Old dog support thread

[Happysallie]

A general thread for discussing the trials and tribulations of owning an elderly dog.

My dog is 14. She’s been a great pet. I would never rehome her or PTS unless clearly it was the end. I am committed to care for her.

But it is getting so so so frustrating and a huge extra responsibility / stress.

Getting someone willing to care for her so we can go away as doddery. Convincing her to eat enough. The pace of walks. The refusal to walk on certain surfaces as it’s difficult. The sniffing for five minutes at a time. The sudden refusal to walk on the lead ‘because’. The medications and vet visits. The limitations on weekend activities and holidays. The constant worry. She has a tremor and I get multiple comments a day from kind but incredibly annoying strangers.

I love her but my god is it a lot of hard work.

Strategies to alleviate the frustration welcome.

Aah my border terrier is 13, doing pretty well in fairness.
she is deaf now but the positive of that is she can no longer hear fireworks , which used to terrify her.
She is a bit forgetful but very stubborn.
sometimes she will walk for a mile or so, other days walks to the bottom of our drive and turn around.
Sleeps a lot!
We had been thinking about getting a puppy but felt our old girl deserves peace and quiet in her old age as she has been such a good girl all her life.

Haha I agree with the fireworks , without sounding horrible this year would be easier without her when it comes to fireworks season she hated them x
Give your border collie a hug from me miss mine x

I went for the operation in the end, dropped her off this morning.
Just had a call, the pre op blood test was excellent for her age, the operation is all done, no issues, just waking up now, and can pick up at 1.30.
So pleased, what a relief, my precious girl is coming home!

It’s really hard. We kept our Lab until age 14, started to go down hill age 12, those two years were quite hard. Luckily DM had him so we could go away for a week’s holiday, but the following year I thought we can’t go again unless someone stays at the house. DM’s garden and home is large, just walking from one room to another was an effort. I could keep him comfortable in one room here and straight to the front garden for him to potter. Either me or DH would stay home for the dog as we felt guilty both going out on a regular basis.

He couldn’t go for walks in the end, he just pottered but he ate well and was cognitively all there. His medication and four weekly (at least for his Librela jabs) vet visits were £400 ish a month due to medication. He has had an op to remove a tumour £1700 when he was 12/13 years. He slept a lot though so we could leave him home when we went out knowing he was just snoozing. I’d pop in the car for a drive and DH would lift him out for a sniff and a potter, but he couldn’t stand very long at all in the end. I knew one day, he wouldn’t be able to get up.
Had to let him go for his sake, it was becoming selfish of me.

If course, we’ve a new pet now and we will go through it all again. They’re worth it, but it is hard at the end xx

Glad to hear that. Wishing her a quick and easy recovery.

My younger one (age 14) had a mass cell tumour removed yesterday. She's in a bit of discomfort (can't do steps) so I'm picking up some extra pain meds this morning.

A few people have said about their dogs going a bit deaf and how it can be a blessing.
I can understand that.
My girl used to be terrified of planes/helicopters/balloons, and thunder. She would pant and shake and be inconsolable. She was always fine with fireworks.
In her old age, she does not notice the above so is chilled throughout.

The sad thing is, she no longer greets me when I come home because she does not hear me 😥
She is usually asleep on her bed. I approach her and gently stroke her. Is this an old dog thing....? Her eyes seem to be way back in her skull. When I wake her up, it takes time for her eyes to get into focus.... it is like watching an old computer boot up.

Yes @YeOldeGreyhound I do miss her running to the door when I come in. Now she doesn’t hear me until I find her in her bed and gently wake her up to say hello.

Why do you wake your old dogs up to greet them? I let my old girl sleep, as she's often restless with her early dementia, so I think she needs the sleep.

my 12 year old jrt really struggled on the beach shingle yesterday - what a difference. she never used to struggle
i really felt for her,

Morning
I hope your dog had a good night and is feeling better today.
Poppy had a great night slept all the way through and is settled.
She sleeps in my room, but she couldn't get upstairs due to the buster collar, and wouldn't let me help her, so thought she would have to sleep downstairs for the first time in years, so took her bed down.
Somehow she managed to figure it out, and appeared in my room, so a happy night.

