsiblity..it's a sobering thought.

Joy

littlewhip · 01-19-2008, 12:28 PM

Iam owned by 5 and 3 of them are with in a yr apart, they are only 2 & 3 but still theey are close in age, then there is one who is not quite a yr old and a 5mth old, guess i have never really looked at it that way, I take it day by day and continue to pray they all stay healthy, I have had a couple health issuse but thank gosh nothing totally so serious that i couldnt handle it, My parents had dogs that lived well into there teens, not yorkies but still a very long happy life

Like i said day by day and furbaby by furbaby

yorkiegirl83 · 01-19-2008, 12:44 PM

I don't have any older furbabies. All of my babies are 1.5 years and younger. Somehow we ended up with 4 in a semi-short period of time.

I also worry about the future and them aging at the same time. It's really made me incredibly responsible. I have learned to save for their futures (as odd as that sounds) and the medical expenses they are sure to have at some point down the road.

I base my entire life around them and their schedule. I stay at home now, but in the future I'm sure I'll be getting a job and the pups will surely be attending daycare for their entertainment and so that they can be active and have a wonderful day while I'm not here.

I have to say it surprises me when people have many dogs just because I know how hard it is, just with my 4! No offense to anyone who has many dogs-- I just don't know how you do it

.

I feel there's constantly things to be done-- grooming, feeding, play time, potty time, ect ect. And on top of that there's always a medical expense because if one has a small scratch or I feel they aren't feeling right they go straight to the vet because if I had children that's what I would do, so why act differently for my dogs?

I'm not even sure if I answered your question! *lol* But it definitely is exhausting with multiples which makes me certain that I won't have another dog until all of mine have passed on one day. It also makes me overly certain I won't be able to open my home to another one no matter the situation. It makes me feel bad at times, but I know my limits and what I can realistically provide.

I participate in transports for rescues and volunteer my time because while I'd love to foster I know I can't. This makes me feel like I'm helping the pups of this world out, but still am being responsible to my first priorities-- my babies at home

.

Yorkieville200 · 01-19-2008, 01:24 PM

Joy,

I think you have brought up a very good subject. I have two 'seniors'. My younger girl turned 9 years in December, and my older girl will be 12 in April. They're just 2 years and 8 months apart in age. So far, I've been blessed that they are still active and very healthy. But I admit, I am aware that I will most likely lose them pretty close together, and I know when that time comes, it is going to be unbearable.

I try hard to live in the moment, but like yorkiegirl83, I have always saved for medical expenses, etc.

And I am conscious of feeding them the best food possible, maintaining their weight, and having their annual vet exams. I don't hesitate to take them to the vet. This summer, my tiny 4#er, Kia had a UTI, and because of her age, we had her bladder, kidneys, etc. xrayed to make sure nothing was developing. (At a younger age, most likely we would have given her meds, cleared up the infection and not worried.)

I cherish every day with them.

Because they are seniors, we have decided not to bring in anymore new babies, because we feel our primary responsibility is to make sure we can financially care for our girls and any aging medical issues they may develop.

Our first Yorkie died of renal failure just past the age of 13. (She had also developed a heart murmur at age 9.) So, believe me, her medical expenses were high in her senior years.

No, it's not all fun and games...but, look at it this way, we do it, because of the unconditional love they have given us all of their lives.

Sheila

WidsMom · 01-19-2008, 02:28 PM

Littlewhip, I wish I could be a 'day by day' person, but it's not my nature. I've seen too much unplanned-for end up in disaster.

I like what yorkiegirl83 said about channeling her energies into rescue and transport. Instead of adding another, that's a wonderful alternative. And the 'donation' of aid will go a long, long way.

Sheila, I agree. I know I enjoy my Indigo, but her aging is very real and needs to be kept in mind emotionally and financially.

I guess the bottom line is to realize our limits. Not just at any given moment, but during a lifetime.

Joy

makemepretty · 01-19-2008, 02:41 PM

You are correct, older furbabies are more work than puppies sometimes. It seems when they start having problems, it just never stops. My chihuahua is turning 10 this year and last year she started having some trouble in certain areas. She sometimes can't hold it through the night. Then she caught a cold and had to be on antibiotics(first time ever being sick), now she has a sore foot. Once they start to go downhill it just seems like you spend a lot more time taking care of them and going to the vet until, well, you know.

