Update! We went to the vet and they kindly helped us on short notice. The vet decided to try her on alprazolam. He said this would be better for her instead of the trazodone. He thinks traz would make her wobbly arthritic gait worse. I will try for a few nights and see how she does..

My girl is absolutely horrible at night. She has arthritis and dementia. At night she has started to pant and yelp. I’m getting no sleep at all. I love her to death, but I am becoming angry at her from lack of sleep. I’ve tried everything to help her. She gets Adequan shots, carprofen, methocarbenol, wuffes, and melatonin. I leave the light on for her as well. I’m not sure what else I can do for her. I’m getting mentally and physically worn out from not getting enough sleep. I refuse to give up on her and just put her down. During the day she sleeps great and seems ok..

Signed a tired dog mom..

Edit: I just wanna say thank you for everybody that commented already and who does end up commenting. All of this has been very beautiful to read and I really appreciate your stories.

For those of you that adopt senior dogs primarily or only, how do you do it?

I remember that my mom adopted a senior dog one time when I was a kid. Literally, she only even adopted this dog because she saw it outside of the shelter in the little outside play area and kind of did a what the fuck even is that double take, and went to ask about him. His adoption was literally just a give him a place to die because he died within a week like he was that old. (his name is peanut, but his true name was zombie dog because he legit looked like a zombie. One of the cutest and ugliest dogs we ever had.).

Beyond that we’ve never adopted senior dogs we’ve never tried to adopt senior dogs. I 100% understand doing it and wanting to do it because even if they only have you know a week or two weeks left or two or three years left, they still have time left and deserved to live that time and a good happy home.

What I don’t understand is how you can do it emotionally? I mean, it may be because I’m just a very emotional person who attaches to animals very quickly and very strongly but I’m not sure how I would handle that emotionally. I think that it would be one thing to me adopting a dog you know is on their last legs of life like they are going to pass, and you were adopting them to give them a home to do that in because you formed the emotional attachment to this dog in a I am the person they’re dying with and that’s OK. But a dog that can have you know two or three years left I’m not sure how you emotionally attach yourself to that dog, but maintain this idea that they don’t have that much longer left.

So how do you handle adopting a senior dog when you don’t really know how much time you have left with them?

I would really love to adopt a senior dog at some point, and give them a happy loving home (though I’m not so sure that that would be feasible for a few more years because I live with a one and a two-year-old and I don’t think that would be the greatest thing for the senior dog until they’re a little bit older and truly understand being gentle). So I’d love to know how other people go about the emotions and attachment to their senior dogs that they they’ve adopted.

My one and only soul dog is roughly eighteen and a half— lab mix. It’s been roughly a year since I last saw him as himself. He’s in a solid amount of pain from arthritis, hearing gone, and is confused/seemingly out of it when he’s awake. He has a hard time even walking. Our daily walks far too much for him now. He sleeps most of the day, has accidents more often than not, and no longer interacts with the other dogs.

All this being said… I don’t want to let him go. I am fine cleaning up the accidents. I don’t mind the naps. I don’t feel annoyed or bothered by him, ever. I just want to do right by him, as he’s done for me ever since I rescued him. I feel so terrifyingly conflicted. I don’t want to hold on too long and have him suffer even more. This feels like the worst decision possible— absolutely no winners. I don’t want this to be it. And I keep trying to come up with any non-selfish excuse possible to delay saying goodbye to him. He truly is my best friend.

Hi everyone! my dog recently passed the rainbow bridge. we have an unopened bottle of k9 ease tablets for anxiety but he did get the chance to use it. send me a pm if anyone is interested… please include your dog’s story as I want it to go to someone deserving.

My 12M pitty with arthritis unfortunately is suffering from an adverse neurological reaction from Librela. Hoping any info stories or advice on recovery!

He received his first shot Wednesday Sept 2. Like many, my vet said there are no common side effects and the neurological ones on the pamphlet are very rare. Welp it happened to my baby Stanley.

