Yes, in my experience age at death does vary. It was always said (at least as far back as I remember) that a Basenji's average is 13. This despite the fact that there were records of them living much longer. The oldest authenticated age was 23 but I would say that is an exception. Despite many very long lives, there are also those that die quite young. Mine have varied between 12 months and 18 years.
Your boy sounds wonderful and may he have many more years.
DebraDownSouth had good advice about the muzzle. I would only add that you can smear peanut butter to the front of the basket. This will keep your b's mind on trying to lick the peanut butter (or cream cheese) rather than what's being done to him/her. Practice at home and make it a happy thing if you can. Keep giving her "good stuff" as long as she settles down.
Anesthesia is dangerous. I would avoid it when possible and never agree to its use after age 8 without a serious reason. 2 of my prior b's lived to 13+, and my last made it to one month prior to his 15th birthday.
Load the cream cheese or peanut butter before you put the muzzle on.
Thanks for the tips, she is 2 yrs old and is making progress. I think the one problem is my vets philosophy is to take her in a separate room from where I am. So I can't soothe her. I do like this vet however.thanks all. The peanut butter is ingenious.
@chrisf said in Age of your basenji?:
I think the one problem is my vets philosophy is to take her in a separate room from where I am.
A new vet at the Practice I use and have used for many years, tried to do that. Just once. From then on, I refuse to let her see any of my dogs, I prefer to make appointments with the other vets in the Practice.
When they are at the Vet's - my place is with them. The rest of the Practice understands that.
Congratulations on 17 yrs. I love my long, happy- lived basenjis. Boys usually live longer. My Sonny is a healthy 13.5 yrs. old. He was perfectly trained before given to me at a year old to be a companion to my Nana who passed away a few yrs. later at 18. It was his kidneys. Sonny remains intact. He's too old now for that stressful surgery. He is a beautiful R/W. Sorry I don't have a camera. Have to scour my email for photos that may have dropped out. You seem as lucky as I giving your basenji a long, healthy life. I find them to be a very healthy breed if well cared for.
@chrisf said in Age of your basenji?:
Thanks for the tips, she is 2 yrs old and is making progress. I think the one problem is my vets philosophy is to take her in a separate room from where I am. So I can't soothe her. I do like this vet however.thanks all. The peanut butter is ingenious.
It is YOUR dog. No matter the vet's "philosophy" it is your dog and your vet is disrespecting you and the fact they are putting your dog through dangerous anesthesia makes me wonder what manhandling went on to make the dog so distressed it is the only way to do it. Please, get a new vet or tell this one your dog goes NO WHERE without you other than surgery or x-rays.
“I think the one problem is my vets philosophy is to take her in a separate room from where I am.”
Honestly, find a new vet. I can appreciate some vets like to do this and it’s fine it it works. However if you have to sedate the dog, it is not working.
I took my dog a couple of weeks ago to the vets for his annual check up and bloodwork. (Everything came back excellent) :). The vet tech took him back to get bloodwork, two minutes later four of them brought him back in the room and asked if I could get a muzzle on him. We used to muzzle Suzy in the waiting room and even that was hard as she would bite the muzzle or your hand if you weren’t carful before the basket muzzle. It was all I could do not to laugh at them, never mind aggression lol, he is all upset and sulks if I scold him, which happens maybe once a year. I held him without the muzzle on and they took the blood sample without a problem. They were all amazed and said from now on they will have me hold him lol. He has never shown any signs of aggression, but he must have panicked going back there on his own.
I had another vet tech tell me with a prior dog that they “had” to take my dog back there to get a sample. For some reason I didn’t feel she was trustworthy from her manner. I changed the vets the week after. If they won’t work with you and don’t have the dogs interest at heart, then you need a new vet.
My first Basenji was prone to pancreatitis and during an outbreak one of the vets diagnosed it as a back problem. I brought him back as it was not improving, the vet stuck obstinately to his diagnosis. It took several visits before I got another vet, who then realized the problem and gave him Baytril, he got better within a day but after a week of suffering his pancreas was damaged and he became diabetic. Don’t risk your dogs health on an incompetent vet, some are amazingly good, others should not be practicing. You are your dogs advocate, using unnecessary drugs to get bloodwork is unacceptable.
My Basenjis have varied from 12 years to just over 16.
