Hiking with Your Senior Dog

by Daneen Akers

Thom Gabrukiewicz will never forget the day his dog Scully retired. It was a hot Redding day in late July when the cool waters of the river beckoned irresistibly. He took Scully, an almost 11-year-old Australian Shepherd/Chow cross, and Trinity, a 7-year-old Border Collie mix, on their usual ramble to a favorite watering hole for a dip. As an outdoor columnist and the author of Best Hikes with Dogs: Bay Area & Beyond, Thom had explored hundreds of miles of trails with his dogs and sampled countless watering holes. The “girls” loved this spot and the three of them had passed many pleasant afternoons enjoying the water and each other’s company.

Trinity jumped in and started having fun, but Scully got into trouble. The water was high, not raging, but definitely high. When she waded out, the bottom disappeared quicker than she was used to, and she suddenly found herself getting pulled by the swift current. Usually she could handle the water just fine but today she couldn’t. She kept bobbing under and her feeble paddles weren’t helping.

Thom ran to the next clear spot ahead and jumped into the 51 degree water. He swam furiously to her, managed to snag her collar, and dragged her to shore. The episode shook him. He had written about how to be prepared for situations like this in his hiking book but it was different when it happened to his Scully.

When he had adopted Scully at four months of age she had been in poor health. The vet told him that he couldn’t expect her to live as long but that didn’t stop him from fully falling in love with her and marking many hundreds of miles of trail as they adventured together. Now he realized that she just couldn’t do all of the things she used to do. She was retired from her days of big adventures. “It was hard to realize that she was slowing down that much,” Thom says. “I try now to let her be the guide to what she can do.”

Just what is a senior dog?

The definition of a senior dog isn’t very simple. While most of us were always told that one year in a dog’s life equals seven years in a human’s life, the real equation depends on size, breed, health, and history. While a Great Dane can be considered senior at six, a Chihuahua isn’t usually starting his golden years until about nine. Dr. Joe Fong, a veterinarian at Arguello Pet Hospital in San Francisco, says the general age to start really paying attention to senior issues is seven. “Seven is when pet food formulas change and it’s really the standard age. However, it really depends on the dog’s individual health and mentality.”

Slowing down? Not me, but could you wait up?

For most dog owners the signs of an aging pet aren’t something we want to see. Bryce Davis, a dogwalker in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond district, sees this often in his clients. “It’s hard to see our dog get older,” he says. “It reminds us of the whole mortality thing.”

Bryce, whose 12-year-old Lab/Pit mix now only takes gentle walks through the park instead of climbing the rocks and swimming at Baker Beach like he did in his youth, says he often has to help point out to owners that it might be time to start cutting back on the physical activity and substitute some mental activities instead. “Sometimes I have to help point out the changes. It’s important to notice the phases of a dog’s life and adjust for it,” he says. “We all want a happy, healthy dog, and curtailing activities so he can have a longer life is important.”

Dr. Fong thinks owners have to be extra vigilant to spot the warning signs that our dog might not be up to the old adventures because dogs don’t want to let us down. “They want to please you, so they’ll push themselves. Often you won’t know they’re hurt until you’re done with your hike. So you really have to take breaks to check on them.”

Outdoor adventures still possible

Even though the level of activity needs to be relaxed with a senior dog, it’s still possible to enjoy outdoor adventures together. Both Thom and Dr. Fong advocate frequent stops for water and to check your dog’s pads (this is good advice for younger dogs too). “It’s especially important to check their feet periodically,” Dr. Fong says. “They’ll scuff up their feet and keep on going. I have seen dogs that have sloughed their whole pad off and their owners say, ‘But I didn’t even know he was hurt.’”

Additionally, you need to be extra prepared before taking an adventure with a senior dog. While it’s always smart to carry several essentials, the likelihood of a problem happening where you’ll need a first aid kit increases with a senior dog. Thom’s book, Best Hikes with Dogs: Bay Area & Beyond, has a detailed checklist of what to bring.

Besides a good doggie first-aid kit, Thom also says an altered attitude that it is okay taking it nice and slow with time to smell the roses is needed. “We often still think of our dogs as that adorable, rambunctious puppy that we first got,” he says. “And while they might still have that heart, we need to adjust how we see them. I don’t think a senior dog goes on a hike, she goes on a walk.”

Thom’s book is the first in the dog hiking series published by Mountaineers Books to include a chart about which hikes are suitable for senior dogs. Twenty-two of the 40 hikes listed for the San Francisco Bay Area are considered good spots for the Scullys of the world, not too hilly, relatively short, and not likely to have spots where a dog will get into trouble. “The open space that the San Francisco area has is almost all doable for senior dogs,” Thom says. “If you’ve planned ahead and take your time, there are a lot of great options.”

Some of his favorite hikes in the area include Fort Funston, which he thinks is great for someone who has an older and a younger dog since there are so many social encounters, the Golden Gate Promenade and Crissy Field with their nearby calm waters, the always-spectacular Marin Headlands, and the South Beach Trail, which is the only area in Point Reyes where dogs are allowed (provided marine life isn’t lounging or nesting on the beach).

The morning after

Like humans, dogs often don’t realize how much they have pushed themselves until the next day. One of the warning signs to look for when your dog is starting to get upwards in age is to watch her recovery. If she is starting to have trouble getting around easily after the hikes you usually take, it is probably time to start cutting back.

To help with the aches and pains, you can give dogs aspirin and ibuprofen. Dr. Fong says that buffered aspirin is best, and he does not recommend Tylenol because it is just too easy to cause liver damage with an overdose. “If the day after your hike your dog is a little sore and creaky, buffered aspirin can be a source of pain relief for an otherwise healthy dog,” he says. “You’ll want to keep a close eye to make sure they don’t have an upset stomach. The signs are the same as they are in humans, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.” A typical aspirin dosage is between 5-10 mg per pound, but it is best to check with your vet first, particularly if your dog has ever had any liver or kidney issues.

On Golden Pond

Watching the dog who has accompanied you on countless hikes, chased squirrels madly down the trail, and always asked for more adventure start to slow down is hard. We don’t like to be reminded that time passes by, for ourselves or our dogs. But with a little attitude adjustment we can enjoy our quiet times and our occasional adventures just as much as mad squirrel chases.

Thom finds that sometimes Scully is content to stay home resting on the cool hardwood floors and let Trinity run around the field across from their house, something he wouldn’t have imagined even a year earlier. He’s philosophical about the passing of the seasons though. “You know, you mark time with your dogs. You just remember all the crazy and silly things you did together before kids and spouses. They were a friend and a constant companion, and they still are. That’s the best part, marking the time with them.”