Gerontology is the study of aging. Any pet owner who is lucky enough to have a pet survive into its most senior years will know that old age catches up with them as much as it does with us. The same slowing down of energy and enthusiasm. The waning of the senses, the greying of hair around the muzzle, feet and body. Even a degree of befuddlement and confusion where an elderly dog or cat might struggle with tasks that were once straight forward.

She is no longer the tireless, bouncy dog she once was

Our elderly dog Tassie is 13 now and it is clear that she is no longer the tireless, bouncy dog she once was. It’s been a while since she joined me on a run. The enjoyment of running finally ebbed away to the point where she wasn’t running ahead anymore trying to second guess which path I would take, or even running beside me, but eventually lagging behind, panting with a somewhat pained expression that was more usually fixed on my face.

Our walks now involve Tassie trying to work out how she can short cut the path I’m taking. If it’s a circular walk around a field she will sit down, keep me just within eyesight and calculate the point where she can pick me up again as I round the far point and return towards her.

Last weekend I didn’t even get to the end of the drive before she had snuck back to the house when my back was turned and had to be retrieved from her bed for a second time!

She still enjoys a walk in a new area, and when the mood takes her she will bark and play with the younger dog. She gets a regular anti-inflammatory to keep her joints comfortable, and even more pats and praises when she does keep up. The scary fireworks and loud bangs are thankfully less of an issue as her hearing is a little duller than it once was.

One day, in the not too distant future, we may find ourselves back to a one dog household. It is a time that I, like all pet owners, dread, as the thought of being without Tassie will be difficult to bear. It is, however, the knowledge that they will not always be with us that makes the time we have with them so special. Our job as pet owners (and vets) is to keep our elderly pets comfortable, loved and happy for as long as we are lucky enough to have them.