How old were your dogs/cats when they died?

[mvd]

Ok, last topic for tonight. I've been in a creative mood because of my DU break and more break ahead. Scotty, a dog (Cairn Terrier with likely some Westie,) was 13 when he died. Benji, another dog (Scottish Terrier,) was almost 12. I think that the medications that the vets gave them helped to hasten their deaths. Vets often are no better than doctors that way.

[Sanity Claws]

1. My boxer died at 8.5

Dogs vary greatly by breed. The smaller ones tend to live longer.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. Delilah, a Siamese

Made it to 14 before we had her put down. They figured she had intestinal cancer, but we couldn't afford the biopsy. She could only eat chicken food with no gravy, had to be canned, she couldn't chew the dry food anymore. She had to eat often and in small amounts or she puked everywhere. Got to the point where she was obviously miserable, and we said enough.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. I love terriers-they're so smart

I agree about vets. My beloved Lulu died in 2000 at almost 16 years old. She was the sweetest cat! She almost died of a liver ailment at 12 and bounced back to enjoy a few more years. I agree that vets often take shots in the dark and try out new medications that may not always be good for your pet.

Right now I have two boys with indoor allergies (I kid you not). Here they are sleeping today:

[mvd]

6. Cute picture!

:-)

Vet story: my dog Reba recently had a foot problem, and they gave her steroids and antibiotics! All it needed was to be cleaned with antiseptic with antibiotic cream, with a bandage. I didn't give Reba the steroids or antibiotics, and she's fine now. Fortunately, the vet came to her senses.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

12. Sounds like what they do to people-overmedicate them!

All those steroids and anti-biotics ae bad for their livers and breaks down their immune systems. Just like people!

It's so cold here today that my boy snuggled most of the afternoon.

[qnr]

15. they're cute.

I had boomer on rimadyl for a while, since he had arthritis. It is bad for some dogs, but luckily it worked for him. We called them his "juvenile delinquency pills" because they helped him so much.

[CelticWinter]

4. My cat

Sylvester was 18 when he passed over, he took a walk about around the property and went to sleep under a pine tree and my dogs Bo (black lab) and Odie (cocker spaniel) were both 14 when they went to the otherside. But they are always near by :)
Blessings
~~Celtic

[qnr]

5. Boomer was 14. Pretty old for a Samoyed/Malamute/Wolf mix.

[AllyCat]

9. Awww!!!

[qnr]

21. and his personality was even better :) n/t

[mvd]

10. Sweet picture!

[qnr]

22. Thanks, he was a real ham... loved having his photo taken :) n/t

[qnr]

11. His brother is annoyed that I never show pictures of him, so...

That's Boomer in the front, Alinak in the middle - he's a husky/malamute mix - he is pretty much on his last legs now too <sigh> - about 12 now.

They weren't really brothers, they were each rescued from the same animal shelter though (at different times).

That's my wife in the background, and the photo was taken outside of Winnemucca, Nevada.

Their ages old site: http://www.geocities.com/aliboom.geo/dh/dh001.htm

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. Boomer was a handsome boy!

what a cute pic!

[qnr]

25. heheh thanks, his major goal in life was being loved up

by people, he'd certainly have appreciated that comment.

[AllyCat]

7. So many...sigh

Most recently was a 19 year old barn cat with diabetes (managed for 2 years until kidney failure caught up with him).

A collie at 5 shot by a crazy farmer in his hen house (not kidding).

Another collie at 7 giving birth.

I agree with the poster who said the drugs kill 'em faster. Currently have a 5 year old cat with asthma. It's mild and I manage it with environmental controls and rescue steroids (watch her for ANY signs of respiratory distress). The first vet wanted me to keep her on steroids for the rest of her life and we would just "deal later with the diabetes" she would eventually get. WTF??? She has had two mild attacks in the past 2.5 years. I think we are doing alright.

[China_cat]

38. Yes, steroids tend to induce diabetes in cats.

[AllyCat]

39. yeah, I know that now.

I'm using the steroids for rescue only if she has an attack. Having had one diabetic cat, I would like to limit the possibilities of the disease in the future of the current feline residents.

[hickman1937]

8. My dad's black lab mix

Lived to be 19. Spring 1968 to summer 1987. She was also one of the sweetest creatures to I've ever known.

