Aging Cairns

[Kathryn Wagner]

Just curious on how long all your Cairns have lived out there and any helpful experiences  out their on aging Cairns? I have a 13 yr old Cairn who was Show dog and was very independent and a little aloof! In the past year I have noticed some changes in her as she has become more grumpy, loosing her hearing and her coat is thinning and hates to be brushed or groomed! I am assuming this is normal and would love to hear from other Cairn owners on aging Cairns and their experiences?

Edited March 4, 2017 by Kathryn Wagner
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[bradl]

Welcome.  Senior Cairns are probably my favorite thing in the world, despite their occasionally high-maintenance requirements. Puppies are unbearably cute and life-affirming but senior Cairns touch my soul like little else. 

In terms of longevity and speaking only from my own experience … 

We lost one at 14 which is typically considered to be an average lifespan for a Cairn. One we lost three weeks shy of 17. We have one right now who will be 16 in April. We have one who will be 13  in April also.  

As they get older we do relax on their grooming and switch to clippering (never a pet-shop buzz cut but a nice shaping of essentially dead coat to spare them the long time on the table typical of hand-stripping). 

One thing we've noticed with the old ones is that as they begin to lose their hearing they seem to go through a period where they suddenly get very loud. I think they can't hear themselves very well and are somewhat unaware of how loud and barky they have become. Then as their hearing declines further they become very quiet; they don't hear or notice things happening outside or elsewhere in the house and they seem to become less reactive. They begin to startle frequently though because they don't see or hear you approaching as they used to. They tend to sleep really hard.

Some do seem to become a little more cranky although it may depend on how they are feeling and how they view their need (or lack of need) to be defensive. It is a sad fact that sometimes in pack situations younger dogs will begin to push on the older dogs, sensing their weakness. On the other hand we've also observed younger dogs taking an almost "nurse" role with the older dogs. Our Dundee when he was a youngster would come summon us to let old Haggis out for a potty break. It was heartwarming.

Mostly though in my experience they seem to become almost unbelievably sweet. Their trust and faith in us becomes so plain. 

Beware handing treats to the old ones though … while Haggis had a gentle mouth to the very end, our Echo and Stella both have a treat-motivation that vastly exceeds their vision so their enthusiastic grabbing of treats will include a finger if you don't either toss them the treat (not great because they have a hard time finding it) or present it carefully on a flat palm  

 

 

[Sam I Am]

 

Welcome Kathryn, you have joined the best Cairn site ever with oodles of experiences from so many Cairn owners.

Jock lived to almost 13 which was amazing considering he had active chronic hepatitis from 6yrs on..our vet told me that dogs with liver issues are often grumpy. Although for most part he was just Jock, an independent, free thinking Cairn. He was certainly a dominant Cairn, however loyal and loving to me right to the end. Sure he got grumpy (he landed up having cancer) but he had a right to be. I suspect aging dogs don't feel much different from uprights  when they reach closer to the end of their life span, with all the symptoms that come along with that. However many Cairns on this site reach grand old ages of 16+. If they don't land up getting cancer I suspect a lot more dogs would live way longer than they do now.

Edited March 4, 2017 by Terrier lover

[Kathryn Wagner]

Thanks for sharing both  your experiences! Just wondering if you noticed any differences in their coat as they aged and also I am wondering if I should stop the hand stripping and get her clipped instead as she has always been very vocal when getting groomed and maybe this is stressing her out too much?

[bradl]

We prefer to strip them as long as possible as it really is the best thing to ensure skin health and avoid problems. That said and perhaps due more to genetics than anything we've done we've not really noticed any detriment other than aesthetic and practical for the clippered old dogs.  Dead coat mats more easily, sheds more (in clumps, so still not as bad as short-coated dog's shedding), and so on. 

I've seen some veteran dogs at shows that are 15-16 and who have beautifully harsh, thick lustrous coats that are clearly still stripped but I would tend to agree that at least for our guys the coats seem to soften a bit with advanced age. (Stella has  had a completely incorrect cottony coat her whole life, so she doesn't count ). We just sort of use an overall assessment of the dog's fragility to decide when to quit stripping (full disclosure - we have our dogs groomed by a breeder/exhibitor friend).  Also the decision does not have to be all-or-nothing. Our groomer will often begin to clip the delicate areas (belly, butt, legs) while still pulling the jacket and head to keep a tidy look. That cuts down on time (cost) as well as stress, while keeping the dogs still looking like the nice Cairns they are.

