# Watching your best friend get old sucks.



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Hard to imagine that when I brought him home, I wasn't even old enough to go to buy alcohol. I remember bringing him home and thinking that I'd still have this dog when I was _old!_ Well, here I am, what I thought of then as old  and watching him slow down is killing me. 

You probably wouldn't notice it if you didn't know him. 

His place on the tile by the big front window is abandoned now, forsaken in favor of the nice soft sofa. 

He still gets up on the couch just fine, but he doesn't get off it unless he really has to, and then he takes care of all his needs at once-- potty, drink, snack, visit mom, visit dad, then back on the couch. No more hopping on and off at a whim to chase birds.

He still gets in the back of the Suburban just fine, but you can see him thinking about it, rolling it over in his mind before the jump. I've offered to help but he just gets offended.

He can still put in that burst of speed to beat his brother in a race to a Kong ball, but his baby brother has earned my undying gratitude for holding back a little more every day. 

In short, he's growing old and while I can keep him as comfortable as I can and as healthy as I can for as long as I can, there's not a thing I can do to stop him from aging. My mother-in-law lost her Shadow last month, and he was only two and a half years older than my Rocky. Two and a half! I had a long talk with God and said that after the betrayal of taking my Cashdog so early, he at least owes me 14 good years with Rocky.

He just said, "We'll see." 

Is anybody else having a hard time dealing with watching your best friend grow older? How are you coping? Share here.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

It SUCKS!! I am in tears reading your post. I am sure I didn't cope with it well, so I have no advice. Our situations are different as K had developed so much arthritis by 10...but I just made sure that I left no stone unturned if it could help him or make him feel young even for a bit. So no real advice, just understanding I guess. It was so hard to watch K age

All I can say is cherish every lick, every sparkle in their eye, every time they do get up the gumption (sp) to chase a squirrel. Take it all in. I truly hope you get 4 more years with your Rocky.:wub:


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I lost my Shadow 4 months and 3 days ago, my Xena the year before that and my Duffy 2 years before Xena and since Shadow my Buddy has slowed down dramatically, It never gets any easier!!! :teary:


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Not coping well. Old dog is 14. DM hit her this time last year. Hard to believe she is still here. She sleeps a lot. She can no longer do the steps. I keep her on one level. There are two steps out the front door, so we limit her to that and walk her around the house into the yard. I support her rear to help her up the two steps. Sometimes she has accidents in her sleep. Or, when she is awake, if she doesn't realize in time. She can't hear. She no longer plays with toys. She still eats, enjoys her short slow walks, and seeks attention. She still barks at people and other dogs - most excitement of her day. 

I can't remember who said it. I think one of the mods. "It is hard to watch them fade." It really is. My kids are 14 and 18. They say she doesn't seem like their dog any more. My son was hanging out with a friend who had a lab. He said he had forgotten how much energy a young dog had. Annie has been a great dog and a great friend. I have to admit though, that there is more taking care of her needs than actually enjoying her. And THAT makes me very sad.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> . I have to admit though, that there is more taking care of her needs than actually enjoying her. And THAT makes me very sad.


It also makes you a wonderful dog owner. :hugs:


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## Midnight12 (Jan 6, 2012)

I lost my 12 year old on 12/8/11. I felt all the same things you are knowing she was getting old and having a hard time getting around. Still on our last day she wanted her walk, which had gotten shorter over the years and later that day she just died right in front of me, just like that and I knew she was getting old but she had'nt been sick or anything, so I still was'nt expecting it. I thought in my mind, i knew our time was getting shorter , thought I was preparing myself but your never ready for it. Treasure every moment you have and I hope you still get a long time with your dog.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Da_n! This string brought back memories of Abby - our OLD GSD who lived to almost 14 but the last year or so much marked by "old age" (spiced up with DM!) and watching her get slowere and slower and deafer and deafer.

It is VERY hard (SAD!) to watch an old friend age like that!

All that helps (a little) is all of the memories that one has of the dog!

