Tag Archives: #seniordog

The Challenges of living with an Aging Dog

Posted on by — 14 Comments ↓

Friday is here, week is over, although a short one it has been chaotic as always. Life is never boring here.

Layla and I are both seniors, we are aging gracefully together but its hard to see your baby age and facing new challenges each day.

Layla is now blind, her halo is fantastic, but I think the harness for the halo is hurting her back so am not walking with it all the time and trying to figure out if I can attach it to her regular harness. I have noticed the difference in so many ways. I look at it as trial and error till we find the balance. I am concerned about her back and neck, and I need to keep that in mind as I do not want to her hurt her. She is as stubborn as always and its either her way walking or no way so we have our arguments LOL.

With her loss of sight, she has become a barker, standing, and barking for attention and it has got out of control in many ways and exhausting me so its another challenge I am dealing with. If I give her the snuffle ball, she quietens down till she has got everything out of it and then we start all over again. I have turned her into a snuffle ball monster LOL. (The reason her food is there and not where it used to be is she is  having problems eating from the raised bowl as she knocks it over so this is the solution I found for her food)

Her eating has not changed, she is eating well, getting all her supplements and I feel the mushrooms have done a lot of good for her plus because it has Vitamin D which increases her appetite.

 

Food or Snuffle Ball, which should I choose, Layla

 

One of our new routines is instead of walking her at noon each day I am taking her to the park where she can wander around, sniff and get fresh air and I can get some fresh air also plus balance myself out. It seems to be helping as she loves that freedom and I sit away from all the crowds.  The plus with the park is there is nowhere she can bump her head when wandering around. These are the times I wish I had a garden.

On guard

Shnoozing on the lawn

Otherwise, her happy personality has not changed, she is a healthy happy girl, bossy as always and I would not change it for anything in the world, even the sleepless nights when I check to make sure she is breathing LOL. I cannot believe she is 15 years old, it seems like yesterday I rescued her, we are aging together, crossing the bridges together, and living our lives as best as possible.

Before we go for a walk this is a reminder that July is National Pet Hydration Awareness Month, please keep your pets inside from the heat and make sure they are hydrated with lots of fresh water.

July is Pet Hydration Awareness Month, please make sure your pets are hydrated

So that is the life in the Layla Neighborhood at the moment,

Have a safe wonderful weekend everyone

With a woof and love from Layla and Crazy Dog Mom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July has arrived

Posted on by — 18 Comments ↓

Happy Friday everyone, it is 3 days before 4th of July, a happy holiday but unhappy for pets and wild animals.

I am one of those people that are against fireworks of any kind as it breaks my heart to see how the animals suffer or people who have PTSD, it is so disrespectful, waste of money that can be donated to so many organizations that are struggling.

In Israel this year, some cities cancelled their Fireworks Displays in respect for those that suffer PTSD and I think that is amazing and wish it would happen all over the world.

How can we keep our pets safe during the celebrations, see below and please make sure they are all inside and cannot get out? There are so many hazards for pets that we need to be on alert for.

Update on Layla, she is aging and with it I must face new challenges that are hard but will not change anything in this world. She has halo which has made life so much easier for her and for me, walks are less stressful, and her tail is wagging again which makes me smile. Another thing I am doing is instead of her noon walk I carry her to the park and let her wander around and sleep in the sun while I eat lunch and then we walk home, she is loving it and I sit away from all the other dogs so she is really safe.

She thank goodness is eating like a pig, the mushrooms have made such a difference in her health wise and in a nutshell I am one happy Dog Mom, or as I say we are two seniors enjoying life together.

So on this note we are going to wish everyone a Happy Safe 4th of July, enjoy your family time and whatever else you have planned.

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

Pride weekend has arrived

Posted on by — 18 Comments ↓

Pride weekend has arrived, San Francisco is full of Rainbows, in the streets, supermarkets, stores and so much more. It looks so pretty and happy, and I really love this weekend. I am not sure what event we going to do but I am sure we will do one at least, am going with the flow and seeing how the weather will be.

Photo take in 2015 at the Dykes on Bikes

Madam got groomed on Wednesday. They did an amazing job and cleaned her teeth, ears, plus so much more so she is all clean now, and smells of fruit thanks to her shampoo. She was exhausted when we got home and has been sleeping, eating ever since.

