Thread
Dog
Nicholas &
Jackson
Schipperkee(M) 19 yo
arthritis (almost certainly at his age)eyesight less than optimal (again, a given at his age)deaf or nearly soGradually worsening mobility with slipping, stumbling, and reduced walking distanceSporadic appetite with skipped meals and periods of eating very littleIntermittent signs of discomfort and restlessness that may suggest painOccasional indoor accidents indicating some decline in continenceRare but present coughing episodes and brief periods of unsteadiness or uncertaintyeating habits are sporadicsometimes does not eat at all for dayssometimes eats very little for daysless steady on his feet than usual during a recent incidentless sure of his surroundings than usual during a recent incidentstumbled into his water dish during a recent incidenteyesight seemed to deteriorate temporarily during a recent incidentsymptoms of unsteadiness and apparent eyesight change have passed since eating more preferred foodhesitates in doorways, but this could be a personal quirk, as he has always been wary of getting stuck in confined space
It was nice to get a comprehensive, clinical--yet understanding--perspective on my dog's current quality of life.
My other dogs have typically had cancer or strokes, so there wasn't really a choice to be made: It was obvious when they couldn't go another day. This is my first time having to deal with the hard questions of when bad days begin to outnumber good and what is fair to the animal, so it's nice to have some institutional knowledge to help me calibrate the proper answers.
15 days ago0 replies
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