Our curent guy is only 4.5yo so we have a number of years with him (we hope!).


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

:'-( bless you for taking care of her in old age. i fear the day i realize the things that you're noticing in your GSD. but i hope to have the patience and the blessing to have my dogs live with me as long as God permits. i think about this kind of stuff all the time. but the thing i fear most is not having them meet me at the rainbow bridge. i pray dogs have souls. i pray they will at some point be with me forever, healthy happy and agile as they can be.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Way to brighten up the evening emoore.

I instantly thought of Ginger who we lost about two years ago of cancer.

She had bad hips and spinal arthritis before the cancer.

She was my BYB bred fifty dollar GSD that was the best and sweetest dog I ever owned. 
She was an old soul from the get go. She potty trained herself, never destroyed anything and she preferred to sleep outside.
She was protective but sweet and won over everyone she met.
She barked when you would want a dog to bark but never unnecessarily.
At the end I had to try to adjust her pain medication based on looking at her expression. Too much of it made her worse but having none was not good either.
I still can hardly look at pictures of her.
I'm sorry that I didn't post anything to mysweetkaos during their loss but I couldn't read that thread without thinking of Ginger
I am however very sorry for your loss my sweetkaos.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

The only comparison I have is Tessa and when I got her she was old, old past her years and in such bad shape physically. It was still hard watching her decline even further. I can not imagine watching Dharma and Pippa do the same although I know if the fates allow, that is what will happen. It depresses me to think about it.

There is a guy at our dog park, he has a beautiful sable named Addie. She is everything the breed should be and he has bred her twice. She turned 10 this year. We have talked about how he has noticed her slowing down but she will still chase her ball on a string and work for a treat. I hope everyday that he gets 3-4 more years with her as she is an AMAZING dog. I really wish I had known him years ago as I would love to have had one of her puppies. He says that several of her puppies have gone on to be titled in Schutzhund.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

It is very hard indeed. I see My Ginger getting grayer and grayer. So far shes very healthy, and hope she stays that way. Shes helping me teach Jonas. Since he came home, it sparked some life in her. Everyday before I go to work, I give her a goodbye hug. and when I come home I give her a hello hug "Jonas too" Because Life is a time bomb , and you never know just when it will go off.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

It sucks. I'm watching my 9 year old (non-GSD) go blind with cataracts. Trying to research whether I should have the expensive surgery done. I love my girl and it breaks my heart to see her have trouble seeing and getting around.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

This makes me think of Chief. We lost him at age 12. He slowed down, but his death was a complete surprise. He had been at the vet a week earlier and got a clean bill of health and the vet remarked at how well he looked and was doing for a dog of his age. He went out in the yard, on a hot summer day, laid under a shady tree, went to sleep and never woke up. It was a peaceful way for him to go. He never suffered with an illness.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I haven't had a senior in such a long time. We lost Sneaker at 14-1/2 years old back in 2000, and although she was in pretty good health up until the end, the end was never far from my mind either, so I know what you're talking about. There were many times she was sleeping so soundly and her breathing was so slow that I thought she had died. And then another second or two went by and she took a breath, and so did I.

I wish we could have watched Cassidy and Dena grow old, that's a luxury we never had, but it would have been a different kind of sadness watching them slow down and start to fade instead of losing them too young. 

I truly hope you have many more happy years left with Rocky. No matter how long you have, it's never enough.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Jack's Dad said:


> Way to brighten up the evening emoore.


Sorry. 



Wolfiesmom said:


> This makes me think of Chief. We lost him at age 12. He slowed down, but his death was a complete surprise. He had been at the vet a week earlier and got a clean bill of health and the vet remarked at how well he looked and was doing for a dog of his age. He went out in the yard, on a hot summer day, laid under a shady tree, went to sleep and never woke up. It was a peaceful way for him to go. He never suffered with an illness.


If you've got to do it, that's the best way. 



