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My Labrador is 11 years old, he is having trouble getting up, he just gets up when he is given food and when ready to go out for a walk... He barks all day and I think is very unhappy with this condition of himself... Also my dog is blind he is having cataract... I think he is very uncomfortable coz he is blind as well as feeling disabled, can't get up whenever he wants, I support him by his shoulder leash..
Please tell me what should I do.. I can't se him like that?
My Labrador is 11 years old, he is having trouble getting up, he just gets up when he is given food and when ready to go out for a walk... He barks all day and I think is very unhappy with this condition of himself... Also my dog is blind he is having cataract... I think he is very uncomfortable coz he is blind as well as feeling disabled, can't get up whenever he wants, I support him by his shoulder leash..
Please tell me what should I do.. I can't se him like that?
At a minimum, he needs to go to the vet NOW. There may be medications that the vet can give him to reduce his pain which might help with him moving around. If it's arthritis, in addition to NSAIDs there are some supplements like glucosamine that can help.
If there is nothing the vet can do to improve his situation, you also should think about his quality of life. If he's not enjoying life and is in pain then you need to consider whether it is time to put him down and stop his suffering. You need to ask yourself what's the best thing for him.
I'm sorry you are having to go through this. It's so hard when a dog gets old.
I'm heart broken. My labrador is about 13 years old. His hind legs started to become weak about a year ago. It wasn't bad. He was standing like a German Shephard. Sometime's he would hesitate before going up the stairs or jumping onto the bed. He had lost a lot of weight and the vet said that was good---less weight for his weak legs to hold.
Over the past two days, he's having difficulty walking. He still manages, but his legs give out on him. He doesn't appear to be in much pain. He's still happy as can be. I'm just terrified he'll become completely disabled. I can't imagine putting a dog to sleep when it's alert and happy. But he's so large that it would be impossible to carry him.
Is there any hope whatsoever that I can help him maintain his mobility?
Our 12 year old lab was experiencing the same issues. He actually could not walk. I had a urine kit for an appt the following week and decided to get ahead of the curve and take it in early. Thank goodness I did, his sugar was over 700 where 128 is a good range. He is diabetic and now gets shots twice daily. Still a little wobbly on his legs, but that is old age or hips. Good luck
I'm dealing with this issue with Zack, my black lab who will turn 15 in just eleven weeks. It's gotten significantly worse over the past week and yesterday I had a bit of a meltdown thinking about having to make that awful decision. It's a decision I have plenty of experience with since I adopt senior black labs and in nine years I've lost 10 dogs.
He's 85 pounds and so it is hard for me to lift him and get his legs under him. He sleeps up in the bed with me and getting him down from it is a battle because he fights me and I can tell that he is frightened. Once I get him down on the floor and he has a moment with his legs under him he does OK and walks but the 5 steps from the back porch down to the patio and yard are scary for him and he hesitates both going down and coming back up.
His quality of life overall is pretty good and he clearly enjoyed doing a bit of wandering around the back yard this morning so I know it's not time yet but I think that making the judgement call with this guy is going to be a lot tougher than with some of the other dogs who had different medical issues that were much more clear cut.
He's been with me for three years and he's a really great dog. I still keep in touch with his former owner who was heart broken to HAVE to give him up and he's come to visit a couple of times and Zack has delighted to see him each time. I should get in touch with him to see if he can mange one more visit before its time. He's still working two part time jobs and it's a rare day when he's off from both of them and can have enough time to travel here.
I think I will make an appointment with my vet and ask her to help me figure out when it's time. I'm not one to keep a dog hanging on until the absolute last moment just because I don't want to face the pain that I know is coming but this case will be a tough one.
Well, all four old black labs are wanting their breakfast so I need to get that done NOW, lest they pass out from hunger.
