Sadie is not herself at all,she wasnt to keen to eat yesterday and was walking slowly when out on her walk,she refused her usual meals,but ate some chicken,she has been downstairs all night,she usually wants to sleep upstairs,Itriedto take her out for avery short walk this am but still walking very slow and wanting to lie down,she is drinking ok.will be taking her to the vets later,she is 13 yrs old so I am very worried,any ideas what this could be.

Sheila

She's clearly not feeling very well, but only a vet can possibly tell you what's wrong. Please let us know what he says; hopefully it's nothing too serious.

Aww bess her.

Sorry no idiea, but I wish you the best of luck at the vets. As JG said, please keep us updated.

> she is 13 yrs old so I am very worried

I know how you're feeling :(
I remember my oldie wasn't quite right, he wouldn't settle and just wasn't himself atall and was pacing around the house, due to his age (he was about 13 & half), I thought it signalled the end of him :(

He seemed so 'not right', that I phoned the vets in floods of tears and said I think he needs to be PTS, he could not be left like that. They were lovely, and reasured me that he needed to be examined before any decision like that needed making, got him in on an emergency appoitment but it turned out to be colitits (sp.) after some medication he was his usual, old self :) Crikey, I was a complete wreck before the vet saw him!

It's such a worry when they are getting on.
Best of luck.
xx

Hi Awful day yesterday thought I would take my young lab out,but Sadie up and wanting to come,after a few yards she collapsed,a neigbour helped carried her home,I was in floods of tears for her,took her to the vets,he gave her antibiotis and anti/flam injections,took bloods,said it could be a number of things,liver failure,diabetes ect,she appears a little brighter this am and has eaten some cod and potatoe,didnt want to give her to much in case she requires more investigations today,Austin,our vet will be ringing me with the results this am.

Sheila

Oh dear poor you and poor Sadie :-(

I hope the news is positive this morning and will be thinking about you both x

Oh no :(
I hope you get good news today.

Bloods ok,renal just above normal but nothing to worry about,he wants her to carry on with antibiotics and antii/fl,Sadie means everything to me and she has given me so much pleasure more than any human being ever could,thank you for your replies.

Sheila,Annie and of course Sadie xxx

> Bloods ok,renal just above normal but nothing to worry about,he wants her to carry on with antibiotics and antii

That seems positive, lets hope the ABs work thier magic :)

Healing thoughts for Sadie, I have all my fingers crossed that she will be feeling better soon.

xxx

That is better news and hope her recovery continues :-)

Its all positive that her tests are coming back OK. Lets hope its just a virus thats doing the rounds..there are plenty of them. Virus's can hit oldies quite hard whereas a younger dog will shake stuff off they get knocked for six. Fingers crossed :)

Sheila I feel for you, I have an old boy on borrowed time and most days he is full of himself but on the odd day he seems down and I worry myself to death having decided that I will not keep him going when his is not enjoying life so every day he is down sends me into a panic, he is 14 and I have another at 11 so it looks as if I am in for a long session of looking out for oldies.

Always think it a good sign when they improve within 24 hours of being given ABs because that points to infection.

My oldie has been doing the pacing thing for weeks - he is 15 and half springer cross doberman and he will not settle - we've noticed for months he is drinking loads and eating loads too - to the point of scavenging anything he can - I've been wanting to get him checked out but my other half kept saying he's ok leave him be - and not wanting to have to make any hard decisions just now I went along with him but when he had his hair cut on Wed (my dog not the hubby :) ) his weight loss and muscle wastage was much more obvious so I put my foot down and took him to vets today - initially she thought it was prob diabetes and if so he would need daily insulin but she took some blood and said she'd ring me with the results.  After a frantic 2 hours and several cigarettes and discussing it all with hubby - you know the drill 'what if?' 'will he benefit? - how much longer? would PTS be kinder? etc my vet called me to say he's not diabetic at all but the most likely diagnosis is Cushings disease and that at his age and as the symptoms are not severe or progressed - that no treatment is necessary - what a HUGE relief.  I really thought we were going to have to make that awful heartbreaking decision and that this weekend may have been his last and was so worried about trying to tell the children etc.  I know at his age he is prob on borrowed time and having checked all the websites about Cushings, I know he probably hasn't got much more than 9-12 months but I'm still very happy.  It has kind of helped me put into perspective my worries about showing my other dog and some of the anxieties I had.  I just intend to enjoy my dogs as much as possible in any way I can, my older one for as long as he has and my puppy in all her youthful exuberance.  My heart goes out to all of you who have lost an oldie, young dog or are having to make that decision because I know when push comes to shove it will be the hardest ever xxx

> what a HUGE relief.

