Hear from other pet parents like you
Dog
Rob &
Ellie
Pomchi(F) 12 yo
Omentum cancerGallbladder sludgeLiver nodulesPrevious pancreatitisRaspyReduced appetite and noticeable weight loss despite encouragement to eatSlowly worsening mobility with stiffness, shaking, and difficulty using stairs or furnitureIntermittent raspy or wheezy breathing that may progress over timeDependence on subcutaneous fluids to support hydrationOverall gradual decline in energy and strength, even with more good days than badreduced eatingtired most of the timesometimes confusedgetting weakerperks up to go outside for a walkenjoys car ridesenjoys being outside and smelling thingsplays with new toysenjoys being scratched and pettedstill drinks water
Dog
Cathy &
Winnie
Mix(F) 16 yo
cataractshearing losship painSlowly increasing pain and mobility limitationsOccasional bladder leaks and indoor urinationEvening restlessness, panting, and clinginessMild cognitive changes with sleep–wake disruptionBalancing her many joys with growing care needscan hear very littlecataractsvery clingysleeps a lotoccasional limpingincrease in barking for fooddigging at blanketsscrunching up blanketsmore restless in the eveninggets around wellenjoys short walksruns down the hallway happily in the morningoccasionally attempts to get a balloccasional bladder leaksurinating in the house if not taken out quicklyGood appetite
Dog
Anonymous &
Toto
Norfolk Terrier Mix(M) 14 yo
heart murmurSlowly worsening mobility and possible daily pain or stiffnessProgressive bowel and bladder incontinence affecting hygiene and comfortCognitive and behavioral changes, including confusion, restlessness, and staring spellsUncertainty about how anxiety, discomfort, and neurologic changes are affecting Toto’s daily experienceincontinence of bowelincontinence of bladderno longer likes riding in carsreduced walking distance (can’t walk more than a block)behavior change (not himself)staring into spaceno longer associates going outside with urination/defecationrecent onset of changes over last 6 months
Dog
Anonymous &
Oakley
Yorkie/maltese Mix(M) 17 yo
deafnessblindnessdementiaanal gland growthdental disease (very bad teeth)arthritis (reported as 'probably' by vet)Chronic pain and touch sensitivity limiting comfort and basic careSignificant nighttime restlessness, pacing, and vocalizing likely related to cognitive changesProgressive mobility decline requiring assistance with stairs and daily movementHygiene challenges with accidents and matted fur becoming harder to manageIncreased appetite and thirst with vomiting and mild weight loss raising comfort questionsvery sensitive to touchunable to be groomed, including nail trimshates being picked upback legs are weakno longer tries to jumpunable to take medicationsleeps 19–21 hours per daypacing around the house when awakeeating much more than usualdrinking more water than usualdefecating less than expected for amount of food eatenoccasional bursts of high activity (zoomies about once a week)
Dog
Anonymous &
Reese
Yorkie- Poo(M) 14 yo
collapsed tracheadementiaFrequent anxiety and difficulty settlingNighttime and daily breathing challenges that are slowly worseningNoticeable cognitive decline and disorientationReduced mobility with falls and dependence on assistancePossible daily seizure-like episodesWeight loss and increased drinking with indoor accidentsPain or discomfort when being picked upsleeping close to 24 hours a daygets lost in housewalking in circlespartial blindness
Dog
Shannon &
Ladybug
Chihuahua(F) 11 yo
Frequent and worsening breathing difficulties limiting daily lifePain or discomfort on most days, clearly affecting activityReduced appetite for more than a week with unclear weight changesMobility challenges that are slowly worsening but still mostly independentIncreased hygiene needs and skin irritation that take more effort to manageMore bad days than good days overallslowed downtrouble breathing at timesreduced interaction with family
Cat
Anonymous &
Callie
(F) 20 yo