Her halo arrived finally and I am so happy because now we can go for proper walks and I do not have to worry about her head. I was trying it on her in the photo and it needs to be adjusted which I will do before a walk.

Layla seems to be feeling so much healthier, eating like a pig oink oink since I have put the mushrooms in her food, I feel like she has more energy which makes me happy although I do say sometimes slow down as I am tired BOL.

If you want to try the mushrooms, especially what I am giving Layla (you can read all about them on last week’s post). The bottle I got for her is 5 Defenders Organic Mushroom Blend for Pets. Please discuss with your vet before you buy.

The link is below and guess what you get a 10% discount when shopping. You might even be surprised to get a bigger discount on some of the products.

Link :   https://shop.realmushrooms.com/discount/LaylasWoof

I Layla pawsitively approve them as they have made me, a senior feel better plus all my internal organs are being kept healthy, what a concept!!

Last weekend I took Layla to the park, which was great, she was happy sleeping amongst the daisies and of course begging for treats LOL which of course I gave her.

So, in a nutshell, life is good in the Layla neighborhood, we are both aging gracefully though,

Happy Pride to everyone that celebrates, have a wonderful weekend, and please please stay hydrated.

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The link is below and guess what you get a 10% discount when shopping. You might even be surprised to get a bigger discount on some of the products.

 

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/discount/LaylasWoof

 

I Layla pawsitively approve them as they have made me, a senior feel better plus all my internal organs are being kept healthy, what a concept!!

 

Last weekend I took Layla to the park, which was great, she was happy sleeping amongst the daisies and of course begging for treats LOL which of course I gave her.

 

So, in a nutshell, life is good in the Layla neighborhood, we are both aging gracefully though,

 

Happy Pride to everyone that celebrates, have a wonderful weekend, and please please stay hydrated.

 

With a woof and love from Layla

Are Mushrooms Magic?

Posted on by — 10 Comments ↓

TGIF !! Another week over and the weekend is starting. I cannot believe how fast this year is going it is scary in a way or maybe I am just aging LOL.

Last Friday we had a picnic in the park with one of my closest friends, it was the first time Layla was in the park in months as she has become afraid of them, but she surprised me and was totally relaxed, wandered around a bit, and then went to sleep. It was relaxing for me to see her that way and not worry so have decided that am going to try it again today for a couple of hours. I think it was because the park was not full.

As you all know Layla is aging, it worries me big time and having lost her sight has made walking hard as I am so scared of her bumping her head, so I got her a halo which is arriving today. I am praying it will make outings less stressful for me as she will be able to walk on a longer leash and I will not have to keep pulling her in before she hurts herself. I think the pulling on the harness is hurting her back poor baby.

I have also been doing research on mushroom supplements for her and now am trying one on her.  She seems to be more energetic with it which is fantastic. What it is a capsule with 5 different mushrooms in.

A breakdown of the mushrooms and benefits below :

Reishi : have antioxidant properties to nourish, detoxify and protect the liver. It can also renew liver cells, strengthen the liver and improve the detox process.

  • Shiitake :
  • High Fiber Content Supports Digestion
  • High in B Vitamins. …
  • Contain Vitamin D. …
  • Protect Oral Health. …
  • Help Immune Function. …
  • Contain Cancer-Fighting Compounds. …
  • Good For Heart Health. …
  • Promote Healthy Coat And Skin.
  • Turkey Tail Mushrooms: Boost The Immune System.
  • Support The Digestive, Urinary And Respiratory Tracts.
  • Provide Phytonutrients.
  • Protect The Liver.
  • Increase Longevity In Dogs With Hemangiosarcoma.
  • Fight Other Forms Of Cancer.
  • Reduce Side Effects of Chemotherapy.

Maitake means “dancing mushroom” in Japanese.

  • Preventing cancer.
  • Supporting the body during chemotherapy and other cancer treatment.
  • Helping manage diabetes.
  • Supporting dogs with liver problems.

