Elderly dogs.......

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Sorry if this sounds very depressing for NYE, but it is a time for reflection and re-evaluation I suppose....

I cannot remember for the life of me what the 3 signs of quality of life for an older dog are - can someone remind me please? My beautiful beautiful Islay greyhound tripped on her walk today and fell, so I have decided she needs a few days off walks to see if she picks up again as she is clearly not managing our walks at the moment..... she is 13 1/2 so a very good age, and I love her more than words can ever say....

She is eating very very well, her coat is shiny, she is slightly slimmer than I would like but she is still is a decent weight, and every time she has blood tests (well, I AM a paranoid owner....!!) they come back clear with no signs of any problems. I am not suggesting that the time is now in any way, but I hate more than anything people who keep their animals alive for their own sake so I want to be aware so I can ensure the very best for her.

Sorry to be maudlin, I am nearly crying over my bloody NYE prosecco as I cannot imagine life without her! C'mon, get a grip here, she is still here, lying on her favourite cushion and looking smug as anything :) :)
 
You are just like me, paranoid at the slightest hiccup It sounds like maybe Islay needs a separate, shorter walk to the rest of the greyhound gang, other than that I wouldnt worry too much.

With mine, any of the following would suggest I need to be making some touch decisions. Obvious pain , falling over a lot (not just the occasional stumble), being incontinent - if it is distressing the dog, not wanting to eat, and finally that hard to describe look when you just know they have had enough. Now stop wasting good Prosecco and give her a hug, I trip over quite a lot , it comes with old age.
 
MurphysMinder said:
You are just like me, paranoid at the slightest hiccup It sounds like maybe Islay needs a separate, shorter walk to the rest of the greyhound gang, other than that I wouldnt worry too much.

With mine, any of the following would suggest I need to be making some touch decisions. Obvious pain , falling over a lot (not just the occasional stumble), being incontinent - if it is distressing the dog, not wanting to eat, and finally that hard to describe look when you just know they have had enough. Now stop wasting good Prosecco and give her a hug, I trip over quite a lot , it comes with old age.
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Bless you MM, thank you very much :) :) I chatted to my mum today and she has agreed that it is not wanting to eat that is 'the' sign - it always makes me smile that, when Islay's raw food has not defrosted, she wolfs down the Skinners with equal enthusiasm and gusto :)

I always have in the back of my mind that the average life expectancy of a greyhound is 12 - 14 years so I count every day as a bonus - having said that, I have looked back on FB today and I was panicking about Islay SEVEN years ago thinking the end was nigh :D :D
 
stop being maudlin ;)

could be she needs a shorter walk, could be she's a little stiff, could be her nails are a little long?, could be she just tripped-happens to the best of us ;)


agree with MM, unmanageable pain etc etc. If you are home alone drinking prosecco then I can join you.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
stop being maudlin ;)

could be she needs a shorter walk, could be she's a little stiff, could be her nails are a little long?, could be she just tripped-happens to the best of us ;)


agree with MM, unmanageable pain etc etc. If you are home alone drinking prosecco then I can join you.
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I have four greyhounds and a TV-watching partner as company I will admit :) Hmmm you have made me think about her nails needing cutting.... something for tomorrow I think! Poor old girl, she has broken so many toes over the years that she must be arthritic now, so I don't imagine that helps.

Thank you MoC xx
 
my lurcher was weeks away from her 13th birthday when i decided to PTS....she had been diagnosed with arthritis in her hips and i had shortened her walks to 10 mins twice a day, she also had a sensitive stomach so we were limited with pain relief, she could tolerate tramadol but it didnt improve her movement at all, and although she was eating and physically looked ok weight wise she had a sorrowful look and seemed very lacklustre and i felt she was not happy....in hindsight i realised that she had stopped rolling on her back on the sofa (a typical lurcher pastime) and also had stopped jumping around when i got the leads out. i think these things crept up on me and i didnt take enough notice at the time....it was late september and i am still really missing her and am now in tears again!!!!!
 
splashgirl45 said:
my lurcher was weeks away from her 13th birthday when i decided to PTS....she had been diagnosed with arthritis in her hips and i had shortened her walks to 10 mins twice a day, she also had a sensitive stomach so we were limited with pain relief, she could tolerate tramadol but it didnt improve her movement at all, and although she was eating and physically looked ok weight wise she had a sorrowful look and seemed very lacklustre and i felt she was not happy....in hindsight i realised that she had stopped rolling on her back on the sofa (a typical lurcher pastime) and also had stopped jumping around when i got the leads out. i think these things crept up on me and i didnt take enough notice at the time....it was late september and i am still really missing her and am now in tears again!!!!!
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I'm sorry splashgirl45 I didn't mean to upset you, I hope you have many happy memories xxx

Islay still does the whole rolling around on her back thing, more than any of the others :)
 
My lurcher is 17 in 2017 (ish, a rescue so can't be sure, I have had her 15 years).
She will probably be going next week, I keep deciding then undeciding. Physically she isn't too bad, and still comes for walks, but mentally she has lost it and although not stressed as in panting or shakling, she just stares at me until I end up panting or shaking... She doesn't know if she wants to go out or in and yesterday spent 20 minutes jammed sideways across the hall way, while I was out.
So, Levrier, Islay sounds fine to me. :-)
 
