The Forum Chit-Chat Thread

wotzgoingon

Well another monthly update from me. Everyone is probably fed up reading these updates but my dogs age means a lot to me so I said I will post. My eldest dog is now 16 years and 11 months old. One more month till he is 17 if he makes it. He is weak on the legs but is in good health thankfully. But a month is a very long time for a very elderly dog. Who knows next month I may be posting that my dog has hit 17 years old.

Hold My Hand

wotzgoingon, I love reading pet posts. My doggie is on my lap and my cats are snuggled up in their beds. Oh to be a pet! I’m watching All Creatures Great and Small. It’s fierce slow moving but perfect viewing for this softie after a busy day at work.

madmaggie

I have a question for the doggie people on here. I got my 2 year old collie neutered last week. He is now very nervous and on edge, and having outbursts of barking and snapping. Is this down to his hormones being all over the place. I'm determined to stick with him to see if this is just a phase. Any advice please.

anewme

wotzgoingon wrote: »

Well another monthly update from me. Everyone is probably fed up reading these updates but my dogs age means a lot to me so I said I will post. My eldest dog is now 16 years and 11 months old. One more month till he is 17 if he makes it. He is weak on the legs but is in good health thankfully. But a month is a very long time for a very elderly dog. Who knows next month I may be posting that my dog has hit 17 years old.

I also love these posts about your dog.

Every day is a bonus at this age. We were almost willing our girl to make it to her 16th, but we had to let her go 3 weeks shy of it six weeks ago. Either way, hes had a fantastic life, same as our girl. The big bonus for us was that she never had any health problems whatsoever, till almost the last couple of weeks, when she went downhill.

I know of a girl who had to have her collie cross pts just before Christmas, with a couple of weeks left to go till his 21st birthday. He just could not hang in and initially sue was devastated that he did not get there, but again what a life.

Looking forward to your next update.

Fakediamond

madmaggie wrote: »

I have a question for the doggie people on here. I got my 2 year old collie neutered last week. He is now very nervous and on edge, and having outbursts of barking and snapping. Is this down to his hormones being all over the place. I'm determined to stick with him to see if this is just a phase. Any advice please.

Maybe he’s in pain, it would be worth bringing him back to the vet to rule that out.

zedhead

Our poor little Milo seems to be regressing again. We stupidly put off the behaviourist because between mid december and mid january we were seeing such great improvements in his confidence and behaviour but it seems that this new lockdown is not only have negative impacts on us but also on Milo. We can't do our weekly walks in the Phoenix Park as its outside our 5k and it was the best place to practice desensitizing him to other dogs. There is nowhere in our 5k with such a perfect open space that we can almost guarantee the distance to be able to redirect him if he sees another dog.

He has been anxious and hyper aware in the house. We have blocked his view of outside for most of the day but if he hears a car driving by, people talking or even a car door shut about 60% he jumps up and goes and whines/growls or barks at the door. And god forbid someone walks down the driveway or knocks on the door. Have a call with a behaviourist today to see if we can get a virtual appointment because its both frustrating for me and my partner trying to work but also breaks my heart seeing him stressed.

wotzgoingon

anewme wrote: »

I know of a girl who had to have her collie cross pts just before Christmas, with a couple of weeks left to go till his 21st birthday..

Wow 21 and I thought my dog was doing amazing nearly hitting 17.

madmaggie

Zedhead, I felt so sad for you and Milo when I read your post. I'm convinced our dogs are picking up on our stresses and becoming stressed themselves. It must be so frustrating for you all.

madmaggie

Fake diamond, I did speak to the vet, she upped his pain meds. Today he finally wrecked the buster collar, he's delighted he can scratch his ears and clean his paws. He's very fussy about grooming! The vet said keep him in a quiet place, so I'm doing that, with a couple of runs around the back garden. I'm hoping he'll gradually get back to his old happy self.

zedhead

madmaggie wrote: »

Zedhead, I felt so sad for you and Milo when I read your post. I'm convinced our dogs are picking up on our stresses and becoming stressed themselves. It must be so frustrating for you all.

Yeh I am so worried we are the reason he has regressed. So we are trying to stay calm and not display our stress around him. We have had a rough few weeks as we are getting married in May so at the moment trying to figure out how to plan 2 different weddings depending on how many guests we are allowed have. Also finding the isolation harder than I was before. Missing my parents terribly, video calls are just not the same.

Its not all bad, obviously he is still brilliant overall. And some of the good behaviours have not regressed at all. His separation anxiety is still gone and all aggression he showed towards my partner is still completely gone. And he is no longer destructive - i almost feel ready to replace the blinds in the kitchen he destroyed

VonVix

Feeling really burnt out by the state of animal care in this country (dogs, birds, fish, all of it) the actual amount of neglect of animals just for people's own brief enjoyment. Breed, breed, breed. Tiny crappy tanks/cages/whatever. People are so selfish.