Long‑term significant weight loss in a very elderly, low‑weight catEating and drinking less than beforeSlightly unkempt coat and occasional bathroom accidents suggesting shifting self‑careIncreased urine volume and frequency despite drinking lessIntermittent unexplained vocalizing in an older catlost almost half her body weight in the last five yearseats less than beforedrinks less than beforepoops once every other daystill able to jump onto a chair or bedstill urinates in litter boxsleeps most of the day
Dog
Anonymous &
Karma
Am Staff/dalmation(F) 17 yo
ArthritisFrequent pain and discomfort limiting daily activitiesSignificant loss of independent mobility with gradual worseningPersistent anxiety, restlessness, and disrupted sleepLoss of bladder and bowel control despite medication and rapidly worsening hygieneReduced appetite with mild weight loss and increased drinking and urinationMore bad days than good days overalltrouble laying downtrouble getting upseems confused sometimescannot control bladder even with medicationcannot control bowels even with medication
Dog
Sheila &
Capone
Shit Zue(M) 18 yo
Can't see taking medication for. SeizerFrequent pain with movement that clearly limits daily activities and is worsening over timeSignificant and slowly worsening mobility challenges leading to dependence and fall riskCognitive changes causing confusion, restlessness, and reduced engagement in favorite activitiesBreathing difficulties that sometimes limit activity and increase the need for restHygiene challenges, including matted fur and waste on the coat, requiring extra effortOverall sense of more bad days than good dayseating normallydrinking normallywhining frequentlydifficulty standing on back legs
Dog
Sheila &
Capone
Shit Zue(M) 18 yo
Can't see taking medication for. SeizerFrequent pain with movement that clearly limits daily activities and is worsening over timeSignificant and slowly worsening mobility challenges leading to dependence and fall riskCognitive changes causing confusion, restlessness, and reduced engagement in favorite activitiesBreathing difficulties that sometimes limit activity and increase the need for restHygiene challenges, including matted fur and waste on the coat, requiring extra effortOverall sense of more bad days than good dayseating normallydrinking normallywhining frequentlydifficulty standing on back legs
Dog
Claudia &
Stella
Mix Chihuahua(F) 10 yo
heart diseaseFrequent breathing difficulties that are slowly worseningOngoing discomfort and reduced interest in usual activitiesHigh levels of anxiety and restlessness, especially at nightShift toward more bad days than good daysIncreased drinking and urination alongside heart diseasereduced ability to playincreased tirednesscoughing during sleep
Dog
Anonymous &
Kobi
Shihtzu(M) 17 yo
Cushing's disease (medication managed)Grade 2/6 heart murmurHigh blood pressure (medication managed)Anemia (slight)Oral mass suspected to be cancerBlindness (~90%)Deafness (~90%)Reduced appetite and noticeable weight lossPresence of an oral mass suspected to be cancerPossible mouth-related discomfort affecting eating and activity choicesSubtle mobility changes, such as no longer jumping on furnitureAdvanced age with multiple chronic medical conditionsTrouble eating
Dog
Janene &
Simon
Jack Russell Mix(M) 13 yo
Daily seizures with difficult recovery and loss of bladder and bowel controlSlowly worsening mobility with signs that may reflect discomfort or painFrequent anxiety, restlessness, and nighttime disruptionIncreasing hygiene demands and accidents that are hard to keep up withShifts in awareness, engagement, and sleep–wake patternsGood and bad days currently feeling about equalseizures started in the past 6 months
Dog
Anonymous &
Banks
Pit Mix(M) 13 yo
tumor pressing against colonIncreasing difficulty eliminating due to tumor pressing on colonReduced but variable appetite and food interestMobility changes with slipping, stumbling, and shorter walking distancesBalancing Banks’ enjoyment of walks and time with caregiver against his physical effortincreasing difficulty eliminatingpicky eatingvariable interest in specific foodsdrinking waterwags tail when seeing ownerlikes to go for short walksno apparent painno apparent awareness of being sickblockage expected to completely block elimination eventually
Dog
Nikki &
Lady
Golden Retriever(F) 13 yo