[qnr]

19. Wow .. very long lived for a larger breed.

Want to add a sympathetic comment, but everything I typed seemed wrong, somehow :/

[hickman1937]

31. Her vet used to brag a lot

He took complete credit. He always said it was the spring tonic he gave her every year.

[NightTrain]

13. My buddy Doug had his dog for 15 years.

[Shopaholic]

33. I've had two dachshunds---

My first (a standard) was 14. My last was 15. The first had a massive tumor wrapped around his heart and we had to put him to sleep. The second developed age-related liver failure.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. Mariko died this year of kidney failure at almost 18 years old.

I miss her still and Mischief still isn't quite up to being the replacement yet.

[qnr]

18. I remember when Mariko died. I empathize, Boomer died back

in July, and we're still not over it.

[Left Is Write]

17. I had a dog that went to 14 and a cat that went to 17.

Edited to add that the dog was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the cat was a Maine Coon.

[Lorien]

20. My collie was around 15

He had been hit by a car as a puppy, and had a metal hip. By the time he was 14, he could hardly stand up any more, and the vet said there was nothing they could do, so we had to have him put down. :-( my kitty Peewee was also 15, from cardiomyopathy.

Peewee's Catster page:
http://www.catster.com/?100334

[demgrrrll]

27. I remember Peewee. Joseph and Camille died at about 18 years of age.

Snidely was about 7 years old. I have 3 new cats Iris, Squidford and Spike.

[Lorien]

35. You were lucky to have Joseph and Camille for so long

I hope we'll get to see pics of the new kitties soon!

[sakabatou]

23. My pets

Rat (snert): 5
Hamster (trax): 6
Rat (Bubba): 3
Cat (Ginger): 16
Cat (Disco): 8 (not from natural causes)

[johnnie]

24. My cat Tisha died at the age of 21

I was just under 6 months old when we got her and I was 21 when I buried her in the yard. She was a good mouser and I watched her once kick the crap out of a doberman and German Shepard. She was named after Mortisha from the Addams family.

[FloridaPat]

26. My first cat Malacca died at 19. Had her since she was a kitten

and took her with me all over the country. She outlasted half my family.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. My good ol' ginger cat, Charles, made it to 21.

He wasn't the smartest cat in the world, but he had spirit. He beat up a snotty, yippy little Papillon once.

[SOteric]

29. My cat, Romeo, who died this past April, was 20 years old.

[Catchawave]

30. Good catch about vets.....

...I worked for one for 10 years.

With or without them, my furbabies all have lived til their teens.

[nicolemrw]

32. lost my oldest cat at 18 1/2

earlier this year.

my parents dog lived to be about 16, she was a toy fox terrier.

[skygazer]

34. Which ones? I've had so many....

But some of the more recent ones -

Dixie, my beautiful female Boxer, 9, severe spondylosis, had to put her down. Her hind legs were effectively paralyzed. Had I realized at the time how ingeniously some companies are making wheels for dogs, I would have bought her a set which would have prolonged her life (she wasn't in pain for the most part). Her daughter fought cancer for over a year and one of the main reasons she was able to last that long was the fact that she was on wheels - losing their mobility is a frightening and stressful thing for animals. The difference in her demeanor when she realized she could move around freely was amazing.

Jake, Dixie's son, 10, attacked and killed by a neighbor's loose Pit Bull

Knuckles, Jake's father, 10, cancer

I cannot say anything bad about any of my vets. Every vet I've had over the years has been incredibly patient, caring and compassionate with my animals and has gone above and beyond the call of duty in caring for them. I've been able to work out payments, had them make house calls in emergencies, gotten them up in the night. And when the three mentioned above were put to sleep, the three different vets who did it cried right along with me.

I've had problems with some doctors over the years but I've never had a problem with a vet and I've had a lot of pets. I'm not saying there are no bad ones out there, but I haven't come across them.

[lenidog]

36. The oldest pet I ever had was Circe

my cat. She lived to be 21 one years old maybe 22. (I found her as as a stray and don't know exactly how old she was.)

[China_cat]

37. My big dogs, up to now

have tended not to live past 10, but 2 current ones are almost 12 and that's good for a large breed. My small dogs died at 18 and 15. Four cats who just turned 14, one who is 20 and one who is somewhere between 10 and 14...we just don't know how old she was when she came here to live.


Edited to add that 2 of the 14 year old cats are diabetic.