Old friends… it’s so hard My mantra for these times is “Better a day, a week, even a month too early than a day too late.”
That said, YES you need a vet consult or visit 1st. Ask your vet about giving him some Ace (Acepromazine, a tranq) for the trip if he stresses about car rides and vet visits.
Many areas also have mobile vets who do house calls for mall animals. If you really think it’s time and don’t want to take him anywhere, look for a large animal vet. They may do a “farm call” for you and put him down at home.
Keep in mind, he’s had a long wonderful life, and he knows he’s loved. It’s not going to get any easier for him, and quality is everything - dogs don’t have plans for what they’re going to do next week. They live pretty much in the moment.
Look, were talking dog here. According to the doggie year conversion he’s over 100 years old.
I just recently put down a 13 year old dog. It had started peeing and shitting all over the house . It would be on my lap and suddenly a pleasant warm sensation engulfed my private parts. I knew that wasn’t good.
Midge had a good long life and I and my family enjoyed her, but it was time for her to go. Thankfully my vet told me not to feel bad, because it isn’t exactly a bad thing for a dog avoid the pains of extreme old age.
Do you understand what an average life expectancy is? It appears not. Again, the average life expectancy for a human is 67 years. That doesn’t make a 65 year old human “very old.” Similarly, a 14 year old dog is “not very old by any breed standard.” Simply put, that statement is false.
Please don’t assume that because I didn’t post a long, difficult history of what we went through with our dogs that I would “throw in the towel” without a second thought.
Our Newfoundlands were vital, loved members of our family. Angus had hip dysplasia for much of his life, and tore his ACL a few years before he died. We were able to successfully manage his pain and mobility issues for almost 10 years with the help of an excellent vet. We found that glucosamine/condroitin only helped a bit at first- then he was on Tramadol which worked wonders for his pain. He was also kept very lean (maybe 155 lbs, and he was a big male Newf who once topped out at 196) to reduce the stress on his joints. He lived years beyond our original expectations, due to our attentive management of his various conditions.
We went to extraordinary lengths to prolong both the length and quality of his life, the same as we did for Holly, our bitch Newf who was an abused rescue and had other issues. Unfortunately, Holly developed MRSA, which is deadly to dogs and transfers easily to humans. We attempted to treat it with ever-stronger antibiotics but our vet finally helped us decide that it was time. The added horror came when, two days after Holly was put down (laying with her head in my lap, and a favorite toy), Angus also tested positive for MRSA and had to be put down as well.
It was wrenching. My children had never known a day on this earth without him. It was almost three years ago and the older one still cries some nights, missing him.
My advice is close consultation with a vet, preferably over a dog’s entire life, so that she/he is familiar with your dear friend and can help make the right call when the time comes. I do not see dogs as investments, accessories, or objects. I see them as vital members of our pack, just as they see us as a vital part of theirs.
Everyone knows the “one doggy year = 7 people years” rule, but it’s not actually very good. A better rule is that the first year counts for 20, and each subsequent year is 4. Which would put a 14-year-old dog at the equivalent of 72.
To the OP, it might be time, and it’s certainly getting pretty close to time, but the vet can tell you better than we can. It may be that what he’s got right now is easily treatable, and you can get him another year or two of quality life. Or it might be that it isn’t. The vet is a professional at making these assessments.
My dog is also 14 with bad arthritis. She is on glucosimine and rim idyl supplements snd gets a cortisone shot about every 2 weeks. Although the cortisone shots don’t seem to be helping anymore. She had a stoke last month and has breathing problems and is on meds for both those things too and gets a shot for the breathing/ heart problems every 2 weeks. Every time I am at the vets I ask if it is time. He always says her quality of life is still good. She is not in pain. She is uncomftorable and we are doing what we can to make her more comftorable. He says if she is eating, gets out to do her business and is still ovoid she is still a valuable member of the family. Yesterday a friend said, if you had trouble sitting down would you want someone to put you down. That puts it in perspective.
I would like to know how your dog is doing now.
Jinx, get him to the vet once. He deserves an evaluation. If your vet thinks it is worthwhile give your dog a chance. “Lost in space” isn’t a good indicator, but if you’re in a decent sized city chances are there’s a mobile euthanasia service. Check at boarding/daycare places unless you have a small vet office. Larger, more businessy vets sometimes won’t give you that info.
We had to make this decision recently with one of our Skipperkes, a sadder day I have never known. Here is a helpful link, although I don’t necessarily agree with their score evaluation that any dog who gathers over 8 points should be euthanized. Our Mattie would have scored a 27 on this test in her last days. She went downhill really quickly. Not saying you need to hold out for a high score, but not sure 8 is realistic either.
My mantra for these times is “Better a day, a week, even a month too early than a day too late.”