Yorkies and Aging - YorkieTalk.com Forums

GetRealFit · 10-07-2011, 05:41 PM

I have an 11 year old Yorkie that was born with an oversized heart and liver issues. He is still hanging in. He has skin tumors and his teeth, which never grew in but instead he has pegs, are causing infection. His face is really swollen on one side. The vet has him on a antibiotic regimen but it does seem to help. He's still running around which is amazing to me.

I have a 12 year old that has really bad arthritis, a hump back, and a knee that is bad causing him to fall down often. We are looking into a cart for him.

Here's my question. Do yorkies bodies fall apart before they are ready to go? My old guys are still alert and eat well. I am so amazed at how they keep keeping on with all their issues.

Sandysbabies · 10-07-2011, 06:37 PM

Besides our 2 yorkies we have 2 schnauzers that are 3 and 14. I talk quite abit about Tina on here because she has CHF, dementia and just keeps truckin. Her little body underneath all her hair is like a bag of bones. She eats really good, but her food does not do her any good. I have her on Senior Welliness and then her meds. She sleeps alot but when she is up its all I can do to keep up with her. She climbs, she gets hung inbetween furniture etc. She walks through their water and food. I have to hold her to feed her so she doesn't walk in her food. Its so sad to see them age but I have had her since she was 6wks. old. She is no bigger than my yorkies and we love them like our children. As long as she goes and eats good we will be there for her all the way. I know its hard and to have 2 would be really hard. Just hang in there because when we lose them it means so much to know you did everything you could do and love them. Even though the dementia has took so much of little TIna's life she still knows my voice and loves to be held and cuddled. Good luck and bless you for taking care of those babies. To me it takes a special person to take care of special need dogs.

GetRealFit · 10-08-2011, 06:43 AM

My 12 years old has a trick knee. I looked into a brace but they said the knee is too far gone. It happened really fast. One day it was fine and the next he was falling. My husband wants to look into surgery but I'm scared of that for an old dog. He has really bad arthritis in his back too. My husband has never had surgery. I have had 10 surgeries. The last was a 3 level cervical disc fusion which was horrible to recover from. I hate to see my old man go through the healing surgery requires and am concerned he may not make it through the surgery.

Any info or experiences with old Yorkies and surgery would be greatly appreciated.

erika1948 · 10-08-2011, 03:11 PM

Not sure if you would be interested, but there are carriages for dogs. I got one two years ago for my yorkie and use it every time we go for a walk. I let him walk as much as he wants to and when he gets tired, in he goes. He is 14-1/2 years old now, has arthritis, can hardly see or hear but still loves to sniff and loves his food. This carriage is one of the best things I ever got. It's great in the hotter weather, when he has had enough walking or when we come across a big dog!

GetRealFit · 10-08-2011, 07:23 PM

I've seen those. Good idea! 14 1/2 that's wild. Do you have other dogs? Does your Yorkie still control it's potty?

erika1948 · 10-09-2011, 05:56 AM

Hi, I had a poodle, Elvira, who lived to 14-1/2. She had congestive heart failure and I finally had to let her go three years ago. Rocky does not like any other dogs so he has been alone since then. He uses wee wee pads and also goes outside. Once in awile I find a wet spot but most of the time he is pretty good. Elvira was actually the one who trained him to use the wee wee pads. He has never been 100% trained but that was probably my fault. Considering that, he is wonderful! I don't love the fact but I live with it.

Ellie May · 10-09-2011, 06:13 AM

It's definitely the best thing for your pup to look into surgery. Talk to an ortho surgeon and just see if it's worth it. Your pup is probably in quite a bit of pain.

