Older dog - at what point do you pts

[Piplette]

We've had our lurcher for almost 10 years. She was between 1 and 2 when we adopted her but she's a rescue so exact age is unknown.

She's suffered with arthritis in her hips and kissing spine for a good couple of years now and is on metacalm and gabapentin to manage the pain. It makes a difference but she's still often a bit stiff and struggles to jump up on the bed the way she used to.

She still eating well and has actually put on some weight recently once we switched her back to raw diet.

She gets bloods regularly and had an in-depth blood panel recently and all was fine.

Other than the arthritis and some dental work she's got no other known health issues.

She still goes for several walks a day but can't go far although sometimes she'll surprise you and want to go a long walk and have some zoomies but there is a noticeable decline in the last 6-12 months.

We're able to increase her gabapentin - she was on 4 a day, then we increased to 6 and now we're going to try 9 which is the upper limit.

With my last dog he took unwell very suddenly at a similar age so the choice was made for us so I'm really not sure at which point it's time - especially when the decline is so gradual.

What things informed your decision to say goodbye to your older dog?

For me, I always said to the vet that I wanted what was best for the dog and not to keep him going for my benefit. As it happens the decision at that time was taken out of my hands too, however I will hold the same view with current doggo.

It's difficult, but as long as yours has quality of life, isn't in pain, and you are not keeping her going just for your benefit, then keep going for now. What does your vet think?

I used a quality of life score - thinking to track how she was doing, except she scored very poorly and then had a sort of fit and frankly, I could tell it was time.

You can usually tell when they are struggling . Don't want to walk , less interactive . I think they know they are on the way out .

Or the choice will be made for you and they will rapidly decline with an illness .

Your dog is still eating well and enjoys it's walks. You say the pain is managed. ATM I'd say your dog still has a good quality of life. If a dog refuses to eat and loses a lot of weight. Also does not want to go on walks and looks miserable i.e. no waggy tail. I think that's the time to consider PTS with discussion with the vet.

I've never been in the position to have to consider Pts as I've only had 3 dogs and 2 are still with us.
My first dog had arthritis. He had what we thought might have been a stroke at one point but then made a recovery and was literally scaling cliffs to get into the sea so we continued on with his life. The following year he went through a quiet patch where he refused to leave the house but he was still okay and no signs of real suffering. His death was quick one morning but on reflection it was that quiet patch where we should have pts. It lasted about 3 months and had he of gone on another month it would have been obvious but god made the decision before we had the chance.
It's such a hard decision and some people find it easier to make then others.
I would suggest asking a trusted vet for their honest but most thorough opinion.

Your dog sounds at a very similar stage to my old lady. She’s also 10 and a large breed. On rheumocalm for her arthritic hips and has had some teeth removed. She still loves her food. She’s not keen on leash walk (never has) but she likes a zoomie (albeit a minute these days) or a rub through the woods. Then she’s happy to potter along after me. The rest of the time she’s stuck to me like Velcro.

At the moment I think she’s still got a good quality of life but that won’t last forever I suspect. Like others I’ve sworn her needs will come before everything.

I often have this sort of conversation with clients whose pet is in, or approaching that middle zone where, on any given day, you're not wrong either way whether you euthanase or keep on trucking for a bit. Sometimes it's kind of hard to tell if they are comfortable enough and happy enough for it to be a life worth living. It's easier when the pet has always been a very expressive, demonstrative sort but it's a bit harder to tell with the very stoic steady types, or the ones with a touch of dementia. I often wish I could do magic telepathy and ask the dog "Are you happy in there?? Can we swap bodies for a bit so I can check how it really feels to be you?"

No matter when you choose, you'll have probably got it close enough. When you do it, don't agonise whether you got the exact right day. You'll have tried your best to get it close enough, and that's more than the majority of animals and people in the world get, and that's OK.

With our old girl it was when she had a couple of occasions of finding it hard to get up. She was at least 16 and was pottering along generally happy. The first time she was laying in an odd position and we thought maybe she just got herself a bit stuck. But a few days later she was laying on the tiled floor and couldn't get her legs under her enough on the first go to stop her sliding back to the ground (she was fine on the sofa/carpet because of the grip)

We made an appointment for later in the week and spoilt her rotten for the last few days. Looking back now at pics she'd lost weight and looked old in general but it wasn't so noticeable when we were seeing her all the time.

