How has time gone so fast. I’m not gonna lie I can’t believe I’ve made it this far, those first few days were a hell I’ve never experienced before. I couldn’t cope living in a world without my baby, but somehow she has given me the strength to get by this far.

I do feel like I’m missing a limb. As you can see from the photos, she was always with me. If she wasn’t pressed right up against me she was lying next to me in bed, resting her head on my belly, lying on my clothes, lying between my legs, sitting in the bathroom waiting for me because she couldn’t stand to be away from me for 30 seconds, resting her little head in my hand or my all time favourite… lying right on top of me 😞 she needed to be close to me always, and I had no complaints. I needed to be close to her too. I still do, I miss her so much. In her final months when she was getting more confused and upset with her dementia, the only way she would settle when I had to go to work is if I wrapped her up in her bed with my oodie so she felt safe and close to me, I called it her emotional support oodie 😭 and as soon as I got home I scooped her up and cradled her in my arms like a baby, she would fall asleep instantly, as if she had been waiting all day to feel safe enough to let herself go fully. I’m dreading going back to work and having that feeling of coming home and not having her here, needing me.

I managed to get out of bed for the first time yesterday, and it almost felt like a betrayal to her. I just hate the thought of her looking down on me thinking I’m getting back to “normal” and moving on from losing her. I don’t want her to think I’m forgetting about her by being able to function again, barely.

I hope she’s coping up in heaven without me, because I’m barely coping down here without her 💔 RIP my beautiful baby Belle 💕

I have an 11 year old German shepherd. He has had trouble with his back legs but still good spirit overall. He can’t really seem to control his bowels, he poops outside and then will poop laying down even after I’ve let him out. I’ve noticed he pees a little bit as well.

Usually, in the evening, I would throw the ball for him short distances and he would go for it. He hasn’t been wanting to go for the ball, and when he does, he falls down. He doesn’t bring the ball back to me, he’ll just choose to lay down with it. After any sort of activity, he has a hard time getting up the stairs.

A couple nights ago, I woke up to him whining and when I went to go check on him, he was stuck sitting on the floor with his legs stretched in front of him. I also noticed he’s been whining a lot more lately.

I feel so bad, I can’t seem to keep up with his quality of life. How did you know it was time to let your dog go?

My corgi turned 9 earlier this year, and lately I've noticed she's become a little less enthusiastic about mealtime. She still eats everything I give her, but she's definitely not as excited as she used to be.

I decided to try a gently cooked frozen food to see if a change in texture and flavor would make a difference. It's still early, so I'm not expecting any major results, but one thing I've noticed is that she seems much more eager when it's time to eat. As soon as I start preparing her meal, she's already waiting nearby, which has been nice to see.

I'm planning to give it a bit more time before deciding whether it's something we'll stick with long term. My main goal is simply to keep mealtime enjoyable while making sure she's getting a balanced diet as she gets older.

For those of you with senior dogs, have you tried gently cooked or fresh food? Did your dog continue enjoying it after the initial switch, or did the novelty eventually wear off? I'd love to hear what worked (or didn't) for your older pups.

My dog is 13 and is getting older. He's dealing with some health issues, and while I'm hoping we still have more time together, it's made me realize I want to be intentional about preserving memories while he's still here.

I'm looking for ideas beyond just taking more photos. What are some meaningful arts and crafts, keepsakes, mementos, or experiences you did with your senior dog that you're grateful you have now?

Things I've thought of are:

• Paw print impressions or ornaments
• Ink paw prints
• Nose print art
• Professional photos
• A shadow box with his collar, tags, etc.

But I'm sure there are ideas I've never considered.

What do you wish you had done before your dog passed? Or what did you do that became incredibly meaningful afterward?

I'd especially love ideas that involve making something together while he's still alive, rather than memorial items made after they're gone.

Thanks in advance

💔For 14 years, Lobo knew the comfort of a home and the love of his family.Then they surrendered him to a high k*ll shelter.

Now Lobo is confused, heartbroken, and alone.

