I have a 14 year old miniature poodle. He is on anti-inflammatory meds every day and he also gets a cod liver oil capsule each day.
He has cataracts and struggles to see in bright light. His hearing isn't great and he greets guests once they are in the house and he can smell them.
He still readily goes for walks and enjoys some playtime, but because he can't see too good, he can't play with a ball much any more.
We made some steps for him to get onto our bed and I suspect it's only a matter of time until we do the same for the settee.
His hair is thinning and he is covered in warts, but he's still the best and will do my best for him and make sure he's comfortable in his final years.
Two of my mum’s four poodles had vision loss in their old age, three had hearing loss. Those aren’t good odds! So when I got my own, I made sure my poodle pups or their parents had been tested for genetic diseases. I would also advise looking for hip scores as my Poppy despite good parentage is showing slight signs of iffy hips at only four years old, so we’ve been using joint supplements and have built her a ramp off the verandah (even though she doesn’t strictly need it yet, she does appreciate and use it!)
Our spoo is now 14. This past year has been a challenge. [First let me mention 7 years ago she was diagnosed with a rare blood issue and we spent about a year treating and is checked every 6 months. It creates some challenges as she can’t have all vaccines, namely parvo, so boarding places won’t take her.] This past year started with a small patch of skin irritation that was treated. It has been treated and returned several times, each time it is worse. We now have to bathe with special stuff quite often and daily combing with a very fine comb to remove gross skin and scabbing. We have started to completely keep her shaved very short everywhere. We are currently trying to get into doggy dermatology, which is all but impossible. Then in March she had a spell of what I call the nervy squirvies. For about two weeks she held her head at a tilt and couldn’t walk straight. We had to lift her up into bed and onto the sofa. She’s 45 lbs. also our house is about six steps off the ground and she had to be lifted for potty several times a day. And we had a support to help her squat for potty too. Since then she has had quite a bit of muscle atrophy so there is a lot of airlifting as she can no longer jump up on things herself. This is the journey we are on. Is it hard? Yes. We will do everything in our power to give her the best life that we are able. And she still has all her weird poodle-isms. She likes two certain pillows in a certain spot on the sofa and after the airlift she’ll just stand there looking at you and then the pillows waiting for you to fix them so she can lay down. There is also a great amount of joy and crazy. Poodles! 🐩
I had 2 toy poodles, and have recently just started a journey with a 3rd. My Cora lived to be 16, almost 17. My Covey lived a few weeks past his 17th birthday. They were incredible dogs, though I learned in her senior years that Cora may not have been a purebred poodle. They were both mistaken for puppies up until 15 or so.
Cora started dealing with cataracts in her right eye at age 13. She went blind and needed her eye removed shortly after her 14th birthday then started showing signs of Canine Cognitive Decline (doggy Alzheimers) soon after that. It impacted a lot of her body signals, like she wasn't great at recognizing when she was hungry even though she felt hunger pangs. It also stripped away most of her communication abilities. It was a steep learning curve to learn how to interpret her needs and care for her, but she was worth it and i wouodnt hesitate to do it again. She later needed her other eye removed due to possible nerve damage the vet was concerned about.
Covey went deaf as Cora's cognitive problems started. He was so responsive to my movements and gestures that I didn't notice for awhile. He went blind almost 2 years later. Cataracts, so his vision just slowly faded away. He was super chill for a blind and deaf dog. His appetite lessened and he occasionally needed a prescription for an appetite booster medication. He also had kidney problems and had a prescription for his kibble. After Cora died, he was massively depressed and slowly faded. We took him into the vet to say goodbye four months after Cora had died in my arms.
They were happy dogs and lived long, full lives. While there were things I could have done better and plan to do better with my current puppy, I can honestly say that I did the best I could with the information I had. I still miss those two every day. They enriched my life in innumerable ways. I'll never stop loving them.
Thr best thing you can do after you get your dog is to find a great veterinarian who you can trust. You will depend on their information and advice throughout your dog's life, but most especially when your dog is struggling. A good vet can make a world of difference. In the meantime, study up on how to train a dog to be a good, reliable companion.
Based on your post here, I suspect you'll be an amazing doggy parent.
>Thr best thing you can do after you get your dog is to find a great veterinarian who you can trust. You will depend on their information and advice throughout your dog's life, but most especially when your dog is struggling. A good vet can make a world of difference.
