My daughter has a 11year old Gsd,he is not a well dog ,what with DM(CDRM) & anal furnuculitas (sp),has come for the weekend as she is going away,
The first thing I noticed was his eyes ,both of them have gone very cloudy,1 more so than the other,
Is this a sign that he is going blind or another problem for him ,I honestly do not know how long she can keep him going .Would it be best to send him to the bridge ? not a decision to be taken lightly I know & not mine to make,but any advice from more knowledgeable people please.

I think they are all questions that a vet would answer for you but when your daughter gets back just chat to her about his problems and see what she says. You'll also be able to tell if he's happy and eating well etc while you are looking after him.

He seems fine in him self,just given him some liver ,eating it with gusto.wobbled out to the garden for a wee,
I just think the vet will say let him go ,not something that my daughter will want to hear .

Providing he is still able to get out and about albeit a bit wobbly and the AF is under control and there are no big painful lesions and he is eating and still happy then I would let him carry on a bit longer. CM is not painful so you know he is not in pain with it. You can always pop a lifting harness on him just to steady him and help him up or down any steps or slopes. With his eyes I would say he has slight cataracts which won't bother him as dogs adapt to reduced vision much better than we do. He's just an old man bless him.

We have a lifting harness for him,but he wont wait for you to put it on him,hes just off ,It needs two of you.one to hold him whilst the other slip's the harness under him,He is so independent.
So the cloudy eye's (like milky) is cataract's you think ?.
In 45 years of having this breed,have never had one with so many things going wrong with him,he is so happy in his self .

I would be guided by his quality of life and how he is in his self. Coming to stay with you may have given him a boost but if he really is poorly he won't be able to sustain the energy level for long.

Better to let him go a day too early than an hour too late

> slip's the harness under him,He is so independent.
>If you bought him a full harness you would only need to put it on him once then leave it on all day.

> So the cloudy eye's (like milky) is cataract's you think ?.
>

Yes I do think he has cataracts.
So long as he is eating,going to the loo ok,is happy and is able to wobble about and the AF is under control I see no reason to put him to sleep. As I said he is just an old man lol. If he were mine I would not give him sleep yet, if he was in pain and distress then yes it would be time to call it a day but from your description of him he's not that bad. I would not trust a vet who would advise to pts based on what you describe. Just enjoy your old lad for now,he will let you know when he's had enough.

Thanks for that, have lost 3 in the last 3 years .do not want to lose another any time soon .As long as he is waggin his tail,eatin,& pooin then the time is not yet .x

I agree with Roscoebabe. He is just an old boy. Yes he has his problems but at the moment he is coping with them. DM is not painful, and if he is still wobbling about and seems happy he has quality of life. The cloudiness may not even be cataracts but nuclear sclerosis, and it generally doesn't affect vision very much. It is just a cloudiness of the eyes often seen in older dogs. Take joy in the fact that you have him as an old boy, and enjoy it while you can.

He is sitting here having just had his tripe,he ate as much & as quickly as a 2 & 3 year old so thinking his vision has not altered that !!!,has now found a marrow bone so a very happy chappie,will now stop crying thinking that we were going to lose him very soon,
I know that we will not have him for ever but please god a far bit longer. xxx

My Junior soon to be 13 1/2 yr old Boston terrier had an eye removed at 4yrs old (playing rough with our other dog & his eye got snagged)
anyhow his remaining eye has cataracts- he is totally blind. I have to carry him up & down the stairs. His back legs a little wobbly but he still
eats good- loves to walk around in the yard and still happy. I was talking him for walks down the alley & back- put a leash on him would have never
known he was blind- but I think he gets to excited when going for a walk & over did it cause his leg was sore for a couple days. Now he just gets
the back yard lol Now I have to be quite when I grab T-Bone for her walk so he doesn't get upset cause he loved his walks :-(