That's so sweet that she wouldn't let you help.

My lass can do the stairs now after she's had her calpol. I got another med that' she's getting mid day and that has really helped. However, she threw up last night (she's vomity at the best of times) so I'm supposed to stop it. I'll try it once more and see if it was just a coincidence.

We avoided the cone (she would be very stressed with a cone) by buying a jumper with straps that go over the back legs so it won't ride up.

If I have been out a while, it is to let her out for a wee.

I can so relate to this thread. My dog is 15 now and is in reasonably good health but can't go up or down the stairs anymore but he sleeps in our room so we carry him (that will probably kill me someday), has issues with his back and legs. He can't be downstairs for long if I am upstairs and vice versa so I plan how I live in my own house around that. Will only go for a walk if two of us are with him (I think that is anxiety related).

My life is quite constrained by my lovely dog tbh. Dh and I could travel for a few weeks at a time ... but I couldn't do that to the dog. He is ok for a week or 10 days with our adult children minding him in our own home but otherwise he would be a basket case without me.

I would love - we would all love - to do one big holiday as a family while the young adult kids are up for it. We discussed it at xmas but then I pointed out who would mind doggie? He needs one of us with him in his own home.

It affects a lot of my life tbh. but like Kipling said "he who hath given his life to a dog"

My lurcher girl aged 14 has dementia. She's on Aktivait at vet's suggestion and I think it has helped a bit. She's not too bad, wanders in the evening but sleeps all night without crying. We've had a few accidents overnight but it's all manageable. Her appetite however has gone right down. She never eats breakfast now and rarely eats before late afternoon.

I've tried lots of different wet foods, as well as cooking chicken, liver, fish etc for her but she's not really interested. She's active on walks and enjoys an occasional zoomy but I'm worried she'll waste away! How can I tempt her? The only dry food she'll eat is Nood, and not much of that. She'll devour the rubbish chews my neighbour gives her though!

Any suggestions gratefully received 🙏 .

Have you had her kidney function checked? Poor kidney function/failure can cause poor appetite.

@YeOldeGreyhound She's due for check up at vet's soon so I'll mention this.

I'm finding a lot of comfort in this thread.
I had to send my lovely little JRT over the rainbow bridge this morning and I'm heartbroken. He was almost 15, he came to us 9 years ago as a rescue. He was a little scrapper in his youth but he soon turned into a soft sausage who loved to cuddle up next to me and slept in my bed each night. He had heart failure in the end and all day yesterday and last night was horrendous, I didn't sleep a wink and I'm running on empty at the moment.
I know it was his time but I feel such guilt at having him PTS - will it get easier ?
I held him and the sun was warm on his little face as he slipped away, it was very peaceful.
God, I miss him.

So very sorry to hear this, there is nothing like a rescue dog, living a wonderful life, you gave him 9 years of comfort, warmth, good food and love, he might never have known, remember that.
Time will pass, and you will have lovely memories.

I'm so sorry💐

Ah so sorry for the loss of your little jrt..
Our lurcher is skinny. She does love goats milk and sardines. Not together though... Seems to be keeping her coat glorious even if she isn't getting fatter. She is coming up 15.

So sorry @SortYourselfOut 😞 You did the best for your ddog so please don't feel guilty.

An update on my 15 year old shih tzu's lump we went to the vet for. It was actually just a large wart that had been knocked and bled and looked quite nasty. Very relieved about that- phew!

I am so sorry. Our JRT is approaching 15 and is definitely slowing down, short walks are enough. He's definitely a little deaf as no more barking when someone knocks the door etc. The odd thing is , he's never been a big eater but for around 3 years now he has eaten more than ever. He still plays tug of war on the lead and loves the car etc. We have just bought him steps to go up on the couch as I want to save him the jump that takes him 5 attempts now.

@SortYourselfOut sorry to hear about the loss of your JRT. They really are proper little characters.
The guilt is awful but find comfort in the fact helping him over the bridge was the last act of love you could have given him. Like you said, it was peaceful and he had the sun on his face... it sounds a lovely way to go. His pain is gone but has now carried on to you because you loved him so much

My grey will be 15 next week.. she is so skinny. But she loves sardines too and her coat is lovely and shiny.