Senior citizen dog

[philsey]

Yeah, you'll know. And absolutely have the vet to the house - screw the cost, you will never regret it.

Our vet was also a family friend. We had talked it over, "just say the word" he said. She passed in my lap. It's quick and quiet. 14 years ... both my sons grew up with her.

 

[Mass 4runner]

i tried to keep up on this during work but :sad:

he still eats regularly and will attempt to play if i toss a toy his way. every now and then when the temp cools down (he loves the cold) he'll flash signs of being a puppy. those times keep me excited and laughing at him being a goofball. we managed 5 camping trips this summer and he did pretty good. he paid for it when we got home, hobbled around for a couple days recovering. so far the only thing he wont do that he loved is swim. i have taken him to rivers/lakes but he wont really splash around. he'll get his paws wet and that is it. there was a time when if he got any where near water he would go in and i would have to drag him out.

i got him when i was barely legal to drink. i am truly amazed i have managed to keep something alive this long. i know i was not prepared for the energy level. there was no stop the first 10 years. All of his buddies have come and gone and he holds strong. i want to make sure i do right by him for being such a great companion. making sure he is comfortable and happy. i spoil him as best i can, he has a real sensitive tummy and thats the cause of some of his accidents. my worst fear is coming home and he passed while i was away. or something happens and i have to make a rush decision at the vet. i will struggle to make the decision no matter what. i do want to be with him and have a proper goodbye when the time comes. i almost lost him once, when he was 10 he was bitten by a rattlesnake in our backyard. it was the toughest vet appt we have had and i was not sure at all what to do. when it happened he just went to his bed and laid down confusing me. then i saw his face swell up and i knew. i hope he will tell me when hes ready and it is obvious, i just fear he will try and be loyal and not show any signs of being unhappy like he did after the bite.

[MENTION=56396]Hepar[/MENTION] we have that option here. i have looked in to it. i would prefer a vet coming to my house if possible. going to a vet and even more leaving the vet will be water works. it is worth the extra money imo.


he def is spoiled. every time i visit petsmart we get him a new toy

Amazing picture!

 

[Mass 4runner]

i tried to keep up on this during work but :sad:

he still eats regularly and will attempt to play if i toss a toy his way. every now and then when the temp cools down (he loves the cold) he'll flash signs of being a puppy. those times keep me excited and laughing at him being a goofball. we managed 5 camping trips this summer and he did pretty good. he paid for it when we got home, hobbled around for a couple days recovering. so far the only thing he wont do that he loved is swim. i have taken him to rivers/lakes but he wont really splash around. he'll get his paws wet and that is it. there was a time when if he got any where near water he would go in and i would have to drag him out.

i got him when i was barely legal to drink. i am truly amazed i have managed to keep something alive this long. i know i was not prepared for the energy level. there was no stop the first 10 years. All of his buddies have come and gone and he holds strong. i want to make sure i do right by him for being such a great companion. making sure he is comfortable and happy. i spoil him as best i can, he has a real sensitive tummy and thats the cause of some of his accidents. my worst fear is coming home and he passed while i was away. or something happens and i have to make a rush decision at the vet. i will struggle to make the decision no matter what. i do want to be with him and have a proper goodbye when the time comes. i almost lost him once, when he was 10 he was bitten by a rattlesnake in our backyard. it was the toughest vet appt we have had and i was not sure at all what to do. when it happened he just went to his bed and laid down confusing me. then i saw his face swell up and i knew. i hope he will tell me when hes ready and it is obvious, i just fear he will try and be loyal and not show any signs of being unhappy like he did after the bite.

[MENTION=56396]Hepar[/MENTION] we have that option here. i have looked in to it. i would prefer a vet coming to my house if possible. going to a vet and even more leaving the vet will be water works. it is worth the extra money imo.


he def is spoiled. every time i visit petsmart we get him a new toy

Amazing picture!

