What do y'all do to help extend your older dog's life, comfort, happiness?

Parent Cafe
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Our sweet girl was on NutroPro lamb & rice her entire life, including before we got her from the rescue. She was on meds for incontinence as she got older. She was diagnosed in January with an inoperable tumor in her neck that was pressing on her windpipe when the vet couldn’t intubate her for a dental cleaning/extraction. She had antibiotics to reduce the abscess in her teeth so she could eat, Metacam, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory which works to reduce tumors in some dogs (it was pretty harmless, and if it kept her comfortable, that was OK with us), and Tramadol for pain as needed.

The vet told us we could go to VCA for microsurgery and/or chemo/radiation, but given her age and the complexity of the procedure (the tumor was around her carotid and all the major structures in her neck), she felt we’d wind up in the same place. We talked about it at home, and concluded that we didn’t want her to suffer, so we would not do anything other than the meds above, and love the stuffing out of her. Our girl discovered that doggie hospice food was far better than the usual dry grub; dog food can also come from the stove. When the dry stuff was too hard to chew, I cooked her a chicken breast every night. She got unlimited treats and Freshpet chicken loaf, too.

Two weeks ago she woke up and walked in circles and her head was permanently at a tilt. Don’t think it was a stroke, but the tumor taking over. She could no longer climb the stairs and she was very disoriented. Appetite almost vanished. Two days later she had real struggles with breathing at night. I had several conversations with the vet and we all agreed it was time to let her go before she truly started suffering. Her last two days were glorious and sunny; she spent a lot of time basking in the sun, walking around the homeland, digging in the fresh dirt and checking out the fox den in the backyard. She was eating again, too – but the breathing was the ultimate decisionmaker. Our vet came over to the house and we loved her til the very end.

No heroics, just comfort care and lots of love. A lot of us would wish for such a passing.

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That was so hard to read, @CountingDown, but thank you for sharing your beautiful girl with us.

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So sorry to hear about losing your sweet girl, @CountingDown . I fear that we will be going through that (again) in the near future. It never gets any easier, no matter how old they are or how much you know it’s coming. hugs

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Our dear 14 year old mutt had cancer surgery, where they removed a large but concentrated tumor. Because it had not yet spread, they were very optimistic. Post surgery, she was back to herself! 6 months later, she quit eating. First it was slow, but eventually she quit completely. We (with the help of our vet) tried everything. Could not entice her to take one bite…even of her favorite table foods. She ate nothing for nearly 2 weeks! We assumed the cancer spread, and this was our warning to be prepared, but she did not seem to be suffering, She even continued to take short walks at her favorite park. One day, although she could still walk, she just stopped at the park entrance and would not move. We still agonized if it were ‘too soon’ but eventually agreed that she was no longer enjoying life, and it was her way of letting us know it was time. AWFUL decision to make! However, a dear vet friend advised it was better to decide the time best for our girl, rather than have to rush her to an emergency clinic where they are obliged to do what they can first.

We still didn’t time it well. It appeared our girl was starting to have slight troubles breathing, so we make an appointment for the next day. The vet we loved, previously offered to come to our house, but wouldn’t you know it, was not available when we decided it was time, so we brought her to the clinic, and another vet filled in. This was our first pet, so we had no idea what to expect. We were still unsure of our decision, and the vet on duty commented the pets she sees are usually in worse condition before their owners decide. I was not sure if this were her way of telling us we came too early, or that most owners come too late. It was awful. Our dear girl was obviously anxious, but the vet simply came in, and did the deed. No sedative. No relaxed time. No extended way to say goodbye, until she was gone. Afterward, she offered to sell us a post-partum paw print. I was horrified!

My advice: Talk about the process ahead of time, to know what to expect from your vet. When it is time to say goodbye, plan to have someone come to your home, if possible. Yes, it might cost a little more, but would be worth every penny if you can afford that route.

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@kjokw, our vet told us that people tend to wait too long. It’s hard to sort the difficulties in letting go vs. assessing the level of pain/suffering. We really didn’t want to have to make a final emergency trip in on a weekend where there was no control or comfort, so we decided when she was diagnosed that we wanted to say goodbye to her at home if at all feasible. Our vet’s practice doesn’t normally do this at home, but if one asks, they try to accommodate. This was our first dog, too, so we were stumbling along hoping that we were making the best decisions possible. Our girl was always a nervous Nellie at the vet, anyway. The vet did give the sedative first and gave us some private time with her before the final injection. I haven’t looked at the breakdown of the final bill, but the total was less than what I had expected.

I saw a different side of our vet that day, and I was thankful she was our girl’s doc.

Please don’t beat yourself up that it was too soon. None of us know when our time will come, but you made sure that she didn’t suffer. We were glad that we had talked through the options at several times over the past few months and included both our sons in the process (since they grew up with our girl). It has made the grief more bearable knowing we were all on the same page and not alone in our sadness.