Chaga Mushrooms

Some of the earliest uses of chaga mushrooms were for ulcers, stomach pain, and inflammatory bowel disease. It’s believed that the immune-stimulating traits of chaga help balance the gut bacteria and ease ulcers and gastritis. Chaga mushrooms can help regulate blood sugar levels for animals with diabetes

I approached an Organic Mushroom Company – RealMushrooms.com to get a bottle for a review as they have one capsule with all 5 in and I can open the capsule and mix in her food.

I am giving her their 5 Defenders Organic Mushroom Blend Capsules for Pets.

 

 

Their customer service has been fantastic, they have answered all my questions and I would recommend them to any other dog blogger who is interested.

I have not changed Layla’s diet or other supplements but adding the mushrooms have given me peace of mind that I am controlling her body health wise inside and out.

If you are interested in learning more about them this is their website :

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

So, on this note as I pack to go to the park to relax a bit which I need, I want to wish everyone a wonderful safe weekend with lots of fun, stay cool and hydrated,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

Are you prepared ?

Posted on by — 18 Comments ↓

June has arrived and it is important month for us pet parents. It is the month where we should make sure we are prepared for any disaster that can happen and our bags are packed and ready to go.

Living in San Francisco which is earthquake city I am prepared and check my bag once every six months to make sure all is good. With Layla aging and now on medications I have got extras in the bag, so I do not have to worry if we must run.

In the bag I have food for Madam, I have put freeze dried food as she eats homemade, boxes of water, water bowl, food bowl, leash, poop bags, first aid kit and so much more. I also have a wonderful carrier which expands on all sides to enlarge it so I can put her inside it, and she will be safe plus I will not have to worry about her wandering off especially as she is going blind.  There is also a file with all her important info which includes a document with emergency contact if something happens to me. Her microchip is up to date, like her tags with an emergency phone number in case my phone is not working. My plan is if we must run to put her in her backpack and carry the bag, so she does not fall and hurt herself.

 

For me LOL, some instant coffee and creamer, crackers, and some cans of food but not much as the bag is so heavy with all her stuff. As I say I can live off bread and water, but she needs proper food. I also have a sleeping bag, flashlight, battery operated radio and I put to protect us from winds which San Francisco does have a beach canopy which will give us some shelter.

Being prepared can be a life saver for our fur family plus being prepared makes my life easier as I do not have to worry If something happens.

Are you prepared? Tell us what you have in your bag as hey maybe I forgot something. Please keep microchip and tags information updated at all times.

 

So, everyone, get the bags ready, please be safe

Happy Pride everyone, get rainbows flying in the wind,

 

With a woof and love from Layla

 

I have become a Snuffle Ball Addict, Layla

Posted on by — 18 Comments ↓

Woof it is Friday, and this weekend is a long weekend. Do you have anything planned that is special?

Here in the Layla neighborhood, there have been changes as Layla’s sight is just about gone so am learning with her to navigate life without being able to see. It is not easy and learning daily how to make it easy for her plus keep her busy especially her brain. She does not want to walk like she used to, has become afraid plus she is so busy sniffing she knocks her head on trees ouch, which is concerning me so am looking into getting her a halo which hopefully will help. What I have read about them is most dogs regain their confidence so am praying that will happen for her too. Things she used to like to do she does not want to do anymore, plus she is petrified of going downstairs so am carrying her which is not easy, but we are managing. At least she will walk up the stairs phew.

With all this happening I won a couple of weeks ago a $ 25 Amazon gift card so bought her a snuffle ball. Layla has never been a toy lover but this snuffle ball has hit the jackpot. She loves it, wants it all the time and it is keeping her active and busy in the house. Yes, it is stuffed with treats but am putting homemade chicken jerky in, tiny bits and the ball is rolling. She worked it our quickly and she is a happy girl. I do have the snuffle mat also but this ball is so much better for her.

See the video below of her playing with it :

https://youtu.be/XRdZrmR_kMI

Another thing I have done is put her food on a place mat instead of the bowl which has made her eating a lot easier and not knocking it over.

I knew this would happen because of her cataracts but one thing is knowing and another realizing it has happened. I am not going to let it get us down and try carry on with life as normal.

