So I am basically running a doggy old-age home for 1 right now
 

I had to make a special enclosed area for him in the basement a few months ago, with heavy grade plastic sheeting on the floor. He was starting to not be able to hold his poo until I could get him outside, can't have him crapping on the carpet so I made him his own little apartment. Food & water nearby and a compfy mat under the plastic for him to lay on.

I help himi up the stairs every morning and take him outside, he does his bidness in the back yard, then I get him some breakfast.... usually some beef broth with his pain medication in it. I add in a small bit of rice or macaroni with it, he gobbles it up with gusto.

I have an enclosed area at the side of my house for him to hang out all day, again, a bucket of water right there, a nice indoor/outdoor mat for him to lay on, plenty of shade.

His hind legs are a bit stiff now so when I take him for his daily walks they are short and quite slow so he can keep up. But he's happy, still loves meal time, still jumps up like a puppy quite often when I'm playing around with him in the yard.... but it's become a near-fulltime job to care for him.

Why do I do it? Because he's been with me for over 17 years, he's my pup, and these are his last days. This will most likely be his last summer, I don't see him withstanding another Canadian winter... so I'm doing my best to spend a lot of time with him and make sure he's happy to the end.

I'm sure going to miss him when he's gone.



http://members.shaw.ca/billy1-99/pics/sully_2002_06.jpg

I know it sucks to hear, but shouldn't you put him out of his misery? It doesn't sound like his quality of life is something to howl at the moon about.

Awesome, I think you're doing the right thing. It will be obvious when the time comes.

Answer to Baddog's question right there.

I am sorry, but what will these obvious things be? When he has to be hooked up to life support so he makes it through the night?

119 is old for anything.

17 wow he's definitely part of the family now. Sounds like you have really gone all out to make his final time as enjoyable as possible :thumbsup :thumbsup

Be sure to tell your kids to put you down as soon as you need regular pain medication and start pooping yourself. :winkwink:

It hasnt stopped you though has it :winkwink:

Bring him here - pooping all over the carpet is accepted and expected :)

Baddog, just because he's stiff doesn't mean he's in pain. My 11 year old lost control in his hind legs over a year ago. I had him checked by his vet AND a specialist and both have assured me he's in NO PAIN. And he certainly doesn't ACT like he's in any pain. Jumps around the best he can, eats like crazy, humps the other dogs (while using them to prop himself up with....), etc. If I thought for one second he was in pain, then I'd put him down.

As of now, I can't rationalize putting him down just to make it easier for me. No way.

Best of luck CD!

BD, nobody's hooking him up to fucking life support. He's still got plenty of good days left in him, but as I clearly posted already, I fully realize that these are his last days. It's not as if I'm ignoring that fact. I'm trying my best to make those last days enjoyable for him.

This isn't some used up goldfish you flush down the toilet when he's no longer swimming straight, he's been a part of my family since he was 5 1/2 weeks old.

okay, good luck

Thanks. I feel exactly as you do.

He has shown signs of having some pain, mostly during this past winter. But I quickly got him onto a good pain med from the vet, and he quite quickly returned to his old self and has been that way ever since.

His back legs still work, he can still go for walks with me, so I'm inclined to be of the mind that legs that are a little stiff isn't quite reason enough to have his life ended.

Wow 17 years is pretty damn good..isn't the life expectancy 12 years or something for dogs?My ex has a rottie who is going through the similar and it's 11.I'm sure the vet will tell you when it's time

When my buddy gets back home I will try to remember to ask him what he used for the dog I gave him when he entered old age. It seemed to make life a little easier for him.

The stuff I give him is called Meloxicam, it's a liquid pain med I add to his food.

Works great.

I left a message on his voicemail, but he is on the road, so it may be a couple days.

BTW, still legs isn't why I thought it was his time.

What does the vet have you giving him for pain? Rimidyl or Meloxicam?

Edit: You answered before my post. Meloxicam is an excellent drug with very low incidenct rate of side effects. There is a human version of this drug in pill form that is exactly the same drug, but much cheaper. You just reduce the human dose as it's stronger. Something you can discuss with your vet if cost is a factor for you. Good choice by your Vet. Some of the older guys still insist on the older drugs.

He turned 17 this past Febuary.