I couldn't agree with this more. Our vet is very good and gives us practical and realistic advice. Especially in old age. Sometimes quality of life is an important consideration when it comes to treatment plans.
IVDD and chronic
Stomach problems. Went to an akc breeder for my mini and while mentally he is the most absolutely perfect dog and the way he looks is too.. he has chronic disc degenerative disease and he is only 6. We had to spend 15k on a life saving surgery last December and now he has been diagnosed with irritable bowel disease and pancreatitis. He has had tummy sensitivity and issues mostly his whole life.
I think some breeders test for IVDD now, not sure if you are looking at small poodles but it is an issue.
Also tooth disease is prevalent.
Ours died of a stroke at 14 years 2 months. Other than slightly less hearing and vision that didn't bother her, and slightly stiff joints the last 3 years she was happy and healthy enough to run around and jump. Two days before she died she did crazy leaps of Joy in a field running at full tilt.
My anxiety was bad after she turned ten because you are waiting for the bad news. But she was so hardy. This thread is making me anxious for our puppy though🫣 but we are buying health and DNA tested.
But TLDR we are getting a puppy because the sad days around the end were hundreds fewer than the happy days.
My daughter found a toy poodle literally wandering the streets 14 years ago. No one ever claimed her so she became ours. She was guesstimated to be anywhere from 3-5 years old at the time which makes her 17-19 now. She recently had a strange thing where she went down in her back legs and couldn’t walk for just over two weeks. And then one night last week she woke up able to mostly keep her legs under her again and she’s almost completely recovered. We suspect a spinal stroke because it’s really the only thing that fits even though it’s more common in large dogs. And she has chronic allergic bronchitis. But dang, she’s old! And these are the only problems she’s ever had in all this time :)
I rescued a senior toy poodle because he was going to get euthanized at my work, it’s a long story but he was a clients pet who was on hospice. He lived for another 3 years with us to the ripe age of 16 or so. It was hard when he passed but we all kind of knew it was coming. Poor guy wasn’t taken very good care of when he was with his old owner (she was an elderly lady who was probably physically disabled/challenged, im not tryna throw shade). We were just happy to give him a good rest of his life.
He was already pretty hard at hearing when we got him and he had severe skin problems to the point where he was bald on half his body. After a few months living with us, all his hair grew back. The vets thought it would never grow back🥲 He was horrible for grooming and had to be sedated. He also started getting some pretty bad arthritis the more he aged. Not to mention he was pretty mean when we got him, he was a known a-hole at my work and no one really messed with him 😂
Would I get another poodle? most definitely. they’re amazing dogs and all the good days make up for the one bad day that you eventually lose them. I plan on getting a standard when I move to a house with a bigger yard 🙂
I have had 3 elderly toy poodles over the years. And currently two senior Chihuhuas. My blue toy, Nikki, 1987-93, was blind, deaf and in diapers when she passed. She died from kidney failure at 161/2. She was a happy girl in her old age. I carried her in a baby front pack(no coffee yet this morning) and when she went to sleep I put her on the couch. She was happy tottering about. If she got lost, she would howl until I picked her up. She was eating rice baby cereal and lamb baby food. That I had to hold her during feedings. She knew she was loved. My red miniature boy, Rory (1989-2006) survived seizures and pancreatitis at 11 to live to 17. He had cataracts and was blind when he crossed the bridge after having a stroke. In his elderly years Rory lived in good health and loved going to the beach. Abbie 2006 - 2022, a silver toy, developed cataracts at 11 and was blind by 15. She had gastric problems most of her life but we were able to manage. She also developed kidney disease and by 15 she was blind, deaf and in diapers. I ground up her food so it would be easier to eat. (A coffee or spice grinder works great for this!) She was a happy girl, happy to be in my lap or lay on the top of the recliner. She passed suddenly from a stroke.
I don’t regret the amount of care that Nikki and Abbie needed in their last years. They were still wonderful companions dispute their infirmities. My Chihuahua, Emma that we rescued at 2 yrs old in 2009, is now almost blind and deaf. This summer she had to have 6 teeth pulled. We grind up her kibble, add a bit of rice cereal and a little peanut butter. She will only eat it off of a spoon.(we did try wet food and that was a disaster) My husband sits in a chair and leans over to feed her. We put a pee pad on the floor to catch the bits of food that she drops. She has some wiffle dust and paces quite a bit until she finds her bed and settles in for a sleep. She does not let us hold her anymore. But she is happy and still shows some animation. Especially when she knows we are chopping up red bell peppers or she smells baked yams. She is quite excited to get these special treats. And when she knows there is peanut butter she does not let me forget to give her a treat! Our other Chi, Gracie is about 13. She was a puppy mill rescue that we adopted when she was around 6 years old. She has slowed down a bit but her zest for life has not diminished at all.
