My boyfriend and I purchased a female pomeranian from a lady off craigslist. She thought the dog was about two or three, but after taking her to the vet we found she was more around the age of ten. Knowing this we still don’t regret buying her. She is the best dog I could ever ask for and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. We’ve recently found out she has a mild heart murmur, arthritis in her back legs, and some throat problems. She still loves to run around and take long walks though.
I’d like to keep her around for as long as possible and will do anything in order to help her.
Any tips or suggestions would be great!
Asked by:lubablelissy
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As long as she is active and happy taking walks, do so. Give her as much exercise as she is comfortable with. Some dogs, like my poodle, was born with a heart murmur and lived to be 21.
Keep her warm to keep the arthritis under control. If she appears to be in pain, the vet may recommend something to help through that.
You may need to get special food for older dogs. Make sure she has a nice place to sleep and take her for regular vet checkups.
if its an really old dog you need special food if its still healthy then give him normal food
One thing I regret not doing with our other senior Schnauzer when we adopted her was getting a “baseline” blood panel done. Our current girl (who will be 14 next month) gets a full blood panel done every 6 months so we can keep an eye out for changes that might indicate kidney, liver, or heart problems. It’s a little pricey, but it helps us catch things earlier than we would in an annual exam.
Talk to your vet about required vaccinations and what is legally mandated in your city or town. I’m personally of the opinion (and my vet agrees) that at this age, the risks of her having a bad reaction to a vaccine is outweighed by the likelihood of her contracting it because of her lifestyle.
Make sure she has something soft to sleep on, especially if she has arthritis. Also remember that she will be more sensitive to temperature changes (hot and cold) so depending on where you live you may need to get a coat for walks.
Also, you might want to pick up a book on dog massage – I find that giving our dog a quick rubdown in the morning makes her A LOT happier when dealing with stiff muscles. “Canine Massage: A Complete Reference Manual” by Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt is a great book, and is available on Amazon.com.
If she is ten, small dogs can live to be in the early 20′s. So I would suggest taking her to your vet, they can better inform you than any of us. But keep her warm, don’t make her jump up to high on a bed, ext… Asprin can help with arthritis, but to know the correct doseage, call a vet. They can answer questions without you having to bring your pet in.
I too have a 10 year old dog with severe arthritis. She is on about 5 different pills to help with it. You might want to ask your vet what you could give her to help ease the pain. My vet suggested G3 tablets (it’s a glycosimine pill), Caro Carb ( to help with muscles), Cholodin (a supplement with vitamins, minerlas, amino acids, etc.), JD food for her joints, and she’s on Meticam for pain. Daily exercise is also very good for her. A heating pad to help on damp, cold days to ease the stiffness. My dog also has a heart mummer which my vet said was ok. Good luck with your older dog.
I have a 12 yr old Mixed Female (G. Sheppard/Border Collie) . She has arthritis front and back.. on good days she can get up and down pretty good… bad days , a little dog asprin helps with the pain….
My female is on Canidae Life Stages dog food (dry) that has no fillers or chemicals… Nature’s Recipe for Seniors (wet) she gets like only 2 tbls.. am and pm…….. Also gets a multi vitamen and glucosamine tablet am and pm for the arthritis and joints…….
Lots of Love and exercise .. not much different than any other dog.. just little changes..
Keep warm and dry (mine still like to take dips in the cold winter ponds …lol)
You need to also check the teeth of your dog see if there is bad plaque on them if the dog has smelly breath go to the vets as the older the dog gets it effects their teeth and bad teeth lead to all sorts of health complications. Lots of love and care and you will enjoy a long and outstanding relationship. Good luck.