I had a pekingese that lived to 12 that the last 6 months of her life were constant pills and vet appointments. She became incontinent and at the time would either have really messy poo's at 2 in the morning in her crate, which I would have to get up and clean her up or if she was left to roam, find the room that had the mess and try to remove the stain. Sadly, she had to be put to sleep shortly after. She had one problem after another.

You're so happy when they're puppies you forget that their lifespan is shorter than ours.

Yorkieville200 · 01-19-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WidsMom

Littlewhip, I wish I could be a 'day by day' person, but it's not my nature. I've seen too much unplanned-for end up in disaster.

I like what yorkiegirl83 said about channeling her energies into rescue and transport. Instead of adding another, that's a wonderful alternative. And the 'donation' of aid will go a long, long way.

Sheila, I agree. I know I enjoy my Indigo, but her aging is very real and needs to be kept in mind emotionally and financially.

I guess the bottom line is to realize our limits. Not just at any given moment, but during a lifetime.

Joy

Joy,

I think you are very wise to realize your limitations. I know, I realize mine. So often, when a member gets a new baby, I am so tempted...

I don't want to be distracted by a new baby, when the day comes when one of my girls begins to develop senior illnesses. I want to be focused solely on them, they have both given me so much.

Sheila

lopresm · 01-19-2008, 03:32 PM

You are correct, Joy. It is a sobering thought. Over our 42 years of marriage my husband and I have had many dogs, a cat, parakeets, and a horse that dies in our arms. Our last little fellow, a Jack Russel, lived to 18 years of age with lots of health issues at the end of his life. At that point, my husband and I decided that we would have no more animals and that we would travel more in our retirement.

Well, you guessed it. Three months after our JRT passed on we brought our beautiful little Yorkie home. Remi is our first Yorkie. Each and everyone of our pets have helped in the healing. Remi brings us such joy! We do travel now, but we have our Remi with us on great car trip vacations.

Ladymom · 01-19-2008, 03:55 PM

My Lady is twelve and has a ton of health issues. She needs insulin shots twice a day and now has dry eye and needs artificial tears every 2-4 hours. She is on so much medication for her various ailments I could be making a car payment with what I spend a month! Seriously, between all her meds and diabetic supplies, it runs about $250-300 a month, plus vet bills to monitor her various conditions. I figured it out and it costs me about $3,000 a year now just for her.

As tempting as it is to add more, especially rescues like Lady is, you always have to keep in mind that they will all be old one day and make sure you can care for them properly. Thank heavens I never added another one after Lady started having so many health problems so I never had to divide the funds between two or more dogs or worse yet, not be able to afford to treat her.

The downside of just having one is that I will be especially devastated when I lose her. Next time I swear I will have two, a Maltese and a Yorkie, but I am still concerned about health problems as Yorkies seem to be even more prone to them than Maltese.

I think it's always smart to look long term and think worse case scenario before adding another one. You have to have some sort of account set up for emergencies as vet bills can easily run into the thousands. I have heard so many stories on these forums over the years of people who were caught off guard by unexpected vet bills, even in young dogs, and have not been prepared.

yorkiecrazy · 01-19-2008, 04:02 PM

You're so right.... we have to think of the senior years emotionally and financially. This is why we only have two. Gracie is 8 yrs. old and Kate is 6 yrs old. So, we definitely have to think of the health issues.
I just hate that their life span is so short. Okay, this tread is depressing. LOL

yorkie mom-3 · 01-19-2008, 04:15 PM

Good thread. I can relate to what has been said. I too have two of my babies that are getting up there. I see changes already. I know my limitations as well. I would love to adopt another puppymill rescue but one has to think about affording vet care, trying to provide the highest quality dog food. I also have one of my horses who will be eighteen this spring and she has her problems now too. I try to take it a day at a time and love all of those "moments" with them all. I told my husband we have geriatric acres now.

scoobiedooiscoo · 01-19-2008, 04:26 PM

i have dogs that range from 16 down to one (not all yorkies) but still small dogs. Lilly the oldest just started to show sings of aging this year, eyes growths tumors ect.. but needs no meds and still loves to play like a puppy most of the time. lexie is 10 and doing fine, she did have pancreas problems but thats under control. lucy is 7 and always was and still is lazy but healthy lola is 2 and hyper and lacey is almost 1 and has mvd but is doing better. really besides a couple of surgeries its been just reg vet apps.

