Older dog

[noideabutstilltrying]

I have a yellow lab who is 12.5.

She is really struggling with her back legs.

We take her for short walks not on a lead so she can go at her own pace. Feel this is good to keep her moving.

Just after advice on how to help keep her comfortable. We are keeping an eye on her weight as this won't help

She has turmeric and oils in her food to help.

After advice to keep her comfortable. She eating but not as much as she was.

You could try Yumove senior, or Metacam which is an anti inflammatory that has to be prescribed. Metacam worked wonders for my dog but due to kidney disease she can't have it anymore, so on vet's advice she now has a quarter of a 500 paracetamol tablet 2x day, she also has yumove and various other meds for other things. She's 16 now but still has a reasonably good quality of life.

It sounds as if you're really doing everything you can for her. She is obviously much loved and that is the most important thing at this time of her life.

I do feel for you - one of our Pyrie girls was exactly like this at 12.5 and it is hard.

No real constructive advice except for the obvious - you have to just take it one day at a time and spend as much time with her as you can. You may have to make allowances if she starts to have the odd "accident" - our girl was okay holding her wee but struggled a bit with poo as her back end weakened. We also sometimes had to help her to get up from lying which is also a good reason to keep an eye on their weight, as you already are doing.

Our girl also went a bit deaf so we had to be careful not to startle her and her teeth were quite worn so we started to soak her kibble. It's just about making small adjustments as needed and giving lots of reassurance.

She does have accidents in the house. We've put rugs down in the kitchen where she is overnight. These can be washed so it's just chucking them in the machine in the morning. Really not a big issue. No carpets to worry about getting smelly.

I've heard good and bad about metacam long term.

She's a quiet girl so I'm just worried that she's in pain and I'm missing it

I think she likely is in a lot of pain. She’s weeing in her clean place and can’t walk. Gently, I think medicating her further is cruel. It’s time. A dog that can’t walk properly and wees indoors does not have a good quality of life.

Take her to a vet and see what they say - but I imagine they will say it’s time.

Sorry, OP.

I use Yumove for my dog who is stiffening up and she is booked in to see a McTimmoney practitioner to see if there is a specific issue rather then me assuming it’s just old age. Friends have taken their dogs and different issues have been found and specific exercises/hydrotherapy prescribed to help.

I think you'll definitely know when she starts to struggle too much and needs more help/medical intervention but you could always ask for a check up from one of your vet nurses...?

I hadn't heard of YuMove and that does sound good. Ours were on salmon oil and glucosamine. I would think painkillers (metacam etc) only if she's definitely in a lot of pain.

You need to get her to a vet asap.

It is way to early to pts if she has not had pain meds or medical intervention of any sort.

There are loads of things you can try to make her more comfortable

Metacam in a 12.5 year old dog is not going to be long term to worry about the effects.

Your dog will be in pain at least get her out of pain and then reassess the situation.

Please get her to a vet to make her comfortable.

Our 14 yo terrier has been on metacam for over 18 months , he also has Yumove max . He has blood testing every 6 months and is fine on the metacam .

Mine is 13.5 and the vet keeps saying he’s really, really old….
He doesn’t go for walks now, he potters around the garden, eats well, no toileting issues really- he makes it outside, plays with his toys but it’s very hard to see him decline.
He takes galliprant, Librela and 3 human paracetamol a day. (As per vet).
Mine has no cognitive decline, but we think he’s gone a bit deaf, eyesight not 100%.

Arthritis can go into the spine etc and there are conditions that mean the dog can’t feel when they need the toilet- which is hard to manage. It wouldn’t be wrong to pts by the sounds, but if you would like to keep them going a bit longer then you’ll need to look at pain meds. At 12.5 there isn’t going to be “long term” consequences as the dog is already very old. They can take those drugs for years on any case with no issues, but you need to make the dog comfortable.

She really needs to see a vet - there's so many pain relief options they can give her if necessary.

And at that age I really wouldn't worry about the long term impact of Metacam - she needs all the help she can get. They can also have paracetamol and other medication alongside it too.

I care for a 15yo lab on a huge cocktail of drugs - but he's still pottering, eating and toileting so the vet is happy to keep him going for now. I think he's on about four or five different tablets a day.

Our old boy really benefitted from k-laser treatment when he was struggling with his back end, and it was covered by his insurance. Ask your vet about it.

I've heard good and bad about metacam long term
Tbh it won’t be long term at 12.5 years so not a bad choice. And any vet prescribing it will keep a check on ongoing kidney function. Though I would never keep a dog going on past the point that was right for them, I’d also say there are quite a few things I would try first in your case. The weeing at night needs to be checked out if hasn’t been already as it might be something easily fixed with daily tablet (common in older neutered females), if of course it’s something to do with the spine etc then maybe not so easily fixed. As for the arthritis, we have used many different things in the past when we’ve had elderly dogs that were still, otherwise, enjoying life. Cartrophen, Metacam, Yumove etc and one elderly Labrador even had acupuncture (which she absolutely loved, would fall asleep farting away every session) which though I was sceptical did help. Of course whatever you use, there will come a time in the not too distant future, where that too stops working and then it is time to say goodbye.

Unfortunately, dogs are masters at hiding pain and if your dog is in pain turmeric and oil will do absolutely nothing to ease it.

As pps have said there are many pain relief options if you speak to your vet for help.

The dog of a friend of mine has arthritis in his spine and was in awful pain. He was put on pain relief - Librela I think - and is like a different dog now; happy and pain free.

If your dog is weeing where she sleeps then it's safe to say she's struggling and needs to see a vet urgently.

Try this. Our boy was on it for 7 years or so, he passed nearly a year ago at the age of 19 - they were a lifesaver for him, the difference they made to him was very, very noticeable X

https://extendpets.co.uk/

Thank you for the replies and advice.

I'm taking her to the vets to get some pain relief for her.

She's weeing on the mat overnight as I don't think she can hold her wee for as many hours as when she was younger.

During the day the back door is open and she's able to go in the garden.

I don't believe it's time for euthanasia at present as she is still happy to go on a short walk at her own pace.

Hopefully the vet will help with hidden pain.