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My dear little pal has not been eating the past few weeks. But if she refuses, beef, or lamb, or chicken I will offer fish or pork. Since she only weighs ten pounds I keep a variety of proteins in the freezer. It’s not balanced but at least she is getting calories.

My end of the line food is Braunschweiger (liver sausage) mixed with rice and Wysong Call of the Wild supplement combined in the food processor. I make little meatballs and freeze them.

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To those who may remember me. I’m still alive, lurk often and post rarely.

To those who’ve lost pets, my condolences.

Our experience is in the large breeds, three Newfoundlands over thirty years, all lived slightly beyond the breed average, about 10, 10 1/2 years. I’ve recounted most of this here over the years.

The first was fairly healthy throughout, with recurring ear infections and later thyroid issues. Would travel with us to Maritme Canada annually but year 9 was tough. Had issues walking to beach, getting in and out of the vehicle. We made a conscious decision to board him at our regular vet the next trip. He died there peacefully overnight in his sleep a week into the trip. The next year we scattered part of his ashes in the Bay of Fundy.

Our second was healthy till about eight, then developed kidney problems with three separate week long vet stays over the next two years. The fourth time indicated eventual kidney failure. The options were euthanasia, or iv’s at home. We did the iv’s for about 3 weeks, in hindsight a week too long. We were too selfish to let him go.

Our last Newfie in reality became my daughter’s dog. We paid the bills, she reaped the bulk of the love back. Recurring ear issues, some thyroid problems, but recurring hotspots and skin infections, not helped by the fact that d let him in any body of water over an inch deep. Some of the ponds, rivers and puddles she took him through had to have been hotbeds of bacteria, if not sites on the Superfund list. D scoffed at hosing him down after most of these excursions. At about seven, he developed a severe skin infection, resistant to all antibiotics the vet tried. The final option was a high cost injectable, about $1200 for a ten day dose and that was at pharmacist cost plus 10%, and we did the injections. That worked. Infection reoccurred about two years later and another round of injections over two and a half weeks cured it. You can figure the cost. The treatment took a toll on his kidneys, which was his demise after about three months on in home iv’s. He died in our arms, at the vet d worked for at the time. She insisted on doing the post mortem prep for cremation. She’s stronger than I could be, but she wanted to give him the dignity he deserved. She probably spent about $3-4 k out of pocket for him on her own when she moved out of state with him for a two year period. Both d and newf3 were back home at the end.

Concurrent with newf3 was d’s second dog, a retired rescue racing greyhound that was her training dog in her animal care program. (She has a degree in small animal care). He developed osteo carcinoma in one of his rear legs, and the vet was concerned that eventually the bone would disintegrate. When she lived out of state, she carried him up and down stairs for two years to ease the strain. Even tried acupuncture for pain relief, which seemed to help. When it was time he would not let go; the vet had to inject him twice, enough to drop a small horse. I cried my eyes out. He was a very successful racer with over 100 wins. When he ran he flew. Nine years, he deserved at least another five, but his body failed him.

The sled dogs are another story.

I let d have the Newfies now on the condition that she mix all the boys ashes with mine down the road. The missus and I be happy with our two retired rescued greyhounds aged 7 and 9. So far, no issues.

My $.02 after forty plus years of owning dogs.

Feed them the highest quality food you can afford. Keep them lean, especially the giant breeds and those prone to hip, bone, joint issues. EASY on the people food. Most home prepared from scratch leftovers would be ok. Know what foods will harm your dog.

Trust your vet, and if you don’t GET A NEW ONE. Some vets are quite clueless about some breed specific issues.

Big fan of Metacam (Metacalm?) mentioned upthread. All of ours have benefited, seems to help with movement and joint issues.

Spend what you feel is reasonable and can afford. Its a hard personal decision.

Don’t be selfish. Know when to let go.

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@violadad This hits home as I’ve got an 11 1/2 year old Newf right now who is pretty gray around the muzzle and I keep thinking how lucky I am to have had her this long.

For the larger breed dogs, weight maintenance is especially important as their joints and ligaments are that much more stressed. I am thankful, now, that my girl is “small” for the breed as I’m certain it has helped her overall health. She does have some hip issues for which I give her Cosequin and a formula called “Aches & Pains” which has white willow bark in it, mixed with her grain-free food. Nothing prescription at this point, though it may be coming.

I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have with my old girl, but I take every day as a blessing! Daily walks are definitely key - I believe the saying goes “motion is lotion” for those with joint issues.

I have loved this dog tremendously (and one previous Newf, who lived to just about 10), but not sure I could go through it again. Just not enough time. It’s hard!

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@CountingDown and @kjofkw , I’m so sorry for your losses. @violadad thank you for your wise words.

