My oldest dog

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dogmom

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Decided to have new thread instead of having in the Party....in that thread I alluded to taking our oldest dog <13> in today. Last night he was displaying strange behavioral signs and has more trouble than usual with his gait and the steps up to the couch. He's been drinking and wants to eat something but something is up. So I don't know what today will bring. So this morning I'm sad.
 
Maybe more arthritis? And it's hurting?

I do hope it's nothing serious. The fact he's drinking and wants to eat is a good sign, I think.

What kind of dog?
 
hi Alley, he's a Lab. he's 13. He does have what is probably severe hip dysplasia at this point <diagnosed with that when he was 2 yrs.> and he's always been very stoic with it. He's on a number of supplements from our holistic vet about that.
Last night he got up and stood in an awkward position for a bit of time without doing anything, almost seemd like he was gonna throw up.
At a later point he circled around the couch several times, taking a "back route" where there's a little space between where the couch top meets a portion of the wall. He rarely goes through there. Last night he just seemed to be having some kind of neurological difficulty since he repeated this couch route several times in kind of a bewildered way.
Usually in the morning he slowly comes over from the other room and is waiting for me in the kitchen when I come downstairs. This morning he stayed on the couch.
 
Yeah, he didn't want to get down from the couch, huh? Poor boy with the hip dysplasia. :( Maybe it's really acting up today. I don't know what else to tell you. I hope the vet doesn't find anything serious. I love labs! I had one, she died when she was just 8. I miss her tremendously.
 
thanks, Alley Cat -

am sorry about your Lab who died, too:aw:
I understand what it's like to miss a dog!
 
I'm sorry. I hope you get good news from your vet.
 
thanks Alley, Botti and Frisky:aw:
he seems pretty "off" at moment, just made him some easily-digestible rice and hamburger since he was interested in food. It may be his time, not sure. I'll be open to what he wants to do.:aw:
 
AlleyCat said:
Maybe more arthritis? And it's hurting?

I do hope it's nothing serious. The fact he's drinking and wants to eat is a good sign, I think.

What kind of dog?
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Arthritis would not cause strange behavioral signs, not unless it hurt when he is being pick up . I would have the vet check him out, if he displaying strange behavioral signs , it could be a number of things. He could have arthritis . I am sorry to hear your dog in not feeling good, it so hard to see your dog get old.
Give your dog a big hug and kiss for me..
 
:wave:whatdidyousay! yeah it could be any number of things, too.
He's never been a boisterous dog and as he's gotten older has gotten much more "mellow" so his quietness is subtle but there's something else there, in the way he's holding his body.

I will do that, whatdidyousay!:aw: thanks-
 
dogmom said:
hi Alley, he's a Lab. he's 13. He does have what is probably severe hip dysplasia at this point <diagnosed with that when he was 2 yrs.> and he's always been very stoic with it. He's on a number of supplements from our holistic vet about that.
Last night he got up and stood in an awkward position for a bit of time without doing anything, almost seemd like he was gonna throw up.
At a later point he circled around the couch several times, taking a "back route" where there's a little space between where the couch top meets a portion of the wall. He rarely goes through there. Last night he just seemed to be having some kind of neurological difficulty since he repeated this couch route several times in kind of a bewildered way.
Usually in the morning he slowly comes over from the other room and is waiting for me in the kitchen when I come downstairs. This morning he stayed on the couch.
Click to expand...

I would go on line and see what kind of side effects the supplements have on dogs. How long has your been taking them?
 
oh, he's been taking them for many years and gets check-ups from my vets - 3 vets. We have two holistic and one primary. One of the holistic vets is actually a combo practitioner - conventional and CAM<Complimetary and Alternative Medicine>. She's not in on Mondays. Our other holistic vet is a teaching holistic vet with his own clinic. he only practices holistically and has no means of handling acute/emergency situations at his current location, though he has the knowledge.
 
oh, am sorry, missed your "on line" part - yeah, I could look up some ideas on line, though too-
 
One thing I noticed about my dog before he passed away, when the pain in his hips got really bad, he often mistook the hip pain for bowel movement pain. This generated a lot of needless trip outside to the grass. Of course this also caused a number of accidents in the house. He was always so embarrassed. I felt so bad for him. I feel for what you are going through.
 
dogmom said:
oh, he's been taking them for many years and gets check-ups from my vets - 3 vets. We have two holistic and one primary. One of the holistic vets is actually a combo practitioner - conventional and CAM<Complimetary and Alternative Medicine>. She's not in on Mondays. Our other holistic vet is a teaching holistic vet with his own clinic. he only practices holistically and has no means of handling acute/emergency situations at his current location, though he has the knowledge.
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Is your dogs going around in circles a lot? I meet a woman and her dog started doing this it turned out the dog had vertigo , dogs can get this and it can be treated. I never knew a dog could get vertigo. I can see Lassie playing a dog with vertigo , like in the movie 'Vertigo'.

Animals will try to go hide when they're not feeling good, Marty hid in my bedroom closet when he was really sick, he did not want anyone touching him when my family came over.
 
at moment he isn't doing that circling behavior I described from last night and he just had some of the rice and meat I made for him. I'm kinda waiting to see what's gonna happen with that. But yeah, many times dogs - and I've seen mine do this - when they're hurt or not feeling well - they go in their crates, or try to find a more isolated area where they feel more secure-

there a few things that cause balance/orientation issues in dogs. He seems tentative on his feet but not obviously dizzy.
 
dogmom said:
at moment he isn't doing that circling behavior I described from last night and he just had some of the rice and meat I made for him. I'm kinda waiting to see what's gonna happen with that. But yeah, many times dogs - and I've seen mine do this - when they're hurt or not feeling well - they go in their crates, or try to find a more isolated area where they feel more secure-

there a few things that cause balance/orientation issues in dogs. He seems tentative on his feet but not obviously dizzy.
Click to expand...

I know a lot people do not know a dog can get vertigo , the woman I met said people think their dog is really sick and put the poor dog to sleep when they had vertigo. I am do not mean you,. I live next a landfill that give off hydrogen sulfide and I found this can made a dog act drunk. I had to watch Finlay to see if started acting odd. It is so hard to know what wrong with our pets and I think that made it so hard to watch a pet be sick. We want to help them but not really sure how to do. I hope your dear dog will feel like itself soon.
 
geee im sorry, and also i dread the days when my two dogs get to this point...life is so cruel why they need to go to fast?
 
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