What to do old dog going senile

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travellingpony

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I have.a jack Russell cross she’s now about 15 she’s been out her whole life with me with horses and at work. PhysicAlly she’s great but has started to be very odd. Although never wonderful with dogs she’s now agreesive I have four we have to walk her alone. She’s nippes at my daughters face never hurt her but she’s not like that. We live on a farm and have no fence round the garden I don’t dare let her run around anymore incase. Last week she took on the shepherd and was lucky not to be eaten. She stopped eating and was pacing all night the vet said PTS.

We were totally devastated over the weekend she slept in a crate upstairs to stop the waking and seemed calmer. If I go out which is rare she howls. This week she’s eating again.

Just don’t know what to do. On a walk she’s happy and like ever but clearly there is something going on. It feels wrong to put down what seems a healthy dog to look at.

It is worrying though that she will either get hurt or hurt someone. The vet isn’t tecommending medication he thinks her quality of life comparatively isn’t good.

I just feel like I would be doing it out of my invoncenice more than her poor health and feel bad even thinking anout it.

Just wanted opinions?
 
I have found it very rare for a vet to recommend pts unless they are really pushed or the animal is obviously very seriously unwell so I would think it was in the best interests of the dog to follow his advice before she gets much worse and has an accident that gives you no choice, not an easy decision when they are physically well but one that needs to be made at some point for her sake, don't feel guilty.
 
Sounds like doggie dementia to me, our old collie is getting that way, barks at nothing, getting confused, not happy in company or alone. Sorry to hear, I think your vet is right x
 
Some friends had a Springer like that, the vet put him on medication to help (assume it aids blood flow to the brain?) - he had almost another year of manageable behaviour. Worth asking your vet?
 
Thanks all I have had her my whole adult life through a lot so feeling rather selfish too. My friend was saying let her go last week. It’s that she seems fine now. Obviously if there is a big fight she bit the kids to hurt them that would be awful. She’s gone for a dog today on her lead but then she always hated random dogs it’s so hard to know. When it’s me and her she’s haopy as Larry like ever so difficult. The vet was worried about the nipping. Our house is a war zone keeping the dogs apart endless crates and stair gates.
 
It's awful when they get like this. Mine was PTS last year for the same thing, he was getting more aggressive and unpredictable and the pacing was horrible to watch. He was 15 and a half, I'm glad I made the decision although it was hard.
 
I feel for you but personally I would give her a peaceful and dignified end, on one of those days that she is feeling good, rather than waiting for something awful to happen with a child or a dog, in a very stressed household.
Physically and mentally healthy are not the same, imagine how confused she is if she can't recognise or is aggressive towards dogs and children she's lived with for years and the home she knows is 'a war zone'.
She's given you 15 fantastic years, let your last memories be happy ones.
Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.
 
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CorvusCorax said:
I feel for you but personally I would give her a peaceful and dignified end, on one of those days that she is feeling good, rather than waiting for something awful to happen with a child or a dog, in a very stressed household.
Physically and mentally healthy are not the same, imagine how confused she is if she can't recognise or is aggressive towards dogs and children she's lived with for years and the home she knows is 'a war zone'.
She's given you 15 fantastic years, let your last memories be happy ones.
Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.
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Thank you that is how I feel really I guess I feel guilty too because it’s hard work keeping them all apart and wonder if that’s swaying things in my mind. I put the horses down before they get bad out of respect I seem to not be so logical with the dog it’s odd

So good to post here as people are so logical. She’s a lovely dog but she’s been hard going always. The vet was saying her life is running around free and now she’s in a cage or on the lead he felt it was against what she had rather than the average standard of a dogs life. I think il give it over the weekend but no something bad to ruin memories would be terrible.
 
I understand how hard it must be when physically they seem ok in themselves but I do think it is quite rare for a vet to actively suggest PTS based on current quality of life rather than investigating other options.
You could of course explore those other options elsewhere but if you were to I definitely think I would put a time limit on expecting improvement.
 
ester said:
I understand how hard it must be when physically they seem ok in themselves but I do think it is quite rare for a vet to actively suggest PTS based on current quality of life rather than investigating other options.
You could of course explore those other options elsewhere but if you were to I definitely think I would put a time limit on expecting improvement.
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He’s a very realistic vet to be fair he said you could spendoney but he felt that it was negligible how effective it would be and expensive. She’s nipped my daughters face it’s never marked or anything but he felt it was a potentially dangerous thing. Obviously it’s heavily supervised now but it’s a worry although some weeks ago.
 