[sanford]

21 hours ago, Kathryn Wagner said:

Just curious on how long all your Cairns have lived out there and any helpful experiences  out their on aging Cairns? 

Carrington lived to 16 1/2. He was energetic and lively until his 15th year, when age caught up with him. He developed some ailments and started to lose his vision and hearing and then became blind and deaf, but coped very well within the familiar surroundings of our world. I noticed no personality changes except that he became increasingly intolerant of being groomed so I stopped stripping him. Eventually his coat lost a bit of its bulk and luster, yet I was content that he was doing as well as he was, but it saddened me that when I petted him I could feel his bones beneath his skin... He lost some body mass and some weight. The next development was that he started to regularly wake me at 2 or 3 A.M., (which I appreciated and praised him for) to be taken out to pee. Lastly, he would sometimes end up facing into the corner of the room, seemingly stuck and bewildered, unable to move, needing me to guide him out. I'm told this is a symptom of age-related dementia. 

These inevitable developments worried me, but I was grateful for being able to be a comfort to him in his declining years, to repay him for the many years of happiness, good cheer and companionship he gave me.

Edited March 5, 2017 by sanford

[pkcrossley]

congratulations on getting your healthy cairn to a nice age. my oldest cairn lived to be only 12, which i thought was very unlucky for him. crankiness sounds about right. a lot of dogs who are dealing with low hearing or vision seem to feel they are being sneaked up upon by people or other animals and cairns in particular do not like that. be sure to do everything you can to make warn your cairn by sound or sight before touching, especially if they are sleeping. 

aches and pains are normal --most dogs and cats over age 7 have some degree of arthritis. regular gentle exercise and perhaps adding a chondritin chew can really help.

your description of your dog makes me wonder if hypothyroidism is involved. very normal for older dogs (and humans), and easily treated by a medical supplement.

it is a real joy to allow any animal a comfortable, safe and very reassuring old age. they all deserve it. 

[LindaMC]

This post makes me sad, knowing that someday I will have to face these issues with Maisie, however; it does help to know what may lie ahead for me so that I can be prepared.  Maisie is only 4 years old now but it seems like only yesterday she was 4 months, so I know that time does go by quickly, especially the older us uprights become.  Anyway, thank you all for sharing your Cairns senior years. 

[bradl]

On 3/5/2017 at 6:52 AM, sanford said:

Lastly, he would sometimes end up facing into the corner of the room, seemingly stuck and bewildered

Echo is not quite there yet but has just reached the phase where she occasionally waits at the wrong end of the sliding patio door. That's the same "first thing" we noticed with Haggis cognitively.

Overall though, despite sleeping long and hard (I still think it's partly the quiet of hearing loss preventing disturbance) she is surprisingly perky when engaged. Still jumps a foot in the air if she thinks you're holding a treat out of reach; literally bounces with excitement when a walk is in the offing; actually play-bowed and bounced to Dundee the other day, etc. 

We have Echo on Neutricks.   A breeder friend initially recommended it for old dogs and I was reassured when a vet behaviorist also recommended it (albeit in a different context). 

 

[Kathryn]

Hi to Kathryn from another Kathryn! I have not been on Cairntalk as much as we are staying in California, and it is just too hard to post on my phone! But I am with my fourth cairn now, and the three who preceded him lived from 9 years to over 16. The one that died younger - T Bone -- was a rescue cairn with a seizure disorder, and we lost him way too young. Our longest-lived was Allie, who didn't show her age (other than a thinning and darkening coat) until she was over 15 but then had so many issues in such a short time...and I do remember her facing the wall, looking confused, in her last month or two. She had kidney failure and died within two months of first showing any problems.

I am amazed, though, at how spry cairns can be well into their teens. Allie could leap quite gracefully onto her chair or the couch well into her 16th year. Our first cairn, Annie, would play ball for as long as we chose to toss it, and then beg for me when we quit. She lived to almost 14. Neither ever lost the gleam in the eye, or the playful nature we love.

Hope your pup is well.  What is her name, by the way?

 

[Dempsy's Mom]

Welcome Kathryn and pooch! 

[gd4]

Hello, all! I dropped in to provide an update and found this post quite interesting with varied responses.