:-D

It is a worry that a non dog-owner could never understand, when your old, faithfull dog looks poorly :( I find it impossible to keep calm and rational and go into panick mode.
When my son broke his leg, I kept myself together, to be strong for him, even managing to keep myself together as I sat up all night next to his hospital bed, waiting to see if he needed an opperation or not. But if a beloved dog (just the one now :( ) is ill, I fall to pieces, esecially when our oldie ever took ill.
So glad you get to spend more time with your oldie :)

>I've been wanting to get him checked out but my other half kept saying he's ok leave him be -

Please don't think I'm trying to put a dampener on things, but remember that, under the new Animal Welfare Act, you can be prosecuted for NOT taking a pet to see a vet.

It's worth mentioning, as a lot of people read these threads, and it is an important point. 

Please don't think I'm trying to put a dampener on things, but remember that, under the new Animal Welfare Act, you can be prosecuted for NOT taking a pet to see a vet.


Although usually a law abiding citizen I would break this rule if I saw fit - would not have my oldies pulled about if I thought it unnecessary and would refuse treatment I thought pointless due the the dogs age and or other conditions.

My old boy has wart type things, one on the eye lid and one on his anus, neither bother him and I will not allow them to be investigated. What is the point, I would not allow an operation for something that is causing him no problem so why investigate.

Please don't think I'm trying to put a dampener on things, but remember that, under the new Animal Welfare Act, you can be prosecuted for NOT taking a pet to see a vet

I know that and if my dog was very ill or in pain he would be there in a flash.  the only reason we hadn't taken him sooner is because the only syptoms he had was weight loss and excessive drinking and pacing.  As soon as he had his hair cut and the weight loss was more pronounced, I took him to the vet and she even said herself that he does not appear ill in the slightest - he is still very full of energy and lively and for a 15 year old (almost 16) dog he was very fit.

I would never put my animals at risk for the sake of a visit to my vets - I have a wonderful pair of vets at our practice and rely on them for their fantastic expert advice and guidance.

Although Cushing's disease can be treated, there are many arguments for and against the treatment as it can have adverse side effects, so in the case of older dogs, these have to be weighed up against the effects of the disease.  My vet advised me that as he does not appear to have any discomfort at all, then treatment is not necessary unless he goes massively downhill and at that point, at his age, PTS would probably be best.  However, thankfully that may be a long time off and she also said that there were many other age related things that would probably get the better of him first.

All I know is I'm thankful it's nothing worse and that we don't have to make any decisions just now or, fingers crossed for a good while yet.  However, I also know that taking him to the vets any earlier would not have changed the diagnosis or treatment and that, as all dog owners know, much like children, a mother knows when something is wrong and at what stage to seek medical assistance.  As a mother to 3 daughters, 2 dogs, 2 tortoises and numerous fish and other waifs and strays that pass through, I am confident in recognising when any of my brood has an issue and what is the best action to take.  (Believe me, in our house, every day presents an issue in some shape or form :))

Excessive weight loss and drinking could be due to diabetes,did the vet do routine bloods?

Yes that was what we suspected first but the blood test was negative for diabetes.

Sadie is not to good today,she can only walk into the garden,and then lies down,I will take her to see the vet again on monday and request xrays and if anything nasty shows up that cant be treated I will let her go,she will only eat chicken,I know she needs roughage in her diet,no way will she eat rice or pasta,she vomits everthing except chicken,why is this does anyone know?If she goes any worse i will be contacting the emergency vet over the weekend,I need to know what is wrong so she doesnt suffer its breaking my heart to watch her.I know you all understand and some are going through the same,

Sheila

Sheila. So sorry to read you news, fingers & paws crossed and will be thinking of you both. Best wishes.

Oh on :(

I hope she perks up soon.

Best wishes for her.
xxx

So sorry Sheila, do so hope she has an infection and she can be sorted out without too much intervention being required.

Thinking of you and yours at this very worrying time and hoping all goes well on Monday.

So sorry to hear your girl isn't doing so well. I hope you and the vets can get to the bottom of what's wrong and help her be more comfortable.

By far the most difficult part of dog ownership. they give so very much to us & it's so hard when they're getting on in years.

Positive thoughts coming your way...

How is Sadie this morning. ?

Sadie no different this am,stayed downstairs with her last night,she prefers to lie outside or on the wooden floor,vet said her temp is normal,she has eaten a bowl full of chicken,she seems to know she cant digest anything else,I am begining to think it a blockedge of some kind.we have just put her in the car and taken her to our local park,so she could lie there for a while and she has been barking as usual at other dogs,its been a old age thing with her for a while,protecting my young lab I think,she can only walk a few yards then flops down again.

