How do you know when its ' time'

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Ive an almost 11 year old lab.
Hes got sever hip dysplacia, has previcox, and was doing fantastically on until the beginning of this year.

He seems to have gone down hill, hes still out for walks and is running about. So its not THAT bad, but hes got no power in his back legs at all now, cant climb up onto my bed easily ( not that that doesnt stop him trying) cant get in the car.

His back leg occassionally ' goes' when he is walking, but then it sorts its self out and hes ok.

Hes having occassional days where his front legs arent great now either, bit limpy.

Its really sad.
And he just seems ' tired' is the only way i can put it.

I think hes mostly still happy.

I dont know, i dont want him in pain or feeling miserable. and im sure hes going to be ok for another 6 months or so? but, i dont know, any advice?

Its really hard, i love him and want him around forever, but i cant let him feel pain, i just cant.

I'm so sorry.

I'm lucky in that I have a vet who I really trust to tell me the truth. I've said whenever one of my pets gets ill that they need to let me know when it's time, and they always have.

Is this a possibility for you?

Ultimately, you know him best and can be counted on to do what's right, whichever choice you make

HTH x

Firstly, he sounds lovely and you sound like a very caring owner, who's brave and responsible enough to be thinking about these issues.

I would go back to your vet and ask for a discussion and review of your Lab's meds and general treatment. With your vet, I'd want to have an honest discussion about pain meds and what the options are. Ten is really not that old for a Lab - quite a few go on to their teens. I certainly wouldn't be giving up just yet. You might also want to discuss surgical options and have you considered hydrotherapy? This has done wonders for our 13 year old dog with arthritis - has literally given her a new lease of life. Again, a discussion for your vet. Also, don't discount the "lifestyle" issues. For instance, rather than trying to jump in the car, why not use a ramp? We see lots of dogs using these at the park, often elderly Goldies or Labs and they seem to work brilliantly. Make sure weight is kept as lean as possible (not easy for a lab! ), consider dietary supplements such as glucosamine etc, move to memory foam bed for him, keep warm. Rather than one long walk, would he do better with more, shorter walks?

There is an excellent Labrador Owners forum where you would get lots and lots of specialist advice on dealing with HD in labs - I would have a look there

Good luck

Hmmm, i did go to see an ortheopedic surgeon, who said he would do the op up until the age of 10. Its is very sever hip dysplacia.
After a lot of thinking over 18 months, i decided it wasnt best for him to have it done. It was best for me, but not him, and too selfish of me to put him through it.

his weight is low, it cant be any lower really, i had to start feeding him up a bit before xmas because he was so thin all his vertbre were sticking out. ( though hes still 36 kgs.. hes a BIG dog. And hes been on glucoasmine for 3 years too.

he has orthepedic beds with layers and layers of fleece :)

Im kind of doing everything i can already.
We went to the park yesterday evening, when it was cooler, and he was fine, did some swimming, despite me shouting not to go in the pond, but his leg sort of ' went' twice. it just sort of slides under him, and then its back to normal, it happens quick as a flash. and he doesnt yelp or anything.

Last saw the vet in oct who said he was in excellent health, but warned me that it would be his hips that would be the thing...( you know what im trying to say) other than anything else.

Im going to get a stairgate to block off the stairs at home, and limit him to only going up there at bedtime... and i think when it comes to the point that he cant get up them anymore, then ill have to decide. he sleeps with me and would be miserable to have to stay downstairs.

I used to stress about knowing when the time was right with my old GSD as well, so I understand what you mean. He had DM (Degenerative Mylopathy) which I caught early on when he was about 9, then he developed arthiritis a couple of years later. He was put to sleep when he was 13. I still miss him sooo much.
You sound like you are completely "in tune" with him, so you will know when the time is right. It's so difficult to explain(and sounds completely bonkers!), they give you "the look" & you just know.
Enjoy the time you have with him & take lots of photos.
He sounds like he's had the most fab life with you & has been really loved & well cared for.
When the time came for my old boy to be put to sleep, I arranged for the vet to come to our home to do it. I wanted his last memories to be surrounded by his family in his home, not at the vets surgery which he hated.
Perhaps this might be an option for you when the time comes.
Sending big hugs.

It's the last kindness we can do for them isn't it? To make sure their final days are pain free. My view is I would rather let them go a month too early than a day too late, but that isn't for everyone.

I had a difficult one with a sudden back injury and asked the vet "what would you do if it was your dog?" and she said "help him go". That was awful - no-one apart from me able to say goodbye, but he was in pain with a poor prognosis so we did it there and then in the boot of the car.

Talk to a vet you like and trust - ask them what they would do if it was their dog.

Good luck, it's a hard decision.

It sounds like you are doing everything possible for your lovely lab.

Still got the summer in him I reckon (just from reading your posts) he might get worse toward winter and if he was struggling in quality of life then I would make the decision then. All you can do is keep an eye on the hips and see how he is. If it were my dog I would 'review' month to month.

It is never easy when our lovely animals get older or ill, if a situation can be managed I think fair enough, if it means quality of life is not good then imho it isnt fair on the dog.

I trust my vet to tell me how good/bad things are.