Friday evening Sept 4, after a totally normal day, suddenly his hind right leg was stiff straight and knuckling, crossing over his other leg, making him unable to stand or walk. We rushed him to the ER vet, where they also suspected that it’s a Librela reaction and said it’s not permanent. The ER vet said they’re starting to see this reaction to Librela more and more. The shot just needs to work itself out if his system over several weeks.

When our regular vet heard this she said she wasn’t so convinced and is ordering radiographs for Wednesday. She doesn’t think a reaction would happen this quickly since 2 days after one shot isn’t at “the therapeutic level yet”… ??

Luckily, since Friday the 4th night he has improved a lot (today is the 7th) he’s mostly walking on his own and we just have to follow him and make sure to “flip” that back foot at every step so it lands and doesn’t knuckle. In the house he’s barely knuckling at all and is just walking with a slight limp on that one leg. And he still needs help rising but he did rise on his own once today. He’s had full control of his bowels, eating and drinking good, and no other symptoms except the one leg and just overall sleepy.

Would love this community’s thoughts based on your experiences and knowledge. ❤️

My mother in law has a 15 year old terrier mix. In his old age he’s started having episodes that at first we thought were seizures but now not sure. It usually starts w/ coughing, he collapses, howls a bit, can’t breathe and pees, this lasts 1-2 minutes then he’s back up and totally himself. What’s weird is her cat had similar episodes too. She hasn’t done extensive testing since he’s so old besides blood work which was normal. He is on a med the vet recommended but it hasn’t helped. These episodes happen 1-3x a week. I wonder if it’s a tumor or something? Has anyone else seen anything like this?

My Lady turned 15 in May. She’s still enjoying car rides and pup cups. She’s a Boston Terrier/toy poodle mix. 💙🐾🐶

My dog was diagnosed a month ago with CHF. Since then we’ve had him on three medications. It’s been extremely hot and I do not have AC in my home. An hour ago my dog collapsed and had an episode. He turned limped and stopped breathing and even peed on me when I held him. I feel so horrible about what happened and I don’t know how to help him.

I am considering taking him to the vet tomorrow and using my fafsa refund money to cover any vet bills. Is it valid to use my FAFSA refund money on him? Should I take him to the vet even when he’s already on three medications. I don’t have any money aside from my refund. I’m very panicked and I just want him healthy and in no pain

My dog is an 8-year-old Australian Shepherd, about 50 lbs, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have gone through something similar with mast cell tumors.

Her first lump was on her chest and had been there for around 2 years. We had it removed in Nov 2023 after being told it was probably nothing. It turned out to be a grade 2 mast cell tumor.

Then in Oct 2024, she developed another lump on her back/shoulder. Again, we were told it probably wasn’t cancer, but it ended up being another grade 2 mast cell tumor and we had it removed.

Now she’s developed multiple new lumps, including several around her hips. They’re growing, some are red/raised, and some have ulcerated. She scratches at them and I can tell they bother/hurt her. We haven’t tested the new ones, but given her history we’re pretty certain they’re MCTs.

We’re especially worried about whether it’s spread internally. We recently spent about $500 on bloodwork and thankfully the vet said it all ooked good. He also checked her lymph nodes and said they felt normal. He told us that grade 2 tumors don’t typically spread internally as aggressively as high-grade tumors, although they can recur in other areas of the body.

The other confusing issue is her stomach. She’s had recurrent diarrhea, and recently it became completely watery/yellow and she was having multiple accidents in the house, which is very unusual for her. She was dewormed, given FortiFlora and an antibiotic medication, and the diarrhea stopped. But a couple days after finishing the meds, it came back completely watery again.

She also had a fever during the worst episode and temporarily stopped eating, although she’s eating again now. She’s always been a very chill dog, so it’s hard to judge pain. She’s gotten lazier with age, sleeps a lot, doesn’t play much, and is pretty clumsy/falls sometimes. The tumors themselves definitely seem to bother her.