Sheila.

If you are worried get her to a vet today and get her scanned or xrayed rather than wait until tomorrow.

Poor girl let's hope you get to the bottom of what is wrong x

Hoping that Sadie will be ok x

I rang the vet this evening as I was worried,she wont come into the house,asked if she could  have xray tonight,he said no it would be tomorrow if he thinks she needs one,why do vets not do xrays at weekends,surely this is a emergency,

Sheila

I would have insisted he saw her today to decide if she needed an Xray as obviously the dog is not right and therefore suffering. He probably didn't want to pay weekend rate to staff to come in and do the Xray if he could avoid it.

There can't be a ban on weekend Xrays because what happens if an animal was to get run over they would need to check for any fractures.

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

> tonight,he said no it would be tomorrow if he thinks she needs one

I'm surprised at that, I thought by law now all vets had to have out of hours service, even if it's with an outside service like Vets Now - who are very expensive, but at least they are there. I have a friend who works for them as a nurse at one of their branches and they can - and will - do anything and everything at any time day or night.

Off topic, but the majority of cases that come in during the night with dogs seem to be GDV/bloat :(

I would change your vet as they should provide emergency cover even f it was for them to have he in overnight for observation and fluids.

Hope she is ok this morning and keep us updated on her progress

Just taken her to vets for xrays,she was wagging her tail; bless her,coffee,cigs and pacing for me this afternoon,I am so frightened for her

Sheila

Oh fingers crossed, you have to know what you are dealing with before you can make decisions, hope it goes well and the result is just an infection. Think of you.

Fingers crossed -I'm sure we al know the worry with an oldie.

Everything crossed for you both, waiting for news is hell. Thinking of you.

Any news ?

Hi she has spondylitis of the spine,also a enlarged heart,vet wants to keep her in tonight to closely monitor her with other symtoms she is displaying,apparently spondylitis can be caused by grass seeds,foxgloves,when eaten they get into the bloodsteam and infect the vertabrae,symtoms are deppression,tiredness,no appertite,and of course pain.so fingers still crossed and hope that we can get her comfortable with a good quality of life,early days yet I know,

Thank you all so much for your support.

Sheila,Annie and a big kiss from Sadie X

Ahh, bless her. At least you know what it is now, so the vets can start treating the problem and not just help with the symptoms.

Fingers crossed that she does well.

Spondylitis is very painful but at least you know what you are dealing with now and the vet should be able to help ease her discomfort.

Fingers crossed now -always helps to know what is going on!

Let's hope can start to alleviate her symptoms and she starts tp pick up.

I know how painful it is as I suffer from it myself and take tramadol for the pain. I know they prescribe tramadol for dogs and it is good for nerve pain so if she does get this for pain relief I think you will see a big improvement and it will keep her comfortable.
I do hope she is feeling better very soon .
xx

I rang early this am and spoke to nurse,she said Austin wants to keep her in as she has not eaten anything,well I told them she will only accept chicken last week,so poor girl hasn'eaten since Sunday,they told me to ring after 3pm,I am going to take a cooked chicken,if vet agrees,cant have her starving.

Sheila

I would take her a chicken too if they said it was okay. Poor girl , I'm hoping she feeling better soon.
xx

Austin has just rang,they got her some warm chicken but she refused,there is blood in one side of her poo,he is thinking infection,she is hydrated and perky in herself,so dont know when she will be home,the house is so quiet without her.

Sheila

Oh I hope they get the infection under control quickly , it's awful when you have to leave your dog overnight , I can't sleep when it's happened to me in the past.
Fingers crossed for you all .

Poor girl. Has she got a drip in as they can get some fluids in. have they done bloods again to see if here have been any changes ?

Also is she on metacam as the blood could be causing the bleeding so I would suggest that they consider changing it.

I would also try and gamin a feed her yourself if she doesn't eat anything today if you can

Hi Liz,he said she is not dehydrated and he will put a drip up if needed,she has not had metacam for 12 months as she has been having hydrotherepy and that worked wonders with her mobility,I will ask him to do more bloods tomorrow,this is her 2nd night at the vets I cant settle knowing that she will be waiting for me,will go and see her as soon as I can,my poor lovely lady,she is a character,vet said she was perky this afternoon,but as you know Labs battle on.I am in a state

Sheila x

Sheila she is in the right place so try not to worry .

Keep us updated when you know more tomorrow and will be thinking about you both and the girls send her licks and lots of wags

Lucy x

Thanks Lucy xx