My Yorkie is much the same. She has liver issues, acute pancreatitis episodes, severe intestinal and malabsortive issues, spondylosis, likely a disc that likes to bulge, a crunchy LP in one leg, food allergies and intolerances, chronic ear issues, and has had severe periodontal disease yet she loves life! I don't see her passing anytime soon. A lot of people still mistake her for a puppy (she is 10). What really slowed her down were the back problems. We just keep her pain meds handy and try to keep her rested when the disc issue flares.

lisaly · 10-09-2011, 08:27 AM

My baby passed away a little over a year ago a month shy of her seventeenth birthday. We were still walking two or more miles a day (weather permitting), and I could still see the puppy in Ashley much of the time. She had dementia the last year of her life, but she was very loving and responsive with us. Once we placed her on Anipryl, it controlled some of the symptoms of Canine Cognitive Disorder, and we were assured that she had a good quality of life. Ashley was diagnosed with an enlarged heart when she was ten, yet she still lived almost seven years after that. She needed surgery for an anal tumor when she was fourteen and she also had two tooth infections which required her to undergo anesthesia. Ashley had yearly dentals prior to diagnosing her with the enlarged heart, but her doctor didn't want her to have anesthesia unless it was absolutely necessary after that. Her last time she went anesthesia was when she was sixteen, and she did fine. Although it was risky, we didn't want her to be in pain if there was something that could be done to prevent it. I was afraid every time she had surgery, but Ashley came through just fine. Senior dogs require a lot more attention and care, but I wouldn't have given up a second of the time we had with Ashley. Ashley still had a lot of life left in her when she passed away. She had a number of ailments that we were treating her for, but she was mostly a healthy and very happy little girl all of her life. Enjoy every precious moment with your babies. I wish you much health, love, and laughter with them.

tem_sat · 10-09-2011, 09:21 AM

I do property management for an older gentleman in his 80's and make sure his pets are fed and watered. He has a Shih Tzu mix who is over 25. Benji, the Shih Tzu, is still truckin' but, of course, dentals are out of the question, as are vaccinations. Benji has been on PMR for about 1 year, the teeth (that he has left) are clean, and he growls for his breakfast. He has no visible issues and seems to be doing just fine. You never really know how long they will last, but 14, to Benji, is just a "kid".

Patti · 10-09-2011, 01:53 PM

The oldest I ever had one of my yorkies live is to 13. They seemed to go down hill fast. I now have Nikki a rescue who I inherited when his rescuer had a stroke. Nikki is estimated to be 19 years of age. When I met his rescuer he had horrible teeth. I took him to the vet for her and they had to pull all his teeth and do bone/gum work they were so rotted. He was about 16-17 at the time and did great. He wouldn't eat much before his teeth removal but has become a little chow hound with my 3 girls. He is blind in one eye can't see well out of the other, his roached back, losing his coat and in kidney failure. He sleeps most of the time, but bounces right up when I come home or it's time to eat. He is still enjoying a good quality of life. I know each day is a gift at his age.

jennzy · 10-22-2011, 05:55 AM

Mickey is 15 going on 16 in december

I have not noticed anything until shortly his accident. He got bit by a golden retriever and he healed well but shortly after he lost his hearing. U can be behind him and make all types of noise ans call his name but he wont hear you unless if u r infront of him.

He also has gained a lot of weight because he doesnt go on long walks as he used to.

I doubt this has anything to do w the accident but i think seriously one day things goes down pretty fast

In june/july mickey was active and we'd go on hour long walks and by mid august things started to change drastically....

I am not sure the status of mickey because he now lives in south korea with my mom (immigrated a yr ago) and i am back in canada.

We will be very greatful if he passes his 16th bday and live until the summer.... But fingers are crossed

lovemy3babies · 10-22-2011, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tem_sat

I do property management for an older gentleman in his 80's and make sure his pets are fed and watered. He has a Shih Tzu mix who is over 25. Benji, the Shih Tzu, is still truckin' but, of course, dentals are out of the question, as are vaccinations. Benji has been on PMR for about 1 year, the teeth (that he has left) are clean, and he growls for his breakfast. He has no visible issues and seems to be doing just fine. You never really know how long they will last, but 14, to Benji, is just a "kid".

Benji is over 25 years old????? That's incredible. I didn't know dogs could live that long.

