All Questions
Tagged with aging or senior-pet
73 questions
23
votes
5
answers
46k
views
Is it okay for an elderly cat to be sleeping in the litterbox?
Our eldest cat is 18 1/2 and is healthy for his age. He still runs, loves attention, goes out for 'constitutionals' (short walks round the neighborhood) and generally appears to thrive.
He has lost a ...
- 337
17
votes
3
answers
341
views
What will help an aging dog with arthritis?
I've got a black lab going on 12 yrs. She seems to enjoy her walks and can still run, but in the mornings she seems particularly stiff and can sometimes stumble or walk with a limp. She's having a ...
- 641
14
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are there sure signs I can see my cat might have arthritis?
So I've been having some issues with my 16 years old cat peeing on the floor around her litter and it has been suggested that she might be having arthritis problems. Hence my question,
Are there ...
- 365
11
votes
4
answers
937
views
Recommendations for introducing adult cats to newly adopted adult cats
Recommendations for introducing kittens to adult cats covers a lot of good information about introducing new kittens to a cat household.
However, we've just adopted 2 older cats (11 and 13) into our ...
- 9,121
9
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Cat vomiting every day
My cat (approximately 16 years old, short hair, no specific breed, indoor cat) has been vomiting pretty much every day (sometimes multiple times) for almost a month.
She had a scare with her kidneys ...
- 191
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
My cat has lost his teeth and can't keep food in his mouth
My cat is a senior cat, and has lost most of his teeth. He really wants to eat, but the food just falls out, then he gets so frustrated that he just stops trying. I have to cook for this cat and give ...
- 81
8
votes
4
answers
17k
views
How to give aspirin to a rabbit?
I have an 11 year old rabbit that seems to be in discomfort from arthritis and age related issues. He lives with a younger rabbit, and to keep the old rabbit in the area that is appropriate for a ...
- 29.4k
7
votes
3
answers
544
views
Making life easier for an arthritic dog
We're currently bringing our 9 year old white schnauzer cross to the vet for treatment for arthritis. It primarily affects his rear left leg at the moment, but we're told it may affect his other ...
- 2,852
7
votes
1
answer
138
views
Is letting my mostly blind dog sniff everything I'm holding teasing her?
The family Border collie is pushing 14 and her vision has deteriorated quickly. Ever since her vision got bad, she has had the tendency to try to sniff whatever anyone is holding when they come over ...
- 173
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is there a slope of ramps that a cat will walk down, instead of jumping down from a high landing?
Older cats gain bone and arthritis problems that are exacerbated by hard landings after a jump.
We have an older cat in this place, and want to give them the best of both worlds:
a multi-stage ...
- 204
7
votes
2
answers
460
views
20 year old cat litterbox issue
My cat turned 20 recently. He's been quite healthy for most of his life but had been diagnosed with chronic renal disease. He does not take any medication and gets no treatment for this condition, ...
- 71
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Elderly cat with cancer no longer using litterbox to defecate - options
My senior cat is 20.5 years old and has cancer. She's getting depo shots every 2 weeks to slow the cancer growth and on a prescription diet to help her gain weight. She's become unsteady on her feet ...
- 7,437
6
votes
2
answers
219
views
How common is hyperthyroidism in older cats, and is there anything that can be done to reduce the odds?
The first three cats I adopted all developed hyperthyroidism in their senior years, starting between 13 (earliest onset) and 16 (latest). My vet told me that this is pretty common; I think she used ...
- 8,263
6
votes
1
answer
836
views
How can I help my dog be more comfortable in public?
My dog is a lab/spaniel mix (from what I can tell, anyways)-two very highly energetic breeds; while I don't think I can speak for the breeds as a whole, my personal experience with both labs and ...
- 103
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How can I help a arthritic cat who is peeing outside of the box?
My 14 year old cat was diagnosed with arthritis last August over the pelvic area and spine. Unfortunately for the past month he has been peeing all over the place. I have tried all sorts of things to ...
6
votes
2
answers
673
views
My parrot's feathers aren't growing back
I have a ten year old female ringneck parrot. Last year she had lead poisoning and plucked out most of her feathers. Almost all her feathers have grown back now, but there are still areas on her chest ...
- 61
5
votes
3
answers
447
views
My dog is old and dying, how do I convince him not to be scared of me?
