[ChattyCathy]

what were you feeding them? I'm just curious. Thanks.

 

[claybuster]

what were you feeding them? I'm just curious. Thanks.

Yes, back in '92 my wife had to have a Yorkie, just had to have one. There was a local breeder getting out of the business, and let a pup go for $50, so my wife said, "sold". Now, '09 we still have Mr. Casey with us.

Casey started out on cheap kibble feeds, I mean the cheapest of the cheap for the first 10 years. Started with Purina dog chow, and then eventually went cheaper. Local convenience stores (Cumberland Farms, 7/11) carry a Purina product called "Mainstay", which is cheaper than the dog chow. He was on that for maybe 3-4 years. It wasn't until I had got Zoe in '02 I was going to do a serious upgrade in nutrition. The original plan was to go with two feeds, high end stuff for the gun dog and keep the little guy on the cheap stuff. That wasn't working because keeping one out the the others wasn't going well at all and that lasted only for a few days. They have both been eating the same now since '02.

I had another dog that only made it to 10 years on the cheap stuff back in the kibble days. Cody was a Cocker who started to deteriorate around year 8 and by year 10 the hips were shot. I ended up about 50% of the time carrying Cody in and out to go do business by year 10. Often we would find a pee spot on the basement couch because of incontinence. Poor guy eventually got the point didn't even realize he was going, and it was getting difficult for us. I made the tough call in year 10 to put him down.

 

[lorih1770]

I grew up with a poodle mix that I found as a stray. He lived to be 19 years old. He actually ate grocery store food early on and then Hills HD for many years later. I think he may have lived into his 20's if he ate better foods!

I put my husky down in '07. She was at least 15 years old, maybe older, she was another stray that I found. She had thyroid cancer and liver damage (due to the stupid vet who accidentally gave her 2 rounds of shots WHILE she had surgery for her cancer and against my wishes!!). Still a sore spot. Anyway, she ate Pro Plan for a few years and then Nature's Recipe for many years because it was I think #2 on the Whole Dog Journal list of best foods in the mid 90's. I'm hoping that back then it was a decent food. The last 2-3 years of her life she ate Innova Evo after I found out she had cancer and started researching like crazy. I do believe the EVO helped prolong the cancer from returning and spreading.

I currently have a 14 1/2 year old husky. Not sure if he's going to make it to 15 or not. He ate the same foods as my other husky. He was eating EVO several years ago for a couple of years and is now eating Orijen. I rotate foods every few months.

 

[rannmiller]

Unfortunately I've never gotten to keep a dog for that long. My mom was a big fan of giving up on our "trouble" dogs when I was growing up, so she'd always re-home them :frown:

However I have a shepherd/lab mix who got hit by a car when she was younger and she was only supposed to live to be 8 years old. Well she's 11 now and doing much better since I switched her off of Hills Prescription K/D first to Natural Choice (I know, I'm sorry!) and then to raw. I doubt she will live to 15 since she did have all those issues with getting hit by a car and then poisoned for 8 years, but she's happy now and I'm just glad I can make her last time on earth better.

 

[ChattyCathy]

Yes, back in '92 my wife had to have a Yorkie, just had to have one. There was a local breeder getting out of the business, and let a pup go for $50, so my wife said, "sold". Now, '09 we still have Mr. Casey with us.

Casey started out on cheap kibble feeds, I mean the cheapest of the cheap for the first 10 years. Started with Purina dog chow, and then eventually went cheaper. Local convenience stores (Cumberland Farms, 7/11) carry a Purina product called "Mainstay", which is cheaper than the dog chow. He was on that for maybe 3-4 years. It wasn't until I had got Zoe in '02 I was going to do a serious upgrade in nutrition. The original plan was to go with two feeds, high end stuff for the gun dog and keep the little guy on the cheap stuff. That wasn't working because keeping one out the the others wasn't going well at all and that lasted only for a few days. They have both been eating the same now since '02.



I had another dog that only made it to 10 years on the cheap stuff back in the kibble days. Cody was a Cocker who started to deteriorate around year 8 and by year 10 the hips were shot. I ended up about 50% of the time carrying Cody in and out to go do business by year 10. Often we would find a pee spot on the basement couch because of incontinence. Poor guy eventually got the point didn't even realize he was going, and it was getting difficult for us. I made the tough call in year 10 to put him down.

So, by my calculation, if correct, Mr. Casey is 17 years old???? WOW, that's amazing!!!! Forgive me, but I can't remember after reading all your posts... are they on raw at all? And what high-end stuff do you feed them.

Aww.... it really hurts my heart when our animals pass. :frown: They are such loving companions.

 

[ChattyCathy]

I grew up with a poodle mix that I found as a stray. He lived to be 19 years old. He actually ate grocery store food early on and then Hills HD for many years later. I think he may have lived into his 20's if he ate better foods!