10-07-2011, 05:41 PM	#1
GetRealFit Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA Posts: 20 Blog Entries: 1	Yorkies and Aging I have an 11 year old Yorkie that was born with an oversized heart and liver issues. He is still hanging in. He has skin tumors and his teeth, which never grew in but instead he has pegs, are causing infection. His face is really swollen on one side. The vet has him on a antibiotic regimen but it does seem to help. He's still running around which is amazing to me. I have a 12 year old that has really bad arthritis, a hump back, and a knee that is bad causing him to fall down often. We are looking into a cart for him. Here's my question. Do yorkies bodies fall apart before they are ready to go? My old guys are still alert and eat well. I am so amazed at how they keep keeping on with all their issues. __________________

10-08-2011, 06:43 AM	#3
GetRealFit Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA Posts: 20 Blog Entries: 1	surgery My 12 years old has a trick knee. I looked into a brace but they said the knee is too far gone. It happened really fast. One day it was fine and the next he was falling. My husband wants to look into surgery but I'm scared of that for an old dog. He has really bad arthritis in his back too. My husband has never had surgery. I have had 10 surgeries. The last was a 3 level cervical disc fusion which was horrible to recover from. I hate to see my old man go through the healing surgery requires and am concerned he may not make it through the surgery. Any info or experiences with old Yorkies and surgery would be greatly appreciated. __________________

10-08-2011, 03:11 PM	#4
erika1948 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 139	Carriage for yorkies Not sure if you would be interested, but there are carriages for dogs. I got one two years ago for my yorkie and use it every time we go for a walk. I let him walk as much as he wants to and when he gets tired, in he goes. He is 14-1/2 years old now, has arthritis, can hardly see or hear but still loves to sniff and loves his food. This carriage is one of the best things I ever got. It's great in the hotter weather, when he has had enough walking or when we come across a big dog!

10-08-2011, 07:23 PM	#5
GetRealFit Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA Posts: 20 Blog Entries: 1	I've seen those. Good idea! 14 1/2 that's wild. Do you have other dogs? Does your Yorkie still control it's potty? __________________

10-09-2011, 05:56 AM	#6
erika1948 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 139	Aging yorkie Hi, I had a poodle, Elvira, who lived to 14-1/2. She had congestive heart failure and I finally had to let her go three years ago. Rocky does not like any other dogs so he has been alone since then. He uses wee wee pads and also goes outside. Once in awile I find a wet spot but most of the time he is pretty good. Elvira was actually the one who trained him to use the wee wee pads. He has never been 100% trained but that was probably my fault. Considering that, he is wonderful! I don't love the fact but I live with it.

10-07-2011, 06:37 PM	#2
Sandysbabies YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 2,234	Besides our 2 yorkies we have 2 schnauzers that are 3 and 14. I talk quite abit about Tina on here because she has CHF, dementia and just keeps truckin. Her little body underneath all her hair is like a bag of bones. She eats really good, but her food does not do her any good. I have her on Senior Welliness and then her meds. She sleeps alot but when she is up its all I can do to keep up with her. She climbs, she gets hung inbetween furniture etc. She walks through their water and food. I have to hold her to feed her so she doesn't walk in her food. Its so sad to see them age but I have had her since she was 6wks. old. She is no bigger than my yorkies and we love them like our children. As long as she goes and eats good we will be there for her all the way. I know its hard and to have 2 would be really hard. Just hang in there because when we lose them it means so much to know you did everything you could do and love them. Even though the dementia has took so much of little TIna's life she still knows my voice and loves to be held and cuddled. Good luck and bless you for taking care of those babies. To me it takes a special person to take care of special need dogs.

