Dog older than i was told

[lovemylover]

I got my little dog from a couple wanting to rehome her, i was told she was about 3, and had been got by them from a rescue,they said she was found wandering at around 6 months old,matted and with kennel cough
Today i took her to the vet with a skin condition, for the second time
He asked me how old she was,i said i thought about 5 as going by how old she was when i got her etc
He said she wasnt 5 ,more like 9 or 10, i am shocked
I had also asked him to check her eyes,as one seemed very cloudy
I had previously asked a different vet at the same pratice who had said they were ok, but that was when i first took her for a checkup and vaccination as she wasnt vaccinated, it was never suggested she could be older
The people i got her from said she had only been to a vets once with a
small accident
Could a vet be so wrong? i cant believe someone would say a dog was only 3 if really much older ,especially as i had advertised for a dog and said i didnt mind an older one
She is lovely and i wouldnt have cared how old she was

Well they probably lied about her being from a rescue (the rescue would want the dog back not informally re-homed), so why not lie about the age?

Plus a 3yr old is easier to home than 5, as most people consider 3 ideal - good long life ahead but past the puppy stage.

Also the teeth of a 5yr old are very different to a 9-10yr old, so I doubt the vet is wrong. Tbh you should have asked when you first got her if she was roughly the correct age.

Vet won't be wrong. It's not always accurate but the teeth are a very good indicator. Unless dog was very poorly treated before you and had sustained some damage but age related decay is undeniable. Im sorry your wee dog is older than you thought it seems unfair to have been robbed of those extra years you hoped you could have with her.

I would go with the vets opinion I am afraid rather than someone rehoming privately (buyer beware and all that).

You could pay for another check up with a different vet if you really wanted a second opinion on age.

It doesnt bother me at all that she might be older than these people said, i would have still had her,and as i said i was looking for an older dog really as i am a pensioner .just sad that i might lose hert sooner than i thought, and if snything happened to me my daughter would have her
I did take her for a check up when i first got her, and had her full vaccinations done,but the vet i saw then asked me her age and didnt question it when i said about 3and a half, told him the story i was told,

I JUST FEEL A BIT GUILTY NOW TAKING HER ON LONG WALK ETC,
THE COUPLE REHOMING HER SAID THAT AS NOW THEY HAD A 7 MONTH OLD WHO WAS CRAWLING THEY THOUGHT IT BEST TO REHOME HER AS THE BABY WAS GRABBING AT HER,OR IF NO REHOME THEY WERE GOING TO PTS,
Sorry about caps just realised
The husband actually broke down in tears,
I didnt pay anything for her,i was willing to but they said they just wanted a good home for her, even paid for chip details changing, they brought her and said i could have her for a week to see if she settled, so glad i kept her,
She cried when they left her, but settled fairly quickly

Oh I know you said you aren't bothered about the age but I would be more inclined to believe a vet than someone trying to rehome their pet especially for the reasons they gave you as lots of people manage to keep babies and dogs safe (especially older ones as she is hardly an untrained bouncing puppy). They probably thought an older dog might put people off so lied. Sounds like now they have a baby they just didn't want her anymore (unfortunately it seems to be quite common and you sound kind and probably want to think the best of them but most people who love their dog would find ways of keeping them apart and happy).

If you think it might make a difference in her care in terms of walking then get a second opinion but equally if she enjoyed the walk and didn't show any issues there is no reason not to if she is in good health and she probably really enjoyed it.

Forgot to say she also has the beginning of a cataract,here is a pic of her, but shes a bit fatter now

Dhe does love going on the beach, but when shes had enough wants carrying home,
I had a feeling her sight wasnt very good as she seemed sometimes to miss where her ball had gone
I think she was treated well, but i dont think she was taken out on a lead much as she pulled a lot and barked at other dogs all the time which did worry me, but shes good as gold now and i only have to tell her to stay, and she will stop dead in her tracks, and comes when called

She's beautiful.

It's sad that the people rehoming her felt it necessary to lie, but you are where you are and there's not much you can do about it now. She sounds like a lovely dog. It sounds like she wasn't abused, but her needs weren't exactly top of their priority list, and so she's fallen on her feet with you.

Don't worry too much about long walks - she's capable of telling you when she's had enough! You may find that over time she builds up strength and is able to go further. I used to have a dog who knew exactly how far her walks should be in her twilight years and wouldn't go a step further. We had another dog who wanted to walk 4x further so I spent a lot of time carrying her as she just wouldn't walk! In her even later years, she always got the choice of whether to go out for a walk or not - if she didn't appear when we called "walkies" then she opted out for the day and that was fine.

If she's struggling to follow her ball, you can get ones that have bells in the middle, such as this one (which also has a scent/taste) www.amazon.co.uk/Ruff-N-Tumble-Five-Senses/dp/B013QW6SXQ?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Thank you ,Yes sometimes she just refuses to go for a walk, if so i dont make her, cant blame her this weather either really
I agree its a shame when people lie to find a home for a dog due to age,
So pleased i took her, i did think it strange they were talking about putting her to sleep if i didnt have her, also no record of vet visits either, but shes very loved here and spoilt,
A shame too that more people dont take older dogs,

Oh she is adorable! I can see why you have fallen for her I would have too! Happy to read she has gone to someone who will love her and give her all the attention she needs. Even though she is older than you were told she looks quite small and generally small dogs live longer than bigger ones so you may have her for a fair few years yet!

My DM once rehomed a dog that had been abandoned and obviously mistreated and it’s teeth were horrendous (chihuahua so I don’t think they’re known to have the best teeth anyways). They were told she was 4-5 by the rescue, but their own vet actually said the teeth were so bad she could be anywhere from 4-8 or even 9.

This might not be as likely if they said they got her at 6 months but just saying it can happen with rescue dogs!

She's beautiful.I can completely understand where you are coming from.It's a bit like bung cheated of time.I won't lie every birthday my dear dog has makes me feel weepy.I know I should be celebrating another year of her love but dread the etching closer to her time:(.

So pleased i took her, i did think it strange they were talking about putting her to sleep if i didnt have her, also no record of vet visits either

She definitely is lucky to have found you OP. As others have said she may have many healthy happy years ahead of her despite her older age.

She's gorgeous. She could be around for quite some time. Hope so.

Aw, bless her little soul!
Just enjoy having her.

She is lovely and good job shes not too bothered about going out ,as i am stuck inside with Shingles, but i have a very large enclosed garden, but she still wont go outside without me