Cassidy's Mom said:


> I haven't had a senior in such a long time. We lost Sneaker at 14-1/2 years old back in 2000, and although she was in pretty good health up until the end, the end was never far from my mind either, so I know what you're talking about. There were many times she was sleeping so soundly and her breathing was so slow that I thought she had died. And then another second or two went by and she took a breath, and so did I.


For over a year after I lost Cash I would get up in the middle of the night and check to see if Rocky and hubby were still breathing. Sometimes Rocky's sleeping so soundly I go lay my head on his chest to hear his heart beat. This wakes him up and makes him grumpy.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

Zeeva said:


> :'-( bless you for taking care of her in old age. i fear the day i realize the things that you're noticing in your GSD. but i hope to have the patience and the blessing to have my dogs live with me as long as God permits. i think about this kind of stuff all the time. but the thing i fear most is not having them meet me at the rainbow bridge. i pray dogs have souls. i pray they will at some point be with me forever, healthy happy and agile as they can be.


It's like you've read my mind.


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

My girl is aging faster due to the seizures. The drugs have taken their toll on her mobility, and somedays hit her harder than others. She is such a sweet smart dog and had so much potential as a young pup.
She has ataxia that makes her back end weak and loss of muscle control and now has developed sleep incontinence.
She still has her moments, she'll be five next month, but yes watching her age faster than she should be is very hard.
I believe that she'll be taken from me in less time than I feel is fair.
She's taught me so much.

I take it one day at a time. (cliche, I know, but I don't know anything easier)


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I felt the same way, watching my labrador grow old. I kept saying to DH "We won't have him next summer", all the fall, winter and spring of 2010/11. He died April 4, 2011. 

The vet said to me the day we took him in, that he had something that no matter what we found, we couldn't cure, and that was "Old Age". In my eyes, though, it was one day, of being exhausted (it appeared to me, because he had hemosangiocoma? where he must've had a tumor on his spleen that was bleeding out they figured) and a peaceful, quick ending with his entire family surrounding him and stroking him. A fast day for sure, but no doubts, no agonizing and IMHO, a peaceful and non-painful ending. 

What more could a good dog ask for? I wish you many more years of a slow aging and a peaceful end when that day finally arrives.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

This has been the week that reality kicked down my door. Daisy at 10 and half was still a she devil at heart barking chasing small animals running the fence when the niegbors mowed. Things slowed down in the past year at 12 and car trips require her ramp and she finally will use it. Her latest trip to the groomers proved a bit more then her back legs could take. In November she took the chuckit out of my hands at least once a week. Now she and I walk around the fence. She is the first dog I raised from a puppy.I love her and have learned to appreciate her gentleness and her at a slower rate. We are doing everything we can to make life easier but I know my girl isnt getting old she is there. I pray that she goes quietly and that I dont have to make the choice. I also worry that Lucky who has been with us 9 years and was probably close to a year when we got him is also getting older. So I pray for a gentle slide down and that when it comes it is peaceful.I know I have been blessed w/ my two and their relative health as well as the time we have been allowed.Sorry that my post is a downer.


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## Jo_in_TX (Feb 14, 2012)

I hear ya. My little shih tzu has an infiltrative lipoma, and while that is not malignant, it s ure acts like a malignancy.  It's definitely altered her behavior even though she's only 7 years old. 

In her particular case, surgery is "iffy," there's a 50 percent chance it grows back, and it's ridiculously expensive, so we're doing nothing but waiting. 

Interestingly, Teddy has given her a new lease on life. She doesn't seem depressed anymore.


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## Jo_in_TX (Feb 14, 2012)

Wolfiesmom said:


> This makes me think of Chief. We lost him at age 12. He slowed down, but his death was a complete surprise. He had been at the vet a week earlier and got a clean bill of health and the vet remarked at how well he looked and was doing for a dog of his age. He went out in the yard, on a hot summer day, laid under a shady tree, went to sleep and never woke up. It was a peaceful way for him to go. He never suffered with an illness.


Too bad we can't all go that way when the time comes. eace:


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

That is so weird that you posted this as I was just talking about this on Sunday. I am having the same issues with my Kya girl. She can't jump in the back of the tahoe anymore. She will try but I won't let her. She gets to ride in the front now. 