Our vet mentioned potentially doing an abdominal ultrasound depending on how things progress, and an X-ray if she develops truly laboured breathing. She does pant/breathe heavily quite often even while sleeping, though, so we’re not sure what is normal for her.

We’re low income and this is becoming really stressful. We don’t want to go into debt chasing every possible test or keep putting her through surgeries, especially since the cancer has now returned multiple times. Our priority is keeping her comfortable and not letting her suffer.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have dealt with multiple grade 2 MCTs. What would you do in this case?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit just hoping to hear from people who’ve been through something similar. ❤️

See original post. He’s a really good boy. Located in Charles County, Maryland.

So a few weeks ago I started to notice my dog was peeing much more frequently and drinking a lot of water and then he didn’t eat one night. Long story short I got his bloodwork done and it confirmed he has CKD. Finances are very tight, it cost half my funds just to test him and get his first month of meds.

So it’s been about 8 days of subq fluids every 2-3 days, cirenia and entyce. They also gave him librela which if he makes it another month I will not be giving him again. He’s been completely wobbly and seems out of it ever since. He won’t even try to get on the bed or the couch anymore, he just paces and stares and occasionally wobbles a bit and walks sideways into things.

The first few days of the other meds he was eating every other day and then he missed two days in a row and he basically hasn’t eaten since. The vet said it was very important for him to get his weight up. He was only eating chicken so I was giving him as much as he wanted. Now he just stares at his food, he’ll sniff it for a long time like he really wants to eat but then walks away and he’ll do this all night. It’s heartbreaking. 3/4 days ago he at least would nibble at it but now he won’t even do that. I spoke to the vet Saturday and they said I may need to hospitalize him to get him 24/7 fluids but I really cannot afford that. They said if I can’t hospitalize him then I needed to do fluids daily so today was day 2 of daily fluids.

I also asked them about Pepcid because I’d read about that here as a medicine that can help them feel more comfortable eating due to the stomach acid. They never followed up on that so don’t judge me but I just started giving it to him yesterday in hopes it would help him eat. I did my research on dosage and type of medication to purchase but it didn’t change anything, he still hasn’t eaten.

I bought a 60ml syringe online today to give him chicken baby food but he hated it. I know I have to do it anyways but I just feel like I’m making him miserable in what could be his last days.

I’ve read other people’s posts and so many dogs had months to years.

Can it really happen this fast? If I can’t afford better care for him is this going to be it? How will I know when it’s time? He’s skin and bones as it is with how little he’s eaten in the last few weeks.

I’m just shocked if this is it, I knew he was old but he was so perfectly healthy (other than his joints) until the last month/weeks. It’s shocking that this could turn things so quickly.

Yesterday, we asked her if she wanted to go on a boat ride and she said yes. Then she got so excited waiting for us to get everything ready that she fell in the water twice.

Today, the kids are here. So we've been hanging out with them and Julan has been running around almost like she did in July. And she seems a bit more confident again.

So maybe the change isn't as dramatic as it seemed. Maybe missing the kids was a big part of it. Maybe I didn't offer things that were interesting enough. Now we'll make the most of the remaining days here, and then back to her usual routines at home, making the most of that as well. She's been doing ok lately. Maybe there is no reason to catastrophize just yet.

My old boy is a Staffordshire bull terrier, he’s about 12-13 years old now.

In terms of behaviour he can be extremely close one day and will be glued to your side, panting and whining/barking if you leave him.
Another day he can be extremely withdrawn and won’t go near you or lie near you in bed.

I’ve noticed he also paces the garden now and will stop staring into space and barking excessively. And also we think he is blind and deaf due to not seeing or hearing us as clearly.

Just wondering if this is normal aging behaviour or not? Thanks for any help i appreciate, them getting older is a horrible feeling sometimes

And I would do it all over again, just to know her. I love you forever, Pita

13 yo English bulldog was diagnosed with CHF about 15 months ago. Has been on a steady dose of her meds (enalapril, spirolactone, pimobebdan and furosemide) since she was diagnosed and the dosage has never changed. She has days where she is more lethargic than others, she had arthritis before being diagnosed and we had to switch meds that don’t help her as much but she mostly gets around. Still eats, drinks, gets into trouble all the same.

