European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Modern Amer entry cars can Cost Hundred inform am thousands of Dollar. Yet often Lite Only Evialee i coping with an aging pet by Olive Evans new York times h dog that risked ill Way through so Many years d your Haj is not eager to play i Synmoie. And the cat Semi so i once More time than Ever fur Baric Foj aging Pels this is a painful n Jet lion Bui Tome pfc ration Hull emotional and medical can mat e it of vow on animal and owner Olla a people a com surprised thai Ihu Ftp has gotten older said Susan Philips often a social worker and the director of counselling at the animal medical Center in new York ally cily people. They Dor i have Hal organic Buill in sense Ollile Span ii they a bouncy cat or dog. They target How old it is and Thoro arc oven people who lie about a pet s age Ana never id ii Ricl Over 10 years dogs Olen Livo into i hair Catly teens. And Small Onos lend to outlive Large ones Many Cas live into their late teens but when an animal begins to Tail. There Ore painful decisions modern Vel binary care can Cost hundreds in some cases thousands of dollars. Yet olten the Only Choice is Cul Hanas a. Pet medical insurance can help Wilh the Bella to some Edon moreover there Are signs owners can Walch for and things they should and should not do to keep Iho pot As Chat Lily As possible in ill Laler years. Or. Michael s. Garvey chairman of Hie department of Rne Dono at the animal medical Canler suggested Hal elderly animals be seen by a veterinarian More often than Lor a yearly checkup. To described symptoms Hal might be cause Lor concern in an animal of any age bul thai in tin Ului Pel May indicate serious illness an increase in thirst or urm Alion in dogs frequent or continual coughing. In cals rapid and deep breathing even Whan at rest. Foj vomiting diarrhoea or a change in Mool color that Are More than occasional. When such symptoms occur Garvey said the earlier the animal is diagnosed and treatment started the More Lively is successful outcome " Basc requirements for regular Caro. He Caid. Are Lor the animals to have constant Access to f r Citi Clear water and to be protected from extremes of heat humidity and cold. Arl Henlis is common among older Borjo bul not c ils i the animal shows signs of stillness there Are medications thai May ease Tho symptoms under no circumstances should people use their own Arl Hrisis Medicine on a pet Garvey said he said tylenol end Datril Are extremely toxic locals. In he said no medication should be used Wilhour consulting a veterinarian a dog that has had regular runs inn the Park All its life May continue moderate exorcise into old age Garvey said but walks father than explosive to warned against jogging with a 13-year-old obesity should be avoided at any ago Garvey said but the older the animal gels the less in exercises and the easier it is lot it to gain weight on the same amount of owners should Cut Bacic a bit on the Quantity of food which should consist largely of Standard commercial pet Lood. Not table scraps or sweets. Garvey pointed out that certain prescription goods recommended by a veterinarian might be helpful for the older animal Wilh kidney tart or other problems. But he was sceptical about the products in gourmet Pel adding it s difficult for anyone to know in they Are really balanced and blindness can develop in older animals but is tolerated very Well Garvey said Many times people Don t realize thai the Pel is Blind until they rearrange Hie Lurn Ilure he said. Cataracts can be removed and vision successfully restored. Alto some animal As they Gal older lend to be less tolerant of being pestered he said and that can be a problem Wilh Small children thai s to be Bui even the old animal thai has had the Best care May eventually put enormous strains on its owner and often on the vet As Welt. Thae have been monumental increases in longevity said or. Jim Wilson acting medical director of the veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania we have the knowledge and ability and Many owners Don t Havo the finances to allow us to use them. They Are asking us to euthanize the animal and we know we can save it this is an emotional turmoil Lor the two companies provide medical insurance Lor Pels. . The animal health insurance Agency 24 delay si., Danbury Conn. 06810. Insures cats and dogs up to 10 Yoars old against sickness and injury Pels Over 10 Are insured a Insl Mury Only ., veterinary pet insurance 400 n. Tuslinave., Santaana Calif. 92705. Will insure animals to any ago for illness and injury bul will not accept new applications Tor animals older than ii premiums increase As the animal grows older. Even when the Bills Are paid arid science has done what is feasible the painful decision May Havo Lobo made a lot of people expect and Hope and Pray Hal i hair animals go Witson said. Bul they usually Don t. Neither do people soil s important to get ready " Alice Woodward of Concord. Calif., said you re never prepared. I Lei my dogs go a Day or iwo longer than they should have. That s the Lime you need that understanding Wilson suggested ways of knowing when Tho Timo is right is the animal in pain he asked. That May be hard to evaluate. But the absolute Best tip thai it s time is when the old animal slops Ealing " Erma Bombeck when i Ihrk of hell i visualize a Large Box containing a Lawn Cha r Wilh easy to follow instructions inside stamped on it. I know mat for the next three years. I will writhe in pain and make inhuman sounds As Wing nuts Roll under the refrigerator and an envelope marked important instructional material reveals a single Sheet marked Page 2 what happened to All those lulls people who used to put things together before they were sent out everything you buy these Days has been compressed into a Small Box with instructions Tilten in japanese. I bought a Lille plaque to hang on the Wall and hold my toys it came in an envelope Wilh 13 Small parts and two pages of instructions. I m not into crafts i just wanted to d Ive a Nail in the Wall and hang it up last Christmas i saw a cute Little gift Box in the banana Republic Catalon shaped like a purple Rhino. The one i got looked As if in had been run Over by a Herd of Cape Bullaro. Ii took a two hours to insert All the Liliu Slot a s Inlo All the Lille slow b a invert the Bottom old along dotted lines and thread his Little tools through soils d and e. I could t think of anyone who deserved in so i Kepi in. Manufacturers assume thai everyone is or. Good wrench. They assume to ail have our own Phillips screwdrivers and our own Levels. Well i m Here to toil you that there s a whole Community of us who a chorale our ironing boards Lor Christmas because to Don t know How to gel them Down. To Are nol As they say. Handy Wilh our we Aie intimidated by anything Wilh movable parts when a screw Falls Oul of the hair dryer to gel rid of it when the toaster catches fire irom Crumb buildup we con Lebuto in to Goodwill. When a clock needs batteries we give Illo our kids. The truth is the number of items that coma a assembled grows each Day. A Man in my stale thought in would be great to buy the London Bridge and relocate in in Iho Middle of lha Arizona desert. Ii was sent to him in numbered parts with a Book on How to put it together again. He did t know anything about pulling together a Bridge. If he did he d Havo Buill his own i d have Laid Thorn Hal in it in t assembled keep ill today in s just a Bridge tomorrow you could to gelling your car in a Largo Box Hal rallies when the postman delivers in. What brought All this on is a Box before is containing a nest of Patio tables. It is a very Small Box. I you stand on your head you can read this Side the Label says instructions Hen Halh no fury like a woman who does l even have the tools to open the Box Page 16 the stars and stripes monday. May 30,1988