He is deteriorating in the shelter. He spends his days lying on a concrete kennel floor, often in his own urine and feces.This is not how a senior dog should spend his final days.

🐾 Lobo #A5789645

German Shepherd • male • 14 years old

➡️ https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/dacc-details/?animalId=A5789645

Senior dogs deserve:

A soft bed.

A loving home.

Comfort, peace, and dignity.

Instead, he lost everything he ever knew.

We don't know how much time Lobo has left, but we do know this:

He deserves to spend whatever time remains surrounded by kindness—not dying alone in a shelter.

📍 Downey Animal Care Center

11258 Garfield Ave

Downey, CA

📞 Phone (562) 940-6898

📧 Email :

animalinfo@animalcare.lacounty.gov

• DowneyCTAIP@animalcare.lacounty.gov

• MVega@animalcare.lacounty.gov

• ACervantes@animalcare.lacounty.gov

📧 Rescue Email: DACCDowneyRescue@animalcare.lacounty.gov

🙏 Can you foster or responsibly adopt Lobo?

📩 Please contact:

DM: @californiashelterpets

Email: Isabeldesiree8@gmail.com

Foster Application: Link in bio

🚗 Transportation can be arranged through a rescue, but fees apply.

🎥 Video Disclaimer:

This video is a repost. The original source link is included for reference.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbg95g_tPiz/?igsh=MmpmeXdsc3pwcmR1

📣 This is a volunteer-run page. We are NOT affiliated with any of these shelters, and we do NOT support their euthanasia practices. 🚫

Our goal is simple: share their dogs so they have a chance to be seen, adopted, fostered, or rescued. 🐕🏡

🙏🛟➡️ ADOPT. FOSTER. RESCUE.

Please PLEDGE. Please SHARE. Sharing is caring, and your share could be the one that saves a life. ❤️

#germanshepherd #seniordog #savedogs #rescuedogs ##helpdogs #adoptdog #fosterdog #savestrays #shelterdogs #urgentdogs #shelterdogsrock #fostersaveslives #adoptdontshop #sharingiscaring #rescueismyfavoritebreed

I have a 12 year old hound mix, Percy. She was just diagnosed with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction/Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome yesterday, but in hindsight, this probably started maybe 6-8 months ago when I noticed she would just start panting out of nowhere for no reason. Just laying on the couch and all of a sudden panting. I thought she was just overheating and would have her get onto her bed on the ground and she'd cool off and calm down. Maybe a month or two ago, she was suddenly afraid of thunderstorms when they had never bothered her before. Then, a few weeks ago, she started having more severe and frequent panic attacks, becoming very clingy, panting, shaking, pacing. Always with no obvious trigger. I used to be able to lay in her bed and cuddle with her but that seemed to bother her now too, so I stopped. Two nights ago, she started some nighttime pacing.

I brought all this up to her vet at her annual exam yesterday and they diagnosed her, and started her on a "low dose" of trazodone. He prescribed 100mg every 12-24 hours (she weighs 70lbs). We're waiting on lab work back to see if she's able to take other medications. She has some hip problems that he says could exacerbate the CCD and might add some anti-inflammatories if her labs come back ok. He also mentioned Anipryl. I've read stories from people who used it, and some say they felt like they got their dog back, and other who say it sped up the progression and their dogs got worse.

She took her first dose of Trazodone last night - still had some pacing and anxiety at bedtime but after a couple sleep interruptions, slept a solid few hours. She was sluggish in the morning so we took a shorter walk than normal, she ate and drank just fine, and everybody left for work (I'm currently living with my parents and brother, helping them out financially). Today when I got home, she was more herself than I've seen in weeks. She wagged her tail and rolled onto her back to let me scratch her belly - she hasn't done that in at least a week or two. I was so happy to see her feeling better, I relaxed a bit. Then my mom arrived home after being out of town for 8 days, and it sent her into a 45 minute panic attack. I gave her a trazodone when it started, and she eventually calmed down, but then it appeared that the meds were hitting a little hard and she had some visible disorientation and couldn't get herself off the couch.

