Old Age

Question
Hello, I have a cockerspaniel aged 12 this December. My problem is how do I properly look after her as she gets old. She is on Medication to make her comfortable but I feel like I bug my vet with every little problem about her.During one 24 hour period she drank 6 ltrs of water and as a rule at the moment she is drinking 3 ltrs a day. Is this normal? (the 6 ltrs of water was this weekend) Some days she acts like she is a puppie then other days I check on her every few minutes because she is breathing funny.I went out to give her a piece of toast the other morning and she couldnt swallow properly and about 1/2 hour later she was fine. Some days she looks really sad then other days she seems fine. I know she is not as old as she could be but she seemed to go grey at 1 and seemed like an old lady from then on. She has just started to go to the toilet in the house so I can not let her in but she has a heat pad to sleep on so she is warm. I let her in to have cuddles on the couch when I can sit with her for a few hours. My family think I am a worry wart with her but I want to do what is the best for her. As I say to them I have had her longer than I have had my kids and hubby and, as a mum you just seem to know when something is not quiet right. Minnie has no hearing and is blind in one eye and going blind in the other.Both her eyes are cloudy and white and she has ointment put in them each day.I would just love to know how to care for her properly in her old age and what to do about all her other problems. Thank you very much for answering my long email and I look forward to your hearing from you. Yours Truly Lea  

Answer
Hi Lea,  I know where you are coming from.  I have a 16 year old Westie, and some days you wonder if she is going to make it through the day.  It seems with dogs that you notice one year when they really start to age.  It is like all of a sudden, and then they are just really old.   You are doing all the right things, and just have to live it one day at a time.  The most important thing to do is always keep her as comfortable as possible.  If she keeps ingesting large amounts of water, then you should have her checked by the vet so they can make sure and monitor her kidneys.  Otherwise, good common sense works the best and just make her golden years the best you can.  Hope this helps,

Dawn