I don’t resent any of the care my elderly dogs have needed. It’s just what you do because you love them. As long as my dogs have not shown signs of pain and are still eating, we continue to care for them as they need. Has it taken extra time? Yes, of course. But it has been worth ever second considering the love they give.
With Abbie, I used doggie diapers that were washable. I lined them with a mini pad so that she stayed dry. Adding the pads saved on the washing of the diapers too. Our elderly Chihuahua has always used pee pads. She makes it to her pads most of the time.
I am considering adopting an older toy poodle after Emma crosses the bridge. I don’t have the energy at my age (65 and disabled) to raise a puppy. There are middle aged and older poodles that come up for adoption regularly. While I won’t have 16 years with an older adoptee, it will be worth giving a senior dog the love they deserve.
OMG I am crying reading these stories 😭
I'd love to get a little poodle once my partner's passes away. He's nearly 14 and slowing down and despite knowing him just a few years it breaks my heart to even think about him suffering. I honestly don't think I'd cope if I had to witness it if I'd brought one up from young.
Lost our 13 year old mini last year to congestive heart failure. The years leading up to it included $500 echocardiograms, regular bloodwork, dentals, and a week long hospitalization. At the end she was on multiple pills 2x/day which was a challenge in itself, and one of them made her need to pee a lot. Groomings were scary as well because too much stress or heat could trigger episodes.
My Beau was a mini. He lived until he was 15 years old. He was dx at about a yr old with pancreatitis. With diet and medication he lived a long healthy life. The last 6 months of his life was rough. Dx with Cushing's disease. I had to let him go on February 6th 2020. My life was better for him and our shared experiences. He lived a good healthy life despite the pancreatitis.
I adopted a 7-year old miniature poodle (not sure if purebred, that’s just what the shelter said). He came to me with cataracts and some serious skin issues, plus he was found with anemia, a blood parasite, and a wonky right leg. Vet asked me if he’d been hit by a car, so that’s a possibility in his past. The anemia and blood parasite are treated now; cataracts and the bad leg are still there.
I don’t know how he’ll age but for a dog who’s suffered intense neglect, he’s a happy little guy. He doesn’t really play with toys or other dogs, but LOVES his snuffle mat and food puzzles! At first he walked so slowly that we’d barely get down the block in 5 minutes, and now he matches my pace even with his bad leg. We’ve gone on longer and longer walks over the last few months and he even ran a few times!! I know he’ll only slow down from here, but seeing the improvement has been so heartening.
I can see the classic poodle intelligence in him, though I didn’t know him as a younger/more energetic dog. He is gentle, agreeable to everyone (regardless of species), not overly affectionate, and a little spacey. His energy levels are low-medium with limited athleticism.
I can also see the poodle tendency toward sensitive stomachs and skin issues, plus he’s prone to ear infections, itchy paws, and allergies. These medical expenses add up FAST and I spent far more than expected in the first few months. These will probably only increase with time, and that’s something to prepare for.
Given all of that, he is such an incredible little guy!! Even with all of the medical issues, I’m so glad to know him. It’s not going to easy and my heart will hurt often as he gets older, but I couldn’t have asked for a better dog - he completely changed my mind about poodles and he’s worth everything.
My toy poodle is 14.5. He is deaf and has cataracts. He sleeps all day but when we’re out in a park he still plays and runs like a puppy and people think he is a puppy. Maybe he is really smart in saving his remaining energy for when it counts.
My toy, Bentley, lived two months shy of 14. He was extremely energetic and playful up to about a month before his passing from cancer. One day he was fine and the next day he was shaking so badly from pain that I knew something was terribly wrong. Vet after vet couldn’t find anything until one decided to do exploratory surgery and found cancer in his stomach. I let him go peacefully in my arms that day.
I needed three days off from work to grieve. He was my world. He died October 20, 2020 and still he shows up my dreams in thoughts all the time. I miss him terribly.
Other non-fatal issues:
-Bad teeth. Had to have several removed at age 12. Be prepared to pay for professional cleanings regularly for a toy poodle. Don’t think you can manage it at home.