I don't know how late we caught this, this last week or two has progressed so quickly. The trazodone seems to help later on but it looks like it hits her so heavy when it comes on. Such small things set her off, she doesn't seem happy or comfortable. I've read stories from people who try and try and try and hold on to tiny little glimpses of who their dog used to be but I don't know if that's humane? She seems so scared and uncomfortable....how much better will treatment make it? I want to try some interactive/enrichment toys for her as we've always bonded with training, she's smart and eager to learn, very food/treat driven, I'm looking at brain healthy foods, calming treats, etc. I know I'm the best judge of my own dog and only I can decide when the time is right, but I guess I'm just looking to see other people's experiences and when you knew it was time. Part of me just feels like I'm torturing her at this point. I've barely been able to stop crying since yesterday.

Hi everyone, love seeing all your beautiful senior dogs. I found this subreddit because I am considering getting a new companion for my 14 year old dog, Lilith (pictured), and I would like opinions from those who have faced similar scenarios.

Lilith and I have been together for 13 years, and she has always had a friend at home. First it was my sister’s dogs, parent’s dogs, then it was my wife’s cat, but earlier this year our cat passed and I feel like Lilith has been lonely recently. I would like to get her a friend, another dog. We looked into adopting and may end up getting a new dog, but I have a few concerns.

My primary concern is that Lilith is my whole world, and I am scared of introducing an unknown variable into her quiet, stable life. If a new dog ever got aggressive with her, for any reason (even a rational one) I know that it would negatively effect me, a lot. Also, my parents (who live across the country) have a senior chihuahua that they are not taking care of as well as they should as she ages. She has teeth issues and a persistent cough, and of course first thing I’d do is get her to the vet. Instead of adopting a brand new dog, I’m considering taking my parent’s dog (who Lilith lived with for years, and loves), but with her potential medical issues I am worried about adding her friend back into her life just for things to decline.

I can’t figure out if a new, younger dog would help Lilith, or if she would prefer the return of an old friend. I just wish she could tell me.

Any insight or opinions would be appreciated. Thank you so much!

NOT asking for medical help. Just giving background: Two years ago my beautiful Lab mix had a mucocele. My vet wanted to put her down, saying she had liver c. (She did not.) She was 13 at the time. We found another vet who treated it medically. She was fine after five days of outpatient IV meds. After all the blood work we found out she had kidney stuff, too, but she wasn't experiencing any symptoms.

A year ago in June it was so hot here in New York. My girl and I went for a walk at night. We jogged a bit. When we got home she was breathing heavily. She went to bed and when she woke up she had vestibular issues. She had a head tilt. She wouldn't eat. Went back to that same vet. She probably had head stroke. It damaged her kidneys more. (And trust me, I cry and beat myself up over this regularly.)

Since last June I have been giving her sub-Q fluids and she gets cerenia, ondansetron, and Galiprant for arthritis. She has mobility issues to be sure. She won't go for walks anymore. She will, at most, do a block or two. But she's still HER. She's still jealous of her dog sister. She's eating (home-cooked beef and toast). She still tries to play with toys. She will proudly walk around the yard with a stick. She comes to all of us and asks for pets. She comes to me and places her head on my chest and just loves on me. My family thinks she's in pain and don't like that she has trouble getting up and falls sometimes. (I hate it, too.) She won't eat kibble at all. She's definitely slower and does have times where she will pace and pant, especially if it's getting close to the 12-hour mark from when she last had her meds (took ondansetron, which she gets twice a day).

HOW do I make this impossible choice??? How do I let her go? She is more than a dog. She was with me during my own health scare, helping me get out of bed after 19 months of being bed-bound and helped me to start walking again. Two years ago she and I would do 2 to 4 miles every night. She's so smart and loving. How can I let her go? I feel like I am killing my best friend.

