r/SeniorDogsHealth

My dog used to run to the door and jump on the couch but now he moves very slowly and limps after getting up. The hardest part is watching him try to climb the stairs. He stops halfway sometimes and looks tired or uncomfortable.What helped your dog feel more comfortable?

My 13 year old Pittie, who suffers from arthritis, also suffers from laryngeal paralysis. He is currently on raw food with supplements (Missing Link and Dasoquin) Carpofen (Rimadyl) and Gabapentin. I've only started the Dasoquin in the last month and haven't seen much improvement. His breathing is labored when he moves too fast or gets excited. Sometimes at night he wakes us up hacking. Once he goes out he stops the hacking. Is there anything that I can give him to help him with the breathing? Any suggestion would be most appreciated.

I’m a sobbing mess. My ball obsessed dog tore her ccl last night while playing fetch. The emergency vet diagnosed her with a torn ccl in her one leg and said her other leg is swollen and likely to tear. We were referred to a veterinary orthopedic surgeon but the consult isn’t until next week!

To make matters more complicated. I was advised that my dog avoid stairs and we live in a 3 story town home. The stairs are unavoidable. Since I’m pregnant, I can’t carry her up and down them (she’s 50lbs).

Has anyone else had a senior dog with this diagnosis? Any advice the ccl tear or how to get my stubborn dog to use a ramp.

My 12 year old cocker spaniel was the runt of the litter and was born with defective hip sockets. I was quoted $15,000 repair surgeries years ago but I am disabled and on a fixed income. I have always done my best for him with high quality food and hip and joint supplements. Now he is blind in one eye and deaf. He can no longer negotiate the steps down into my yard and is too heavy for me to lift, except in extreme circumstances when I will have to deal with resulting severe back pain. He eats and drinks but has steadily gotten thinner over the last few months. He howls incessantly if he doesn’t know where I am in the house. He howls from pain. Most of his time is spent asleep.

I believe he has no quality of life. However, I am at a loss at what to do. I have no money for vet assisted euthanasia and even my local animal shelter charges for this. The shelter told me I could abandon him there and he would be put down in three days. I am beyond revolted by the idea of his fear and terror of being abandoned this way.
His howling is ear piercing and has kept me from being able to sleep more than a few hours at a stretch. I am exhausted and at age 71, at my wits end.
Please, if you have suggestions let me know.

My pug is 13 y/o not neutered male 13 kgs and is pretty much healthy he has a chronic issue of struvite crystals/stones in kidney due to which he gets UTI frequently and supplements don’t help. It has been recently flagged that he has b2 grade of degenerative mitral valve issue. He also has arthritis along with enlarged prostate. 4-5 months back during his sleep at night b/w 3-5 am he starts breathing shallow while in deep sleep and then completely stops breathing to suddenly waking up and gasping/choking for air, if this gets severe his body gets stiff, almost looking like epilepsy and he collapses to side also many time vocalising loudly. When we rub his neck and open his mouth during this episode he is normal within seconds but this triggered few epilepsy episodes too where he actually had proper twitching and his eyes were constantly moving side to side. The doctor put him on potassium bromide based anti epileptic syrup but everything useless. We have checked his heart where except mitral valve issue nothing major was flagged. His lungs are normal, no tracheal collapse and laryngeal muscle seems to work fine on tests. Recently he got a severe uti and since then he has stopped moving limbs but he is not paralysed, he stopped peeing and pooping by himself and this breathing issue got more severe. This has become worst nightmare for me and Bruno I stay awake all night rubbing his neck and checking if he breathing. I live in constant fear. The vets have no diagnosis. I understand many issues are overlapping but none explain this breathing issue.

One vet told he has lesion somewhere in cervical region which leads to nerve compression and has vestibular disease, neuromuscular weakness as well but how is he breathing completely normal during day time and only has this issue late night and early morning? I did see some dryness in his mouth so I have tried everything I give him water, I rubbed some coconut oil on his gums and tried nebulisation as well.. from bronchodilator to cough syrup everything but nothing works. Recently I saw his nose is getting stuffy and clear discharge is there when he was laying to one side I noticed small bubbles near nose.. we are trying our best to treat everything else with all medicines and therapy but this breathing issue is inconclusive. He also started the heart medicine 2 days ago… we can’t go for any tests or surgery involving anesthesia because he is not in a condition to tolerate that but we pray for this nightmare to stop. Please help.