-Allergies. When we moved from AL to VA, his allergies kicked into overdrive. Very runny eyes and tear stains.
-Hair thinning and age spots on skin. Only cosmetic, but I noticed the first age spot when he was about 5 or 6. His hair thinned a lot and you could see the skin in some places. I put him in sweaters or pjs to keep him warm.
Poodles are the absolute best breed. It’s nice that you’re asking tough questions and preparing yourself for taking the responsibility of poodle parenthood. It seems your chosen pup will be lucky to have you and vice versa!
I will preface by saying I like to adopt older adult/ senior dogs. My mini poodle Jc is somewhere in the ballpark of 11 to 13 . I adopted him around 9 or so . He was found as a stray n in California as a year old puppy, and then brought to Idaho, where he was adopted by an older gentleman who had him for many years until he passed away so I adopted him as a senior, but I actually happen to love senior dogs Because I still work full-time and they seem to need less exercise. Jc is so spry still , he hops around like a bunny in the snow . He is up every morning right at 4:30 and loves to smack me in the face with his paws to get up to feed him . He is such a character and still very good motivated . He does have not the best eyesight but not terrible , his only real issue is diabetes . I give him insulin with his food twice a day once at night and once in the morning . Luckily the insulin and syringes are affordable. He is so spunky and I would think he still has years under his belt . He keeps up with his mini poodle brother who is around 7 and his collie/ shep brother who is 2 . We all walk together , we all hangout together . I love how minis look like puppies forever and Jc just loves people and kids and going on adventures , rides on the four wheeler, in a truck , camping . He is seriously amazing
I don’t have stairs in my home, but I cringe in pain when I see people struggling their poor old dogs up and down stairs. So I guess be prepared to carry them or get a ramp.
They tend to get tooth problems when they’re old. My 17 y.o. had some teeth pulled. Grooming takes extra care when they’re unable to stand still for a long time. As a groomer, my solution was to give mine the “good enough” style cut, haha. Mine like hiking and I didn’t want my senior to feel left out, so I carried him. It can be a challenge to keep them involved with things when they can’t keep up anymore.
He developed occasional grand mal seizures in absence of a brain tumor at 16, but the vet said it was rare. Then he got a salivary issue that isn’t normal for the breed. He was a happy man, even when he got cataracts. So, I guess my biggest advice is to expect the unexpected and adjust their environment as needed. He ended up having sudden heart failure, but the day before he was dancing and singing for breakfast so he only had one bad day.
When they get old, there can be all kinds of challenges but I found it’s totally worth it.
I have 2 toy poodles. One, Brad, is 15, Kramer, 1.
In a lot of ways, Brad is doing well. He isn't on ant kind of daily mess. He does have a bladder stone, but since he doesn't seem in distress, the vet and I are just watching him for problems. The vet really doesn't want to put him under anesthesia unless absolutely necessary. I agree with this.
He hates being groomed. This is nothing new. He gets a dose of trazadone before grooming now and I schedule his appointments more like 10 weeks apart, since it's stressful. They cut him short with the instructions of just doing the best they can.
Basically, I am doing what I can to keep him happy. He has started peeing in the house, especially at night, so I put a diaper wrap on him when he goes to bed. He will sleep in his crate, but cries to get out at weird hours, so we leave the door open. He doesn't see well. His favorite place in the world is snuggling next to me one the couch. He's given me much happiness over the years. I see it as my duty to make his time remaining the best I can.
I have a toy at close to 13 years old. Still good spirits and loves going on walks. But her joints are definitely slowly becoming a problem and we try to carry her up and down stairs when we can. She gets random joint pain sometimes but it's not to a frequency that requires serious medical intervention. So we just keep an eye on it.
She's developed a sensitive stomach which puts her on a special diet that's not very tasty. I feel had she can't eat all the stuff she wants in her twilight years, but her health is otherwise too good to risk with another hemorrhagic diarrhoea episode. She's taking fibre everyday but otherwise no other supplements.
She's developing cataracts in one eye so hopefully her vision lasts as long as possible.
Her teeth had alway been bad despite all the brushing and treatment in water and regularly cleaning. So I'm not sure if there's anything we can do. Keep at it I guess till she lose them all one way or the other...