Our plans this weekend, Saturday is to go to a concert in one of the parks in the city, I will take her carrier instead of backpack so she can lie comfortably in it and feel safe plus this way I can sit back and relax and of course enjoy the concert. It is Indonesian dancers, and I am excited to see them.

On Sunday will be garden time, which she still loves and feels safe roaming around or lying in the sun. I personally need the outdoors as being indoors can be stifling after a long week.

 

Monday which is a holiday I am just lying low at home with her.

So, these are our plans this weekend, filled with fun and quality time together,

Have a safe wonderful weekend everyone,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aging is not easy

Posted on by — 28 Comments ↓

Woof hi friends,

Growing old is not easy and watching Layla age is frightening, worrisome and stressful also. I sit each day wondering how time has gone by, how she is changing in some ways, and it concerns me.

I am blessed to have an awesome vet who I can email, ask questions, and always get a reply to my questions which saves me stressing her out by going to the vet, unless we both agree it is important. I was at the clinic this week to pick up her Gabapentin and my vet caught me while there to tell me that she is going to be away till July as she volunteers every year in Africa with the Cheetah Conservation. So that would mean if I needed a vet, it would be someone else from the clinic. I love the clinic as they told me where I can buy her Gabapentin for half the price so next time, I must order some will do so.

 

Her anxiety has gone through the roof which I think is from her losing her sight slowly, so have come to an arrangement with a friend of mine that if I have appointments and going to be out of the house for more than 3 hours, I take her to my friend to stay for the time I am away. It seems to be working as the couple of times I have left her for long periods she has peed on the bathroom carpet which she does not do at nights or when I am at home. She is quick to tell me she needs to go out by barking at me. I spoke to the vet about it and she is not concerned so I am not worrying either.

She gave me a big fright this week by running down the stairs in our building and slipping and falling, yelping while going down so I carried her the rest of the way and put her on the ground, and she trotted like nothing had happened and peed. She is eating like a pig; all her supplements and Dr Harvey’s dog food so thank goodness her diet is balanced and healthy. Yes, I am still cooking her protein, supplements that she gets are Fish Oil, Green Lipped Mussels, and the Vetricyn Senior Supplement so in a nutshell she is eating better than me LOL.

So, life in the Layla Neighborhood is changing daily but we dealing with it, we did go to our friends garden over the weekend which was fantastic, the weather was perfect and she roamed around all happy. She loves being outside but not in dog parks or anywhere noisy, like me she loves the peace and quiet of outdoors.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, be safe

With love from

Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday the 13th everyone

Posted on by — 22 Comments ↓

 

Smile, its Friday the 13th everyone be safe. My great granny was very superstitious and would be spitting on her hand and touching her head BOL.

The weekend has arrived and we had a great fun weekend last week till Madam hurt herself but thank goodness she is fine and back to being the sassy Madam.

Last Saturday we went to Stern Grove Dog park which for me is heaven, it is a beautiful park near the city with lots of trees and a lake at one end. For me sitting next to water is the best way to balance myself and watching the ducks and turtles was just awesome. There are Coyote warnings all over the park but there were a lot of dogs and people so felt very safe, plus I kept Madam on leash most of the time. Rather be safe than sorry.

Beautiful Stern Grove

Layla watching the ducks but making sure her paws do not get wet

Walking back to the entrance of the park, Madam started slowing down and then hopping with her back left leg in the air. She has always hopped with that leg up but it was more than usual so I was concerned.

As I have lousy eyes and hardly can see I immediately called my neighbors so that I would have two sets of eyes checking her foot for foxtails or something else. They could not find anything so I emailed my vet and he told me to monitor her and give her gaberpentin. I did that and she was thank goodness eating, drinking, no moaning or yelping so kept an eye on her. When it did not clear up by Wednesday I called her groomer who is not far from me and asked her if she could cut her nails and check her paw for me.

Bingo !!!!!!!!!! She has a burr in the fur of her paw, Tomo, my groomer immediately removed it, and Madam is back to Piss and Vinegar. I am so relieved that we did not have to do a vet visit as I did not want to stress her out too much plus sit outside the vet waiting for our turn.

I am also trying a new Dr Harvey’s flavor with her, the Allergy Turkey flavor and she loves it, gobbling down her food like a little pig LOL. Madam with age has become a little pig and me being the Jewish Mom am loving it, the healthier she eats at her age the better.