Count me among those who will not allow the vet to take my dog into a separate room for treatment. I have always held my dogs for treatment and have never, ever muzzled them. No problems with biting or attempted biting.
@zande - Totally agree!
My first love was 11 when he passed but he had health issues. 
His hocks had fallen and he walked on "feet" - like a person. He also had a growth protruding from his rear that was most likely cancer; congestive heart failure too. UGH.
My current love turned eight in January and is healthy, has his smarts, chases squirrels, cats, deer, etc., and runs the B-500! I am thinking/praying he will live a very long life.
As far as muzzles - I used to have to put one on at the vet, but now he doesn't mind her poking and prodding. But being a typical Basenji, he growls at whatever displeases him - even if it's his mommy or daddy. That used to intimidate us with our first baby, this one we just say "REALLY?" and laugh.
My little "niño" has 17 years and 4 months! his paws are really bad for arthritis, I feel he is about to leave me, but I block those thoughts, I not even want to think how will be my life without him. ..:( 
@mariela said in Age of your basenji?:
his paws are really bad for arthritis
Even at that age, I have taken a couple of mine for acupuncture. It doesn't hurt the dog at all, and an experienced veterinary acupuncturist can REALLY make a difference to arthritis.
At least talk to your vet and see if you can make the old darling's last months really comfortable. If your own Vet doesn't do acupuncture - he will surely know who does and refer you.
Good luck !
@mariela
You can get a vet to help you to use vet wrap to help support his hocks. Be very careful to not wrap too tight, the idea is light support. He is amazing to live so old. Keeping him comfortable is important. Bromelain, which come from pineapple, may also help with the arthritis without giving him drugs.
+1 for acupuncture. I took one of mine for treatment, unfortunately didn't work for her particular problem (not arthritis), but I was amazed at her behaviour while the procedure was taking place. She was normally suspicious of strangers and didn't appreciate visiting the vet, but once he started with the needles she relaxed completely and actually dozed off for a bit. Won't hurt, could help.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
@eeeefarm said in Age of your basenji?:
but once he started with the needles she relaxed completely and actually dozed off for a bit.
First time I took an oldie for acupuncture - he had developed lesions in the high neck and was in constant pain - screamed as he curled to lie down, when he got up, moving. . .
The Vet told me he would relax as soon as all the needles were in and he did - completely, I had to hold him in a standing position cos he just wanted to lie down !
He had three treatments the first week, and on the third trip, jumped out of the car and raced up the bank in the Vet's garden ! Thereafter once a week for the rest of the month, then once a month for a couple of trips and thereafter the vet left it to me to book him further treatments at need. None were ! Thereafter several of my oldies have been to the same acu-vet who sadly is no longer with us. But two others in the Practice I use are experienced and one has been working on Hoover recently to excellent effect.
The vet explained that acupuncture can't make 'engineering' changes - but it helps the body to promote its own cortisone thereby relieving pain and allowing the animal to relax so the body can recover.
I am a firm believer !
I do not let the vet or vet techs ever take my b out of my sight. I've been told they do this because they're concerned that the owner will pass out during a blood draw, etc. If you don't pass out, there is no reason for this. When I am a new patient, I explain that I have lots of experience and assure them I will not pass out. I find that tapping the top of the nose of my b while telling him to look at me during any procedure seems to help keep him focused. ("Look at me" is a command he had been taught while waiting for the okay to eat his food and it is very useful.) My vet and the vet techs trust me to be helpful during the exam.
@pawla Many vets claim pets behave worse with the owner there. I find that condescending to just assume every owner is an idiot. Sure, if an owner really is making things worse, but otherwise, no way.
Debra
@debradownsouth said in Age of your basenji?:
Sure, if an owner really is making things worse, but otherwise, no way.
Then and only then, should they be asked to leave ! My recent experience of having Hoover whisked away, shaved down one foreleg, and blood extracted - the perpetrator of this sin was a very new, very young, junior I had to see in an emergency. I have never experienced it before in all my years with Basenjis (and before that with Lurchers).
A huge study showed that acupuncture is precisely no more effective than placebos. Except for certain practitioners who clearly made a difference. Obviously, you found someone who actually knew what he was doing.
I wish they would fund vets and human doctors who have proven results and get them to train or write their methods down for others to learn. Sadly there isn't a "standard" method for where, size of needles, how deep, etc. That you found one who gave your dogs so much is wonderful.
Debra
