Tears over 17-year-old golden retriever’s bath-time routine

A video capturing a senior golden retriever’s bath-rime routine has melted hearts among social media users.

Shared on TikTok in November, under the username @tasharyland, the clip shows the 17-and-a-half year old pup, Jake, relaxing in the bathtub while his owner’s boyfriend gives him a soothing bath with warm water.

“Scrub-a-dub-dub, senior in the tub,” says the caption. “At 17, bath time looks a little different for Jake, he can’t stand in the tub anymore without slipping and sliding so he gets the full VIP treatment: seated baths with our trusty salt beef bucket as a rinse aid!

“The nurse in me can’t help but make sure he’s squeaky clean and properly dried off to prevent any skin breakdown at his age. It’s not always easy, but keeping this old boy fresh is always worth the extra steps.”

Just like us, dogs eventually get old, and some of them, like golden retrievers, notoriously turn gray as it happens. However, telling a dog’s exact age is not always easy.

Georgia-based veterinarian Dr. Jess Kirk explains on Vet Explains Pets that the first year of a dog’s life is equivalent to around 15 human years, however, not every year is the same.

The second year is equal to nine humans years, and then each additional year after that can be estimated to be about five human years. An example she gives is a 5-year-old dog, which according to her calculations would make the pup about 33 years old in human age.

If you had your dog since puppyhood, it’s very easy to tell exactly how old they are, but for rescue dogs with an uncertain past, it can be more difficult. However, when dogs turn old they do show some signs, according to the American Kennel Club.

As they age, their coat will usually turn slightly white or gray, their teeth will be worn down and their breath more stinky, their eyes will get cloudy or bluish, the pads on their feet will get darker and may become dry and cracked, and they will lose muscle tone.

Older dogs also have lower energy levels, less appetite, struggle to move, have problems hearing, and can sometimes suffer from cognitive dysfunction.

The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 1.5 million views and 146,500 likes on the platform.

One user, Jess_mac_, commented: “17.5! That’s one happy healthy pup to have lived that long. Clearly you’ve made him so happy.”

Martina said: “My shih tzu just turned 18 last month. what a blessing to have a best friend by your side for so long.”

Emily ann added: “It’s such an honor to care for our babies once they get old.”

Newsweek reached out to @tasharyland for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

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