It has all the veggies she needs plus turmeric and other supplements and so she is eating a really balanced diet.

You can find it on their website :

https://www.drharveys.com/  

Plus Layla is reminding everyone there is a coupon : Layla10 to get 10% off.

she cannot eat it fast enough

So on this note I am going to eat dinner while watching her slurp her dinner down,

Have a wonderful safe weekend

Layla the Boss

The Mischief Maker Senior in my house

Posted on by — 16 Comments ↓

The weekend has arrived, phew I need it. Layla is full of piss and vinegar as always and I am exhausted.

Living with Layla is never boring, she is a funny little girl that keeps me amused all the time plus for her age she is so full of energy it is exhausting so I decided to share with you this week her quirks, some are new with age.

She loves to walk, once outside we could walk the whole of San Francisco if she had her own way, and we are talking about 4 walks a day, I on the other hand drinks cold coffee in the morning because of her, cold dinners as she times her wanting to walk when I sit down to eat, and her newest quirk now is barking.

She wakes up in the morning and if I do not get ready as she is awake she stands and barks at me ordering me to get moving, and if I take my time she lets me know. We are talking about 7 in the morning and I rush as I do not want her to wake up the neighbors so by the time I get home my coffee has become cold brew.

 

In the evenings she watches me make dinner, as soon as it’s nearly ready barky starts wanting to go out and bang goes my warm dinner as I take her out to keep her quiet.

 

Now before you all jump to any conclusions, Layla goes out 4 times a day if not more as I take her shopping with me, so she has ample time to do her business, sniff every leaf on the ground, wag her tail at every dog we pass plus so much more. She is the Boss of the house and I am the slave.

 

My final laugh over her goes to what she did this week, late afternoon. I live in a building with lots of dogs, it is a secured building so no one can get in or out with unlocking gates. I went to the garbage room to throw out the garbage that is one place I will not take her as I never know what is on the ground there. I came back inside, started preparing dinner when there was a knock on my door. I was surprised she did not bark but did not make a big deal of it till my neighbor outside tells me Layla is sitting on my door mat next to my door. I opened the door and Madam sashayed in wagging her tail thinking she was so smart. I was angry but just laughed so much over it, she is such Velcro should won’t go far without me.

 

While I am typing this the Boss is now telling me she wants to go under the bed so will I move the covers up for her so she can have her afternoon nap.

 

Having shared this with you, and I am chuckling at the same time, I can say I would not change any of it for anything in this world. Growing old with a rescued senior dog is quite an adventure and I am so blessed to have her in my life through the good and bad days.

We are family !!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and treasure your memories with you pets

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

Pets are Family

Posted on by — 17 Comments ↓

TGIF !!!!! It is the end of July wow, weekend has arrived.

There are so many pets sitting in shelters at this moment it is heartbreaking.

I have been watching on social media lately how people who adopted pets at the beginning of the lock down are now returning them to shelters as they go back to work.

My question to these dumpers, are you going to dump your kids or other family members now you going back to the office ? What are you teaching your kids? This is not educating them but the opposite, never mind putting a pet into a miserable cage.

I personally feel that those that dump their pets at shelters should be blacklisted and not able to adopt again, there should be some penalty to pay.

Rescuers run around looking for fosters, looking for homes for these poor pets and as a cage empties it fills up again thanks to the dumpers.

When I rescued Layla, I knew in my heart it was for life, she is aging and so am I but with all the expenses that there is I would never ever give her up, she is my fur kid till the end and nothing will make me change my mind on this.

I will not go into stores that sell pets, I am not interested in breeders and will not support them on social media and puppy mills need to close down.

And for those wanting a pure bred pet you can find one at a pure bred rescue organization on this website.

https://www.petfinder.com/

So as I watch daily these poor animals sitting in cages, my heart breaks as we as humans have let them down and they are paying the price for our selfishness.

Let us pray for all the animals in shelter that they find new homes where they will be cherished and live the rest of their lives, and a big thank you to all rescuers and fosters who are working hard for these animals, you are our heroes.

Have a safe weekend

With love from Layla