 

[Beaumont67]

leftyguns21 - so very sorry your lab buddy is getting old & slowing down / most beautiful photo BTW, stuffies & all.
- pull the plug, only when you have to ... they understand, and want to take our human pain away (as well)

When our girl couldn't make the climb upstairs steps, to the master bedroom / a make shift bed (futon) was put in the living room
- for the next 4 months, Amy and Dad slept together ... until the final day arrived
- every day I told her, "don't die without me" ... and she gave me my wish
- she died with much RESPECT & family LOVE, around her ... on her schedule

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The life expectancy of a Doberman is 9.25 y/o for males & 9.5 for FM's...5.5 years ago, we lost our beautiful heart dog.
- our Amy had 4 strokes in the middle of the night at 11.7 years old / paralleled from the neck down and her tail still wagged for her Dad
- following is her story on the Doberman forum

THKS DT FRIENDS - every post I read, makes me weep (in a nice way) and I appreciate the RESPECT given to her here.

She went out and peed last night, at 2pm...everything OK.
Harder to get her on our make shift bed... living room futon.
She put her head beside me, like the past 3 months and snuggled her warm/hairy back, into my middle age belly.
I always resite to her:
- Mama loves Amy, Dad loves Amy & boy Andrew loves Amy / and Amy loves Mom & Dad & Andrew
- then I say, "sleepy-time" ... and my belly rubs for 5-10 minutes will give her a sound sleep

But, last night was different, once on the futon, within a minute, she did a 180 turn...and I sensed she was making a final resting place.
- she looked different, in her eyes, I knew something was different
- hour later, she squeeled in pain, wife woke upstairs, and to ease her stress...I fibbed and said, I turned & layed on her...wife knew I was trying to protect this Mom
Once the morning started, it was clear, Amy final day was upon us.

Gratefully, she didn't die in her sleep...but in family arms....loving her to the very end.
This gives me, peace of mind...even in the last minutes - Amy's eye focus never left her Dad's eyes, through it all.
- and that is one the biggest gift, I am most proud of...that Amy gave to me directly
Plus, when she was laying on the floor in constant pain, my loving hand, took it all away.
- I treasure the memories and loving trust, my dober afforded me...right to her final breath

Sorry to share some bad DT news today.
Amy died in family arms at 1:00 pm.
- our 29 year old son kissed her K9, raising the lip while Dad breathed exhaled warm air, and planting kisses on the back of her neck...in final moments
Just not today, but I will gladly post TRIBUTE pictures in this thread...for anyone that wants to check back later.

I saw the end coming (recently, while I didn't want to accept it), and got a new 4/3rd camera...a month ago...still trying to figure out the software.
In the meantime / my dear friend made me a video, to honor my old girls life.
Dobe Amy controlled off-leash, walking city streets..wmv - YouTube
I am trying to think of all the positive more than the real grief...just not easy.
- balling ones eyes out...and the home is now so silent, even with the TV on

Even had my retired neighbor and buddy, sit with Amy while waiting for the Vet (for 1/2 hour, of comfort).
She still had a big tail wag for him but suffering from possible neargural damage.
Even he commented, AMY was not giving up or did she for one second, take her eyes off her Dad...(as terminal sick, as she was).
- that was the best training commplement, a person could receive

P.S. - my wifes loving comments, this morning (while she kissed good-by) - seems most fitting...to a long and happy dober life:
AMY - you left the Paw Prints, on my heart girly !!
- she will be cremated and a Amy paw print casted in clay
AMY was my best buddy, and I am retired now, so with her 24/7 last 4 years...even setup a futon in the living room, because she couldn't climb the upstair steps...but her and I slept every night together, and I belly rubbed her to sleep, every night.

