What can I do for my poor old dog?

Question

I have a lab/chow-chow mix, my parents got him a little bit before i was born and my 16th birthday is in 2 months so he is at least 15 or 16. He has a very hard time walking and getting up stairs because of his hind legs. He is still able to stand on them but they are very weak. He doesn't show any signs of pain, besides barking when he is alone, but other than that he is fine. I would rather put him down than wait for his legs to completely give out, but my dad does not want to and my sister said that it is probably just arthritis. She also told me that arthritis in dogs can be treated with some sort of shot from the vet. However, he is soo old I do not know if its worth to prolong his life anymore, I mean i can't believe he's made it to 16, but I can only wonder how much life hes got left. What should I do?

Thanks you guys! We'll take him to the vet probably this weekend, you're all right I should push my family into putting him down if they are not comfortable with it.

WOAH I meant I shouldn't push them if they are not comfortable lol! Oh he also has a few patches of hair falling out. He is not sheddign but I can see the discoloration and where the patches came from, anything I can do for that?

Answer 1

It is your parent's dog. Let them decide what to do. Arthritis is not the end of the world. Give the dog some aspirin. I wouldn't put him to sleep either. If he is not in pain, then give him time.

Answer 2

My dog lived to be 17. He was in some pain, but I gave him rimadyl from the Vet for the arthritis. During the last 6 months I had to help him walk down the sidewalk everyday for exercise... but he wagged his tail every time he saw me. And he liked me to massage his old legs... I learned a lot about how to be kind, compassionate, and nice to him.

The vet told me that I would know when it was time. On that last day, he did not get up, he could not stand... and he no longer wagged his tail when he saw me... Then, I knew we were only prolonging his pain, and we went to the vet to put him to sleep.

But what I learned in those last 6 months made me a much better owner for the next puppy, than anything that i learned in the previous 16 years....

It sounds like your dog may have 2 - 4 more years, with a little exercise and a little more loving care. It will be a while before his legs give out.

Answer 3

I might think about a second opinion from a different vet, before I made any decision to euthanize him. Maybe look for a holistic vet to address the skin problem? Other things to try in your home to help control the mites. They Need high humidity. Running a dehumidifier will drive them out of the house. Keep the temp below 70F and humidity below 50%. Using a HEPA air filter to clean the air in the room the dog spends the most time will help alot. Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter or bag. Otherwise all the hovering is just blowing the mites around. Also don't forget to vacuum the chairs and couch Acarosan and Allergy Control Solution both contain benzyl benzoate and tannic acid. This solution dose seem to kill the mites. Wash bedding.. yours, the dogs.. throw rugs every two weeks minimum in hot water.

Answer 4

You should take him to a vet for an evaluation. Hopefully your sister is right and it is just arthritis. This can be treated with medication just like humans. You, your family and your vet should decide what is best for your pet. But, I would not be so quick to give up on the guy, I had a shepherd mix who lived til 21 before she finally gave out. She too had arthritis. We gave her hip and joint replacement vitamins and baby asprin (by vets order). They also sell a special bedding that helps relieve the stress on their joints (not expensive). In the cold weather we paid extra attention to keeping her warm. It is a tough decision and no one can tell you what to do. But I do think the vet will help you evaluate your choices. I hope all goes well.

Answer 5

Putting the dog down is a family decision. If the rest of the family isn't ready to let him go, you shouldn't push them. Many dogs can happily get around with just their front legs, and it doesn't bother them a bit. If your dog is in obvious pain or seems like he just doesn't want to try anymore, then you should point that out to your family. There are good medications out there that can make him more comfortable, though they won't likely prolong his life. But when he's ready to go, the whole family will be able to see it.

You can't decide to end his life because it's hard for YOU. Of course it is hard for you. But if he is still enjoying life, why take that away from him?

Answer 6

GREETINGS, 16 is pretty good for a dog but they can live alot older so don't give up yet. The Rimadyl, glucosamine, activity, and also massaging the legs can help alot. I didn't have a dog that lived that long, but my grandparents used to have a farm with cats, the cats were active, however one of them got pretty bad with arthritis. This was before alot of medications were available, they used to massage her legs and give her fish oil along with glucosamine, she lived to be 19 almost 20 and could still run and play like a kitten.

Answer 7

My oldest golden had arthritis at age 14. The vet put her on Rimadyl and within two days she was running with the younger dogs. It's a chewable pill, and at the time it cost me about $1 a day for her prescription. She lived another 2 years before developing more serious internal problems. It would be best to have him evaluated by your vet to be sure what the problem is and decide on a course of action from there. In the end, you have to decide what is best for him and his quality of life.

Answer 8

My dog is a little yorkie and is 13 years old and has had arthritis for 3 to 4 yrs due to a rotweiller biting him. It does not get better it gets worse so you are better off leting him go by taking him to the vet and putting him down.

Answer 9

Take him to your vets for some pain and arthritis relief. My Golden lived to be 16 1/2 years old and he was able to enjoy every moment pain free and still walking around until his heart failed.

Answer 10

I have the same problem with my lab. We started giving it a can of vegetables every day with her food and some OTC joint pain pills. I don't recall what the name of the pills are off the top of my head, but they're very common and all natural. They did the trick. She's 17 and she doesn't act like a puppy but at least she can poop standing up again.