My little girl is now 13 1/2. As many know, we almost lost her after emergency surgery two days before Christmas for IBD issues. She has gained 2 lbs. and doing well. 15 lbs. 12 oz. is her current weight. As far as her aging. She is a little slower than before but quite spunky. Her hair is good and I think diet makes a difference. She has the best personality and very loving. It appears that she hears okay but my, oh my, does she sleep sound! And, she snores and breathes deeply during her sleep. She sleeps more. It amazes me how much she still acts like a young pup at times but she poops out later She still likes to "talk" when I take her to the Vet's office and visits. I noticed both her and her brother do not bark as much as before. Maybe, they do have some hearing loss. Overall, I am amazed at how she still acts and looks young. I pray I will have her until a ripe, old age but quality matters. I take things one day at a time. She is a blessed, little angel for me. Since she was sick, she follows me constantly and stays by my side. We are near inseparable.

Her adopted Cairn brother, who we adopted from the Cairn rescue when he was a year old, turned 13 in February. Sadly, he suffered a stroke in October and is on borrowed time. He struggles getting around but has made two amazing comebacks over the months. He basically is quite sedentary and it appears his mind was affected, a little. He still maintains his potty schedule but there are now, more accidents. He struggles to walk. We are monitoring him on a daily basis.

I love my Cairns. They are amazing, intelligent, happy, tough pups. Their personalities are unique and they offer so much love.

This past year,  since last October, has been so stressful. Our boy pup having his stroke, losing a good friend to cancer, near death crisis for our pup at the holidays in December, my dad had a stroke last week and father-in-law is having heart problems. Caring for senior family and pups are really challenging right now but we are thankful.

Blessings to all and your bundles of joy

Gina

 

[pkcrossley]

gina i saw your other post and congratulated you on trinity, but of course you have both her and max, and it is wonderful that they are plugging along with such a high quality of life. you will always be proud and pleased that you did so much for them. they clearly deserve it. 

[calypso]

Our beautiful Bella turned 13 recently. She has never been cooperative on the grooming table, but she's gotten worse with age. I worry that her older skin is more sensitive, and don't want to hurt her. Her coat is still hard and even the long hair is pretty tenacious.

I know that lots of people clip their older Cairns, but I've been wondering if a Mars Coat King might be a better option at this stage. I watched a video of it in action, but am not quite sure what's going on. It looks like it's mainly undercoat that's being removed, but what about the outer coat? Is it stripping or is it cutting? And because I'm concerned about the tender aging skin, is it easier on the dog than stripping?

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by calypso

[bradl]

1 hour ago, calypso said:

it stripping or is it cutting?

Both! Mostly cut but some pulling.

The curved finger rake bunches up thick coat and some of it will be pulled as you rake through. I think it's less annoying to the dog due to the "bed of nails" principle of multiple "fingers" of the rake.

The inside curve of the blades are sharpened and will cut as the coat is fed into the crook of the blade.

I like the MCK for quickly weeding a thick jacket. For head and legs and other more fussy areas you can use thinning shears as an alternative to clippers. Shears allow more refined shaping although obviously not as fast as a power tool  

Love the gray. Still looking good Bella  

[calypso]

Thanks, Brad. That's helpful. The MCK has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I think I'll buy one and give it a try. It might make life easier for both of us! I have to gear up like a rugby player when I groom her, and it's gotten to be a real ordeal. 

 I deleted the picture in that last post of the senior Bella. I wondered "what was I thinking?" by showing such a scruffy shot, but thank you. We think she's still a looker. 

We're a family of senior citizens now that our "puppy" Greta is ten! 

[bradl]

… but … but … we love our scruffy Cairns  

[Sam I Am]

Oh no Calypso please repost it! She is absolutely Devine in her natural look. She so reminds me so much of my Jock when he reached close to that age. She isnt scruffy...a lovely pic! Repost. 

[hheldorfer]

3 hours ago, calypso said:

 I deleted the picture in that last post of the senior Bella. I wondered "what was I thinking?" by showing such a scruffy shot, but thank you. We think she's still a looker. 

 

No!  We love scruffy!  A scruffy Cairn is a happy Cairn!

[calypso]

You are all so sweet. Here is Bella in her bear costume.

 

[Sam I Am]

Beautiful!

[Hillscreek]

Bella - that's the way to look - lovely girl!

[pkcrossley]

bella looks fantastic

[hheldorfer]

Stunning!

[bradl]

Thank you for reposting.  That's such a nice photo and the coloring next to the tree bark makes a compelling composition worthy of our special Senior Cairn album (to which anyone can add appropriate photos).