That's her in my wrecker- ued to take her on calls, to reassure the women, and play with the kids.
My little Nicompoop is 12 years old, part of something unknown, but looks like springer, lab, big boxer, and maybe lion. Got her when she showed up at our door one cold January night and was 3 weeks old or so. She now weighs 104 lbs., runs like a deer, and is so protective of our home and cars it isn’t funny. She eats like a horse, loves ice cream, and will cry if I leave her at home when I go to town. We fed her out of a baby bottle and gave her liquid vitamins as a pup, and she seems to know or understand her role in life. Our vet told us she wouldn’t live a week when I found her, and he wanted to put her down. My wife wouldn’t let him and that, as they say, is the rest of the story.
My terrier mix passed at 14 and she was the greatest baby girl! My new pup just celebrated her first birthday. :]
That’s getting way up there for a dog that large. Ummm, maybe you should pay a visit to a vet now and then. There’s really a lot that can be done to give older pets extra length and quality of life. E.g. high blood pressure can cause sudden and permanent blindness but can easily be treated before it gets that bad.
For $1000 Alex.........
Had a Boston Bull as a kid that lived to 18. Mostly blind and deaf by 17 but finally had a stroke at 18 and had to be put to sleep. But he was still as “strong as a bull” on his final day.
I’ve seen small dogs live a long time. ..sometimes 20 years. But the last few years for these dogs were ugly. ....slowly losing eyesight, hearing, bodily function control, etc.
Big dogs don’t live as long but seem to go quickly — one minute they’re healthy, (seemingly) the next they’re gone. I’ve had four dogs — two Newfoundlands, one Rott-Shepherd mix, and one Golden Retriever. All died at either 12 or 13.
That's her in my wrecker- ued to take her on calls, to reassure the women, and play with the kids.
Well, I thought it was funny anyway. (So did James)
I’ve got an 18 year old. Terrier.
No vet AND he’s a member of Chocoholics Anonymous.
His eyesight and bladder control aren’t too great these days. But no nursing home for him!
I’ve had a Chihuahua live to 21 1/2 years and a Shepard mix go until 17 (his hips finally gave out). Both were put to sleep because of the pain they both were in. My Cocker Spaniel was put down at 14, after he overheated and had a stroke (I blame the Contractors who didn’t warn me they were going to work on my condo’s A/C on the hottest day of the year!). The small dogs seem to live VERY long lives unless they have some defect (my Papillion, had a brain tumor that wasn’t manifested until he was 8 1/2) and they are awesome family members, but you can’t beat a big pal either!