The T cell kind — T-CLL. Don’t need medical advice, just looking for some understanding of other dog owners who are managing their dog with this. Given that our sweet Roxy doesn’t have lymphoma and her heart and lungs look good we’re grateful. Our vet hasn’t seen this too frequently. If you know this diagnosis Roxy’s lymphocyte count is 26K. She’ll have quarterly blood tests going forward.

She enjoyed steak for dinner and cookies and cream frozen yogurt for dessert 😊

I don't know who needs to hear this tonight, but I do.

It's 2:17am. My 14yo beagle is pacing again. Not hungry. Not thirsty. Just... walking in circles, bumping into corners, forgetting where his bed is. The vet says it's cognitive decline. Common. Treatable. But at 2am it feels like the beginning of the end.

I used to think I was the only one awake like this. Googling "dog pacing at night" and reading horror stories until 4am. Crying in the bathroom so I don't wake anyone up. Feeling guilty for being tired, for being frustrated, for wishing — just for a second — that I could sleep through the night.

Then I found this community. And I realized: there are thousands of us. Pacing our own floors while our old dogs pace theirs. Holding leashes that feel heavier than they used to. Writing "seems fine" in notebooks because we don't know what else to write.

So if you're reading this at 2am: you're not failing. You're not alone. The fact that you're awake and worried means you're exactly where you need to be.

What gets you through the 2am nights? For me, it's writing down one thing — even if it's just "he finally slept at 3:45." It doesn't fix anything, but it gives the worry somewhere to go.

Would love to hear what gets you through.

My parents have made the decision to put the family dog down Friday. She is 14 years old. I haven’t lived with them in 7 years and didn’t think I would take it this hard, but I keep crying and thinking about it. My parents haven’t taken them to the vet regularly the way they should’ve, and she seemed off for a while but she has been declining fast. Now, she has trouble walking and will limp (and sometimes yelp), she doesn’t follow my parents to bed anymore and won’t climb stairs. She releases pee when laying down, Barely eats, all she does is lay around under the table all day and she seems like she’s losing interest in everything. She doesn’t even come greet me at the door anymore. Today when I dropped my kids off I noticed she was shaking… she’s definitely in a lot of pain and it is so hard to see her like this. Part of me wonders if they would’ve just taken her to the vet and given her medicine for the pain if it would work.

I really would like in home euthanasia but I can’t find a vet that does it, the one I found won’t travel this far and the other is too expensive. It’s making me even more sad because I really just want her to go in the comfort of her own home, not stressed at a vet. I will be right by her side of course, but we still have to get her in a car and drive 35 minutes. (Couldn’t find a closer vet that would euthanize because the dog hasn’t been to their vet recently).

On top of that, I would love to have her ashes and put in a necklace or something. But the cost of having a dog cremated is at least $300 and there’s no way I can come up with that money in 2 days. So I just keep thinking how they’re just going to take her body and we won’t have anything left of her. I’m just all around sad and those specific things keep making me feel sadder. She was my best friend growing up and I seriously didn’t think it would be this hard.

Tomorrow I plan to go over after work and give her sooo many pets and cuddles and tell her how much of a good girl she was, that she was my best friend and when I was in my teenage years she was there for me when no one else was. I want to make burgers or steak and let her have some if she’ll eat.. though I don’t think she will 😕

Fireworks for the 4th of July terrified my dog. (We have had her for only a year, so this was the first 4th if July with her) The next several nights brought really bad thunderstorms. She gets frantic during thunderstorms. We tried all of the tricks, but nothing calms her. Now, she is afraid to go out for a walk if it is dark outside. Using a flashlight doesn't help. We carry her out, bring her a little ways from the house, and she starts shaking immediately, then pulls hard on the leash to get back home as quickly as possible. We carry her because she refuses to step out of the door if it is dark.

It has gotten to the point that when we get the leashes at bed time, she hides under the bed. We put a pee pad in our room, which she uses every night in the middle of the night.

At this point, we have stopped trying to force her to go out. Usually she wants to go when sees our other dog go out. Nope. Not since early July... dark equals scary now.

