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The doghouse

Old dog - new issues!

1 reply

Beaubird83 · 22/05/2019 14:06

OH has an 11 year old full Staffie, who is now our family dog as we are a family! Over the past month or so we’ve noticed some weird changes in him.

He’s been brought up with the kids, the youngest being 2. He’s never alone with the kids, but is absolutely brilliant with all of them and they all adore him.
He’s an old man. He sleeps pretty much all day, and all night. He’s been on the same dog food literally his whole adult life, even whilst in kennelling. He tends to just graze and go with food, he’s never had set meal times. He goes for a walk every day, sometimes with me, but mainly with OH. When he’s out he’s petrified of other dogs as he got attacked as a pup, so he never likes to go far from home or go for a decent run about. If other dogs are off lead and come up to him, he just freezes like a statue and waits for them to go then he carries on.

He’s neutered, a healthy size and weight, fully up to date with all his jabs, and gets 6 monthly vet checks (mainly for my piece of mind as he has had non cancerous tumours removed before) and no issues have ever been raised. OH doesn’t see the point to them being so regular, but I’d personally be happier him going that often especially with him getting older.

He has walked with a limp for almost 2 years, but vets have done their tests and said he doesn’t seem to be in any pain or discomfort upon examination; just see how he goes, they’re not worried. OH reckons it’s due to him sleeping so much and getting dead leg!

He always indicates to us when he wants to go for toilet if not walkies time, and he has a set bit in the garden that he uses (is cleaned up appropriately and the kids don’t play in that corner or go near it).

For about two months, he randomly howls in the night, assuming in his sleep. Howling like a wolf, it scares the crap out of me. OH finds it funny, gets up, gives him some fuss and they both go back to sleep but it takes me ages!
Past few days, he’s gone to the kitchen for food or drink, and then decided to pee up the toilet door on his way past or way back. Not talking a little bit either, it’s a full bladder amount. Doesn’t do it if OH is home, and I’m not being ignorant he’d always come find me if he needed to go out.
Personally, I reckon it’s just his age and him losing his ability to know properly when he needs to go, but not sure?
I offer him to go for a walk or to go out randomly throughout the day, but he rarely does anything when we go.
Last night he had a drink, and then came into our room as usual, and settled on his bed. He then was sick everywhere. OH took him downstairs to go outside and on the way there he was sick again twice.
Me, probably overreacting, called the vets this morning and they said just to keep an eye on him over next day or two, and if he doesn’t seem right take him up.

He hasn’t touched his food today, he’s drank though. He’s followed me around the house like normal, and is currently tucked up in his bed upstairs in our room as the littlest is napping in hers, he never goes far from her.

He’s never really been ill before. OH had him from a puppy, from a family friend who does breeding properly, and even to this day she still contacts him to ask how he’s doing. His parents were fit and healthy all their life too. The only time he’s spent overnight in the vets was when he had his lumps removed under general. He had a large one on his chest which was growing, but turned out to not be cancerous. He still has a couple but they’re not growing and vets have said they’re not problematic.

He still has his hyper moments, still spins in circles trying to catch his tail, will play rope tug with the kids, loves to demolish tennis balls and footballs and loves to leg it around the garden playing football with the kids.

Does this all sound like old age related stuff? I’ve never had a dog before I’ve always had cats, and whilst he’s as lazy as a cat I still don’t know if this is normal behaviour or not.
OH is very laid back, and says he would ‘know’ if something was wrong with him, he thinks it’s all him getting older.

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Bamaluz · 22/05/2019 15:16

I would take him to the vet, it could be old age related, or symptoms of liver disease.
You may be able to get medication to help in either case.

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