I've always known how old two of my dogs are, they're about 13 and 14 years, approximately. But I've never thought of them as old, because they've never acted old, until this last year. Or maybe to be more accurate, I never noticed anything until I moved here. And now I'm coming to realize that I have two geriatric dogs on my hands, and caring for them, for two at the same time, might be difficult.
Molly, the oldest at 14, began having problems going up the stairs, which is something we have to do several times a day when I take them out. I tried carrying her when she balked a couple of times, but she didn't like that very much either, and she's really too heavy and too big for me to be able to do that on a regular basis. I suspected she had arthritis, but before I could find a new vet and get her in, she began to have another problem. She developed vestibular disease and eventually could barely walk without falling, and didn't want to eat or drink.
She was at the emergency vet hospital for a while, and then she stayed at my sister's for a few days because she could be there without having to negotiate stairs. In the meantime, I bought one of those doggy slings some smart person invented, which I thought would help me support and steady her without the two of us tumbling down the stairs together. I'd already hurt my back when my sister and I had to carry her down the stairs to get her to the emergency vet.
That sling is just the cleverest thing. In effect, it gives Molly a handle. I could think of lots of things that would be better with the addition of a handle, but dogs were never one of them. It's made out of strong canvasy material, and I lay it on the ground and she steps into it. Then after I fasten the two straps across her back, we're ready to go. When we go up or down the stairs I can either give her more support by carrying some of her weight, or just steadying her, depending on what I think she needs at the moment.
She's mostly recovered now, but can trip easily still, and she lists to one side, which is a normal outcome for this problem. I decided I would continue to use the sling most of the time, since she's 14 after all--in people years that makes her almost 100.
At first I took her out by herself, as I didn't think I could manage one dog in a sling, and two other dogs on leashes, and one of them being live-wire Noodle, but now I take them all at once except at night when it's dark. I think we make a strange procession, Chloe and Noodle in the fore, but only moving in fits and starts, because that's what I do, lurching along with my left hand holding Molly's sling, Chloe and Noodles leashes looped on my right arm, and my right hand maintaining some contact with the banister, just in case. So far it's working.
However--I've noticed that at night, Chloe is not seeming so sure of herself on the stairs, hesitating quite a bit before starting down....
I don't know, I can't really see myself going down the stairs holding the handles of two slings, with two 40 to 50 pound dogs in tow, I don't think that's going to work. Then I'll have to take them separately, and I'll surely get my exercise. Only, it's actually too much exercise as I am now having trouble with the stairs, I have arthritis or bursitis in my right hip that's developed since I've moved here and have to go up and down the stairs even more then the dogs. I can't seem to win, can I? Geriatric dogs? Geriatric me--well, semi-geriatric me, anyway.