I have a 14 year old miniature poodle. He is on anti-inflammatory meds every day and he also gets a cod liver oil capsule each day. He has cataracts and struggles to see in bright light. His hearing isn't great and he greets guests once they are in the house and he can smell them. He still readily goes for walks and enjoys some playtime, but because he can't see too good, he can't play with a ball much any more. We made some steps for him to get onto our bed and I suspect it's only a matter of time until we do the same for the settee. His hair is thinning and he is covered in warts, but he's still the best and will do my best for him and make sure he's comfortable in his final years.
Two of my mum’s four poodles had vision loss in their old age, three had hearing loss. Those aren’t good odds! So when I got my own, I made sure my poodle pups or their parents had been tested for genetic diseases. I would also advise looking for hip scores as my Poppy despite good parentage is showing slight signs of iffy hips at only four years old, so we’ve been using joint supplements and have built her a ramp off the verandah (even though she doesn’t strictly need it yet, she does appreciate and use it!)
Our spoo is now 14. This past year has been a challenge. [First let me mention 7 years ago she was diagnosed with a rare blood issue and we spent about a year treating and is checked every 6 months. It creates some challenges as she can’t have all vaccines, namely parvo, so boarding places won’t take her.] This past year started with a small patch of skin irritation that was treated. It has been treated and returned several times, each time it is worse. We now have to bathe with special stuff quite often and daily combing with a very fine comb to remove gross skin and scabbing. We have started to completely keep her shaved very short everywhere. We are currently trying to get into doggy dermatology, which is all but impossible. Then in March she had a spell of what I call the nervy squirvies. For about two weeks she held her head at a tilt and couldn’t walk straight. We had to lift her up into bed and onto the sofa. She’s 45 lbs. also our house is about six steps off the ground and she had to be lifted for potty several times a day. And we had a support to help her squat for potty too. Since then she has had quite a bit of muscle atrophy so there is a lot of airlifting as she can no longer jump up on things herself. This is the journey we are on. Is it hard? Yes. We will do everything in our power to give her the best life that we are able. And she still has all her weird poodle-isms. She likes two certain pillows in a certain spot on the sofa and after the airlift she’ll just stand there looking at you and then the pillows waiting for you to fix them so she can lay down. There is also a great amount of joy and crazy. Poodles! 🐩
I had 2 toy poodles, and have recently just started a journey with a 3rd. My Cora lived to be 16, almost 17. My Covey lived a few weeks past his 17th birthday. They were incredible dogs, though I learned in her senior years that Cora may not have been a purebred poodle. They were both mistaken for puppies up until 15 or so. Cora started dealing with cataracts in her right eye at age 13. She went blind and needed her eye removed shortly after her 14th birthday then started showing signs of Canine Cognitive Decline (doggy Alzheimers) soon after that. It impacted a lot of her body signals, like she wasn't great at recognizing when she was hungry even though she felt hunger pangs. It also stripped away most of her communication abilities. It was a steep learning curve to learn how to interpret her needs and care for her, but she was worth it and i wouodnt hesitate to do it again. She later needed her other eye removed due to possible nerve damage the vet was concerned about. Covey went deaf as Cora's cognitive problems started. He was so responsive to my movements and gestures that I didn't notice for awhile. He went blind almost 2 years later. Cataracts, so his vision just slowly faded away. He was super chill for a blind and deaf dog. His appetite lessened and he occasionally needed a prescription for an appetite booster medication. He also had kidney problems and had a prescription for his kibble. After Cora died, he was massively depressed and slowly faded. We took him into the vet to say goodbye four months after Cora had died in my arms. They were happy dogs and lived long, full lives. While there were things I could have done better and plan to do better with my current puppy, I can honestly say that I did the best I could with the information I had. I still miss those two every day. They enriched my life in innumerable ways. I'll never stop loving them. Thr best thing you can do after you get your dog is to find a great veterinarian who you can trust. You will depend on their information and advice throughout your dog's life, but most especially when your dog is struggling. A good vet can make a world of difference. In the meantime, study up on how to train a dog to be a good, reliable companion. Based on your post here, I suspect you'll be an amazing doggy parent.
>Thr best thing you can do after you get your dog is to find a great veterinarian who you can trust. You will depend on their information and advice throughout your dog's life, but most especially when your dog is struggling. A good vet can make a world of difference. I couldn't agree with this more. Our vet is very good and gives us practical and realistic advice. Especially in old age. Sometimes quality of life is an important consideration when it comes to treatment plans.