I just came upon this thread and was glad I did. I am having a lot of the same things going on with my 11 year old Harley girl. She is such a wonderful dog and has brought much joy to my three boys as well as my parents before they passed away. She has always been very active at the beach in the water and around the house always going in the pool on her on. About two weeks ago we went to the beach and played in the water like always but the next day she seemed somewhat tired and a bit weak. She slowly got weaker and more tired. As of four days ago she was extremely tired so much so that she did not even want to go out to go potty. I tried to encourage her with treats but no interest. One day I came home and blood was everywhere I was so scared I found her laying there panting but never drank any of her water and her inner lip was just dripping blood. I held pressure until it stopped it was a tiny little tear on both side of her inner lip. I called her vet and she told me older dogs skin can tear easy try switching to a soft food instead of hard so I did and she loved the change. However the next day she had trouble getting up and walking outside. It was her hind legs, I have to help her up from behind and massage her legs before she walks and it not to far just right out the door to potty. The first day she squatted down she could not even hold her own weight and just plopped her bottom down. its now been three days and she seem to be a bit stronger but looks like it is her back legs giving out. We have a retired vet in our family and he said it could be arthritis or her hips giving out. She is a happy dog otherwise, eating drinking and wags her tail. I was looking for dogs lifts when I came across this site. Pray for our Harley girl please. My son is in the Army and is really looking forward to seeing her when he comes home for the holidays. I will get a lift and use the towel idea until it arrives. I know I need to bring her to the vet but worry I cant afford it as I have been looking for employment. I love our vet but they are expensive. Is there any company's that can help in this type of situation?
I just came upon this thread and was glad I did. I am having a lot of the same things going on with my 11 year old Harley girl. She is such a wonderful dog and has brought much joy to my three boys as well as my parents before they passed away. She has always been very active at the beach in the water and around the house always going in the pool on her on. About two weeks ago we went to the beach and played in the water like always but the next day she seemed somewhat tired and a bit weak. She slowly got weaker and more tired. As of four days ago she was extremely tired so much so that she did not even want to go out to go potty. I tried to encourage her with treats but no interest. One day I came home and blood was everywhere I was so scared I found her laying there panting but never drank any of her water and her inner lip was just dripping blood. I held pressure until it stopped it was a tiny little tear on both side of her inner lip. I called her vet and she told me older dogs skin can tear easy try switching to a soft food instead of hard so I did and she loved the change. However the next day she had trouble getting up and walking outside. It was her hind legs, I have to help her up from behind and massage her legs before she walks and it not to far just right out the door to potty. The first day she squatted down she could not even hold her own weight and just plopped her bottom down. its now been three days and she seem to be a bit stronger but looks like it is her back legs giving out. We have a retired vet in our family and he said it could be arthritis or her hips giving out. She is a happy dog otherwise, eating drinking and wags her tail. I was looking for dogs lifts when I came across this site. Pray for our Harley girl please. My son is in the Army and is really looking forward to seeing her when he comes home for the holidays. I will get a lift and use the towel idea until it arrives. I know I need to bring her to the vet but worry I cant afford it as I have been looking for employment. I love our vet but they are expensive. Is there any company's that can help in this type of situation?
Sorry to hear this, paragraphs would make your post easier to read.
Call the vet and see if they'll work with you. It sounds like you do need to take her in at least for an office visit that hopefully won't be too expensive. If it's arthritis she'll likely need some pain meds and/or glucosamine to make her comfortable. Also put rugs/runners down on the floor which will give her more traction and make it easier for her to walk. Please thank your son for his service.
If the vet won't work with you, you can get a care credit card for the vet expenses.
Thank you for getting back to me about Harley Girl. I will take your advice and get her checked out today. And ask about the financials.
And Thank You for the Troop Support!!!
I didn't read through all the replies but I am giving my dog dasuquin and it has helped my senior large dog with hip dysplasia. It is kind of expensive but it has given my dog more energy. When she gets older, I was thinking about buying this thing that wraps around the dog's body and there is a handle to pull her up.
Have you thought about buying a support harness? There are all different types on the market - rear support harnesses for just the hindquarters.. wheelchairs (if the front legs are still healthy).. integral harnesses if all limbs are affected.. slings that help you to lift your dog in and out of the car or keep them upright. Ortocanis is an online store that specializes in all different technical aids for disabled dogs. I've bought a dog knee brace from them and was really happy with the product. Maybe you can find something on their website that adapts to your specific situation! Dog Wheelchairs and much more for handicapped Dogs - Ortocanis.com
Old thread, but we have had to put our last two dogs down (one yesterday), both Labs, when their back legs pretty suddenly couldn't support them. It probably wasn't as sudden as we think, as there were probably signs of weakness that we thought was just age and arthritis, but the last stages of "I can't get up" were real sudden. A week.
They said it was neurologic or a spinal tumor and both specialty vets said there really wasn't a lot that could be done at that point.
They were big dogs, and I couldn't imagine them having to use a sling to get up and go to the bathroom.
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Support Harnesses