Until the Vet came (at noon), she was comforted with my son & I...and “still had a great will to live”, right up to the very end.
(but she had almost zero mobility...only could raise her head, once/hour)

She was put down, at 1:00 pm today...with her big brother (son Andrew) and her Dad (Larry).
- there was NO future hope for her and continued quality of life, to enjoy (that she felt daily)
- so the hard decision to have her rest in peace, was made...in the arms, of her dearest & closest family members & loved ones

Amy photos >> Pet Perfect Express -- "Delivering human grade kibble for human pets"

As a nice surprise for Mom, I designed a "memorial Doberman wall" for our former girls.
Tanya (born 1977) and Amy - features include:
- Tanya's obedience trophy (1st place in class, after 18 weeks of daily training)
- two dog tags, from both former dogs
- Amy's favorite teddy, one of her babies
- Amy's special toy, a rubber moose (purchased at TSC)...and always hid from son's little dog Trevor
- Amy's urn/ashes & cast paw print
- Amy's last construction piece of scrap wood, for good chewing fun
- and finally a Doberman beanie baby, to complete the tribute

Incidentally, the vintage big ben alarm clock, was from my granny's egg house, on their farm...I've saved it for 50 years.
The old Northern Electric long snout telephone, was purchased at a rural garage sale 20 years ago.
- stored in my garage, until I could properly display the old antique (guessing from the 1920's)
Mantle top ledge is from a black walnut board, that was dried & planed 50 years ago...affixed to the hallway with a cut-off of white oak.
This saw milled oak plank was 60 years old, from the family farm & ends cut to length with Dads 1968 Pioneer chainsaw (w/visible burn marks)...power washed old grime off & small hardwood piece dipped in urethane (to keep the dried out bark intact).
Brick work is stacked slate (stone veneer) and PL glued in place.

This one construction project was a labor of love, and an honor to incorporate our fond doggy memories, into our newer living quarters...at the end of the hallway, right beside the master bedroom.

 

[RockyMountainT4R]

Leftyguns21, Thank you for telling us about your dog. It is a very hard decision. Our Lab lived a full life to 14 and our mutt to 15 when it was time. We let go of them on the same day. Now, the dog that helped us deal with the loss of our two buddies is nearing the end of his life. You have a lot of friends here. We share a love for our dogs and want the best life for them.

My wife and I have fostered dogs, from a year old into the teen years, for a rescue group. Our fellow foster families have offered a lot of knowledge and provided a great deal of support as well. One suggestion we all have, toward helping know when it is time, is to please get advice from and continue to communicate with your vet.

 

[nb rob]

I have lost 4 of my 5 hounds in the last year. 3 in the last 6 months. Needless to say, 2017 has been a bummer.

Unfortunately, they won't always tell you when it's time. Dogs are very good at working through pain. It's up to you to access quality of life, considering what diagnosis you have been given, and determine commitment to palliative care, while considering the pain.

This is the very toughest part of our leadership role. You're not alone.

Kindest regards, I wish I could find more thoughtful words

-rob

 

[leftyguns21]

from everything I have read the average life span of a lab is 10-12 and a aussie is 12-14. This is the difficult part of having a pet, knowing they are on the tail end of their life expectancy. when he was a puppy he had a lot of health issues. he was always itchy, he had no fur on his legs or back, he threw up a lot. i spent over $1000 in vet bills all to find out he has food allergies. i really lucked out on him, the only other issue we had was him getting bitten. otherwise he has had a pretty healthy life, no crazy vet bills or injuries. all from a puppy i got from some crazy lady in the Seattle Times classifieds. for him to make it this long is amazing.

the last couple of days have been pretty good. his energy level has perked up some. I think its cause of the cooler weather. I back up to an open space with plenty of open field for him to run. he's been trotting around and even sprints around a little. there are some cows in the field, if they get close enough to our side hell go up to them and say hi.

I am going away on a long weekend in November, I leave him with friends who take really good care of him but its still scary leaving him for too long. i cant keep putting my life on hold though.

