Thread
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.
He's also awake every night pacing and barking, which I think is cognitive disorder but also because he doesn't know where he is when he can't even see shadows in the dark. He doesn't know we are there much of the time unless we tap him, in which case he will startle. He uses his nose to figure out everything. This assessment is good for making you be honest with yourself about how it's really like for your dog. Ours almost 19. Never thought he'd get this far but he's a very determined little fellow. Hardest part is letting him go even when I know in my gut it's probably the best for him.
9 days ago0 replies
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