Lee B · 01-19-2008, 06:21 PM

I had three dogs, adopted at different times, but it ended up that they were all about the same age. I started last year with three dogs and ended up with only 1. It killed me to put them down, but it was best for them. When the time comes, what *I* want is immaterial ... it's what's in *their* best interests.

The last of the 3 is Katie: her entire litter was tossed out the driver's side window of a car into on-coming, rush-hour traffic. She was the only survivor, and lost her right front leg to radial nerve damage. She was only 5 weeks old. Katie is now 15 years old, and in the early stages of renal failure. And she's incontinent. And used to being a spoiled, pampered Princess. Her remaining time with us, however, is limited - I know it in my head even if it don't want to acknowledge it in my heart.

In December, we adopted Puddin' ... our little Yorkie. It's the first time we've ever had a dog this small, and it's what we really need at this stage of our lives. Puddin's life span and ours should be about the same ...

My hubby has recently become disabled. He was sinking into a depression that was not nice to watch. Puddin' has given him a whole new outlook on life, and the change is remarkable.

Well, now that ya'll have TMI (Too Much Information

), what I'm trying to say is this: it hurts to have a beloved companion age on you, and it's one of the worst things that can happen to you when you have to take them to the vet for the final time. But when it's compared to the lifetime of love, devotion, companionship, entertainment ... the whole gamut of emotions ... it's worth it. And having another beloved companion at home to comfort you when you get home is beyond compare. Nothing soothes an aching heart like puppy kisses.

There is a cost involved in maintaining elderly dogs, but there is ALSO a cost involved in not having a younger dog around. Besides, I think a puppy helps keep the older dogs more active, gives them a little physical and mental stimulation that we, as humans, just can't provide for them.

It's worth whole-hearted consideration.

01-19-2008, 12:16 PM	#1
WidsMom Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Posts: 277	Thoughts on being overwhelmed...senior furkids.. I have a multiple furkid household. I am totally 'owned' by four furkids. My toy poodle is eight, she's started showing some aging. She requires a little more TLC in the..ahem..personal cleanliness department. The thought that keeps me from opening my home again and again is this: How would I handle having five, six, seven or more furbabies *all aging* at the same time? I mean, I read the forum about illness, the R.I.P. forum too, and I see all that everyone goes through keeping their aging babies healthy. Could I do it with more? I don't think so.... Three of mine are within two years of each other agewise, and even the thought of potential eye issues, kidney issues, blood sugar issues, bone issues...and they are like people, they will have issues with aging, makes me seriously consider my responsiblity at this point. It's not all fun and games is it? Can any parents of senior furkids give a little insight? Could you or do you give care to more than one geriatric furbaby? How on earth can you do it? I think we lose sight of this..in the happy, happy moments. Lifetime responsiblity..it's a sobering thought. Joy __________________ Mom of Haley and Pim!

01-19-2008, 12:28 PM	#2
littlewhip Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: wiith my furbabys Posts: 8,874	Iam owned by 5 and 3 of them are with in a yr apart, they are only 2 & 3 but still theey are close in age, then there is one who is not quite a yr old and a 5mth old, guess i have never really looked at it that way, I take it day by day and continue to pray they all stay healthy, I have had a couple health issuse but thank gosh nothing totally so serious that i couldnt handle it, My parents had dogs that lived well into there teens, not yorkies but still a very long happy life Like i said day by day and furbaby by furbaby __________________

01-19-2008, 02:28 PM	#5
WidsMom Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Posts: 277	Littlewhip, I wish I could be a 'day by day' person, but it's not my nature. I've seen too much unplanned-for end up in disaster. I like what yorkiegirl83 said about channeling her energies into rescue and transport. Instead of adding another, that's a wonderful alternative. And the 'donation' of aid will go a long, long way. Sheila, I agree. I know I enjoy my Indigo, but her aging is very real and needs to be kept in mind emotionally and financially. I guess the bottom line is to realize our limits. Not just at any given moment, but during a lifetime. Joy __________________ Mom of Haley and Pim!