She has started being afraid of things she never had in the past. This was my fearless dog! Now loud noises or to many people will cause her to stick to my side instead of resting like she would in the past, I was always in sight but she could relax. 

I was told when Kya was a puppy that I would be very lucky to have her around for 5 years so I take the fact that she is almost 12 as a blessing. I just look at it as every day I have had this dog past 5 years old is a blessing and I will continue to love and care for her and take it a day at a time. When she is ready to leave me I will know it. Doesn't make it easier in the sense that I know she is old, but it eases my heart knowing that I will make everyday I have with her the best day she has ever had.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Very touchy subject for me. 
When we lost Cheyenne in 2002, he was almost 9 and you never would have know it. He was never ever sick and was taken by the big "H". Our other GSD Chazzy was a basket of medical issues her whole life and she clung on till I had to have her pts at 10 yrs old.
Now current pack, Apache turned 9 in December and I keep trying to prepare myself that he's getting there, so maybe it wont be so bad...yeah right. Kiya will be 8 in May and I've watched her suffer from seizures & meds since she was 18months old. I never thought she'd make it this far so I am grateful for that. My vet seems to think she will start to deteriorate much quicker. 
Sometimes I think that was why I agreed to take Lakota she's 2 now. 
This is the part that really stinks. One of the reasons I want to rescue an older dog is because I get so attached to my puppies, maybe it won't be so hard....yeah right.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

I am at about the same place you are, as Heidi is 10 1/2 years old and I am noticing subtle signs of aging. Not only is her muzzle gray, but she is now flecked with silver almost all over. Our 4-5 mile hikes have changed to 1 mile or two. She doesn't bark at every real or imagined infringement on our property anymore, even sometimes lets the mailman go by without getting up and barking at him. I, too, dread the time when she begins to go downhill, as is inevitable. I try not to obsess about it, but it is difficult sometimes. 

I am finding that there is something incredibly special about senior dogs. Heidi is often sillier than she was as a puppy even. She rolls on the floor with all four feet waving in the air and I get right down there with her and roll around; all dignity is out the window for both of us! Our walks can be as long or short as we want, no pressure to exercise her as much as possible. We still work on training if we want to, but if not, there is no angst about it. Since she doesn't feel like she has to be so alert, we have wonderful quiet times together. We are lucky, as Heidi is still in good health, just aging, but then so am I! I hope you too have some good years left with your dog.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

It never gets easier. Cyra was almost 9 when hemangio took her and it was so fast. Playing balls one day, dead the next.

With Grim I see a long gradual decline coming. He is 9. For now, even with the back issues he is doing pretty good but I have been there before and somedays you laugh about the goofy binds they got into when they got old, but mainly it is to keep from crying.

Well, we get there too. I have an 82 year old mother in a wheelchair to remind me everyday.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't really think there is a way of making it any easier. It just sucks. I watched my golden grow from a young crazy pup to 13.5 years old when I had to put her to sleep. I watched her son grow from his first breath on earth to his last just a month ago. And now her other son (we kept two males back in 1999), is aging fast and we fear we may be saying goodbye to him within the year. I never coped well with it... but, again... I don't think you can. At least, not that I've been through or seen others go through.

I hope you get your 4+ more years with him! It's so hard to see them fade away. If only they could live as long as people do.....


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

It is what we accept as dog owners. Doesn't make it any easier. My previous dogs went down slowly. For the last year of their lives (many years apart) I altered my schedule so that I could walk slowly with them every day, lift them into and out of the car, and just be there to let them know they were loved and any days of NILIF were long over. Whatever they wanted was OK with me.


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## MistysMom (Apr 11, 2012)

Emoore said:


> Hard to imagine that when I brought him home, I wasn't even old enough to go to buy alcohol. I remember bringing him home and thinking that I'd still have this dog when I was _old!_ Well, here I am, what I thought of then as old  and watching him slow down is killing me.
> 
> You probably wouldn't notice it if you didn't know him.
> 
> ...