I put my husky down in '07. She was at least 15 years old, maybe older, she was another stray that I found. She had thyroid cancer and liver damage (due to the stupid vet who accidentally gave her 2 rounds of shots WHILE she had surgery for her cancer and against my wishes!!). Still a sore spot. Anyway, she ate Pro Plan for a few years and then Nature's Recipe for many years because it was I think #2 on the Whole Dog Journal list of best foods in the mid 90's. I'm hoping that back then it was a decent food. The last 2-3 years of her life she ate Innova Evo after I found out she had cancer and started researching like crazy. I do believe the EVO helped prolong the cancer from returning and spreading.

I currently have a 14 1/2 year old husky. Not sure if he's going to make it to 15 or not. He ate the same foods as my other husky. He was eating EVO several years ago for a couple of years and is now eating Orijen. I rotate foods every few months.

WOW, your dogs lived long too! It's amazing. I never had a dog over 10. Hopefully, w/mine eating better they will live longer.

 

[ChattyCathy]

Unfortunately I've never gotten to keep a dog for that long. My mom was a big fan of giving up on our "trouble" dogs when I was growing up, so she'd always re-home them :frown:

However I have a shepherd/lab mix who got hit by a car when she was younger and she was only supposed to live to be 8 years old. Well she's 11 now and doing much better since I switched her off of Hills Prescription K/D first to Natural Choice (I know, I'm sorry!) and then to raw. I doubt she will live to 15 since she did have all those issues with getting hit by a car and then poisoned for 8 years, but she's happy now and I'm just glad I can make her last time on earth better.

Oh, that is sad for the "troubled" dogs. But thank goodness they got rehomed instead of put down.

And, what an amazing story w/your shepherd/lab mix. I use to think 10 was it for dogs, now I'm learning much different and also learning that what we feed them makes a big difference.

 

[claybuster]

So, by my calculation, if correct, Mr. Casey is 17 years old???? WOW, that's amazing!!!! Forgive me, but I can't remember after reading all your posts... are they on raw at all? And what high-end stuff do you feed them.

Aww.... it really hurts my heart when our animals pass. :frown: They are such loving companions.

Yes, Casey is 17. Dog chow/ Mainstay years 1-10, Abady since. No teeth now so the granular feed is perfect for him. Yorkies are prone to bad teeth from what I understand, and the kibble years didn't help for certain. My vet was recommending cleanings early but I did not heed the warnings.

Well, I consider it high-end anyway, but most feel otherwise because of the ingredients. In fact, many would consider it low-end because of the ingredients. That's because many don't understand what makes a quality feed and what doesn't. If Mr. Purina and Mr. Iams want to make dandelion the next hot item ingredient, people fall for it hook, line, and sinker and next thing you know it is the miracle cure for something. Very few people actually know what there talking about when it comes to ingredients. Some of the most dangerous ingredients are touted as beneficial. Beet pulp is a perfect example of a commonly used and very suspect ingredient of being harmful (bloat).

I feed Abady Classic Granular. I don't mix or rotate with other feeds. They get some people food treats usually at dinner for waiting patiently and being good (nothing green).

Charlie

 

[Winniesdad]

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread :smile:

 

[rannmiller]

Awww he sounds like a good dog, may he rest in peace.

 

[ChattyCathy]

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread :smile:

Thanks for sharing. He lived a long time. I know how you feel... I miss mine everyday too. :frown: They become such a part of our families!

 

[TippysMom]

Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast.

We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!

I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".:frown:

 

[Lovemymunchkins]

This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.

I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?

 

[Winniesdad]

I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.

I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.

 

[Postal]

I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.

I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.

I agree very much with this.. It's the same for us. An active person that believes in regular exercise on top of their well balanced diet usually tend to live longer than the lazy slobs that sit around and play World of Warcraft on their computer all day and night Poor people heh

Dogs with healthy, active lifestyles just have more of a chance to push their age limit.

Some guy told me a couple days ago that Reader's Digest said that every step you climb in life adds 4 seconds to your life. Just a rule of thumb :smile:

 

[lorih1770]

Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed!

My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.

 

[ChattyCathy]

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread :smile:

WOW! What a great story and sounds like he was such a wonderful dog! I understand how you feel... I still miss two of my dogs that had to be put down a few years ago. :frown:

 

[ChattyCathy]

Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast.

We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!

I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".:frown:

I AGREE!!!! :biggrin: Dogs should live as long as we do.

 

[ChattyCathy]

This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.

I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?

I have to say that I don't think feeding dogs the "best" food plays 100% towards their health. Their are many factors such as environmental (like Winniesdad's post). Dogs knowing they are loved helps tremendously as does their genetic background and exercise all lead to a well-rounded and hopefully long-lived animal.

 

[ChattyCathy]

Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed!

My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.

OH, I'm so sorry for your loss.... :frown: