Unwell elderly dog advice

[Elderlydogsrus]

Hi everyone,
Im just wanting a bit of advice really…
so I have a lovely elderly dog whose coming up to 14.
she has always suffered terribly with allergies which cause her to have a upset tummy if she eats something she can’t have.
About 2 years ago she had pancreatitis, during this period she was diagnosed with this as well as colitis. This has been on going and grumbling away in the background but overall she’s been happy and mostly healthy. Now I would say in the last 12months her upset with her tummy has gradually got worse until more recently, maybe 6 months when she started having these ‘episodes’ of more frequently upset tummy. She has the same symptoms every time and I would say we are now having 2/3 bad days in a week. When I say bad days I mean, refusing to eat, tummy making noises, smelling, shaking, whimpering, loose poo, straining to poo and then just blobs of mucus coming, can’t get comfortable. I’ve been backwards and forwards to the vets where she’s been given different medication but these haven’t helped as yet. We have just started another course so unsure if these will help or not. She is on a specific diet that she can have due to her allergies and I’m worried about changing her food incase it triggers them off.

Guess I’m wondering if anyone has any experience of this, any advice?

Thanks in advance

Honestly, if my dog was suffering that much at that age, I would PTS. I've had to make that decision and I know it's painful, but overall that's too much suffering.

It’s so hard though, in between these ‘episodes’ she’s happy, she enjoys a little play, little sniffy walks, seeks us out for cuddles etc
I agree when she’s in the middle of these episodes it’s awful but once she’s out of the other side she’s a different dog again.

My only suggestion would be to totally eliminate chicken from her diet. It caused my JRT to have colitis. But really- she is elderly and suffering. It's time to do the kindest thing and PTS.

Do you know which food she has to avoid, maybe try home cooking for her which includes a bit more fibre, like green beans, carrots etc., blended in with whatever meat she can tolerate. My DH has colitis and limits the amount of red meat he has, so presume it’s the same with dogs.

Thanks both, she doesn’t have chicken anyway because of her allergies.
she can have pork, duck and salmon so she has salmon with some pork to try and keep the fat as low as possible…she currently eats a mix of butternut box and forthglade cold press salmon.

That doesn’t mean she’s actually happy though, OP. Think of the life she had two years ago and the life she has now. Do you truly want to prolong any sort of agony your dog faces just for a few good days here or there? This sounds like she’s often in complete torment…that’s no sort of life for a dog.

it’s a horrible decision to make but if a dog is suffering routinely then you need to do what’s best for them

I agree with everyone else, she’s obviously in pain more often than not, you just can see it. As a human with Crohns Colitis I assume it’s just as tiring and uncomfortable for a dog as it is for me but I can ask for painkillers. She’s a good age, set her free of pain and discomfort if your truly want the best for her.

Agree with the others, I’d let her go while she still has some good days then wait until she is in pain and miserable the whole time

Have to say my old dog (13yrs) after many episodes like this (and several attempts to nobble himself by eating weird stuff - he’s a lab 😳) has been greatly improved by a daily apoquel for the extreme itchiness, Galliprant anti inflammatory and a diet of….tinned Chappie! On vets recommendation.

The others are on high quality raw food but the oldie stopped tolerating it. It’s honestly been the best change ever - and 3 little meals mixed with water rather than 2 big ones.

he is like a new dog and the tummy upsets have disappeared. He is loving life and as he probably won’t have long it’s a joy to see him happy.

I do hope you find some relief for your pup, though if not I guess there does come a point when we have to do the difficult but right thing by them. Big hug xx

My dog has colitis and the episodes were getting as frequent as every other week. We changed her diet to Skinners Field and Trial duck and rice kibble and also add some Forthglade salmon flavour (grain free). The vet prescribed sulfasalazine and the combination of all three has reduced the episodes to none for nearly six months now. Agree re elimination of chicken - this definitely seems to be a trigger for my girl.

I think if you're at the point where medication and diet isn't making a difference, and she's having bad days several times a week, then you do need to look at overall quality of life and whether she's losing hers.

I'm all for medicating older and dogs and changing their diets if it alleviates their symptoms but sadly that doesn't look to be the case here. At fourteen she's had a good life with you and deserves to spend her final days with dignity instead of suffering.

A gentle duet of white fish and omeprazole 5/10 mg twice a day is how I treat my dog who suffers from pancreatitis.

The fact that she's in pain and suffering so frequently, and her age, I think is enough to say it's time. Don't forget - dogs mask pain really well, so having a waggy tail some days and enjoying a fuss doesn't mean her overall quality of life is good.

I made the decision for my own dog and I know it's tough - mine loved a trip out in the car and looked so happy when I put her in the car for that last trip to the vet that I almost cancelled.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

while I do understand those saying about having her PTS I can’t help but feel I would be letting her down while she is having more good days.

I will do more researching into changing her diet. We have some omeprazole to try as well.

We let our darling dog go at 14. Like your pup ours had good days, then bad days increasingly frequently. Often she would be her normal self, but regular upset tummies, sometimes weekly, noisy tummy, off her food for a day, then right again - until the next time.

Tinkering with diet and drugs wasn't going to undo the fact that she was old and her body was failing and that her days were slower and harder for her.

14 is almost 100 in dog years. That is a very good age for a well loved dog who had lived all her days to the absolute full. It was and still is heartbreaking to say goodbye to her, but it was time.

It's so hard to do when you remember that ball of vital energy your dog was when they were younger and how they would walk along side you all day and still be up for a game or two. The years slip by and because you're with them every day you don't notice the deterioration. When I look back on the photos of my dog in her last days my thoughts are, 'You looks so old and exhausted darling' and I honestly didn't notice at the time - she was always my bright happy star.

Letting her go was the last kindness we could do for her and if I am honest, she slipped away so willingly and gently at the vets that it was as if she was ready for and welcomed the rest and peace.

The worst thing you can do is have to look back and think, did I let her struggle on too long.

Yes, I understand. One of mine was dreadful with this till she was correctly diagnosed with IBD & put on a daily dose of sulfasalazine & a diet of tinned Chappie, same as a previous poster. Chicken was dreadful for her. I also kept a tube of VetUk’s own brand probiotic paste always in stock for flare ups. A couple of doses for a day or two used to settle her back down. She lived happily on this regime for sixteen years.

Let me know if it helps, it certainly helps my dog.

Chappie, apoquel ,patience and love..sounds like you're a lovely dog owner 😊👏 please don't give up on her, plenty of life left!

😊👏👏👏

Thanks again everyone, it really is heart breaking.

I’ve just double checked the medicines she has had and she was on a 2 week course of Salazopyrin which I believe is another name for sulfasalazine which sadly didn’t help but I am keeping everything crossed for this new set of tablets!

Hi,
just thought I’d update the thread again. Poor girl is in the middle of another flare up, I’m waiting for a call from the vets to discuss bloods and a scan. The Omeprazole don’t seem to have worked but we have only had them 6 days in total (not sure how long they take to get in the system and start working) and it has been 4 days since the end of her last flare up. All the same symptoms as previously.

@Elderlydogsrus I’m sorry to hear this, it’s so hard to see them unwell - big hug xx

I thought - in her bad days does she know a good day is to come? She is not a young dog with a problem that might be fixed. It's ok if you decide for her that enough is enough.

@Toooldforthis36 thank you, it really awful!

@similarminimer no she isn’t a young dog and we have been thinking and chatting about what next. The problem we face is that in her good days you really wouldn’t know and this is where we are struggling.

@Elderlydogsrus you are the only one here who knows your dog . If you are concerned about her QOL you could always get an independent assessment . Hope she feels better soon