My dog is now 19 years old and on his last legs; completely deaf, nearly entirely blind (cataracts so bad you can see them) and occasional unsteadiness when walking, neither I nor his vet have noticed ...
- 153
5
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Local cat attacks my dog whilst walking, what should I do?
A local cat has attacked my dog 4 times now.
The attacks are unprovoked (my dog doesn't growl or bark or bother them at all) and my dog loves cats.
One of the attacks had the cat chasing me down the ...
- 51
5
votes
2
answers
6k
views
How to help my dog with his "fear" of my baby
tl/dr: My dog seems spooked by my baby crawling around the house. The
dog runs away anytime the baby gets even remotely close to him. We
make sure that the baby never actually bother's the dog, but ...
- 165
5
votes
1
answer
238
views
Introducing a deaf, almost completely blind elderly cat to our younger cats
The backstory here is someone moved and left their 18 year old, deaf and almost completely blind cat behind, which my in-laws took in, but since they are both old and fragile, they can't really care ...
- 2,932
5
votes
1
answer
5k
views
What might be a typical stomach ulcer healing process and timeline?
Sadly, my cat (11 years old, male neutered) was recently diagnosed with moderate inflammation of his intestines (IBD) and a stomach ulcer. It explains his occasional vomiting over the last couple of ...
- 225
4
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How to stop my cat from urinating on the new carpet?
My kitty is 12 years old. He's indoor/outdoor. We moved a couple months ago and now either the door is left open so he can come and go freely, or he's trapped inside. He hasn't tried to get me to open ...
- 41
4
votes
2
answers
195
views
What is a good cat food for free-feeding an older cat who is not stomaching dry food lately?
I have a neutered male cat who is in his 11th year now, and as of this year has had trouble keeping his usual dry food down (same stuff he's been eating for years), vomiting it up a couple times per ...
- 225
4
votes
1
answer
178
views
Why are prescription pet diets "prescription"?
I have an older cat who, like most older cats, is starting to have some kidney issues. Not severe, but she's noticeably drinking/peeling more.
Our vet says that the "senior cat" mixtures ...
- 11.9k
4
votes
2
answers
14k
views
How much activity is too much for my older dog?
We recently adopted an "8-year-old" dog and when we took him to our vet, he said the dog is probably closer to 10 years old and is most likely a border collie/retriever/lab mix.
We were aware of ...
- 319
4
votes
3
answers
7k
views
How to comfort and older dog with vestibular disease
Yesterday my 12+ year old mixed breed dog was diagnosed with vestibular disease. Before going so far as to get an expensive cat scan her vet has prescribed Prednisone (steroids) and Primor (...
- 141
4
votes
1
answer
723
views
Any tips on what to do about my rabbit that just died?
My daughter's pet rabbit has just died. I have a garden but burying her might be too hard as there are thick tree roots in that area. What other options are there?
The rabbit died of old age; she made ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Bottle Feeding A (Smart) Elderly Dog
I am trying to devise a plan to get a beloved treat-motivated female dog to drink from a baby/puppy/whatever bottle, and I only found articles on the topic of bottle feeding puppies (no information ...
- 143
4
votes
1
answer
151
views
How frequently does a cat need to sneeze before it might indicate a health problem?
My 10 year-old cat had some discharge in both eyes a week ago, and was lethargic and uninterested in food, so I brought him into the vet. I was told he seemed to be in good health, but they ...
- 141
4
votes
1
answer
250
views
Is 12 too old for a cat to move to Australia?
We want to move our 12-year-old cat from Korea to Australia. A year and a half ago, our vet said our cat was healthy, and the person looking after her in Korea says our cat is still healthy. But my ...
- 143
4
votes
1
answer
304
views
Cat suddenly became paralyzed
I brought my 18 year-old cat to the vet because she was getting a little thin. She was otherwise just as affectionate, playful and voracious as she had always been. The vet diagnosed her with ...
- 49
4
votes
1
answer
197
views
How to get my younger dog to stop pestering my older dog?
My older dog is an overly-tolerant purebred Newfoundland(True). She and my younger dog have lived together in the same house since we adopted the younger one at 5 months old. The Newfie is seven years ...
- 71
4
votes
2
answers
118
views
How do I choose an Omega-3 supplement for an elderly dog?
I've read that it is recommended to give Omega-3 to elderly dogs (especially ones with arthritis) (for example, here).