As of this month he is the oldest-living dog anyone in my family has had. My sister had a dog up until some time in 2006, a springer spaniel named "Shakespeare", who lived just past 17. They kept him alive a long time past what they probably should have though, he was totally blind, could hardly walk, deaf as a post, but they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. Finally one day he just shut down and they had to take him in for the final needle.

I won't be putting Sully through all that.

I'll take him in when it's time, but not a second before.

It's a sensitive thing, and most dog owners I've known prefer to make the judgement call themselves and not have an outsider trying to decide for them.

Here's what's wrong with him...

Hind legs a bit stiff, so he walks a bit funny but can still walk, still loves to walk around the park with me.

Eyesight --- I test him now and again, by walking away from him at night while he's busy sniffing a tree or bush, he always spots me and comes after me. He can still spot other dogs as far away as 100 yards, by sight.

Smell -- his sniffer seems to work quite well. He certainly hasn't stopped sniffing everything in sight when outside, and when I'm frying up some bacon in the kitchen he knows it, even being in the basement.

His right eye --- is a bit weepy sometimes. I take a warm wet washcloth and clean the goo out of it and he's fine.

That's about it. I make sure to take him out quite often so he rarely poops in the house anymore, he's been very good lately I must say.

Yup, that's the one.

The last time I had him over to the vet I bought 100 ml's of it. Enough to last him all spring and through the summer.

For him cost has never been a factor.

Good looking dog, wow 17 years. Big dogs don't usually last that long, you must have taken really good care of him.

As you know I just lost my dog, and it has been hard. You can prepare yourself all you want to, rationalize everything, but when it happens it will still be one of the hardest things you go through in life. Enjoy the time you have, and when it does happen and you need someone to talk to hit me up.

Thanks for the kind words man. Appreciated.

And yes, I know what you mean about how hard it is. My first dog wasn't even 11 when my parents had him put to sleep. That was about 17-18 years ago now and I'm still not 100% over it.

I know what I'm about to go through isn't going to be easy.


But at least today he's happy, out on the patio having his treats. I give him a couple of those "breath busters" dog bone biscuits every day.

I would do the same thing in your position, take care of him and make him as comfortable as possible, just like I would any family member.

I would never put a pet to sleep unless it was absolutely necessary.

all i can say is good for you.. it's really hard watching family like that get old

Hope he lives through the summer and the winter too man, sounds like you take good care of him.

Wishing Sully and you the best!

Try giving him glucosomine and condroiton you can get it in powder form or in capsules you can open and put on his food, it will help with the leg stiffness. I'd also suggest getting him an omega3 suppliment, as this is well known to help with arhritis, and big dogs especially tend to develop this with age.

That's in the metacam family, that stuff can really help a lot, but it can make them sick a bit over time like any barbituate. Look into some holisitic remedies might end up being better/cheaper.

beautiful dog, sucks to hear he's feelin so down

looks like a nice dog.. be prepared though it usually isn't long now
I have been with a few dogs at this stage and its usually a few weeks tops. but no reason give up hope. when i was a kid we had an older dog who had arthritis or something in the legs and im pretty sure we got cortizone shots for her and she walked much better for a week or 2 everytime we did so might wanna ask your vert about that

Thanks everyone, for the kind words and advice.


Interesting you mention it, because as it happens the premium dry for senior dogs food I've been feeding him for years now (Performatrin) actually has glucosamine and chondroitin in it, as well as real chicken, vitamin C & E, chelated minerals, kelp, parsley, flax seed and rosemary.

It's expensive stuff, about twice as much as the dog chows and what not, but seeing as how he's lived for over 17 years now and still fairly healthy, it was worth it.

Same here. Both my 11 and 14 year old eat food that has Gluwhatever and Chonwhatever in it. They've actually both been on it for years since it's the "overweight and less active" version of NutroMax. Neither has ever had a problem with their joints. Oddly, that stuff's not in the senior version.

Almost makes me want to put the 2.5 and 1 year old on it.....

I wish I had had him on his present dog food earlier actually. In his early years I had him on a bit cheaper brand, can't recall the name of it offhand. It was good quality though, but nothing like the stuff I've had him on for over a decade now.

Even at 17 he gets compliments. People walk by and say "Nice dog!" all the time.

Update: Sully is still hanging in there. No noticeable change for the worse in him yet.


Looks like he might be with me into the fall which is nice, it's cooler with no bugs to bother him.

This thread is so sad! I feel your pain, my dog is also getting old.

:(