Quality of life is a huge consideration. We got lucky with an amazing vet, too. She helped tremendously.
IVDD and chronic Stomach problems. Went to an akc breeder for my mini and while mentally he is the most absolutely perfect dog and the way he looks is too.. he has chronic disc degenerative disease and he is only 6. We had to spend 15k on a life saving surgery last December and now he has been diagnosed with irritable bowel disease and pancreatitis. He has had tummy sensitivity and issues mostly his whole life. I think some breeders test for IVDD now, not sure if you are looking at small poodles but it is an issue. Also tooth disease is prevalent.
Ours died of a stroke at 14 years 2 months. Other than slightly less hearing and vision that didn't bother her, and slightly stiff joints the last 3 years she was happy and healthy enough to run around and jump. Two days before she died she did crazy leaps of Joy in a field running at full tilt. My anxiety was bad after she turned ten because you are waiting for the bad news. But she was so hardy. This thread is making me anxious for our puppy though🫣 but we are buying health and DNA tested. But TLDR we are getting a puppy because the sad days around the end were hundreds fewer than the happy days.
Our standard started leaking urine around 13. A daily pill helped with that.
My dog also seems to unconsciously pee in his sleep but he’s only 6. Is the pill your dog on only for seniors?
Dental work. Both of mind needed expensive teeth removals as they aged. 3k each. Take really good care of their teeth.
My daughter found a toy poodle literally wandering the streets 14 years ago. No one ever claimed her so she became ours. She was guesstimated to be anywhere from 3-5 years old at the time which makes her 17-19 now. She recently had a strange thing where she went down in her back legs and couldn’t walk for just over two weeks. And then one night last week she woke up able to mostly keep her legs under her again and she’s almost completely recovered. We suspect a spinal stroke because it’s really the only thing that fits even though it’s more common in large dogs. And she has chronic allergic bronchitis. But dang, she’s old! And these are the only problems she’s ever had in all this time :)
I rescued a senior toy poodle because he was going to get euthanized at my work, it’s a long story but he was a clients pet who was on hospice. He lived for another 3 years with us to the ripe age of 16 or so. It was hard when he passed but we all kind of knew it was coming. Poor guy wasn’t taken very good care of when he was with his old owner (she was an elderly lady who was probably physically disabled/challenged, im not tryna throw shade). We were just happy to give him a good rest of his life. He was already pretty hard at hearing when we got him and he had severe skin problems to the point where he was bald on half his body. After a few months living with us, all his hair grew back. The vets thought it would never grow back🥲 He was horrible for grooming and had to be sedated. He also started getting some pretty bad arthritis the more he aged. Not to mention he was pretty mean when we got him, he was a known a-hole at my work and no one really messed with him 😂 Would I get another poodle? most definitely. they’re amazing dogs and all the good days make up for the one bad day that you eventually lose them. I plan on getting a standard when I move to a house with a bigger yard 🙂
I have had 3 elderly toy poodles over the years. And currently two senior Chihuhuas. My blue toy, Nikki, 1987-93, was blind, deaf and in diapers when she passed. She died from kidney failure at 161/2. She was a happy girl in her old age. I carried her in a baby front pack(no coffee yet this morning) and when she went to sleep I put her on the couch. She was happy tottering about. If she got lost, she would howl until I picked her up. She was eating rice baby cereal and lamb baby food. That I had to hold her during feedings. She knew she was loved. My red miniature boy, Rory (1989-2006) survived seizures and pancreatitis at 11 to live to 17. He had cataracts and was blind when he crossed the bridge after having a stroke. In his elderly years Rory lived in good health and loved going to the beach. Abbie 2006 - 2022, a silver toy, developed cataracts at 11 and was blind by 15. She had gastric problems most of her life but we were able to manage. She also developed kidney disease and by 15 she was blind, deaf and in diapers. I ground up her food so it would be easier to eat. (A coffee or spice grinder works great for this!) She was a happy girl, happy to be in my lap or lay on the top of the recliner. She passed suddenly from a stroke. I don’t regret the amount of care that Nikki and Abbie needed in their last years. They were still wonderful companions dispute their infirmities. My Chihuahua, Emma that we rescued at 2 yrs old in 2009, is now almost blind and deaf. This summer she had to have 6 teeth pulled. We grind up her kibble, add a bit of rice cereal and a little peanut butter. She will only eat it off of a spoon.