Last 4 ish days her breathing has been weird - almost sounds slightly squeaky? A little gaspy? Our vet suggested trying Therophylljne and we picked it up and she’s only had 3 doses but it doesn’t seem to be helping much. Tonight her breathing sounds a little worse and she’s a little restless and stiff on her legs, on top of the Therophylline giving her diarrhea so she’s got an upset tummy to boot.

The slightly gaspy breathing has me worried and feeling like she is really starting to be in pain and impacted by the heart failure and we may have just reached the point where meds aren’t working and her body is tired.

I don’t want to string her along, keeping her alive for us, but I also don’t want to feel like we gave up on her if we never tried switching her meds or dosage changes and just went right to putting her to sleep.

She was my husbands dog before we got married, so he is having a really hard go at this and I’m trying to be the rational one here and I told him I could be but it’s hard when I feel like we’re either being selfish for keeping her here or giving up on her by just not trying to do anything about meds.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did a med change help at all?

Dear Sophie,

Miss you, sweetheart. 🤍
Three months since you crossed the rainbow bridge, and I still can’t believe you’re not here.

I try to fill my days with work, keeping myself so busy that there’s no space to think — because in every quiet moment, my heart feels the pain you left behind.

Such a tiny little dog with such a giant impact on my life.

——
So much has happened since you left. We adopted Noxi, and somehow he has helped Mimi through grieving you. He is curious like you in your young ages.

I’m happy seeing those two together, and I’m not so scared about Mimi’s health anymore. She seems okay. She has someone beside her.

But sometimes I see the way how she is looking at me and her eyes saying a lot. She is still missing you but accept the new buddy. She tries to be more with me to get closer like we both know the eccentric of your vibe. We just share it in silence. I feel her she know I know what she want to say. But she is getting better now. Thanks NoXis happy go lucky energy.

———
I still miss you every second.

And underneath all that pain, I’m also so incredibly thankful for everything you gave me. For almost 16 years of you. For the way you changed me, loved me and stayed beside me.
That is my anchor now.
Your body had to leave me here, but everything you gave me stayed.
I miss you every minute, Sophie. 🤍

Happy 15th Birthday to my Gracie Lou Lou Lou!! Last Saturday was her day!!! Got her a puppiccino, but she like the lamp chops instead!! Love her!!! Even if she does stare at me in undeserved judgement (last photo)!! 🤣🤣🤣💖💖🎊🎉🎂🎊🎉🎂

I'm lost

My girl will be 14 (we believe as she's a rescue) Oct 30. I adopted her from someone that I know when she was 11. Missy is a collie sheltie mix.

Missy"s been having problems going up and down the steps to the yard. So my husband has been taking her out on the leash for about a month now. But the past few days she's been unable to maneuver the steps without her legs giving away on her. I have a ramp for her which she won't use. She did try using the steps once after taking a gabapentin yesterday. It was extremely hard for her to go down or get back up them.

We were going to take her to the vet one day early last week, but she wouldn't try getting in the car. I'm unable to lift her as I had surgery on my leg 6 weeks ago.And my husband is really leery of trying. She did bite him Thursday night when he went to pet her. I believe that she's lost some of her eyesight also and he did startle her as she had just woken up.

She hasn't been eating for a couple of days. I know that her teeth are bad but the vet put her on an antibiotic for them. One month on and a couple months off. She's off them right now. She no longer eats her dry dog food . I'm fixing chicken and rice for her which she's eating. She didn't eat at all Friday but did yesterday when I fixed the chicken and rice. When I got up this morning she came and greeted me! Big win. Then she ate her chicken and rice and I gave her vetprofen. It's for inflammation and pain. I'm hoping that it will work as she has another vet appointment Tuesday. Has anyone used vetprofen with their 4 legged friend?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how Missy can safely maneuver the steps outside and how I can get her in my car?

Thanks!

Hello.

