The Yorkshire Vet: Old dog, new tricks and a backpack - Julian Norton
Poor Emmy is getting old. Her legs are getting stiffer, and her heart murmur is slowing her down, especially in the warm weather. The Animal Health Certificate that allows her to travel to France with us has a section that demands a description of colour. This time, it says white and grey. Once, she was white with black and tan patches. The dark bits have faded to a whiter shade of pale. And yet, her love for life remains undiminished.
She is stoic and enthusiastic, two characteristics which are important for thriving in old age. But modern pharmaceutical products also play a huge part. She takes three tablets daily – two for her heart and one for her joints. In addition, she has regular injections, also for age-related arthritis. One is a drug called pentosan polysulphate, which has been around for longer than I have been a vet. It works well and is very safe but not widely used in small animal practice, which remains a mystery to me. The other is a fairly new drug of a category called a 'monoclonal antibody'. It deactivates the production of inflammatory mediators in the joint that are implicated in causing joint pain; it’s been nothing short of a miracle for Emmy and continues to improve the quality of her life and that of very many more thousands of dogs across the country.
We keep her weight under control and try to maintain a sensible exercise routine, both of which are essential for managing heart disease and arthritis properly, but she is clearly sad when she has to return from a walk truncated by age-related problems, especially as she is no longer allowed to play ball either.
So, for her imminent trip to the Alps, we decided to purchase a dog backpack! It came with a comprehensive instruction booklet explaining how to load your dog. This was very helpful because neither Anne nor I had ever put a dog in a backpack before. With the pack on the lawn and Emmy standing as directed, we set about the task. It seemed simple. One zip, a couple of clips and some Velcro straps and “Ta da!" Emmy just took three paces and walked straight out of the front of the assembly, utterly oblivious to our plan to help her accompany us on longer and steeper hikes. Eventually, we got the hang of it, and I took her on a trial circumnavigation of the garden. She peered out with her feet on my shoulders, rather confused but comfortable and enjoying a better view than her five-inch legs would usually afford.
When we arrived in the mountains of France, we found that our friends had also employed some assistance for their dogs. They had a buggy! This is attached to the rear axle of an e-bike, so the two dogs could happily join them on bike rides. Both dogs were able-bodied, but it meant huge distances could be covered and they didn’t have to be left at home. Seamus (the little Lurcher) and Ginny (the Border Terrier) didn’t mind the buggy provided they were facing in opposite directions from one another. If the going was bumpy and Seamus happened to fall against Ginny, the odd skirmish did break out, but apart from that it was a great success.
Once, the notion of carrying devices for dogs would have caused me to roll my eyes; dogs have four legs and should be perfectly capable of transporting themselves. But I’ve seen a lot of things over the years, and now I am certain that anything that allows a dog to continue to enjoy the outside, free of pain and disability, is a good thing. We’ll have to see how our elderly terrier will enjoy her next phase of life…