Sorry, rant over. Just feeling sad at the moment, I'm picking up the pieces of peoples neglect of animals on a near daily basis. Half are simply misinformed when they got the animal, the other half just don't care.

anewme

VonVix wrote: »

Feeling really burnt out by the state of animal care in this country (dogs, birds, fish, all of it) the actual amount of neglect of animals just for people's own brief enjoyment. Breed, breed, breed. Tiny crappy tanks/cages/whatever. People are so selfish.

Sorry, rant over. Just feeling sad at the moment, I'm picking up the pieces of peoples neglect of animals on a near daily basis. Half are simply misinformed when they got the animal, the other half just don't care.

Thanks for looking after them. On behalf of everyone who cares.

Fakediamond

madmaggie wrote: »

Fake diamond, I did speak to the vet, she upped his pain meds. Today he finally wrecked the buster collar, he's delighted he can scratch his ears and clean his paws. He's very fussy about grooming! The vet said keep him in a quiet place, so I'm doing that, with a couple of runs around the back garden. I'm hoping he'll gradually get back to his old happy self.

I hope he’s doing better this week.

I’m getting my very nervous rescue terrier spayed on 23rd March and I’m very worried that she will regress in her behaviour. I know it’s the right thing to do but it’s an awful worry. She’s come so far and is a mostly happy little girl, but only at home and in familiar surroundings.

The sooner it’s over the better and she can get on with the rest of her life and so can I, I’m a nervous wreck whenever I think about it!

madmaggie

I hope all goes well with your girl. She might become a bit clingy and need extra attention.

I changed my dog's food to stuff called Seven. It seems to be very good, no cereals or additives. I won't know for a few weeks if he's calming down. At least he's not giving me the manic stare anymore.

Mollyb60

We seem to be having the worst luck with our pets this past year. Our cat Sionna stopped eating yesterday and has been very lethargic which isn't like her at all. So we're booked in to see the vet this morning.
Trying not to worry but this is exactly how the kidney problems with Pangur started to manifest.

Mollyb60

IV drip, blood tests, xray, antibiotics, an overnight stay and approximately £300 later and they think it's a virus. But they're not sure. Nothing showed up on the xray or bloodwork. She's now not eaten anything for 2 days and they're sending her home at 1 with some painkillers. I do think they're a good vet practice but they're not filling me with confidence at the moment.



We just have to hope she starts eating when she gets home. I don't even know what the next step is. :mad:

VonVix

Mollyb60 wrote: »

IV drip, blood tests, xray, antibiotics, an overnight stay and approximately £300 later and they think it's a virus. But they're not sure. Nothing showed up on the xray or bloodwork. She's now not eaten anything for 2 days and they're sending her home at 1 with some painkillers. I do think they're a good vet practice but they're not filling me with confidence at the moment.



We just have to hope she starts eating when she gets home. I don't even know what the next step is. :mad:

That all sounds insanely frustrating and worrying. Any update?

Mollyb60

She came home on Saturday and has seemed mostly happy since then. Still not eating well but we're hoping that it's just her tummy isn't back to itself yet. She'll walk all over us and miaow and make out like she's starving but then only eats a little nibble when we go feed her. We can't leave the food out because our other chonk of a cat would just eat it all so we're constantly up and down with her trying to make her eat it.
We were back for a checkup with the vet yesterday and her temp is still elevated so we're continuing with the painkillers for the week and will have another checkup on Friday.

padraig737

Finally got a new addition to the house last Thursday. An incredibly sweet and fun 5 year old German Shepherd. Our Retriever seems to be over the moon with him, they are inseparable. Our last dog died in Jan and the Retriever was miserable, with low energy and upset stomach. He is in great form since he got a new buddy.


The GSD was in the shelter for over a month and became very withdraw and depressed, apparently the breed can go downhill very fast in a pound or shelter compared to some other breeds, but he seems happy now. His last owner died. His eyes were pretty lifeless and dark the day we met him but they seem to have changed alot.



Now I have an extra shadow, he's everywhere. He's so good on the lead and well behaved in general. Very proud of him.

tk123

Ah that’s lovely to read. Bailey was the same with his tummy when we lost Lucy. We’re on a list (#3) and waiting to hear if myself and Bailey are getting a pup for our birthdays in June/July

wotzgoingon

Well a half a month update on my dogs journey to 17 years old. 2 weeks to go till he hits 17 years old. I cannot believe it but he is getting a lot weaker and sleeps a lot but after a long nap he gets energy and walks about aimlessly in circles and falls and gets stuck in corners. He only has one eye and probably 20% sight left in his only eye. It's hard bringing him out to the toilet as it's as if he has forgotten why I have brought him outside as the same as in the house he walks about aimlessly in circles and it's only if he is absolutely bursting will he go. But he is still strong enough to keep him alive.

He always slept with me but stopped for a long time as he got too weak to make the jump up onto the bed plus he hasn't the strength to make the fall off the bed and I was afraid if he fell off wrong and broke his leg in would most likely have to be put to sleep due to age and long healing, so I decided to let him sleep on either of his two dogs beds. One on the floor in my bedroom or in the kitchen. He would change throughout the night to either one, back when he had more strength. So the past week I moved my mattress to the floor as he can now sleep with me in the last couple of weeks of his life. Which he seems to like which is a good thing. It's mad sleeping on the floor reminds me of staying with my cousins when I was younger.