 Wish I had seen this before I had my nervous break down. Just joined a few days ago stumbling across this site while looking for anything and everything on the net to help my Misty. So, to answer your question----and after bawling my eyes out--again--after reading your story--I am having WAY more than a hard time. Im seriously concerned about what it is going to do to my family when Misty goes, because of what it is going to do to me. Coping? I have learned to take it day by day--which is not a task Im very privy to. But with her, I have to..Im trying REALLY hard to not imagine what next week may bring, and enjoying every GOOD second she has. Some days are awful for her..and just about the time I give up hope--she will turn around and have a great day--(for her). What Im dwelling on is every single comfort I can give her--even the smallest of gestures--and I know I see in her eyes, she gets it. It's amazing what she has taught ME. Nearly deaf now, we have lost NO communication. It happened gradual, that she and I both seemed to learn signals from each other and our internal clocks are set the same--so we know what to expect from one another. IF, she is having a better day--her night time potty visit she'll take by herself. A flick of the porch light brings her right in--Just pointing toward an area let's her know if Im leaving the room, or just getting up to get the remote or phone, so she will know if she has to make the effort to get up or not--Its amazing--SHE is amazing--and that is how I am coping--On just the amazing relationship we have, and how HONORED and lucky I am she chose ME. We get busy and let life get in the way or have bad days and just like with our people, forget to just say goodnight--or I love you--I talk to her a LOT more now...Little things she wasn't "allowed" to do--for example--the midnight groomer--licking feet--I let her go--I still shake my husband and roll him over when he is snoring--and I used to lean over the bed and nudge her awake too because her snoring is worse than his--but I no longer do that--I grin and turn the tv on or up louder...Im just letting her have and do whatever she wants, and spoiling more than I already have, which I didn't think was possible. Her favorite place in the yard is a little beach we made beside our pool. Dug up all the grass--planted two palms--spent I dunno HOW much on ship wheels, bells, anchors and shells--and she kept laying in it--SO I made my husband "extend" the beach and plant another palm with NO shells so they didn't poke her.. Just love him--love him with all your heart and when its' his time--Be angry and sad as much as you loved him--you've earned that right......Good Luck and God Bless you for loving a GS and posting this....I sure feel your pain


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## Magda (Feb 26, 2012)

The most difficult thing in world is to do is watch them age. Lost Cody 2 months ago 13 years and 9 months. Could not get up from the tiled floor, but could manage well off grass and carpet as his arthritis became more prounounced. I knew that at some point I had to make a decision. I went out to feed him and Bella at 6 the morning on the 1st of February, and at 9 o' clock found him in his favourite spot, still warm but gone. Nearly went ballistic, but so glad he went quietly and peacefully. Had to take Tess, my bitch to be put down 4 years ago, hardest decision I ever made, but going on 15 I had to let go as she was suffering and I hung on to her more for me than her.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

I look at my two who are 10 and 12 and I realize that Ive been incredibly lucky in Ive had tem for so long and their relative health.I also realize that there is just something about an old dog that their personality is so distinct and comfortable . I look at Daisy and I pray for comfort and quality and the same for Lucky. Tommorrow Daisy goes to the vet and we will see what we can do to help her.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

PaddyD said:


> It is what we accept as dog owners. Doesn't make it any easier. My previous dogs went down slowly. For the last year of their lives (many years apart) I altered my schedule so that I could walk slowly with them every day, lift them into and out of the car, and just be there to let them know they were loved and *any days of NILIF were long over*. Whatever they wanted was OK with me.


That's where I am with my oldest. NILIF is long, long over. She's nearly blind, and I am wondering if she's going deaf as well. She's top dog in the house and will be uber protected until whenever her last day comes. She often must be carried up and down stairs, she walks into things, she gets scared. A little voice enters the back of my mind about the quality of her life right now, but there's no way it is time to put her down. She still loves belly rubs, love and attention... she just can't see or hear things.  Poor baby.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Oh my gosh, NILIF ends at my house around 5 or 6 years old. We transition to EILIF.