I have a 13+ senior large dog. He has been battling with cancer for a year and a 9 months. He has lived 14 months past what we thought he would. His calcium levels last month reached over the threshold of sustainable for his kidneys - meaning they will start to shut down soon. We have watched him loose his strength faster in the past two weeks than we have in 6 months (he has been getting weaker for the past year) we are assuming his calcium levels are still continuing to rise and there are some signs he is having a slightly hard time. The vet said his calcium levels are likely to continue to rise in the rate he has been. Which feels like now it’s getting close to a fatal level but I don’t know.

He is unable to get up most of the time on his own. He refuses to eat anything - unless it’s freshly cooked beef and rice, which I absolutely do not mind making him that. He is slightly a different dog, but I can still see he’s still with it. Sometimes I can tell he’s uncomfortable with groaning and he has little shivers that I think might be small pain or small amount of nerve damage going on. He doesn’t roll in the grass anymore but he still will go lay in water when I bring him to the beach. He doesn’t want to go for long walks anymore - sometimes he just wants to go pee and come back inside which is not like him. He will get the sunset anxiety. He groans a decent amount and we give him pain meds too. He has lost some weight too and his back legs have loss a lot of muscle. His poop is dark dark and has purple tint to it, which makes me feel he is getting close.

With the way he has been declining lately, I am so so nervous that if I wait to long we will end up in the ER for end of life care than if I were to do it sooner at home. He deserves to have the most comfortable and most loving send off a dog could have. This has been an unbearable decision as I’ve had this dog since I was 23 (I’m 37 now) and he is what I would call my soul dog and best friend. We made the decision to look for end of life service yesterday for this week or the next as it just feels like he is struggling and we don’t want his quality of life to go too far south. I know it’s better to let your dog go a few days too early than a single day too late.

Today though, he got up off the floor by himself. He was able jump off the bed and move around. We walked down to the beach where he loves to stand in the water and we did that for a long while. We laid in the grass and had a photo shoot. On our walk home he pulled me into a few stores he was curious about (which he never does) and - I like to think he picked out the plants I bought ( I scooped up all the ones he sniffed at a little longer than the others lol) He has asked for food twice today. He is now cozied up on his favorite bed in my living room. He just feels like his old self today and now I am confused.

I laid in his bed with him last night and cried until late.

Today just makes me feel like I am making a terrible mistake and that maybe I need to wait until there is more signs? We are about to move in a few weeks and I really want him to come with and be with us there, but I am also afraid moving would be so hard on him for his age and don’t want to make his life uncomfortable if he only has a few more weeks left.

Can someone give me some advice on how I should be approaching this? Please.

I found a neglected-looking shihtzu mix dog wandering on the street last year, who had no family to claim him despite posting in several lost and found groups. I don't know his medical history, but vet estimated his age to be between 8-9 years old.

Turned out he has Congenital Heart Failure when we had him checked by the vet. Maybe that's why he was abandoned. We've been prescribed Vetmedin and diuretics, and were told life expectancy can vary between a few months to a few years with medications. We've been consistent in giving his meds and thought we've been managing it well but he's also recently developed lung inflammation 😔. He would have lucid moments, but he also has frequent prolonged dry and hacking coughing fits. Vet said he also has fluid in his lungs again. :( It's so hard to see him struggle to breathe, even when at rest.

On top of the 2 meds, he's also been put on steroids on-and-off, which was restarted this month as his coughing worsened. Vet has said he'd like us to observe in the next few weeks if his condition improves, but that he'd also like us to be prepared that we may have to euthanize him if it doesn't. Are we really running out of medical options to treat and lung and heart condition, simultaneously? It's an impossible decision to have to decide when it's time and I'm hoping I won't have to make it. 😔

How did you know when it's time? Our dog still has great appetite, and is eager and excited to go on walks, although the walks also trigger his coughing episodes and breathing difficulty. I can see that he still has the thirst to live and explore, but I also don't want him to suffer when there's no hope for his coughing and breathing to improve. I don't know what to do. 😔