Old dog can't walk properly - is she needing urgent vet care?

[BrassCandlestick]

Our lovely old collie mongrel (17 yo) has been coping really well with kidney disease for over a year now. She was becoming incontinent when the vet recommended Royal Canin dog food and she has improved vastly on it.
She was frolicking about and chasing a ball in the park last week.
She has been weaker and wobblier recently, and the last few days she's had a period of vomiting which has led to her back legs wobbling all the time. She's staggering a bit.
This morning she's going in circles, I'm not sure why.

Online sources say to get her to the vet asap - my question, what will they do?
She's at my daughter's today, she doesn't have a car and her partner is out all day, so she can't take her until this evening. I can take her to the vet tomorrow but not today.

Will the vet be able to do anything to alleviate this condition? Or will they just be assessing her for when it's time for the big injection? I know this is serious but I'm not sure what the course of action would be.

Could your daughter take the dog to a vet in a taxi?

I would think she needs urgent vet attention.

She may be having a stroke or it could be vestibular episode both need treatment or complications from her kidney disease.

If she is suffering I could not make her suffer all day.

She needs to see a vet today

What sort of attention will that be? She's comfortable and is eating a little.
She is actually my son's dog, he is working 200 miles away and I need to ask him to come back if it's the crucial time. But I can't mess around with these timings.

Yes. She urgently needs to see a vet - she’s likely terrified, in pain and stressed.

I would begin to prepare yourself, OP. Gently, I think the time has likely come to say goodbye. It’s not about ‘alleviating’ her condition, not anymore, it’s about not keeping her alive for your benefit (sorry there’s not really a kinder way to say that) - it’s your last act of kindness.

I’m really sorry, 17 years is a remarkable age and she must be so important and precious to you.

I am not a vet, I cant see your dog so there is no way I can say what attention they need BUT there is no way I would leave a dog suffering.

From what you describe she is suffering.

Staggering
Vomiting
Walking in Circles
Wobbling

I would contact my son and inform him of the situation. I am sorry

She is suffering. She may rally if it's vestibular or she may not. Either way she needs vet treatment now. Not later, not tomorrow, now.

Poor thing has been having symptoms for a few days, unable to walk and eati g less indicates shes likely NOT comfortable. :( Definitely needs to see a vet as soon as possible, she's probably scared and feeling awful. I'd message your son in this situation, no way for any of us to know if its something she can bounce back from but the only person qualified to give you that information is a vet.

Ok for context, she's been wobbly for a while - including before she was chasing balls and frolicking in the park with other dogs. She hasn't vomited for 30 hours and is keeping food down now. She's been outside for a wee.

I do understand it's getting towards the end but I was asking what will the vet be able to do for her today, short of putting her down? I need to get my son back here

I hope the vet will be able to treat her symptoms to at least keep her comfortable whilst your son travels back.
But, there might well be nothing they can do except put her down.
The kindest thing would be to get her to the vet urgently and accept whatever they suggest.
If this is the end, and your son can't be there, he should at least have the comfort of knowing she has a good death and didn't suffer unnecessarily. She really doesn't sound happy op, I'm sorry.

When my old dog with similar symptoms showed these signs our vet saw her within the hour, checked her over and gave her some anti sickness meds as well as advised us on dose for paracetamol to make her feel better (which it did). She then had another really good few weeks running around chasing squirrels and then had a huge seizure suddenly which then resulted in us putting her to sleep at the vets a couple of hours later after a discussion with him about quality of life and lack thereof.

There are things vets can do to ease suffering even if it's just until your son can be there.

Given all the symptoms and the seemingly new one of going in circles that's started today, it still reads to me like she needs to be seen. The vet may well just make her comfortable until your son can get there if its feasible, again no one here can see or assess your dog so cannot advise on what the vet might do.

Please, everyone,this is so stressful - she IS going to be seen by the vet today. There was never any doubt about that, if you think there is there please read my OP again.

The vet will evaluate quality of life, is she still enjoying herself, eating, walking, playing and the level of discomfort, unfortunately as you see her everyday you won’t notice her decline. We have a dog, so have got to know other dog owners who are in the same situation, all vets say is they can do extensive blood tests, various scans etc (all at very high costs). You need to have a conversation with your Son so he at least can come and visit soon, before any decision is made. I’m in many Facebook groups, where it is clear that making decisions for a elderly dog is one of the hardest things, we as owners have to do.

I need to get my son back here

Your son is, I assume, a fit and healthy adult who I'm sure would be heartbroken if the vet had to make a difficult decision.

Your dog is likely suffering and one way or another need to be seen. Please prioritise your dog's obvious suffering - your son will cope

The vet will evaluate her quality of life and give her medication to calm her down or improve her pain until your son can get home - you need to speak to him now and tell him what's happening.

Ok thanks for all your input.
The vet saw her this afternoon, diagnosed a vestibular episode and said she would start improving in a few days. And that we should not be thinking of having her pts yet.

We told my son early this evening, after all this happened - the poster who made assumptions about him, well you're wrong.
And there was no point making him anxious when he was so far away and unable to get back here.

Undoubtedly, she will not keep going forever, and I expect this was a dry run for us with the vet and family logistics around her care.

I think it's time to say goodbye to the dog. This as as good as she's ever going to get. Your son should get home and make the arrangements asap. It's downhill from here and in my opinion it's cruel to leave such an old dog to just keep going on and on, getting ever so slightly worse every day until her old body gives out just for the sake of humans not wanting to say goodbye.

The vet saw her this afternoon, diagnosed a vestibular episode and said she would start improving in a few days. And that we should not be thinking of having her pts yet.

A vet NEVER suggests something like this unless they think an animals suffering and pain is intolerable.

speaking from experience you will regret prolonging your dogs life when it’s in pain. I’m sorry, OP, but I stand by my earlier post- your dog deserves a last act of kindness, not being medicated because you don’t want to lose her

It’s time to consider all your options.

You say she’s your son’s dog, but he’s not there. You must prioritise her needs not his wants.

Better to let her go a little bit too early than too later, and I speak from experience there.

She's been out for a poo and wee this morning, wolfed down chicken and rice and gave it a go to jump on the sofa. Much less wobbly and giving everyone licks.

You must know she's near her time OP.

I think I would inform my dcs that if it happened again I'd be taking her to the vet immediately and that might involve being put to sleep. It's up to them if they wanted to come home or not.

I must say that message from the vet sounds unlikely, although they also don't insist you put animals to sleep.

Vestibular disease is very common in older dogs and while some never recover, for others it's just a one off and they go on to live happily for months or even years.

What the vet said sounds reasonable to me and is exactly something our pragmatic farm vet would come out with!

How do you mean "unlikely"? Her exact words were "it's not her time yet".

Yes, she is steadier on her feet now and her eyes have regained their focus. The internet says vestibular episodes can take 2-3 weeks to pass, although the vet thought it would be quicker.

As far as I know it's very common for pet owners to schedule a pet to be pts so that the family can gather. And that's what we'll do, if it's viable.

MN really has changed, it's years since I posted properly and about 15 years ago I realised it was skating on thin ice to ask anything in this section as you'd get jumped on from all corners. Well I managed to look after this dog ok without input from here, it would seem! 😁