01-19-2008, 02:41 PM	#6
makemepretty YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Middleville Posts: 933	You are correct, older furbabies are more work than puppies sometimes. It seems when they start having problems, it just never stops. My chihuahua is turning 10 this year and last year she started having some trouble in certain areas. She sometimes can't hold it through the night. Then she caught a cold and had to be on antibiotics(first time ever being sick), now she has a sore foot. Once they start to go downhill it just seems like you spend a lot more time taking care of them and going to the vet until, well, you know. I had a pekingese that lived to 12 that the last 6 months of her life were constant pills and vet appointments. She became incontinent and at the time would either have really messy poo's at 2 in the morning in her crate, which I would have to get up and clean her up or if she was left to roam, find the room that had the mess and try to remove the stain. Sadly, she had to be put to sleep shortly after. She had one problem after another. You're so happy when they're puppies you forget that their lifespan is shorter than ours. __________________ http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?j=t&i=369717

01-19-2008, 03:55 PM	#9
Ladymom Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 8,317	My Lady is twelve and has a ton of health issues. She needs insulin shots twice a day and now has dry eye and needs artificial tears every 2-4 hours. She is on so much medication for her various ailments I could be making a car payment with what I spend a month! Seriously, between all her meds and diabetic supplies, it runs about $250-300 a month, plus vet bills to monitor her various conditions. I figured it out and it costs me about $3,000 a year now just for her. As tempting as it is to add more, especially rescues like Lady is, you always have to keep in mind that they will all be old one day and make sure you can care for them properly. Thank heavens I never added another one after Lady started having so many health problems so I never had to divide the funds between two or more dogs or worse yet, not be able to afford to treat her. The downside of just having one is that I will be especially devastated when I lose her. Next time I swear I will have two, a Maltese and a Yorkie, but I am still concerned about health problems as Yorkies seem to be even more prone to them than Maltese. I think it's always smart to look long term and think worse case scenario before adding another one. You have to have some sort of account set up for emergencies as vet bills can easily run into the thousands. I have heard so many stories on these forums over the years of people who were caught off guard by unexpected vet bills, even in young dogs, and have not been prepared. __________________ http://www.myladysdogbows.com/ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...6213341?ref=nf

01-19-2008, 12:44 PM	#3
yorkiegirl83 Love My Furbabies! Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: somewhere Posts: 4,427	I don't have any older furbabies. All of my babies are 1.5 years and younger. Somehow we ended up with 4 in a semi-short period of time. I also worry about the future and them aging at the same time. It's really made me incredibly responsible. I have learned to save for their futures (as odd as that sounds) and the medical expenses they are sure to have at some point down the road. I base my entire life around them and their schedule. I stay at home now, but in the future I'm sure I'll be getting a job and the pups will surely be attending daycare for their entertainment and so that they can be active and have a wonderful day while I'm not here. I have to say it surprises me when people have many dogs just because I know how hard it is, just with my 4! No offense to anyone who has many dogs-- I just don't know how you do it . I feel there's constantly things to be done-- grooming, feeding, play time, potty time, ect ect. And on top of that there's always a medical expense because if one has a small scratch or I feel they aren't feeling right they go straight to the vet because if I had children that's what I would do, so why act differently for my dogs? I'm not even sure if I answered your question! lol But it definitely is exhausting with multiples which makes me certain that I won't have another dog until all of mine have passed on one day. It also makes me overly certain I won't be able to open my home to another one no matter the situation. It makes me feel bad at times, but I know my limits and what I can realistically provide. I participate in transports for rescues and volunteer my time because while I'd love to foster I know I can't. This makes me feel like I'm helping the pups of this world out, but still am being responsible to my first priorities-- my babies at home .

01-19-2008, 01:24 PM	#4
Yorkieville200 YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 2,179	Joy, I think you have brought up a very good subject. I have two 'seniors'. My younger girl turned 9 years in December, and my older girl will be 12 in April. They're just 2 years and 8 months apart in age. So far, I've been blessed that they are still active and very healthy. But I admit, I am aware that I will most likely lose them pretty close together, and I know when that time comes, it is going to be unbearable. I try hard to live in the moment, but like yorkiegirl83, I have always saved for medical expenses, etc. And I am conscious of feeding them the best food possible, maintaining their weight, and having their annual vet exams. I don't hesitate to take them to the vet. This summer, my tiny 4#er, Kia had a UTI, and because of her age, we had her bladder, kidneys, etc. xrayed to make sure nothing was developing. (At a younger age, most likely we would have given her meds, cleared up the infection and not worried.) I cherish every day with them. Because they are seniors, we have decided not to bring in anymore new babies, because we feel our primary responsibility is to make sure we can financially care for our girls and any aging medical issues they may develop. Our first Yorkie died of renal failure just past the age of 13. (She had also developed a heart murmur at age 9.) So, believe me, her medical expenses were high in her senior years. No, it's not all fun and games...but, look at it this way, we do it, because of the unconditional love they have given us all of their lives. Sheila