 

[MtnT4R]

OP, my biggest fear would be making the decision too soon. Has he had a checkup recently? Unless he has some terminal problem he could keep enjoying life for quite a while. My neighbor has a shepherd mix that has had her ups and downs over the last three years, but is still cruising around and happy as ever at just over 16 years old, which blows all of us away. She has a hitch in her step and moves slow, but he lets her wander where she wants, sometimes she heads to the park, and sometimes wants to hit the bike trail right up the mountain from our place. She always has that happy look on her face when I see her, and its clear she enjoys every day.

My oldest German Shepherd is now almost 13 and she has arthritis and her back legs dont work so well, she's damn near blind, but she could care less about her physical condition, she swims like a maniac and runs around with the younger dogs as much as she is able. Dogs respond to pain a lot differently than we do, and I believe they value the bond with their humans much more than physical pain can hold them back.

Good nutrition is vital with old animals. We have noticed a huge difference in energy levels and joint health over the last few years with these supplements:

Pet & Household Products : Healthy Pet Combo Pak

Another one we use is a CBD oil from canna-pet:
https://canna-pet.com/products/canna-pet-for-dogs/

 

[MissouriBreaks]

This really strikes close to home. I put my 11 year old Chocolate Lab down yesterday. It was so hard.

Unfortunately it was necessary as his appetite had slowed over the last month and he had stopped eating. A vet check, which included blood work only as I felt that any sort of scans / x-rays were not required at his age (as I would never subject him to an operation) revealed that the liver enzyme count in his blood was over 800, when it should have been around 100.

Given that his liver was apparently failing and he had stopped eating regularly, I had him put down while he did not appear to be in any pain. We enjoyed one last walk around the block and a car ride to the bank drive through, and then to the vet.

It was a nice experience as possible for putting him down. The vet had just constructed a new vet hospital and they had a private room just for this type of occasion. The vet asked if I wanted to be present, and I said yes. They took him out of the room and inserted an IV in his leg and brought him back in. We all were on the floor and I was petting him as they injected him and he slowly went to sleep. The room we were in had a separate exit, so I could leave without going through the reception area.

I obviously made the right choice, but it was not easy and I sure miss him.

 

[leftyguns21]

[MENTION=91673]MtnT4R[/MENTION] we had a vet check up in June/July when he was really struggling. he was having accidents daily, like blow out bad accidents. he seemed very down and it was a struggle. the check up came back clean. no kidney issues, arthritis, no nothing. it was pretty puzzling for even the vet. the only thing she could think of was he ate something outside he shouldn't have, which is a huge possibility knowing him. it was about a month of that and he rebounded and hasn't had an accident in the house since. I have changed my work schedule to accommodate him, I go home early and take care of him then back to work. I plan my whole day now around taking care of him at the same times every day.

making the decision too soon or too late is what I struggle with. some days I think he will outlive me he looks so good. other days not so much. these days are when I am lost of what to do, do I wait and see if he rebounds or is it his time.

we switched to senior food finally and I give him all soft treats now. the senior food has a lot of the vitamins and glucosamine. I haven't had to water it down yet, he has no problems eating. as soon as I put food out he chows down.

 

[MtnT4R]

[MENTION=91673]MtnT4R[/MENTION] we had a vet check up in June/July when he was really struggling. he was having accidents daily, like blow out bad accidents. he seemed very down and it was a struggle. the check up came back clean. no kidney issues, arthritis, no nothing. it was pretty puzzling for even the vet. the only thing she could think of was he ate something outside he shouldn't have, which is a huge possibility knowing him. it was about a month of that and he rebounded and hasn't had an accident in the house since. I have changed my work schedule to accommodate him, I go home early and take care of him then back to work. I plan my whole day now around taking care of him at the same times every day.

making the decision too soon or too late is what I struggle with. some days I think he will outlive me he looks so good. other days not so much. these days are when I am lost of what to do, do I wait and see if he rebounds or is it his time.

we switched to senior food finally and I give him all soft treats now. the senior food has a lot of the vitamins and glucosamine. I haven't had to water it down yet, he has no problems eating. as soon as I put food out he chows down.