Clodagh said:
My lurcher is 17 in 2017 (ish, a rescue so can't be sure, I have had her 15 years).
She will probably be going next week, I keep deciding then undeciding. Physically she isn't too bad, and still comes for walks, but mentally she has lost it and although not stressed as in panting or shakling, she just stares at me until I end up panting or shaking... She doesn't know if she wants to go out or in and yesterday spent 20 minutes jammed sideways across the hall way, while I was out.
So, Levrier, Islay sounds fine to me. :-)
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Www poor Sash, and poor you. She sounds a bit like my M-I-L, she is mostly in a happy place and that's what matters. Our old cat did the in and out thing, she lived with Pilar in the cottage and kept her very busy opening and closing the door.
 
Thank you for making me smile Clodagh and Thistle :) :) :) Honestly, dogs, I wouldn't ever live without them but sometimes they are so much stress....well, perhaps only if you are me and worry too much.....!!
 
It's a long time since I've had an elderly dog, (until we adopted this one), but I knew the time was right when my old girl struggled getting in and out of the back door. Smallest of steps, but one day, she asked to go out, and couldn't make the step and messed before she got out. The look of shame in her eyes told me she didn't want to live like that. She did have other issues too, but that look told me she was ready.

I think Islay is far from there.
 
Lévrier;13449831 said:
I'm sorry splashgirl45 I didn't mean to upset you, I hope you have many happy memories xxx

Islay still does the whole rolling around on her back thing, more than any of the others :)
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not your fault, some days i feel worse than others, today i saw a lady i hadnt seen for a long while and she said oh you only have one dog now, i said yes and walked on but that small conversation made me sad for the rest of the day...islay doesnt sound at all ready to go, maybe short walks would be the answer...hope you have her for a long time...
 
TheresaW said:
It's a long time since I've had an elderly dog, (until we adopted this one), but I knew the time was right....
I think Islay is far from there.
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Thank you TheresaW - I think I am going to cry all over again soon with people being so lovely, I really really appreciate it :) :)
 
splashgirl45 said:
not your fault, some days i feel worse than others, today i saw a lady i hadnt seen for a long while and she said oh you only have one dog now, i said yes and walked on but that small conversation made me sad for the rest of the day...islay doesnt sound at all ready to go, maybe short walks would be the answer...hope you have her for a long time...
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Thank you - I have a feeling she will be going on for rather longer than I anticipate, she always has been a very determined dog :D xx
 
Dobiegirl said:
Dont worry about tomorrow, live in the here and now otherwise you miss enjoying your time now.

Open another bottle and just saviour the moment, enjoy.
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**obediently** second bottle on the go now.....

I nearly lost Islay 2 years ago, I was absolutely convinced she was not going to make it, so every day is truly a bonus - in some perverse way I am glad I posted tonight because people have been so fabulous :)
 
Sorry I missed this last night Levrier. I think it is the worst part of dog ownership, assessing quality of life. It is difficult to 'live in the moment' when you are worrying if your judgment is correct.
I had my wonderful rescue dog PTS last May. I had from early 2001, she was young but not a puppy, so a minimum of 16. She had become deaf and had a few little senile ways but was on no medication. In the last 6 months she had to go for shorter walks. She became quite fussy about food but was never incontinent. Right near the end she fell over a few times and I hated that.
On the day I made the decision, I noticed her tail was down, she used to carry it level with her back. That day she ate a small tea and then just stood in the doorway propping herself up on the door frame. She had never done that before.
I texted my daughter and said I thought I had better let Sadie go in the morning. She said let's do it now if you have made the decision, so on a Sunday call out the vet came. I have never regretted the decision and think I got it about right but this is the first time I have spoken of it.
Oh my, they break your heart.
 
Thank you Chiffy - I'm sorry, it is such an upsetting subject, so I apologise for bringing back sad memories for a few people with this thread.

Islay went for a shorter walk today and trotted around quite happily - she has been sound asleep for most of the day, but she ate all of her tea (2lbs of raw!) even snapping at the others when they got too near her bowl. I think we are not at 'that point' yet.... :) :) :) :)
 
I think we all know when it is time; there is something for every animal that when they stop, you know they are not enjoying life any more. For us, it was when our boy no longer jumped up and barked at the postman any more.

Let's just keep on enjoying each day we have with them.
 
For me, when the bad days outweigh the good then it is time for some serious decision making :( I have a 15 year old collie and my husband has a 16 year old collie. They are both retired working dogs and are certainly starting to feel their age now. Both are arthritic and can only go for short walks now. They still enjoy cuddles, food and pottering around in the great outdoors and I am thankful for a decent winter so far, as both like to spend time dozing in the winter sunshine. I am surprised both are still here, as I remember having similar feelings this time last year - but all we can do is take each day at a time and try to ensure we keep their well being at the forefront of our minds.
 
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