Anyway long rant but hopefully he makes the next two weeks.

tk123

I’m sorry and I don’t mean to offend or upset you.. but you’ve just listed all the things your dogs is unable to do anymore then say that he’s strong enough to “keep alive”.. maybe celebrate his birthday 2 weeks early and let him go? Again I’m sorry if that’s upsetting but you may look back on these posts and regret keeping him going so you can celebrate his birthday.

DBB

Awww god, I'm so sorry wotzgoingon... from what you've described, his quality of life, for him, and his loss of dignity, for him, has got to the point that hard questions need to be asked and decisions made, straight away.
The old saying is very pertinent here, better to let them go a week too early (or in this case, perhaps 2 weeks too early?) than a day too late. It's not just about keeping alive
I know, I really do, how difficult it is to come to terms with making this horrible, difficult call, but you certainly don't want to be left with regrets that you could have acted sooner, for his sake.
Have you spoken with your vet in the past few days?

VonVix

padraig737 wrote: »

The GSD was in the shelter for over a month and became very withdraw and depressed, apparently the breed can go downhill very fast in a pound or shelter compared to some other breeds, but he seems happy now. His last owner died. His eyes were pretty lifeless and dark the day we met him but they seem to have changed alot.

This is so true, I've seen it even in GSDs when their owner is away on holiday and they're in an unfamiliar environment. They feel intensely towards their human, they can be distraught if they don't know where their owner is.

wotzgoingon

He is fine relax guys. He is no where as weak as it sounds in my post. Trust me if he was weak I would be straight into the vet.

DBB

wotzgoingon wrote: »

He is fine relax guys. He is no where as weak as it sounds in my post. Trust me if he was weak I would be straight into the vet.

Sorry if my words upset you, there's no easy way to say these things
I'm glad he's not as weak as it seemed, but just to clarify, I was more referring to his lack of ability to orientate himself, his confusion, and his loss of dignity as you described them in your post. I wasn't as concerned about weakness, as such.
Best of luck with whatever decision you make in the end. It's the bit we all dread.

tk123

wotzgoingon wrote: »

He is fine relax guys. He is no where as weak as it sounds in my post. Trust me if he was weak I would be straight into the vet.

I was referring more to quality of life too. Letting Lucy go was the hardest thing I’ve ever done - she was standing in against me for cuddles wagging her tail as the sedation was kicking in but her quality of life had decreased too much to let her continue. If anything when the vet was telling me with tears in her eyes that they can’t tell owners when it’s time.. I wanted somebody to tell me it was time and take the burden off me. Possibly your hoping he’ll go in his sleep but you could end up in an emergency situation that could be distressing for both of you and where you won’t be able to to have a proper goodbye.

(Again apologies and I’m not trying to be mean/upset you - even writing this reply made me cry thinking of Lucy it’s a horrible decision to make but the best one to make to end our pets suffering)

apache

wotzgoingon wrote: »

Well a half a month update on my dogs journey to 17 years old. 2 weeks to go till he hits 17 years old. I cannot believe it but he is getting a lot weaker and sleeps a lot but after a long nap he gets energy and walks about aimlessly in circles and falls and gets stuck in corners. He only has one eye and probably 20% sight left in his only eye. It's hard bringing him out to the toilet as it's as if he has forgotten why I have brought him outside as the same as in the house he walks about aimlessly in circles and it's only if he is absolutely bursting will he go. But he is still strong enough to keep him alive.

He always slept with me but stopped for a long time as he got too weak to make the jump up onto the bed plus he hasn't the strength to make the fall off the bed and I was afraid if he fell off wrong and broke his leg in would most likely have to be put to sleep due to age and long healing, so I decided to let him sleep on either of his two dogs beds. One on the floor in my bedroom or in the kitchen. He would change throughout the night to either one, back when he had more strength. So the past week I moved my mattress to the floor as he can now sleep with me in the last couple of weeks of his life. Which he seems to like which is a good thing. It's mad sleeping on the floor reminds me of staying with my cousins when I was younger.

Anyway long rant but hopefully he makes the next two weeks.

Sounds cruel to me.

wotzgoingon

So what you want me to get a perfectly healthy dog put down. What I wrote made it sound as if he is on his last legs no he is not. I can bring him outside to go to the toilet and he knows why I brought him out. He can perfectly walk around the house.

anewme

The walking aimlessly and falling is what I'd find most worrying. It happened our little girl just before we had to let her go.

When she didnt want to eat, we knew that was the end, she had never refused food in her life. Is your little fella still eating?

We were willing her to get to 16, but had to let her go 3 weeks before her 16th birthday. At the time, we were sad for her not to make it, but now, it does not matter. She had so many milestones and was a joy to have, that it does not matter. She needed to leave ,so we helped her and that's the important thing.

Every day is a bonus now with your lad, 2 weeks is a long time when they are that age.

Keep safe.