My dog is a 15 years old female medium sized, mixed breed (probably mostly ...
- 163
4
votes
0
answers
72
views
How can I encourage curiosity in an old bird?
A year ago, I adopted a conure that had lived with her previous owners for 19 years, her whole life. They apparently did not put much effort into hand taming her, as she shies away from most attempts ...
- 621
4
votes
0
answers
149
views
My (older) dog is driving my roomate/neighbors crazy
So I have a little poodle mix named Jaxon, he's about 14 years old and weighs about 8 pounds. I've had him since he was about 2 and a half. He's always been a very laid back dog, likes to be around ...
- 91
3
votes
2
answers
519
views
19-year-old cat wails quite loudly
Our 19-year-old cat Zoë sometimes wails quite loudly; it sounds just as if she were being tortured but there is no indication of any distress -- she might be walking across the room and give a wail as ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
198
views
My German Shepherd has arthritis, how can I get her down the steps?
My parents have a 10-year-old female German Shepherd that has hip arthritis, which is especially bad on one side. She limps pretty much everywhere, and even has trouble getting up off the floor. The ...
- 210
3
votes
3
answers
194
views
Cat with kidney disease
My cat Jack, aged 11, had skin condition about April 1st. Mange was diagnosed and treated over three week period. It seemed fine and then he fell ill again. Vet thought it was respiratory infection ...
- 61
3
votes
2
answers
96
views
Training middle-aged cat to excrete outside
Summary:
~10-year-old female has been venturing outside for several months, after (per unverified claim) having been an indoor-only cat. She will come inside to excrete (urinate, defecate), then go ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
154
views
Is my cat healthy, ill, or just getting older?
My cat is 5 years old. She is a very friendly cat, playful, and seems very normal, but she is very skinny. She eats and drinks regularly, goes to the bathroom normally, and gets plenty of fresh air. ...
3
votes
1
answer
197
views
What are the risks to metacam with a cat?
My cat Ginger was recently diagnosed with arthritis. The vet gave us metacam for her, but I read on the web that the FDA has a black box warning to not give it to cats. What are the risks and/or ...
- 20.2k
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Can an elderly cat adjust to a new cat in the household?
In the past I had a pair of littermates who I'd adopted at the age of 10 weeks. When they were around 12 years old I asked my vet how old would be "too old" to adopt an additional cat -- that is, at ...
- 8,263
3
votes
2
answers
229
views
How can I help an older cat with arthritis?
Ginger is an 11 year old spayed female cat who is slightly overweight (and has been more severely overweight previously so still carries the extra skin).
She's recently been walking stiffly around ...
- 20.2k
3
votes
1
answer
182
views
Helping an old betta with fin holes
I’ve had my betta for two years. He was full grown when I got him so I’m not sure how old he is. He’s got pretty classic signs of age - humped back, difficulty attacking food accurately, not active at ...
- 2,758
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why did my dog's ears start to flop?
I have this dog who has standing ears, and now at almost 10 years old I just noticed the other ear did not have that structural support to stand up anymore. Is there something wrong with the dog or is ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
101
views
What can I do for an older dog (13 years) who starts barking early in the morning /
I have a 13 year old female Corgi who started barking at 6:00AM but now the time that she barks is getting closer to 5:00AM. She has to sleep away from us in my laundry room that I have lined with ...
- 31
3
votes
0
answers
208
views
How to best work around elderly cat not using litter box?
So our elderly cat, who is around 17, sometimes "forgets" about the litter box.
He is generally rather confused at times and his senses are not the best.
He urinates and defecates other ...
- 2,640
3
votes
0
answers
51
views
Feeding Geriatric Cat with Hyperthyroidism and Cancer
My sweet girl is nearing 17 and has been suffering with hyperthyroidism for several years. Just last year she was also diagnosed with terminal small cell lymphoma in her bowel. She has previously ...
- 31
3
votes
0
answers
43
views
Do leg braces help with older dog ACL tears?
I have a fourteen-year-old Weimaraner. He's mentally doing very well and still loves to play. He recently stopped using one of his legs. He had been slightly limping on it for a while, but one day he ...
- 211
2
votes
2
answers
131
views
Is Euthanasia right for my dog
I have a conundrum of two parts, scientific and spiritual.
First the details.
My female dog is 12 years old. She developed a mammary tumor about 2-3 years ago which was not treated because it had ...
- 25