A few days of vacation with a senior dog
In this beautiful winter season, Marie and Tana have decided to share their beautiful story with us through their last Christmas holidays in the Alps. What do you say of 17 years of complicity, travels, encounters and love? Although at first glance, going on vacation with a senior dog can be complicated, Marie and Tana prove us the opposite. They show us that with a bit of organization and a lot of love, we can move mountains!
Marie and Tana, travelers at heart...
My name is Marie and I am 26 years old. I always traveled through France with my parents when I was a child and now it's a bit piecemeal, with family, with friends and sometimes “alone” but always accompanied by my two dogs.
I adopted Tana at the SPA in 2004, which will therefore be 15 years old in March. I was 11 years old and since then I have never separated from this fabulous and eccentric collie mix. Throughout his life, I have endeavored to show that it is possible to do anything with dogs even if they have had a bad start in life. Also, Tana had a full life. She reached the national level in agility and oberhythm. I have always wished in my heart that our experience would be useful to other dogs by preventing them from being abandoned or by facilitating their adoption.
I could talk for hours about my princess as I like to call her. In 2011, I realized a small dream by adopting my first puppy, Ghost Buster, from breeding. He is a male blue merle collie who will be 8 years old in February.
Ghost is an exceptional dog… You could say perfect. He is calm and cuddly indoors. Outdoors, it hikes very well and goes everywhere. He is also very caring. Traveling with him is disconcertingly easy. He is always happy and adapts very well to changes in the environment, even when we are cramped in a tent or on a road trip!
Tana, before being a grandma, was a playful and tireless ball of energy when hiking. When she left the SPA, she had major problems with sociability. It took years of work on her but she always accompanied us on vacation. I think taking her to the four corners of France helped to overcome a lot of her fears, such as the fear of abandonment she had suffered.
Find solutions to guarantee the comfort of our little “granny”
According to the SPA, Tana was born in 2002. She was 17 months old when I adopted her, so in 2019 she will be 17 years old. It's a chance to live so long with your dog, especially when it comes to a dog with heart like Tana. She is in relatively good shape for her age but for the past 3 years her health has been deteriorating: osteoarthritis, kidney failure, loss of bearings, deafness, loss of muscle mass...
She has been on a specialized joint diet for 5 years. I buy her Virbac joint & mobility croquettes. She is also followed by a homeopath/phytotherapist and takes a very effective daily herbal treatment, it has no name because it is prepared “to measure”. Osteoarthritis only gives us a little respite, in the summer it takes a homeopathic solution daily: it's Rhumatyle from Boiron laboratories. And then 2 years ago she became incontinent due to kidney failure, I found a relatively effective homeopathic treatment: it's a Uricystyle veterinary product from Boiron laboratories as well.
She's a happy granny who still wants to play, but for some time the hikes are prohibited. She gets tired very quickly and has difficulty overcoming obstacles and stairs. If, for her pleasure, I take her from time to time, I find out about accessibility and reduce the durations so that she only retains the pleasure of our outings and not the fatigue. I also sometimes wear it to cross difficult passages.
The seasons are also very important. The most difficult thing for Tana is the humidity because of her osteoarthritis. When it rains or it's cold, she rarely goes out and is always covered with un coat. I make sure to dry it well with a microfiber towel and to always install his cushion near a source of heat. In fact, she is happy to be able to continue living as before, but she sleeps a lot. On vacation with my dog, I adapt to his rhythm.
Holidays adapted to your lifestyle
My dog always goes on vacation with me. My dogs are an integral part of my life and I absolutely cannot see myself leaving without Tana. Before, I often left with them on impulse and sometimes completely without a safety net: just them, me and my car. Today, a good stay goes through a good rental!
Leaving with an elderly dog requires a certain “comfort”, so exit the canvas tent and the roadtrip. Also, I do not skimp on my requirements in terms of housing. In summer, it must be cool for Tana to have a refuge in the afternoon away from the stifling heat. And, in winter, it must allow me to take it out easily. I always choose accessible accommodation for her, either on the ground floor or with a lift.
In terms of equipment, I always take his, his mat and bowls. I don't change anything because it helps him find his bearings. Indeed, even if she has always travelled, she still finds it more difficult to adapt to change. The first few days, especially after a long drive in car, can be a bit hectic for her. You have to try to keep the same rhythm as at home in terms of outings and bowls. You have to think about the drugs and the little aid kit to be ready in case of boo.
For the winter, his coat, to wool. For the summer, towels after a swim. His suitcase didn't really change in the end.
On the other hand, depending on his state of health and housing, I can equip myself with a puppy park. She moves around a lot at night and it can be dangerous for her when she doesn't know where to live. I also provide mattress pads, a mop… You have to adapt to the dog and the characteristics of the accommodation.
As for our activities during the holidays, this is the most frustrating part for me who was used to sharing everything with my dog. Today, I make the choice to leave her in the accommodation so that she can rest, hence also the importance of the choice of accommodation to welcome us.
I adapt all our outdoor activities to his rhythm. In the summer, she comes with us in the morning. I choose things that are easy and accessible. In the afternoon, she stays cool in the accommodation to go out in the evening.
In the winter, I make sure she goes out regularly and enjoys the snow.
As a result, it's a real juggling between our own activities such as downhill skiing, hiking with Ghost and outings adapted to Tana. But having said that, I also appreciate and benefit from it 200%. I know that at his age, you have to savor every moment together.
Our holidays in the Alps for Christmas, accommodation and dog-friendly address
This year was the second time I went to winter sports with the 2 wolves for Christmas. I had rented a chalet in a campsite in the Alpes. It was the campsite the hairy, in the village of Bozel near Champagny en Vanoise. We are crazy about alpine skiing and I came across a great compromise: a chalet giving access to the two largest ski areas in France AND surrounded by hiking trails. There is also a lake 300 meters away, torrents in the immediate vicinity, a leisure center and a large area for walking dogs in freedom. Tana was particularly happy to be able to walk freely. Indeed, it is not easy with her deafness, to leave her free, but there she found her youth in the snow!
Ghost took advantage of the hiking trails, he was thrilled! The first hike on arriving led us into forest paths where machines had passed, result Ghost was covered in mud up to his stomach... I thought I had to put him in the shower on the way back, but finally we ended up reaching snowy meadows. And, after a few powder chases, he was almost clean. Supreme luxury of this chalet for my Princess, there was a wood stove in front of which to put her carpet.
The final word for traveling with a senior dog
Finally, traveling with an old dog is first of all living at his own pace. When you have lived with him for many years, you know him well and know how to meet his needs to have a good holiday! It's hard to see our life companions grow old and I don't want to miss any minute that life offers me alongside my dog. Leaving without it is not even an option, especially for family vacations. An old dog on vacation is above all knowing how to distribute his time to reconcile pleasure and physical capacity. You have to be aware that some things are no longer accessible to him and accept that he needs a lot of rest.
If all the advice and the too W'ouf address of Marie and Tana have made you want to leave with your old doggie or just go to the Alps, the beautiful mountains are waiting for you! I also leave it to you Mary's facebook contact !
Also consider taking a look at the mag which will introduce you to many other destinations! Going on vacation in the Jura massif with your dog, Take your dog to Ariège for the holidays, Annecy: a perfect destination for holidays WITH your dog...