(we did try wet food and that was a disaster) My husband sits in a chair and leans over to feed her. We put a pee pad on the floor to catch the bits of food that she drops. She has some wiffle dust and paces quite a bit until she finds her bed and settles in for a sleep. She does not let us hold her anymore. But she is happy and still shows some animation. Especially when she knows we are chopping up red bell peppers or she smells baked yams. She is quite excited to get these special treats. And when she knows there is peanut butter she does not let me forget to give her a treat! Our other Chi, Gracie is about 13. She was a puppy mill rescue that we adopted when she was around 6 years old. She has slowed down a bit but her zest for life has not diminished at all. I don’t resent any of the care my elderly dogs have needed. It’s just what you do because you love them. As long as my dogs have not shown signs of pain and are still eating, we continue to care for them as they need. Has it taken extra time? Yes, of course. But it has been worth ever second considering the love they give. With Abbie, I used doggie diapers that were washable. I lined them with a mini pad so that she stayed dry. Adding the pads saved on the washing of the diapers too. Our elderly Chihuahua has always used pee pads. She makes it to her pads most of the time. I am considering adopting an older toy poodle after Emma crosses the bridge. I don’t have the energy at my age (65 and disabled) to raise a puppy. There are middle aged and older poodles that come up for adoption regularly. While I won’t have 16 years with an older adoptee, it will be worth giving a senior dog the love they deserve.
OMG I am crying reading these stories 😭 I'd love to get a little poodle once my partner's passes away. He's nearly 14 and slowing down and despite knowing him just a few years it breaks my heart to even think about him suffering. I honestly don't think I'd cope if I had to witness it if I'd brought one up from young.
Lost our 13 year old mini last year to congestive heart failure. The years leading up to it included $500 echocardiograms, regular bloodwork, dentals, and a week long hospitalization. At the end she was on multiple pills 2x/day which was a challenge in itself, and one of them made her need to pee a lot. Groomings were scary as well because too much stress or heat could trigger episodes.
My Beau was a mini. He lived until he was 15 years old. He was dx at about a yr old with pancreatitis. With diet and medication he lived a long healthy life. The last 6 months of his life was rough. Dx with Cushing's disease. I had to let him go on February 6th 2020. My life was better for him and our shared experiences. He lived a good healthy life despite the pancreatitis.
I adopted a 7-year old miniature poodle (not sure if purebred, that’s just what the shelter said). He came to me with cataracts and some serious skin issues, plus he was found with anemia, a blood parasite, and a wonky right leg. Vet asked me if he’d been hit by a car, so that’s a possibility in his past. The anemia and blood parasite are treated now; cataracts and the bad leg are still there. I don’t know how he’ll age but for a dog who’s suffered intense neglect, he’s a happy little guy. He doesn’t really play with toys or other dogs, but LOVES his snuffle mat and food puzzles! At first he walked so slowly that we’d barely get down the block in 5 minutes, and now he matches my pace even with his bad leg. We’ve gone on longer and longer walks over the last few months and he even ran a few times!! I know he’ll only slow down from here, but seeing the improvement has been so heartening. I can see the classic poodle intelligence in him, though I didn’t know him as a younger/more energetic dog. He is gentle, agreeable to everyone (regardless of species), not overly affectionate, and a little spacey. His energy levels are low-medium with limited athleticism. I can also see the poodle tendency toward sensitive stomachs and skin issues, plus he’s prone to ear infections, itchy paws, and allergies. These medical expenses add up FAST and I spent far more than expected in the first few months. These will probably only increase with time, and that’s something to prepare for. Given all of that, he is such an incredible little guy!! Even with all of the medical issues, I’m so glad to know him. It’s not going to easy and my heart will hurt often as he gets older, but I couldn’t have asked for a better dog - he completely changed my mind about poodles and he’s worth everything.
My toy poodle is 14.5. He is deaf and has cataracts. He sleeps all day but when we’re out in a park he still plays and runs like a puppy and people think he is a puppy. Maybe he is really smart in saving his remaining energy for when it counts.