01-19-2008, 03:32 PM	#8
lopresm YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 328	You are correct, Joy. It is a sobering thought. Over our 42 years of marriage my husband and I have had many dogs, a cat, parakeets, and a horse that dies in our arms. Our last little fellow, a Jack Russel, lived to 18 years of age with lots of health issues at the end of his life. At that point, my husband and I decided that we would have no more animals and that we would travel more in our retirement. Well, you guessed it. Three months after our JRT passed on we brought our beautiful little Yorkie home. Remi is our first Yorkie. Each and everyone of our pets have helped in the healing. Remi brings us such joy! We do travel now, but we have our Remi with us on great car trip vacations.

01-19-2008, 04:02 PM	#10
yorkiecrazy Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Houston area Posts: 2,672	You're so right.... we have to think of the senior years emotionally and financially. This is why we only have two. Gracie is 8 yrs. old and Kate is 6 yrs old. So, we definitely have to think of the health issues. I just hate that their life span is so short. Okay, this tread is depressing. LOL __________________ Jamie - Gracie's Katie's and Chloe's mom : Gracie 11-12-99 11-1-2012

01-19-2008, 04:15 PM	#11
yorkie mom-3 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: nebraska Posts: 616	Good thread. I can relate to what has been said. I too have two of my babies that are getting up there. I see changes already. I know my limitations as well. I would love to adopt another puppymill rescue but one has to think about affording vet care, trying to provide the highest quality dog food. I also have one of my horses who will be eighteen this spring and she has her problems now too. I try to take it a day at a time and love all of those "moments" with them all. I told my husband we have geriatric acres now.

01-19-2008, 04:26 PM	#12
scoobiedooiscoo Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,423	i have dogs that range from 16 down to one (not all yorkies) but still small dogs. Lilly the oldest just started to show sings of aging this year, eyes growths tumors ect.. but needs no meds and still loves to play like a puppy most of the time. lexie is 10 and doing fine, she did have pancreas problems but thats under control. lucy is 7 and always was and still is lazy but healthy lola is 2 and hyper and lacey is almost 1 and has mvd but is doing better. really besides a couple of surgeries its been just reg vet apps. __________________ [url]http://www.dogster.com/dogs/585863

01-19-2008, 06:21 PM	#13
Lee B YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Land O' Lakes, FL Posts: 735	I had three dogs, adopted at different times, but it ended up that they were all about the same age. I started last year with three dogs and ended up with only 1. It killed me to put them down, but it was best for them. When the time comes, what I want is immaterial ... it's what's in their best interests. The last of the 3 is Katie: her entire litter was tossed out the driver's side window of a car into on-coming, rush-hour traffic. She was the only survivor, and lost her right front leg to radial nerve damage. She was only 5 weeks old. Katie is now 15 years old, and in the early stages of renal failure. And she's incontinent. And used to being a spoiled, pampered Princess. Her remaining time with us, however, is limited - I know it in my head even if it don't want to acknowledge it in my heart. In December, we adopted Puddin' ... our little Yorkie. It's the first time we've ever had a dog this small, and it's what we really need at this stage of our lives. Puddin's life span and ours should be about the same ... My hubby has recently become disabled. He was sinking into a depression that was not nice to watch. Puddin' has given him a whole new outlook on life, and the change is remarkable. Well, now that ya'll have TMI (Too Much Information ), what I'm trying to say is this: it hurts to have a beloved companion age on you, and it's one of the worst things that can happen to you when you have to take them to the vet for the final time. But when it's compared to the lifetime of love, devotion, companionship, entertainment ... the whole gamut of emotions ... it's worth it. And having another beloved companion at home to comfort you when you get home is beyond compare. Nothing soothes an aching heart like puppy kisses. There is a cost involved in maintaining elderly dogs, but there is ALSO a cost involved in not having a younger dog around. Besides, I think a puppy helps keep the older dogs more active, gives them a little physical and mental stimulation that we, as humans, just can't provide for them. It's worth whole-hearted consideration.