Caring for a elderly whippet

We live with two senior dogs. At the fabulous age of 14, we received the sad news that one of our precious boys has a tumour. He has been suffering with various niggles for many months so this was not a shock to us, more of a sad confirmation. So we meet him where he is now and care for him as much as we can to make his final months as comfortable as we can. Here are things that we find work when caring for our elderly whippet.

Food:

Our whippet is pancreatic so food has often been tricky. He spent many years thriving with raw food but when he started to feel poorly stopped eating it. We moved him to Butternut Box which he enjoyed (the low fat recipes) but when his symptoms developed further he became more reluctant to eat that too, particularly in the mornings. We were at a bit of a loss, with him losing weight fast.

After much research we tried tempting him with warm food. He ate it much more reliably, so we now warm his Butternut Box in hot water, or cook him white fish, turkey of chicken. The amount he eats can be inconsistent -we have days where he will eat pretty well, and days when he eats much less. Warming food definitely makes it more palatable and tempting for him and has been really successful for us. As has feeding little and often rather than presenting him with large meals.

We have noticed that Jarvis drinks more in his senior years too. This may be partly due to medication but we make sure that he has access to fresh water up and downstairs.

Exercise:

As our dogs aged, we have evolved with them and got used to walking much less and more flexibly with them as senior dogs. Now that Jarvis is poorly he tends to only want very short walks. We invested in a stroller so that he can still enjoy getting out and about and seeing the world. This has been invaluable. We recently took the stroller on holiday to the beach, out to the Peak District- it goes all over! I highly recommend investing in one. They can often be picked up reasonably second hand and are worth every penny!

When we are out of the house, Jarvis needs a warm fleece or whippet coat, sometimes even a couple of layers. This is much more noticeable, perhaps due to his muscle and weight loss.

To keep our whippy mentally stimulated we like to play sniffy games with him in the house too- it also sneaks some more food in to him! He loves a calm game of hide and seek (minus the jumping around nowadays) and this gives him enrichment and fun without the physical pressure on his arthritic limbs. Exercise doesn’t need to be physical to deliver benefits and we certainly see his enjoyment.

Sleep:

Our elderly whippet sleeps more, and more deeply now> He needs to move more at night for a number of reasons. He may need to pop outside for a toilet break, to just get up for a stretch and reset. Sometimes he will call out just to get a blanket put over him! He needs plenty of padding for comfort, so he has a super-soft memory foam bed and of course plenty of the aforementioned blankets. He also sleeps in whippet PJs now as he does get very cold. Nice calm spaces for his cosy bed(s) have been welcomed by him.

Separation anxiety:

Signs of separation anxiety was a surprise to us. Also one of the early symptoms of Jarvis’s illness. He was always a very independent dog and he loved cuddles and company, but was quite happy on his own. We noticed him starting to follow us room to room, and he starting to bark when we left . He visibly lost confidence with stairs too, wanting to be carried down. We initially tried going back to basics with training but it didn’t work for him- we now understand why. As an elderly whippet, he just wants us to be close to him and we can tell that he feels safe and secure in human company. So our company is what he will have.

House adaptations:

Our floors are textured so luckily not too slippery but the use of carpet runners on hard surfaces can be helpful for older dogs. Help on and off the sofa is also helpful. Some people have ramps for this. The use of stairgates can prevent seniors attempting the stairs without supervision or help. Jarvis needs to get out to the toilet quickly nowadays so we have shoes at the ready and a torch. Wipes can also be really useful.

Professional help:

We visit the vet regularly for medication updates but also have to Jarvis weighed and generally checked. This ensures that we are doing everything that we can for him and reassures us that he is not in pain. We have discussed with the vet our preferred plans for when it is time to say goodbye, and we hope that this will be at home in his calm space surrounded by all of his favourite comforts and his family. Having two dogs, our next chapter will be important to establish a new normal for Finn.

Please share your top tips for caring for your senior dog or elderly whippet in the comments below. I would really love to hear them.