Hey everyone! I have an 11 year old dog (terrier/pitbull mix we think) who is my soul dog. I got her when I was 12 and she's grown up with me. She has had a ton of testing done for urinary incontinence that hasn't been improved by Incurin, an insane want for water, and she has completely stopped eating now. All of her labs come back normal. It's now been 24 hours since she's eaten. I've tried everything from adding water to her dry food, wet food toppers, broth, boiled chicken + rice, and even McDonalds. She's refusing anything other than water and is losing weight. She still is pretty mobile and acting like herself with a considerate amount of energy despite her age which is giving me trouble making the end of life decision. Her quality of life is declining, but I still have reservations with it potentially being time due to the amount of movement and happiness she still seems to be having on the day to day. She loves going for walks, will roll around in the grass outside, and will jump up and down whenever I refill her water bowl. What is everyone's experience with senior dogs and end of life care? Everyone I've talked to has said that "You'll know when it's time" but it couldn't be more unclear to me. I'm so worried I'm going to wait for a sign and she'll be in pain because I waited for too long. Thanks in advance to anyone who has anything to share <3

Hi! I have a beloved 11 year named Lucy. She has always had a sensitive tummy, but recently she has been throwing up randomly. She drinks too much water, she throws up, drive too long she's sick, etc. I went to vet and they gave anti nausea meds for 5 days, she did well. Then as soon as she was off, she was sick again. We are trying pepcid over the weekend, but she was sick today at dinner. Vet said next is xrays. Her blood work was normal with mild elevated pancreatic levels. She is completely normal otherwise, she acts like she is starving, her energy is ok. I have been feeding her in smaller amounts to avoid regurgitation, but idk what is going on. Anyone have anything similar or thoughts on what it could be? TIA!

Hello for context I have a senior dog is about 10 years old and i recently like I’d say two weeks ago I discovered this lump on my dog on his chest i touched it to see if it hurt him or not he wasn’t really in pain but is it something I should be concerned about.

I did hear that when a dog gets old they get these lumps and usually if it’s a lot they have to surgically remove it is it something like that

My dog only has one lump I did check if it was growing or anything but it’s still in normal size I believe.

But the lump feels squishy too

So the dog in question is my parents senior (13?) York-Pom. She has insanely bad breath and has insane plaque buildup. Thing is, she gets aggressive when my mom has tried brushing her teeth, and the vet says that she's too small to be put under to get a cleaning (she's around 8 pounds). She never really had dental chews either, so seems like there's not option other than to let her teeth be gross.

I know that it's probably uncomfortable for her to experience the bad dental health, and I really don't want to let it stay the way it is because it's been like this for too long. I want her last days to be filled with comfort.

Any advice on ways that I can get her dental health better at home since vet isn't really any option. Or products that have really helped keep your dogs dental health in check. Thanks!

I have a terrier chihuahua mix who turns 16 next month. I'm struggling to decide if it's too soon. He has very cloudy cataracts that make it hard to see, arthritis (poorly controlled), and elevated liver levels (currently controlled). He seems confused and lost on bad days, which I have brushed off until recently, and has had a few seizures (months apart). The vet also suspects cushings but I have made it clear that I have no desire to test or treat for that at his age as it is expensive and is unlikely to extend his life (and she agreed).

I have been taking the QOL quizzes for several months and he has wavered around the middle depending on the quiz and the month. He still eats and drinks fine, but other factors are concerning me. I don't know if I should realistically wait until he stops eating and drinking again.

I first started seriously considering euthanasia 3 months ago when he had an episode that caused him to stop eating (his favorite thing ever), drinking, and getting up to do anything without being carried. I had a euthanasia appointment scheduled and he perked up and showed interest in life and food again hours after I made that call. I still took him to the vet, and long story short she deduced that he was feeling terrible from severe arthritis pain and tightly clenching his belly area. So he was put on a pain med and muscle relaxer, which seemed to perk him up more. He was originally taking carprofen but taken off of it a year prior when his liver values started to climb.

He had been treated for a UTI a month prior to this which I was only able to catch after he started frequently urinating indoors.

Because of his vision impairment, he frequently trips, falls off of, and runs into things. He's taken some serious spills back to back in the past week that are probably adding to the next paragraph.

The pain started breaking through at the start of this month even with the medication, followed by return of the frequent indoor urination. I had an NSAID blood panel ran and a urine test and both came back fine (I struggle to afford a full blood panel right now, please don't recommend without good reason). He was also the worst behaved I have ever seen him at the vet. He has always been friendly and patient, but this time he was scared, squirmy, and even whined, cried, and snapped at the vet. He has NEVER snapped at anyone before this. I forgot to mention the breakthrough pain at the appointment, but his options are limited because of his liver. The indoor urination has continued for a week after this last appointment, to the point that he's done it in bed and needed washed 3 days in a row. He's also been extra lethargic, disinterested in walks, not interested in snuggling, wobbly, prone to falling over, and confused and anxious.

Today was a good day. He was still very quiet and a little confused, but he was interested in going outside, went on a very short walk in the park, and followed me around the house. The past week has been mostly bad days or a wash, but maybe it could get better if I can help prevent him from hurting himself more? Maybe he's peeing more because he hurts? I really wish he could just tell me how he's feeling.

The last piece of my qualm is timing in my personal life. I know it's coming, and I know no time is really a good time... But an okay time for me to call it while his life is still good(ish) is next week. He has an appointment already for annual vaccines, AND I will have two weeks to grieve before starting a new job. That's all I'm really willing to share about my personal life, but back to the qualm: Should I do it within the next couple of weeks while it is easier for me to grieve without disrupting work (I envy the people that can function after the death of a pet), or risk waiting to see if he gets better again? How long would better even last for?

I'll be calling my vet tomorrow to ask her opinion, but it's unlikely she'll be able to talk to me until the actual appointment.