Yeah dogs somehow find and eat a lot of really nasty crap. One thing I would never have guessed until we ran into it with my neighbor's dog- he almost called the vet to put her down- was a tick embedded in her fur somewhere for who knows how long. Poor girl was crapping all over, had a couple seizures, just really down and out. Found the tick, scraped it off, and she was a whole new dog. That was a year and a half ago now.

glucosamine is great stuff, we give it to both dogs every day. I would definitely suggest the detox powder in that first link if you are willing to try a little something extra.

Its one of the toughest decisions you'll ever have to make, but its pretty clear that you know your dog better than anyone and will do right by him. Cant ask for any better than that.

 

[JohnWilson]

I think your dog is like any other family member and I would try to keep them around as long as possible.

 

[Overlanding99]

My best bud passed about 3 months back and I'm still a tad shaken because he was with me since I was seven and as a Dogo Argentino, he outlived his breed by a a couple years and boy was he healthy. The vet told me that he was in the same shape as a dog 8 years younger, a real super-dog, but at that age, his body was also his worst enemy and anything could happen at any moment. He's always walked a few miles a day all his life and after getting back on that day all we did was relax. I awoke at about 2 a.m. to him lying in his bed in my office whimpering. I could tell something was wrong and then I noticed it, he started fading, chest pumping hard, his heart rate falling, less air from is nose, he started panting extremely heavily, and then he was gone. Within 5-10 minutes, I saw my friend pass before my eyes. After that I gave up on the vets 24-hour emergency line. In my 22 years on earth I cried twice in my memory, but that was the worst feeling I have ever had, I just sat there holding him for hours on end.

The vet called me back later that day to explain that he had a diagnosis of a terminal heart defect and that I should consider putting him down due to the severity of it and estimated length of remaining life along with age. I explained to him what had happened, and he told me with the info from the tests, he should've died earlier and the symptoms should have been severe and very similar to CHF, but the only sign he showed were blue gums. The vet stated that my dog was chasing the cows on the ranch, going for hikes, car rides, swimming in the river, and especially eating a lot when he should've been slowing down, not wanting to exercise, not wanting to eat. I don't know if my dog knew, if he felt something, but I can say he want hard all the way to the end. The toughest SOB I ever knew and not because his name was Rocky.

I feel for everyone in this thread going through this, either after the passing or getting near the end with their best friend(s). Thank you for this thread, I never really talked about my experience to anyone.

 

[leftyguns21]

his accidents (always #2) are becoming more frequent and quite honestly, starting to take a toll on me. the last 4 days he has had at least one inside. I've been getting up at 2, 3 in the morning to take him out. seems that no matter how many times he goes outside he still goes inside. he doesn't even eat that much I don't get how he could go so often. other than these he still seems seemingly healthy. he runs and plays, gets up/down the stairs ok. eats. are this many accidents a sign he is not comfortable or just something I have to continue with? almost always during the night time too when he should be sleeping.
speaking of nights, he doesn't seem to sleep. I can hear him pacing around constantly. he will lay down, then move to another location seconds later. and repeat this for many hours, I usually fall asleep so I don't know if he ever settles down. during the days when I am home he usually is passed out and stays in one spot sleeping so I know its not because of one of his beds. I don't get why he's so restless at nights but can sleep fine during the days.

he is at 14.5 years old now. I am going on vacation in a few weeks and leaving him with friends. I would feel so terrible if he had any of these accidents at their house.

 

[MissouriBreaks]

his accidents (always #2) are becoming more frequent and quite honestly, starting to take a toll on me. the last 4 days he has had at least one inside. I've been getting up at 2, 3 in the morning to take him out. seems that no matter how many times he goes outside he still goes inside. he doesn't even eat that much I don't get how he could go so often. other than these he still seems seemingly healthy. he runs and plays, gets up/down the stairs ok. eats. are this many accidents a sign he is not comfortable or just something I have to continue with? almost always during the night time too when he should be sleeping.
speaking of nights, he doesn't seem to sleep. I can hear him pacing around constantly. he will lay down, then move to another location seconds later. and repeat this for many hours, I usually fall asleep so I don't know if he ever settles down. during the days when I am home he usually is passed out and stays in one spot sleeping so I know its not because of one of his beds. I don't get why he's so restless at nights but can sleep fine during the days.

he is at 14.5 years old now. I am going on vacation in a few weeks and leaving him with friends. I would feel so terrible if he had any of these accidents at their house.