cancer in stomachlung issueship dysplasiaarthritisRapid decline in appetite and noticeable weight lossWorsening mobility with difficulty standing and using stairsIndoor urine and stool accidents with loose, dark stoolsIntermittent breathing changes with pale or gray gumsSubtle withdrawal and reduced interest in favorite activitiesnot eating muchsleeping a loturinating on carpet indoorsdefecating on living room carpet indoorshard time getting updifficulty coming up steps after going out to pottytaking Deramaxx
Dog
Teresa &
Big Guy
Mixed(M) 19 yo
heart murmurarrhythmialiver diseasemobility issuesdeafblindincontinentNo gallbladderHad cancer removedCollapsing tracheaFrequent anxiety and inability to settle, especially at nightSigns of ongoing discomfort or pain limiting movement and restBreathing difficulties that often affect daily life and are slowly worseningSevere incontinence and hygiene challengesCognitive changes with confusion, disorientation, and mostly bad days overallReduced appetite with reliance on selective treatsdisinterested in most foodwill eat selective treatsgets lost in the house around furnitureup most nights with anxiety and unable to sleepwhining and vocalization when awakebarking without obvious reasonenjoys hunting for treats scattered on the carpetenjoys smelling the grass outside for a short whilesleeps most of the day but not at nightincontinent 95% of the time
Helpful but awareness and orientation is rated too high for a dog who is blind, deaf and stares into the abyss most of the day.
Dog
Jody &
Gizmo
Chihuahua(M) 18 yo
Frequent anxiety and restlessness with difficulty settlingCognitive changes including confusion, pacing, and reduced responsivenessClumsy, slowly worsening mobility with slipping and hesitancy on stairsIncreasing bathroom accidents and hygiene challengesIntermittent breathing difficulties after eating and drinkingvery poor eyesightwalks into thingsseems lost at timesstares into spacehearing getting worseincreasing bathroom accidentsclumsy mobilityreckless mobilitynever stops pacing aroundgood appetitehealthy bowel movements
Dog
Anonymous &
Roux Buttry
Terrier Mix Mostly Mini Schnauzer(M) 13 yo
congestive heart failure (early stage, chronic)liver failure (early)kidney failure (early)obesity (historical)dental infection (historical infected teeth)Rapidly worsening breathing effort and noisy, labored breathingMultiple daily syncope and seizure‑like episodes with slower recovery and in‑episode distressFragile appetite with frequent stomach upset and medication intoleranceShift toward more bad days than good from Roux’s perspectivesyncope (fainting) two to three times per dayepisodes of stopped breathing during faintingslower recovery after fainting episodes than beforeaware of surroundings and people immediately after faintingstill drinking watereating small portions of preferred foodsmedications difficult to administermedications upset his stomachseeking grass outside, possibly for stomachrecent loose bowels prior to injectionsinjections helped stomach and loose bowelsbreathing varies between shallow-sounding and open-mouth loud breathinghas home oxygen used during fainting episodesappears happy
Dog
Anonymous &
Stella
(F) 15 yo
partially collapsed tracheaFrequent, labored breathing that limits daily activities and is getting worse quicklyReduced appetite requiring coaxing and associated mild weight lossSlowly worsening mobility with shorter walks and hesitation on stairsSubtle changes in awareness and engagementChanges in drinking and urination patternsheavy breathing at restheavy panting at resteats infrequentlyneeds help coming in from outside after potty breaks at timesnot interested in daily walksrarely barks
Dog
Anonymous &
Ratch
Heeler(M) 15 yo
arthritis in all four legsglaucoma in one eyeHigh blood pressureFrequent and impactful breathing difficulties that are slowly worseningPain present most of the time and clearly limiting daily activitiesQuickly worsening mobility with difficulty on stairs and standing upSigns of anxiety, restlessness, and withdrawalOverall sense that there are more bad days than goodheavy breathingShaking legsCan barely get up and down stairs