TLDR:

My 16 year old dog has had a rough time off and on for 3 months. I've done the QOL quizzes, he ranks in the middle. The last time I thought he needed euthanasia 3 months ago (he completely shutdown), he got better shortly after I made the appointment. This time he has had a slower decline over the past couple of weeks and I'm not sure if he can pull out of it or not. I have a window of time that would be good for me to grieve if I euthanize in the next couple of weeks, but I think I'll carry guilt of euthanizing too soon because, "What if he has more good days than bad left still?" I could find a way to fund vet bills for testing and treatment, but I honestly don't know if it will improve his QOL and lifespan for more than a few months, a year at best. I will get the vet's opinion as well, but needed to use Reddit as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Hi everyone, I could really use your advice because I'm completely torn and don't know what the best course of action is.

My poodle just turned 12. He is generally in good health and great shape. We haven't done any detailed bloodwork or tests recently because there didn't seem to be a need, overall, he is doing fantastic.

However, for the past few years, he’s been struggling with severe dental issues. His teeth are loose and falling out, one side of his jaw frequently swells up, he gets chronic infections, and he has to take antibiotics way too often.

We’ve taken him to several vets, and their opinions are completely divided. Some claim that he is too old to be put under anesthesia for dental work and extractions, and that the risk is just too high for his age. Other vets think the exact opposite and recommend doing the procedure.

To make matters more complicated, my dog is extremely sensitive to chemicals. He actually suffered from poisoning after using a standard spot-on tick treatment, and he even starts coughing just from the smell when I wash my hands with regular soap. Because of this extreme sensitivity, on top of his age, I am absolutely terrified of how he would react to general anesthesia.

What do you guys think is the smartest thing to do here? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any advice would mean the world to me.

My dog Shaq has recently experienced urinary incontinence the last 2 months. He never had issues before and is very well potty trained. It happens most often towards the end of the evening after 7pm, once he has had his excercise for the day, eaten and drank water. He usually will lay down and fall asleep but will be awakened by small leakage. If it occurs overnight and he doesnt get the chance to pee outside, a larger pool may accumulate. It also does occasionally happen to a lesser extent during the daytime.

He has done blood and urine tests. His urine concentration has been consistently diluted. They also saw slightly raised levels to do with his kidneys and requested an ultrasound. The ultrasound ultimately showed no major damage or noticeable structural changes or growths or masses with his kidney (which has mostly ruled out the worry of serious obvious kidney disease). It looks mostly normal although may be slightly small.

The vet now thinks what he's experiencing may be most likely related to Diabetes insipidus or Psychogenic polydipsia. The vet has described it as still somewhat of a mystery though, because even those 2 conditions may not be the culprit. I've been instructed to track how much water intake he has on an average day and keep a record. Shaq has always been more of a guzzler with water, often waiting until he is very thirsty and then finishing a whole bowl. Im curious to see if his daily water intake is much above normal, as it does not seem obvious to me.

Has anyone experienced or heard of anything like this with a 3.5 year old Male Greater Swiss? Appreciate any commentary.

My senior dog is 12 yrs old this year. She used to be brown and black but shes only white and black now, and Im pretty sure shes a dachshund mix.

My parents got them for us when we were kids, way before I could remember, and as a kid i loved her with my whole heart. We got her and her brother and things were mostly okay, with a few minor fights here and there.

I finally moved out this past year, and because she was “my dog” as a kid and nobody wanted them (she was only comfortable around me) i took her and her brother, and now the stress is weighing on me and my partner and Im looking for advice on where to go from here.

She used to love playing ball, but now it seems all she wants to do is eat, and seems confused when I pick up one. She barks at us both constantly, when I try to pet her or have her sit with me, she yelps out of fear (We never hit them) or ends up wandering off after 20 minutes. She always seems restless now, and whenever she gets some bout of energy, she hits her head on something or falls down. She fights with her brother more often now too, shes always barking at him if he sits with me, or growling at him if he lays too close to her, and if she sees something on a walk that gets her riled up, she’ll bark at it and then at him.
I try to do care like bathing and trimming her nails, but she cries the whole time despite getting regular baths as a puppy and not acting this way before, and I dont think Id be able to safely trim her nails without her freaking out now.

There are moments where it seems like she wants me to pet her or she gets excited, but once i reach my hand out and she sees I have no food, shes uninterested or immediately flips over and I cant tell if its out of fear or if she wants me to pet her. I want to take her brother back to my parents as they seem to be fighting more and more often now, but at the same time, we had him with the sitter for a night and she just seemed lonely, she slept the entire day.

Im worried about her quality of life, if shes not stressed shes hungry and barking at us, and if shes not hungry then shes stressed out and barking at us. Ive tried calming treats and some things to improve joint health, but she acts the same either way. I do plan on taking her to the vet, but I just want to be prepared for whatever they might ask me or say.

I mostly want advice at this time, is this what it feels like when shes telling me to just let her rest, or is she just stressed out right now? I feel so guilty for thinking the worst because she still eats well, but at the same time Im trying everything I can to make her life easier and nothing seems to “stick”
Thank you for any comments