Since our marriage, H and I have had a GSD, and 3 goldens. The GSD, Micah, was of half German bloodlines, got HD anyway and died of hemangiosarcoma at age 8. The first golden was a show dog, Mariner Road to the Isles (Will), the perfect dog in every way, died of lymphoma at age 8 on Valentine’s Day with my hand on his heart, at home, during a blizzard. The second golden, Sally, was a rescue from a puppy mill, very neurotic and fearful, very sweet, terrible conformation that caused arthritic pain, died of cancer age 9 1/2. Euthanized by her very caring oncologist on New Year’s Eve when she could no longer stand or walk. My current golden, Maggie, is another rescue, southern field lines from Arkansas, a sweet and wonderful dog, “the mighty huntress.” I am desperately hoping that she lives to be an old dog. Right now she is probably between 3 and 4. I’ve had some semi-fosters in the meantime, including Rudy the German Shorthaired Pointer and Boss the pug. I really want another dog, if I can figure out how to afford it. Even routine care for a big dog is pretty expensive.

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Oh dear.

My old girl, Sophie, couldn’t get up this morning. I had to help her to her feet – this is not unheard of; it happens from time to time – and then basically carry-walk her over to the doggie door. Once she was on the wet deck she was more or less OK, and she went off into the back yard to pee. About 20 minutes later she came back and lay down near me. When I got up for my second cup of coffee I went over to her to rub her head, and I tried to roll her on her back so I could also rub her belly. Uh oh – she had a super-huge poop on her backside. It seems she’s losing control of her bowels. I cleaned her up (including my taking a shower with her that I hadn’t anticipated).

DH is in denial. He said that maybe it’s the rainy weather, low barometric pressure, that is causing her difficulty.

Uh – no. This is the beginning of the end.

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@VeryHappy My heart sank reading this. Keeping you in my thoughts.

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I’m sorry, @VeryHappy.

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Thank you, all. She has been a wonderful dog – in fact, she was such a great dog that we got two more Australian Shepherds after her!

It could be today, it could be a week from now. But DH needs to see what’s going on and stop having his head up his – well, you know where.

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My groomer has her golden enrolled in a huge study. Did anyone else enroll? I think it includes annual physicals and blood draws with the blood being shipped off to them. I can’t remember if there are X-rays.

https://caninelifetimehealth.org/about-the-golden-retriever-lifetime-study/
WHY
Researchers are working to identify the factors associated with development of cancer and other major diseases in dogs.
Identifying and understanding these risks is the first step toward better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
HOW
Researchers will use information from the enrolled 3,000+ dogs to investigate associations between risk factors—like genetics, nutrition, environment and lifestyle— and major health outcomes, especially cancer.

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@VeryHappy It doesn’t sound good, does it. Thinking of you and your sweet girl.

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Something I do for our dogs is check them nose to tail for any suspicious lumps or bumps monthly. I lost my beautiful boy “Mr. Big” way too young to lymphoma. In less than 5 months he went from an all clear vet checkup to crossing the bridge. Chase Away K9 Cancer is a wonderful organization that raises funds to support cancer studies but also offers a great deal of information on early detection and treatments - thanks to them, on the 14th of every month my calendar reminds me it’s time to check the pups for lumps, bumps and swellings. They don’t mind - they think they’re getting a massage!

Tufts Veterinary School offers a support helpline for those who are struggling with the loss of a pet. I’m fortunate to have friends who understand my dogs aren’t “just dogs” but not everyone is so fortunate to have that kind of a support system. http://vet.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/PetLossBrochure.pdf

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So sorry to hear about your loss @CountingDown

As mentioned in my OP, my dog is diabetic. Yesterday we had a scare, seizure. Turns out the meter I was using was giving me bad readings. I had two other meters on hand (I keep 1 in car and 1 as spare), and used them to compare and realized that first meter was suddenly off by 100 pets! So, poor doggie’s blood sugar was actually lower than I first thought. I always keep corn syrup on hand (everywhere…in car, in doggie travel bag, in kitchen, in bedroom, in insulin kit) so when the seizure happened, I immediately rubbed corn syrup on his gums to bring sugar back up.

So, if you have a diabetic dog, keep at least 2 meters as spares. They’re pretty cheap nowadays.

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@VeryHappy . Thoughts are with you! Had a wise Dr. share with me that if we want to experience the joys of any pet, we need to accept their shorter life span. Never easy.

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@VeryHappy Sending good thoughts for your furry girl. It’s so hard to see them start to falter as they age, especially those who still think they’re puppies! When our current group goes, that’s it for us. I have never been without a pet, and most times I’ve had multiples, in my life. By the time we are petless, I’ll probably be nearing 70! I’ve done my duty. Four of my five Ds have dogs, two having two, so they can carry on the family pet tradition. :slight_smile:

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I’m 68, and we just got a puppy last July. I figure I’ll be around 83 when she dies. :open_mouth: