I was just taking a look at the lovely replies on this topic and it sounds like a few of you have some experience in that area.
Please share your top tips for caring for a geriatric pet, and any memorable stories or experiences you’ve had! What advice would have helped you first time you sat for an older pet? Maybe you own an elderly pet - how have their needs changed over time?
Hope to hear from you all soon.
Jenny
PS. We have some great articles on the THS blog about senior pets if you need any inspo!
If there are medications or procedures to do, ask the Host to make a short video of them doing the process so that you can mimic their words, body language, gestures etc. Also it’s helpful to see the order that they follow.
We sat for 2 dogs one of whom aged 14 required ears, eyes, lips, teeth, paw pads to have various cleaning procedures, ointments added, drips administered…. all quite apart from spreading pate on strips of ham and rolling the tablets up into rolls to feed him. The hosts had filled blister boxes for all the various medications which helped a lot.
We were happy to do all of this to keep the old fella comfortable.
Yes we’ve sat quite a few elderly pets (not intentionally seeking them out though) but our profile does say that I’m happy to administer medicines and do basic procedures if required.
My top tips are how important it is to keep the existing schedule. This includes potty breaks, walks if they are part of the routine, meal times, treats, medication, sleeping arrangements, literally everything needs to remain as close to the normal as possible.
Be sure to ask a lot of questions if the welcome guide is not thorough. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the owners if you have a concern or notice a small thing that seems like no big deal, as it could be a really big deal and you just don’t know. Better safe than sorry.
Having owned many pets into their elder years, both cats and dogs, I’m pretty good at taking care of older animals. I also currently have a 14 year-old cattle dog who’s in pretty good health. All of our house sitters have been wonderful for her.
@Jenny, our top tip here is elevated pet monitoring.
We have completed many housesits with senior pets - both dogs and cats.
In some instances, we found that selected information (e.g. dog exercise) in the Welcome Guide was based on pet in younger years, or had not been updated for a recent development. We err on the side of gentleness - actively balancing exercise with rest as seems appropriate.
During handover of multiple housesits, we’ve faced surprising statement by pet parent that pet(s) may die during housesit. Quite the ice breaker. Mercifully, we have not [yet] had to deal with such a situation.
We always ask the Host during the video chat to select a local ‘decision maker’ so that if we can’t immediately contact the Hosts we have a local option, this isn’t necessarily the same as an Emergency contact. It’s also likely to be the person who approves any immediate Vet Payments (as we refuse to offer to pay Vet bills).
We’ve looked after quite a few oldies and find it’s important to do things at their pace, watching a bit more closely and giving a helping hand when required.
For us, this has meant carrying a little old girl dog (blind and with dementia) in and out of the house or when navigating steps, talking gently when approaching her and directing her when she became a bit befuddled; helping a lovely old girl kitty onto and/or off the sofa and providing her favourite cushion to sit on, walking more slowly and waiting patiently for a longer time for geriatric dogs to enjoy places of particular sniff interest. Sometimes, it’s just meant more practical considerations, like mashing food or putting coats on.
We’ve found that oldies can still surprise us, with exuberant bursts of energy or learning new things.
Many of these golden oldies have passed now, but they have special places in our hearts (I know that sounds soppy, but it’s true). Particularly Sofie; Stanley; Logan; Moja; Maisie; Teddy and Buzzy.
I have looked after many elderly dogs over the years. My second ever house sit was for two dogs a 12year old miniature Husky and an 18year old Jack Russel. I only had to look at a lead and the husky would jump up and down on all fours as if on a trampoline, he was so excited. The 18year old just looked at me as if to say, if I must. When walking them the husky was stretching me in one direction whilst the Jack Russel was dawdling and pulling me back in the other. Definitely not easy. I did consider just taking the much younger dog (and I had thought of him as a young dog at the time, as so energetic) on his own but afraid the other may just bark if left on his own. It was only a short sit though about 4 or 5 days. And the 18year old definitely made it to 19 years as sit advertised the following year. I think perhaps their diet helped, as they did not have dog food but home cooked dinners with roast chicken and vegetables etc. I was left with a supply of dinners to thaw out and shown where mince beef was if I ran out. Have looked after many others and I believe Dartmoor could be the place for dogs being active into old age. Last year I looked after a 15 year old Collie who had a couple of really long walks over Dartmoor with me, where rough terrain at times and boulders to clamber over. Ears forward and alert and walking eagerly all the time. This year a lovely 14 year old Cocker Spaniel who was also a very willing walker. I had been told he required 2hours walking a day. He was certainly very alert and active. We were out walking for five and a half hours over Dartmoor one day, although not walking all that time as did stop for breaks and a long lunch break of about an hour by a nice river. Diet may help as have found the more active dogs in later life have had the more varied diets. And this one did always have two long lasting yummy chews in the evening. Would always come asking at a certain time, so could never forget.
But a tip for older dogs not eating if only given dry food is to damp it down with some warm water. A 13year old lab was just not touching his food and it had been there all day untouched. I damped it down, added a bit of cheese, a tiny bit of chicken and some slithers of carrot. He ate the lot. I did this for every feed after that and all eaten. He was the hardest one to walk though, as just did not want to walk. Would just sit down at the end of the drive and refuse to budge. Kind of had to continue playing a waiting game. He did have dodgy back legs but did not seem to have a problem running after a ball in the garden. Have definitely looked after elderly dogs, who have been from one extreme in activeness to the other. I have never once queried what to do if the worst should happen. I want owners to have a happy holiday and not be given thoughts of what if etc. and be worrying. I always have emergency numbers for vets etc. anyway.
Let me introduce you to my friend’s Border Terrier (who we sometimes sit for).
He is named Clootie and is 15 yrs and 3 months.
This is him yesterday after winning 1st prize in the Golden Oldies section of the local gala dog show. So proud
Yes, my favorite sit dog looked like a grumpy old man. But he was a good boy and very lovable. He never knew a stranger and people gave him treats wherever he went.
I’ve really enjoyed reading through all of these replies.
@BonnyinBrighton, that tip about asking the Host to make a short video showing medication and procedure processes is brilliant!
@Visit thank you for sharing such lovely photos of a sweet old friend!
@Twitcher Clootie is SUCH a good name for a dog! Is it Clootie as in Clootie Dumpling?
For anyone who’s sat the same senior pet more than once, such as @Maggie8K, would you be able to share what it’s been like when there have been changes to the pet between sits (e.g. health)?
@GotYourBack did the host’s statement about a pet possibly dying during a sit have you making any specific contingency plans?
My repeat sit senior sit dog was still healthy and low maintenance. He just slept a lot when home and was energized by being out and about. I even took him to community fetes and such and he had a great time.
I’ve sat other senior dogs, some of them on medications and one deaf and blind, who ended up having to be put down. She had longstanding heart problems. In her case, I kept track of her coughing and noticed that it seemed to be getting worse, so adjusted her medication in cooperation with her humans. (Her vet had given such instructions to my hosts.) At one point, I started counting her coughs over X time frame, to see whether she’d need further intervention.
Luckily, she slept with me, so I was able to witness back to back seizures right before we went to sleep one night and immediately rush her to urgent care. If not, she might’ve suffered and died alone overnight. Instead, urgent care stabilized her and her humans were able to rush home early and say goodbye.
Separately, I sat a pair of senior dogs who’d both had back surgeries, so they needed help on and off couches and such. Others needed carrying up and downstairs.
Something I watch for when selecting dogs to sit: I pick only ones I can lift and carry up and down stairs. If not, it would be hard for me to take good care of them, especially in an emergency. Like the one whom I had to rush to urgent care, I had to carry down two flights of stairs, then out to where my rental car was parked, and across a parking lot at the urgent care. It was late and there weren’t even neighbors or such out and about to ask for help, had I been sitting a dog I couldn’t carry on my own.
Yes, my favorite sit dog looked like a grumpy old man. But he was a good boy and very lovable. He never knew a stranger and people gave him treats wherever he went.