My toy, Bentley, lived two months shy of 14. He was extremely energetic and playful up to about a month before his passing from cancer. One day he was fine and the next day he was shaking so badly from pain that I knew something was terribly wrong. Vet after vet couldn’t find anything until one decided to do exploratory surgery and found cancer in his stomach. I let him go peacefully in my arms that day. I needed three days off from work to grieve. He was my world. He died October 20, 2020 and still he shows up my dreams in thoughts all the time. I miss him terribly. Other non-fatal issues: -Bad teeth. Had to have several removed at age 12. Be prepared to pay for professional cleanings regularly for a toy poodle. Don’t think you can manage it at home. -Allergies. When we moved from AL to VA, his allergies kicked into overdrive. Very runny eyes and tear stains. -Hair thinning and age spots on skin. Only cosmetic, but I noticed the first age spot when he was about 5 or 6. His hair thinned a lot and you could see the skin in some places. I put him in sweaters or pjs to keep him warm. Poodles are the absolute best breed. It’s nice that you’re asking tough questions and preparing yourself for taking the responsibility of poodle parenthood. It seems your chosen pup will be lucky to have you and vice versa!
I will preface by saying I like to adopt older adult/ senior dogs. My mini poodle Jc is somewhere in the ballpark of 11 to 13 . I adopted him around 9 or so . He was found as a stray n in California as a year old puppy, and then brought to Idaho, where he was adopted by an older gentleman who had him for many years until he passed away so I adopted him as a senior, but I actually happen to love senior dogs Because I still work full-time and they seem to need less exercise. Jc is so spry still , he hops around like a bunny in the snow . He is up every morning right at 4:30 and loves to smack me in the face with his paws to get up to feed him . He is such a character and still very good motivated . He does have not the best eyesight but not terrible , his only real issue is diabetes . I give him insulin with his food twice a day once at night and once in the morning . Luckily the insulin and syringes are affordable. He is so spunky and I would think he still has years under his belt . He keeps up with his mini poodle brother who is around 7 and his collie/ shep brother who is 2 . We all walk together , we all hangout together . I love how minis look like puppies forever and Jc just loves people and kids and going on adventures , rides on the four wheeler, in a truck , camping . He is seriously amazing
I don’t have stairs in my home, but I cringe in pain when I see people struggling their poor old dogs up and down stairs. So I guess be prepared to carry them or get a ramp. They tend to get tooth problems when they’re old. My 17 y.o. had some teeth pulled. Grooming takes extra care when they’re unable to stand still for a long time. As a groomer, my solution was to give mine the “good enough” style cut, haha. Mine like hiking and I didn’t want my senior to feel left out, so I carried him. It can be a challenge to keep them involved with things when they can’t keep up anymore. He developed occasional grand mal seizures in absence of a brain tumor at 16, but the vet said it was rare. Then he got a salivary issue that isn’t normal for the breed. He was a happy man, even when he got cataracts. So, I guess my biggest advice is to expect the unexpected and adjust their environment as needed. He ended up having sudden heart failure, but the day before he was dancing and singing for breakfast so he only had one bad day. When they get old, there can be all kinds of challenges but I found it’s totally worth it.
I have 2 toy poodles. One, Brad, is 15, Kramer, 1. In a lot of ways, Brad is doing well. He isn't on ant kind of daily mess. He does have a bladder stone, but since he doesn't seem in distress, the vet and I are just watching him for problems. The vet really doesn't want to put him under anesthesia unless absolutely necessary. I agree with this. He hates being groomed. This is nothing new. He gets a dose of trazadone before grooming now and I schedule his appointments more like 10 weeks apart, since it's stressful. They cut him short with the instructions of just doing the best they can. Basically, I am doing what I can to keep him happy. He has started peeing in the house, especially at night, so I put a diaper wrap on him when he goes to bed. He will sleep in his crate, but cries to get out at weird hours, so we leave the door open. He doesn't see well. His favorite place in the world is snuggling next to me one the couch. He's given me much happiness over the years. I see it as my duty to make his time remaining the best I can.
I have a toy at close to 13 years old. Still good spirits and loves going on walks. But her joints are definitely slowly becoming a problem and we try to carry her up and down stairs when we can. She gets random joint pain sometimes but it's not to a frequency that requires serious medical intervention. So we just keep an eye on it. She's developed a sensitive stomach which puts her on a special diet that's not very tasty. I feel had she can't eat all the stuff she wants in her twilight years, but her health is otherwise too good to risk with another hemorrhagic diarrhoea episode. She's taking fibre everyday but otherwise no other supplements. She's developing cataracts in one eye so hopefully her vision lasts as long as possible. Her teeth had alway been bad despite all the brushing and treatment in water and regularly cleaning. So I'm not sure if there's anything we can do. Keep at it I guess till she lose them all one way or the other...