I hate to say this, but with his behavior of not sleeping and being very restless at night and constantly needing to go out at night, are you really sure that you want to burden friends with this?

 

[philsey]

I hate to say this, but with his behavior of not sleeping and being very restless at night and constantly needing to go out at night, are you really sure that you want to burden friends with this?

Regretfully, I have to concur.

 

[leftyguns21]

I hate to say this, but with his behavior of not sleeping and being very restless at night and constantly needing to go out at night, are you really sure that you want to burden friends with this?

it is a concern of mine yeah, not only for those reasons but his age. the advantage to their place over mine however is they have a fully fenced backyard and 2 puppies. when he stays at their house the puppies wear him out during the day. normally he is alone all day. they leave him out all day (weather permitting) to play and he can take care of business and is usually good at night at their place. when he comes home from their house he sleeps non stop for 2+ straight days. I think with me he is stir crazy from sleeping all day and being alone.
we trade off, I take their dogs and they take mine when we go on vacations. each of our dogs has their own burdens. they have one that requires a lot of medical attention/planning. plus they have a new baby, they are up all night already.

I did cut my trip shorter though for this very reason. I was originally going to be gone a week but I cut it short to 3.5 days.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

It is the unfortunate side of being sensitive to a loyal friend. I have adopted at least 10 animals over the years. Acquiring them from the street, friends and/or shelters.
Each case is different, but as others have said it is usually obvious. We dont want to see it though. I know the feeling of doing the logical thing over hoping they will get stronger.
It is never easy. I just spent a bunch of money keeping one alive that others thought was not going to make it. He is doing has completely recovered and is doing great now. You just never know.

 

[Tisoy281]

I had to put one of my girls of 8 years down, and give the other one of 15 years up for adoption back in May. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My 8 year old was a pit/ basset hound mix. She was urinating blood, and I took her into the vet. They told me she had a UTI, and prescribed her antibiotics and sent us home. I noticed she was having a hard time urinating when I would take her out, and in her back room there were blood spots on the tile.

I took her back in, and they did an x-ray of her abdomen. She had huge stones in her bladder blocking the flow of urine. They said she needed emergency surgery or her bladder would rupture and she would die a slow painful death. I had to weigh out the options of surgery, recovery, and the limited time I had to be able to care for her (I was in the process of relocating for a new job after being laid off for 6 months).

We never left the vet together. She knew it was time, she even got up on 2 legs and put her front paws on me as I sat there holding her sobbing like a little girl. I held her as they gave her the shot, and until she took her final breath. It's not an easy thing to do at all, but I did have the comfort of knowing that she wasn't suffering anymore. She lived a long, loved life.

 

[leftyguns21]

[MENTION=116305]Tisoy281[/MENTION] dang. getting me all teary eyed at work. sorry to hear :sobbing:

I want to be there of course for my dog in the end, but I also don't know if I can make the decision. when the time is right, part of me hopes he goes to sleep peacefully. I make sure I have a good goodbye every night and anytime I leave the house. a big hug and a treat.

I have adjusted our routine again and the last few nights have been pretty good. he is sleeping through the night and in the morning, no more waking me up at the crack of dawn. I used to take him out at 9pm for last call. now I wait until closer to 10pm. this seems gives him some extra time to process dinner then do his business again. a quick run around and he seems ready for bed. I guess he needs to go 3 times now and not just 2 like before. Ill keep up this schedule now since it seems to make him more comfortable.