10-09-2011, 06:13 AM	#7
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	It's definitely the best thing for your pup to look into surgery. Talk to an ortho surgeon and just see if it's worth it. Your pup is probably in quite a bit of pain. My Yorkie is much the same. She has liver issues, acute pancreatitis episodes, severe intestinal and malabsortive issues, spondylosis, likely a disc that likes to bulge, a crunchy LP in one leg, food allergies and intolerances, chronic ear issues, and has had severe periodontal disease yet she loves life! I don't see her passing anytime soon. A lot of people still mistake her for a puppy (she is 10). What really slowed her down were the back problems. We just keep her pain meds handy and try to keep her rested when the disc issue flares. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

10-09-2011, 08:27 AM	#8
lisaly Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 5,891	My baby passed away a little over a year ago a month shy of her seventeenth birthday. We were still walking two or more miles a day (weather permitting), and I could still see the puppy in Ashley much of the time. She had dementia the last year of her life, but she was very loving and responsive with us. Once we placed her on Anipryl, it controlled some of the symptoms of Canine Cognitive Disorder, and we were assured that she had a good quality of life. Ashley was diagnosed with an enlarged heart when she was ten, yet she still lived almost seven years after that. She needed surgery for an anal tumor when she was fourteen and she also had two tooth infections which required her to undergo anesthesia. Ashley had yearly dentals prior to diagnosing her with the enlarged heart, but her doctor didn't want her to have anesthesia unless it was absolutely necessary after that. Her last time she went anesthesia was when she was sixteen, and she did fine. Although it was risky, we didn't want her to be in pain if there was something that could be done to prevent it. I was afraid every time she had surgery, but Ashley came through just fine. Senior dogs require a lot more attention and care, but I wouldn't have given up a second of the time we had with Ashley. Ashley still had a lot of life left in her when she passed away. She had a number of ailments that we were treating her for, but she was mostly a healthy and very happy little girl all of her life. Enjoy every precious moment with your babies. I wish you much health, love, and laughter with them. __________________ *Lisa and* Katie *Ashley 6/10,* *Gracie 2/04,* Kiwi 10/03, and Jolie 7/93 .

10-09-2011, 09:21 AM	#9
tem_sat Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 189	I do property management for an older gentleman in his 80's and make sure his pets are fed and watered. He has a Shih Tzu mix who is over 25. Benji, the Shih Tzu, is still truckin' but, of course, dentals are out of the question, as are vaccinations. Benji has been on PMR for about 1 year, the teeth (that he has left) are clean, and he growls for his breakfast. He has no visible issues and seems to be doing just fine. You never really know how long they will last, but 14, to Benji, is just a "kid". __________________ Beanie the 12 lb Mini Dachshund Fed A Prey Model Raw Diet

10-09-2011, 01:53 PM	#10
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	The oldest I ever had one of my yorkies live is to 13. They seemed to go down hill fast. I now have Nikki a rescue who I inherited when his rescuer had a stroke. Nikki is estimated to be 19 years of age. When I met his rescuer he had horrible teeth. I took him to the vet for her and they had to pull all his teeth and do bone/gum work they were so rotted. He was about 16-17 at the time and did great. He wouldn't eat much before his teeth removal but has become a little chow hound with my 3 girls. He is blind in one eye can't see well out of the other, his roached back, losing his coat and in kidney failure. He sleeps most of the time, but bounces right up when I come home or it's time to eat. He is still enjoying a good quality of life. I know each day is a gift at his age. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

10-22-2011, 05:55 AM	#11
jennzy YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: TOronto, Canada Posts: 804	Mickey is 15 going on 16 in december I have not noticed anything until shortly his accident. He got bit by a golden retriever and he healed well but shortly after he lost his hearing. U can be behind him and make all types of noise ans call his name but he wont hear you unless if u r infront of him. He also has gained a lot of weight because he doesnt go on long walks as he used to. I doubt this has anything to do w the accident but i think seriously one day things goes down pretty fast In june/july mickey was active and we'd go on hour long walks and by mid august things started to change drastically.... I am not sure the status of mickey because he now lives in south korea with my mom (immigrated a yr ago) and i am back in canada. We will be very greatful if he passes his 16th bday and live until the summer.... But fingers are crossed __________________ <Mickey & Coco>