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## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

My old girl, Tango, is my not only my heart and soul but she is also my first dog. I got her when she was 8 weeks old and I was only 12... We grew up together. My family isn't a "dog family" so she was truly mine from the beginning, always followed by the promise of taking her back to the pound if I didn't take adequate care of her. Needless to say, Tango was only the start of a huge love of everything dogs  

In the past couple of years she has slowed down a lot and it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to watch. She can't go up the stairs any more, and jumping in the car is totally out of the question. She's my best friend and while she's still in good health for approaching her 12th birthday, not a day goes by that I don't think about what it's going to be like to lose her. She's amazing with dogs, and is truly skilled at deflecting all conflict from other dogs and people, loves people, and is overall bombproof. She's been the best thing in my life for almost 12 years. You know those dogs that truly are perfect? Yeah, that's her. :wub:


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Well tonight was the night Daisy's bi annual checkup. Doc says while she is alert there appears to be a few or alot of symptoms of DM. Dang hadnt known about that until a few years ago.Daisy was giving her vet and his asst kisses but then her hips went out and the vet tech lifted her onto the table and her blood work and rabies was done. We started a supplement Dasaguain(sp wrong) and we discussed the issues w/ giving her antinflamatories after the pancreatitis. He feels its early so give her the supplement and keep her weight down but spoil her rotten. I think Im going to eat dinner now and cry later. I knew when I saw the toes curling and dragging at times it was DM but dang . It really did a number on Dodger our lab/pit mix. I know more now so I wont let it stretch out like i did w/ dodger. I still pray that she goes to sleep under a tree at the new house or on her bed in our bedroom and slips away at peace and happy.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

It really is hard. Especially having a 10 month old now and seeing what a difference there is. My old boy, non GSD is almost 9. He has had both ccls tear...one had surgery, the other we went the conservative mgmt route, but has thankfully been healthy otherwise. But slow down he has. When I see Stella, the 10 month old running around, I remember Ruben doing the same. He has been such a good friend to me and loyal companion. Now I am feeling so very guilty....Stella takes up sooooo much of my time.....I will really have to find the extra time to spend with the old boy.....


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## a33890 (Jan 12, 2010)

Its just so hard on us seeing our boy decline with age. We're doing all we can for him to keep him happy and comfy in this stage of his life. He's 13. And just had surgery on his spine to help him walk so far its not working. Hoping he gets better and we have more time with him.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

chelle said:


> That's where I am with my oldest. NILIF is long, long over. She's nearly blind, and I am wondering if she's going deaf as well. She's top dog in the house and will be uber protected until whenever her last day comes. She often must be carried up and down stairs, she walks into things, she gets scared. A little voice enters the back of my mind about the quality of her life right now, but there's no way it is time to put her down. She still loves belly rubs, love and attention... she just can't see or hear things.  Poor baby.


You will know in your heart when that time comes. Pyrate got a lot of help from me in his last year, picking his rear end to help him get in the car. Help him up the door step, walk really slow on walks and rest when he wanted to. I even cleaned his butt when he couldn't quite get a poop out easily. I know I let him go at the right time while he still had his dignity but it wasn't easy. The vet told me he could have kept him going for another week or maybe even two but after his kidneys failed I wanted him to have the dignity he always had. And, after staying up all night talking with Pyrate I knew that he was ready too. You will know when you are keeping them alive just for you and when the time comes that it is better for them to be pain free and run and dance on the other side of the bridge while they wait for you. ((HUGS))


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I understand completely... 

I had my Monkey (cat) since I was in high school (10 almost 11 years)... I moved out with her, changed cities, went through some MAJOR family things with her by my side, brought my two dogs home to her, and went through a lot of personal stuff as well.... I lost her two Monday's ago... 

My world has been flipped upside down and I am still feeling quite lost.. 

I understand what it means to watch your best friend, your heart slow down and then be gone... totally heartbreaking..


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