Whenever you decide she's had a good long life with you being loved and a good death is the last thing we can gift them ❤️❤️

With my last one - he wasn’t old, but had joint problems.

His pain stopped being controlled by the painkillers, we did up them all, add in new ones etc. for a week or two thinking it was a flare up that would calm down again as he’d had them before.

Then one day he didn’t come to the garden shed with me... so we booked him in for the next day. Which sounds very random 🤣 but he was such an enthusiastic dog, had had a lot of health issues and never once had he not run ahead of me in the garden to get to the shed, instead he just stood at the back door watching me leave and then come back. He just looked so sad as I walked back towards him.

Which is a long way of saying - when they’re no longer enjoying life, you can see it.

I lost my oldest dog a few months ago. He was also struggling with arthritis for a very long time and had been on strong painkillers for years.

One day he wouldn’t eat, not even chicken or ham. My other dogs were running about playing and he didn’t even attempt to police it. I got his lead to try and get him up and moving and he wouldn’t get out of bed to go for a walk. A few months before he would have flattened me to get to the door!

I had him PTS that afternoon.

We have been very fortunate, so to speak. We’ve had 5 dogs over nearly 30 years and have never had to make the decision. Dog 1, 13 years slowed down but could get herself up to eat, drink and toilet and still would get excited for a short walk. One evening she was sleeping on the rug and just slipped away with a parting smelly fart! Dog 2, 8 years was running for her ball in the park and she collapsed and died, totally unexpected and horrific, but in the moment she was running for her ball she was so happy. Dog 3, 13 years and very similar to dog 1. The vet had given her a steroid injection and she had perked up. The vet told us to get ready as although she was happy with her we needed to know that we would have to make the decision within a couple of months. A week later she died peacefully at home, asleep in the morning, DH was with her and she was waggy until the end. Dogs 4 and 5 are only 2 and 5 so we aren’t even thinking about their end of life. I think if they aren’t in pain, can take themselves to the garden when needed so they aren’t soiling themselves and can still get up to eat and drink when they need to then they are doing alright. Like a PP said, if they’re not enjoying life you’ll see it.

I have an old lady lurcher here too (13) - she's on metacam and gabapentin but is able to go into the garden, enjoy very short walks and interact with everyone at home.

She has a decent quality of life but we are monitoring the situation.

Our previous dogs died at 8 and 12 - they were diagnosed with cancer and were PTS when their quality of life declined.

It's hard to know.
Our dog has been in kidney failure for a long time. He's been in stage 3 for over a year & has been medicated & enjoying life. But over the last three days he's had diarrhoea and the probiotic/bunger upper isn't doing much. He's still got faecal incontinence after 1.5 days of treatment. He's also confused & knows something's not right. He visably looks ill. He ate a little chicken & rice tonight, but all the fight has gone out of him.
He's my DD'S dog but she's at uni & has just qualified as a vet to make matters more complicated! She's also away until Friday. I'm not sure anything much can be done now 😕

For me, as long as they enjoy / get excited for food, even if their appetites aren’t what they were, enjoy walks, even if it’s much shorter, are reasonably continent and don’t seem disoriented I’d carry on.
However I am very much in the better a month too soon than a day too late camp.

I'm very confused. My 11.5 yo dog bit me (not breaking skin) today because I'd changed my fake tan and he's blind and quite deaf and he didn't recognize my smell. It wasn't the first time recently. As soon as he realises it's me, he seems a little mortified. He still loves a very small walk as long as we give him a ride to wherever we are walking but will adamantly refuse to walk to actually get there. He sleeps 99% of the time but that's not unusual with a dog of his breed and his age. He is about 2+ years over the average lifespan of his breed. I love this dog with all my heart but is it time to let him go?

Oh gosh, I also have a lurcher who we adopted 10 years ago and was 1-2 when we got her! So they'll be a very similar age.

Luckily, apart from a bit of stiffness and increased laziness, our Ddog is still plodding away quite happily. I do think about this all the time though, it's something that really worries me.

I think you'll know though. When they stop eating or wanting to go out, or when their mobility really impact their quality of life, or they are in pain....

Just try enjoy the days you have with your Ddog ❤️