CorvusCorax said:
I feel for you but personally I would give her a peaceful and dignified end, on one of those days that she is feeling good, rather than waiting for something awful to happen with a child or a dog, in a very stressed household.
Physically and mentally healthy are not the same, imagine how confused she is if she can't recognise or is aggressive towards dogs and children she's lived with for years and the home she knows is 'a war zone'.
She's given you 15 fantastic years, let your last memories be happy ones.
Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.
Click to expand...


This is very sensible advice, especially the bit about letting your memories be happy ones. You don't want to find yourself in a position where your daughter has got bitten. That wouldn't be a good memory for her.

It could be dementia but it also could be something simple like failing eyesight. Not all dogs cope well with losing their vision and some can get quite intimidated and scared by this change, which makes them defensive of their space around them. It's a horrible decision to make but it's the last, best thing we can do for our animals and should be done (in my humble opinion) before the animal deteriorates too much.

All the best with whatever you decide.
 
Maybe the vet is considering the potential danger to your daughter rather than the dog’s health? Dunno, but if you’re having to juggle and it’s a ‘war zone’, it must be very stressy for her. If she’s increasingly aggressive, that’s a huge worry. My 15 year old is intolerant of dogs harassing him, but bar his obsessive search for food, he’s pretty much the same as always.

Google the dog quality of life rating, hopefully someone can link it. It is very helpful in situations like this.
 
Tonight we walked the others and came back she was sitting on my daughters coat growling which is unusual I went to move her and she was growling at me which is a first then she took herself in the bath room again odd. She’s been normal all week it seems another episode. She has a crate in the sitting room for when my daughter is about if she’s doing anything loud so she’s not bothered. It’s the up and down that is so hard tonight I would have put her down growling but now can’t do anything till Monday and school time by then I guess she will be better its very hard.
 
travellingpony said:
Tonight we walked the others and came back she was sitting on my daughters coat growling which is unusual I went to move her and she was growling at me which is a first then she took herself in the bath room again odd. She’s been normal all week it seems another episode. She has a crate in the sitting room for when my daughter is about if she’s doing anything loud so she’s not bothered. It’s the up and down that is so hard tonight I would have put her down growling but now can’t do anything till Monday and school time by then I guess she will be better its very hard.
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She seems very very unhappy at times.... personally that would be quite enough for me, however bright she appears in her 'normal' periods :( As CC has said, I would allow her to go with dignity and in peace at the right time, and be thankful for the 15 years you have been together
 
Lévrier;13773385 said:
She seems very very unhappy at times.... personally that would be quite enough for me, however bright she appears in her 'normal' periods :( As CC has said, I would allow her to go with dignity and in peace at the right time, and be thankful for the 15 years you have been together
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Thank you tonight has sealed it I think. I am just sorry that we can’t go tomorrow. Il have to see if I can do it on Monday after school drop off.
 
Lévrier;13773392 said:
I'm so sorry - I do fully realise how hard it is for you, they bring so much enjoyment but also so much heart ache x
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I totally appreciate that and it’s why I posted here people are knowledgable and sensible too. I don’t want her to have no dignity I wounldnt allow that to ever happen to a horse of mine.
 
She went very quietly today so many tears before but actually a sense of relief and sadness afterwards. She had a happy walk today and lots of treats the sedative killed her before the anesthetic. The vet said it was 100% the right thing and it was done very well she went so peacefully. Just wanted to thank everyone.
 
Well done for doing doing the best for her even if it wasn’t the best for you. I will be dealing with it in the near future and I just hope I can be as selfless x
 
It’s very sad because and there will always be that feeling like maybe I let her go too soon but I have to live with that. The house seems so quiet I keep thinking that I see her around. She never even went in kennels in 15 years the longest I ever was away was three days.

Was total devastation this morning and I had to wait for the vet till one. I felt better after it had been done and now just numb. I am sure she will be looked for and missed for a very long time. She went to sleep in my arms so relaxed he did it much better than I have had it happen before.
 
so sorry that you have lost her but it sounds like you made the best decision with her happiness in mind......its the worst thing about having dogs and its not easy to do the right thing....hope you soon feel better
 
So sorry but you know the saying - better a day too soon...................... You did the right thing and she is where she needs to be
 
Well done for having the bravery to do the right thing. From what you have described, I don't think it was too soon so as soon as you can, try to stop feeling guilty. We all know all too well on here the heartache that you feel but that ache does ease.
 
So sorry to hear of your sad loss, but just wanted to say that you 100% did the right thing, & let her go with the dignity with which she led her lovely life. xx
 
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