My diva is going deaf

I really don’t remember why I went into the pet store that day. I know better than to shop at a ‘place like that’. I am aware of the puppy mills and the despicable conditions those poor souls have to endure. A part of me feels guilty about how I chose my puppy, but a bigger part of me is so happy that I was drawn to that store and God put her in my life instead of someone else’s. I took her home and started the process of trying to find a name for her. My husband came up with Diva; “The Dewey Las Vegas Diva”. It was perfect! She has managed to live up to her name for the past 16 years. As with all living things, her body is beginning to slow down with age, and there are telltale signs that the time I have left with her is beginning to wane. Her hearing is almost gone. It makes me so sad knowing that she can’t hear me say “I love you” or “good girl” anymore. She also poses security risks; she can’t hear me call her if i have her in the front yard of our cul-de-sac and i see a car coming. She can hear me clap though, which is how I communicate my “Hey come here girl” nowadays. If it’s dark outside, I turn the back porch lights on and off to get her attention.

Although, I think sometimes he uses his hearing impairment to his advantage. (smile). Her view isn’t what it used to be either. At least I think that’s what’s keeping him from confidently jumping down the stairs. It could also be that your hip hurts a bit, but usually the problem is going up the stairs, not going down. I think it’s the effect of his aging body that bothers me the most. She’s always, and I mean always, she’s slept in my room at night. We’ve only had two-story houses, my room has always been upstairs, and she’s always followed me to bed. About six months ago she told me that she no longer wanted to walk that slope. She hurts, and she still hurts, so much. However, as much as it hurts me, I know it must hurt more for her to walk up those stairs, so I resigned myself to letting her sleep downstairs. She sometimes she makes my heart sing with joy following me but most of the time she stays down.

I’m guessing if you’re reading this you’re either a dog lover or a dog lover with the same issues as me. For your sake and mine, I’m going to write down a few things I’ve learned about aging canines along with what my vet recommends. Let’s start with hearing loss.

There are many reasons why a dog can lose hearing, but for now I will focus on aging. Depending on your dog’s breed, a larger canine is considered older at five to seven years. Larger dogs seem to age faster than small dogs, and their average life expectancy is not as long. It is not common for a Miniature Poodle to live to be eighteen years old, while a Golden Retriever can only live to be ten. In that case, a miniature cannot show its superior features until the age of eight to ten years. Since this is a gradual process, you may not notice it until it is severe. Many times, the first sign may look like aggression. Your pet may startle when you touch it or get scared because it senses that you sneak up on it. Many times your loved one suddenly, or what you see as suddenly, stops listening to your orders. No, he’s not being defiant, he just can’t hear you. I was involved in 4-H as a child and showed my dog ​​in conformation and obedience. It’s second nature to me to teach them hand signals as a puppy simultaneously with normal puppy training. This habit has proven to be very beneficial when dealing with Diva and her hearing loss, especially the “Come” command. As I also said before, flashing lights in the dark is also a good form of communication, as is clapping or stomping. Age-related hearing loss is generally not reversible, so it is an obstacle we must learn to overcome.

Decreased mobility is another age-related condition that affects dogs as they age. Their hips and joints become arthritic just like ours. I give Diva a liquid glucosamine chondroitin supplement every morning with her lunch. It’s very easy to get and I don’t think it’s too expensive. The mixture is good for maintaining synovial fluid, and fish oil is another good additive. I have used salmon oil in the past, and also just added a good quality, human grade fish oil pill to his food. Fortunately, I don’t have a picky eater on my hands. In fact, I don’t think I know of a picky Golden eater anywhere! My vet recommends both and I’m also in discussion with him about starting an occasional Rimadyl. Rimadyl scares me because I have read a lot of horror stories on the net and told my vet who I trust a lot. He loves Diva and I know that he puts her first and foremost over money and/or drugs. He tells me that a lot of what I read on the internet is simply not true. Of course, there are concerns about taking any medication, human or canine, but you seem to think Rimadyl’s scares are overblown. I’m considering buying a few to keep on hand on your really bad days to ease the pain and swelling a bit. Do not give your dog aspirin, it hurts the stomach among other things. If your fur baby has mobility issues, talk to your vet or another trusted dog person. I always wonder if Diva is experiencing more pain than she causes, her tolerance is pretty high and she’s never been a crybaby. She will still be looking for her tennis ball; seriously, her tennis ball is like crack to her. She lives for it! Even so, I can only get a couple of times before she gets tired or forgets what she’s doing. I really don’t know which one she is! She will run after the ball, find it, and then lie down and eat grass. Then I’ll walk away, or pretend to, and she’ll come back with the ball in her mouth.

That brings me to canine cognitive dysfunction. This condition is believed to account for sixty-two percent of dogs over the age of ten. As animals age, nerve cells die and are not replaced. Sometimes certain proteins surround nerve cells causing them to malfunction and communication between cells can be disrupted. In some dogs, the changes to the nervous system are severe enough to change behavior. If certain signs are present, they call it canine cognitive dysfunction. Signs include confusion or disorientation, restlessness at night, loss of housetraining skills, decreased activity and attention, and an inability to recognize family and friends. The next time I take her in to have her anal glands removed, I will speak to her vet about the possibility that she is afflicted by this. She has restlessness at night and she also seems disoriented at times, but I don’t know if it’s just normal aging or not. There is a medicine for that, but I am not in favor of giving pills unless absolutely necessary.

Well, these are a couple of things that I run into while sharing my life with my older partner. It’s hard to see how old he is, but not as old as it will be when he’s no longer in my life.