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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Is it time?

17 replies

uptonogoode · 31/03/2022 23:07

He's a beautiful dog, nearly 13 years old. He's blind, doesn't tolerate exercise anymore, he went to doggy day care yesterday and refused to interact with any dog choosing to stay and potter round her garden on his own.

He still eats and drinks but doesn't really want to go for walks anymore.
We got him a ramp to get up onto our bed and tonight he walked down it, reversed up it, walked down it again, turned round and came back up. He's very confused and he got lost in the garden the other day.

Writing this down I think it might be time. I love him so much and it's such a difficult decision but it has to be done for him not us.

Do we take our other dog with us to the appointment?

Picture for cuteness

OP posts:

ThesecondLEM · 31/03/2022 23:13

He's lovely. Speak to your vet, he might have pain from arthritis or similar, it might be something that can be treated to make him enjoy life. By the same virtue, it might be that it is his time. Your vet will guide you but will be guided by you and act accordingly. You know your dog and often if an owner has that gut feeling they are often, sadly, correct.

Bless him

Unforgettablefire · 31/03/2022 23:14

What a beautiful gorgeous boy! Sorry I don’t have any advice apart from you will know when he’s had enough. If he’s still interested in food and his quality of life isn’t poor then you might have a bit more time to spoil and love him x

LadyLothbrook · 31/03/2022 23:14

No is it heck. If he's not in any pain and not incontinent then he's still got some good years ahead. He's just slowed down. It happens in the last years. MIL Jack Russell didn't go for a walk for three years before he died because he grew to hate them. He still lived a comfortable 3 years pottering around the house and garden. He was blind and deaf too but still liked being made a fuss of.

ThesecondLEM · 31/03/2022 23:15

I would say don't take your other dog, I've assisted in many journeys to the rainbow Bridge, having another dog, worried and fretting seldom makes things easier for anyone.

LadyLothbrook · 31/03/2022 23:18

But also agree with PP an owner will know when it's time in their gut so perhaps I'm wrong.

JMPB · 31/03/2022 23:30

Sorry OP, IMO it’s time when the bad days outweigh the good.
But you know your dog best, and what his quality of life is and I do believe it’s better to end it while they are still happy than them having a miserable retirement just so we can keep them with us a bit longer.
Hope your ok!

OnaBegonia · 31/03/2022 23:37

Lovely wee boy.
He enjoys a potter, eats and poops ok, he sounds happy in himself.
He's 16 and sounds like he has a good quality of life, you've made an awful leap based on normal old doggy things.
Definitely life in the old dog yet!

LadyLothbrook · 31/03/2022 23:39

@OnaBegonia

Lovely wee boy. He enjoys a potter, eats and poops ok, he sounds happy in himself. He's 16 and sounds like he has a good quality of life, you've made an awful leap based on normal old doggy things. Definitely life in the old dog yet!

OP said he's 13

OnaBegonia · 31/03/2022 23:41

@LadyLothbrook

You copied my whole comment for that? 🙄🙄 pedantic much 🙄

LadyLothbrook · 31/03/2022 23:43

@OnaBegona Sorry, I didn't mean it in a corrective pedantic way. I just bringing your attention to him being even younger with possibly more good years ahead.

LadyLothbrook · 31/03/2022 23:44

@OnaBegonia sorry this is why I quoted cos I always get the tag wrong.

dontblameme · 31/03/2022 23:50

As seen from the varied answers above, none of us can really know, you know him best. He is cute. Does he still wag his tail, enjoy scratches, get excited for food/treats? I just had to let my old girl go a few weeks ago. She was very frail and had been on dementia medication for 4 months. So sad but a huge relief also. Sending strength and courage your way in any case.

Namaste6 · 01/04/2022 00:07

Only you will truly know OP, but I do have to say that 13, whilst ageing, is not necessarily time to give up. Just like humans, dogs slow down considerably, get confused, need routine medication and prefer to potter and sleep over active pursuits.

Unless he is in considerable pain, I would say no. I have 4 dogs, once of which is 14 and she's nowhere near ready to give up.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 01/04/2022 08:06

I wouldn't say so.

He just sounds like he's slowing down so you may need to re-adjust your expectations - keeping him home and having a dog walker visit instead of sending him to daycare, for example.

Keeping him on a lead more and supervising him in the garden so he's safe and doesn't wander off and get hurt etc.

If he's eating, drinking, toileting and otherwise seems happy I see no reason to let him go yet, but it may be worth a trip to the vets to see if there's any medication that could help him.

for you.

GeneLovesJezebel · 01/04/2022 08:08

Not yet. He doesn’t have to go for a walk, just let him potter.

TheBigDilemma · 01/04/2022 08:13

Op, my old dog got very confused one day, and then it was back to his usual self for another 4 years. It may be as simple as being dehydrated.

I would say however that these days we overstimulate our dogs a bit too much. It is perfectly ok for an old dog to want to stay in and sleep most of the day provided it got gradually into it.

TreetopsandTailwaggers · 01/04/2022 11:52

No-one can tell you when it’s time, it’s a very personal decision, but, for me, the questions are whether he is happy/content and comfortable/pain-free.

Dogs are very stoic and it can be very hard to see when they are in pain, although most families will know their dogs well enough to know if they are in distress. We recently lost a very old dog, who was actually a few years older than yours. As long as he was happy and comfortable, we felt he was ok, but as soon as he started getting distressed by some of his symptoms it was time to say goodbye.

I echo what others have said about not stressing about the walks. He was almost blind by the end and we used to do very short sniffari’s a couple of times a week and let him potter in between. We also used snuffle and licki mats, as his sense of smell was the remaining strongest sense. Like your dog he ignored other dogs, preferring his own company and sniffing interesting smells, but if you think about it, how many great grannies or grandads do you know that can cope with lively youngsters bouncing about around them. So that makes sense really. Plus of course failing sight and hearing can make it so much harder for them to interact and make them feel more insecure around other dogs.

I would book a vet appointment for a thorough check-up to make sure he’s not in any pain. He may need pain meds for arthritis and get them to look at his teeth as well. Vets are trained to see the subtle signs of pain that owners miss or don’t understand and it could be that he just needs an old age management plan, that you can work out with your vet and then monitor and adjust. Have an open an honest discussion with them about all your concerns and that you are wondering if it’s time, they should give you some guidance, but most won’t say a definitive yes, unless there is something obviously causing pain and distress.

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