My Senior Dog Bailey

Currently I am the proud owner of 9 pets - and I am also happy to say they are all rescues. I am a big animal lover and have room in my home and heart for many more, but for now I am good. Or am I?
You never know when I might decide to bring another pet into my home. If I could I would adopt them all. Each one is considered my child - just furry. They are all spoiled rotten - just like my own Human kids.

Two of the nine pets in my home are Seniors - Bailey being one of them and Busgy my cat who is older.

This page is for Bailey one of the best dogs in the world who has brought so much joy to my life and given us many stories and memories that will last a lifetime. Oh and may I mention fur balls - lots of them!!!

We are not sure what breed Bailey is, when we adopted her it said Lab Mix on the tag. I may do a Pet DNA test one day to find out, because I think it would be really neat to know for sure. She was born in Florida where we lived when we adopted her.

When Bailey was a pup she was full of energy like most are. She chewed all my shoes, my furniture and pretty much anything she could get a hold of. Her favorite things to do as a puppy was to play with sticks larger than her and she loved a big real bone to chew.

She loved to jump, go down slides at the playground and traveled with us anywhere we went. She has a deep bark and is very protective and most people would get scared away just from the bark alone. But really Bailey was a typical Pup who loved everyone who wanted to give her attention.

When each of my children were born Bailey would sit by their bassinet and protect them and was always next to them like a mommy bear. What a good dog.

When we adopted Bailey we rented an apartment in Florida with some Dog Rules - only small dogs allowed. Bailey was small when we got her and we had no idea just how large she would get. We tried to hide her, we took her out at night to run her on the Golf Course we lived on and she loved that. She would run faster than lightening. Of course as I said above the golfers were not happy to see some of their turf marked up in the morning. Oops!!! The day came when we were asked to leave because we broke the dog size rule. So our choices; Roof over our Heads or Dog - of course we chose Dog.
So we then moved to a house rental which was more suited for a dog her size - Bailey was now about 90 Pounds.

Well we adopted Bailey in October of 1995 - she was about 5-6 months old at the time. So with that I would say she is about 14 dog years old.

It is said that 1 Human Year is equal to 7 Dogs years. That is not the most accurate since dogs reach their adult years within the first couple years.

The latest Formula is: 10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years, then 4 dog years per human year for each year after.

So confusing - no one really knows for sure, but this is the best way to estimate.

Using this method Bailey would be 69 in Human Years.

Bailey developed Arthritis in her hips and knees as most large breed dogs do. There was a point a few years back that we thought we may have to put her down. She went to the vet and we started her on Glucosamine and some pain meds being she was having trouble getting up and limping as she walked. I did not find that was working to well. With some online research I came across
GlycoFlex III, and after some time on this she seemed to improve - I swear this saved her life. I recommend this to anyone whose dog has arthritis or problems with their hips. She still limps and has trouble, but no where near what she had before.

A comprehensive line of joint support formulas from Vetri-Science featuring glucosamine, green lipped perna mussels, their patented DMG, and in level II and III additional beneficial vitamins and antioxidants.

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At night I will sit with Bailey and give her massages. She loves this and will rest her head in my lap while I massage her legs, hips and back and neck area. Like us humans it feels good and I will do anything to help her feel better and to make sure she is comfortable. I also use a Pet Massager that vibrates and brushes her at the same time - she also really likes this too. It is also a great way to bond with her telling her how much I appreciate that she is in my life.

As Bailey got older she developed Fatty Tumors also known as lipomas - one on her side is so big we call it her alien. It has been tested by having a needle biopsy to get the fluid out and it is nothing to worry about. She has had that for years, as well as, others on her body. They are ugly to look at - big bumps all over, but she is not in pain and they are not hindering her ability to walk or anything else - so no surgeries were required.

Of course she has a lot of gray around her mouth which shows that old age. She also sleeps a lot - she is not very active anymore. Her eyes also show her age with Cataracts and that dull haze. Her hearing comes and goes - although sometimes we think she plays the old card to get special treats. Her breath is deadly and her teeth show wear just from being old. We do not give her dogs bones much anymore - only an occasional treat - they make her gums bleed a little now. Her fur is not as smooth and silky as it had been in the past and she sheds like crazy - more than ever.

Over the past year Bailey has had some issues with holding in her poop. I know it sounds gross. It is almost like her muscles have given out back there and at times without her control she will drop a couple. It is an old age thing and this happens according to my vet. Even when she goes outside to go she tends to not walk far into the yard anymore and goes close to my patio.
I never get mad at her for this, because I know it is just part of her aging.

This is not my favorite subject to talk about, but there will come a time when I might have to make the decision to put Bailey down. I have to come to terms with it now, because I know it will not be an easy thing to do. We will not let her suffer or be in any kind of pain - so I watch her very carefully. When she is ready to cross Rainbow Bridge we will know that one day we will be together again.
I think Bailey will tell me when it is time and until then my job is to keep her happy, comfortable, spoiled and enjoy every day I have left with her. I make sure to give her extra Hugs and Kisses - because she deserves them!!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Bailey. I know some of you that have read this may already have or had a senior pet and understand all about it. For those who have young pets keep an eye on them - be in tune with them and watch for changes. Always bring your pets for senior wellness check ups and be a good pet parent. And for those thinking of bringing a pet into their home - know it is a long commitment and expense.

I am happy to be a RocketMom. I also head up the group RocketMom's Furry Children - Our Pets. So if you are a member and have a pet of your own - stop by and join me.
This has been my first assignment with the RocketMoms and I look forward to many more - what a great bunch!!!

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