Old doggie starting to fail

[Irish]

Odie is my lab/beagle mix. He is 15-years-old and is showing signs that he may be near the end. I'm having a hard time getting him to eat and he is losing weight. He refuses his regular dog food, will take a couple of bites of canned food. The only thing I found he will really eat is cooked hamburger. Any suggestions of other foods I can try?

Also, he seems obsessed with going outside. Once out, he just stands there. Lately he has been laying down in the snow and going to sleep, something he never did before. As soon as we bring him in, he begs to go out again. I wonder if his mind may be going. Any one else had an experience like this with an old timer?

I sure am going to miss him when he goes. He's a great dog.

 

[gapeach]

I'm sorry to hear about Odie.My Smokey (poodlemix) we had to have put down in January. He had quite a few problems too. Could it be (outside thing) that his eyesight is going/gone. I was to the point where I had to carry Smokey to food,water and to and from outside. If I didn't he would just walk around in a cirlcle bumping in to things until he found what he was looking for. Maybe Odie is worried he will have an accident inside. I know exactly what you mean about missing him when he's gone, Smokey was 15 also and I'd had him all his life. We were inseperable. Let me know if you need to talk.

 

[juliefurry]

I am so sorry. I know when my grandma's dog was very old and wouldn't eat his food they would hand feed him bits of lunch meat. It isn't very good for him but he did end up living like a year more than what the vet had given him (and yes I know the vet isn't god). My grandma's dog (smurfy, named after Papa Smurf) even went deaf towards the end and he learned to come to you if you stomped your foot he could feel the vibrations or something I guess because if I stomped my foot he would come to me, if he was in the same room ofcourse. I don't know about laying in the snow, though.

 

[Renee750il]

Will he eat some chicken? Maybe some things that are soft and have a savory taste? I have to wonder if their ability to taste and smell doesn't fade the same way ours does as we gain greater age. At this point in his life it's more important that he actually eat something that isn't awful for him - even if it's not necessarily the best thing for him.

He may be having some pain that the cold alleviates somewhat. Or, like the stories we've all heard, some animals (and people) just want to go off where it's quiet when it's getting near the time to move on.

Just keep loving him (I know you are) and experiment with different things he might eat. When my Gonzo-cat was diagnosed with FIV, Dr. Swartout told us to feed him anything he'd eat - just keep him eating. He quickly developed a taste for orange roughy braised in butter and chicken breast with sage . . . and his passion for Arby's roast beef got TOTALLY indulged . . .

 

[smkie]

have you had his teeth checked?

 

[Irish]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Gapeach - so sorry about your Smokey. It is so hard.

Yes, we did have his teeth cleaned just about 6 months ago, and there were no problems them. But sometimes it does seem like he has a problem with his teeth, the way he chews a little food and then spits it out. Maybe we'll have to have them checked again.

Rene - I think the soft and savory meats may be the way to go. I guess I'll be cooking a lot more often now.

I did not think about his vision, that is a good idea. Maybe he goes outside and doesn't know how to come back in? He is most definetly deaf now. Isn't that funny, I talk to him all the time and I know he can't hear me.

Well thanks again, all of you, for your suggestions and kindness. I know you all understand how hard it is to see them get old and to know the time is near when they won't be around anymore. My Bear will be heart broken, Odie is his buddy.

 

[smkie]

speaking from grand experience..it may be the jaw joint..i am sure they can get arthritis there as well..bless the old it is so hard....hugs and a good ear rub to him for me

 

[bubbatd]

Nothing is harder on the heart than an old dog. We want the best for them and it's so hard to let them go. I had a Golden once who loved to go in the car with me and the other

Goldens to feed our horses. Bushwacker was 16 and really slowing down and needed help going outside sometimes. I had always told him, the morning you don't want to go with us, I'll know you are ready. One morning I came down to go, and he just looked at me, wagged his tail and put his head back down.....I knew the time had come. When we came back, he couldn't even raise his head. I loved that dog so.

 

[Renee750il]

You might ask your vet about giving him enteric coated aspirin for achy bones and joints. It can make a huge difference in quality of life.

By the way, on cooking: my Gonzo liked his chicken and fish cooked in the microwave. It comes also out much more tender (just don't cook it too long or it gets petrified, lol). Beef hearts braised slowly in a dutch oven are a real treat for dogs too. You'll want to cut it up into small pieces, though, and your feller would probably like his with some of the broth. The broth is also good to save and warm up later to put over dry dog food. I freeze it when I cook beef hearts and my dogs have warm broth over their kibble on cold days.

Scrambled eggs with a little cheese might tempt him, too.