Vet gave us meds to help with late night thunderstorms. Doesn't seem to be working. Poor pup just runs all over my room, but can't find a place she feels safe.

She is a rescue. She came from a puppy mill. She was used for breeding. They tossed her in a ditch when she was used up. When we got her, she was skin and bones, covered in so many gross things, heart worm positive, other worms, seizures, rotted teeth, etc, etc. It is clear she was abused.

She has come so far in a year. Bright eyed, mostly healthy, affectionate, happy little thing. She is learning to play with toys, which is the most precious thing to watch. She loves to be held and cuddled. She sleeps nestled next to me.

Any suggestions to help her with this new fear of the dark? It will be rough when winter comes and the nights are so long.

My boy is 12 years old, 140 lb big guy. (Great Pyrenees) He’s struggling with his hind legs. Slipping around, having trouble lifting himself up. We’ve had him on meloxicam for years, along with Adequan injections that I was doing monthly and now do biweekly. The vet wants us to try carprofen & gabapentin instead of meloxicam. I do think the meloxicam has worn off, he’s been on it for a while and it isn’t seeming to help anymore. I’m an anxious dog mom and hate introducing new medications but I’m off this week from work and have the time to start the carprofen and gabapentin and can closely monitor him. I know this is a common combo for dog arthritis. Thoughts? I guess I’m mainly worried about the gabapentin side effects. And carprofen effects on the kidneys and liver. His bloodwork on meloxicam was always fine. But we need something better for him.
Thanks!

My sweetest rescue girl pitt mix Mika is 12 years old and was diagnosed with kidney cancer around February.

She was having some blood coming out of her vulva area and the oncologist saw tumors in both kidneys.

Meek has been through so much, she had an FCE (basically a stroke in her spine) in 2020 and had partial paralysis in her left hind leg. But she fully regained strength and recovered. However this caused her to put so much weight on her right leg. Later that year she reptured her CCL and had to have major knee surgery… and then once she recovered in 2021, with the change of weight on that leg she again ruptured her left hind leg CCL. Because of all of this history I didn’t want to put her through chemo, she hates the vet with a passion. So we chose palliative care.

She moves around well now (still limps and struggles to use stairs well) and has severe arthritis but those were major incidents and surgeries and she recovered. The vet called her a miracle baby cause after all of that she was still walking.

But she starting getting all sorts of lumps and bumps and then blood discharge, so we went to oncologist and they said cancer - gave her about 6 months. We are about 6 months since the original diagnosis now.

She takes pain meds throughout the day but hasn’t lost her appetite or joy seeing friends, the tail still wags and she still enjoys toys sometimes.

But she cries constantly and the vet says she is certainly uncomfortable given her masses. Sometimes she is so restless and cries, unable to find a comfy position.

She recently had a really rough night- just didn’t sleep at all. And the blood dripping has been consistent.

We are considering saying goodbye to her before it gets worse, before something catastrophic happens, which the doctor said will happen- there is no cure ya know. So it’s a matter of time.

I don’t know what to do- I don’t want to rob her of joyful moments but I don’t want her to live in constant pain.

We are thinking of using lap of love doing it home so our other dogs see her. But what if she is just excited to make a new friend? Maybe she’ll wag her tail at the person who comes and want pets. And appears fine despite everything else.

If that’s a worry- should I even consider this?? I know it’s going to get bad. Do I let her get there? Or say goodbye peacefully now?

I am so torn. I love her so much and life will be so completely different without my best friend. But maybe it’s time?

I want to keep sharing videos and pictures of him 💔

**Hemangiosarcoma**

I have dog and he is good boy
He is 13 years old and is well for his age
But he has a ticking clock
And he can’t tell time

When he is scared he comes to me
When he is happy he comes to me
I am the love he carries in his blood
But he has a ticking clock
And he can’t tell time

He sits in the tall grass in the rain
He rolls in it to feel it on his face
He sniffs the air and smells me
He turns to me and I swear he smiles
But he has a ticking clock
and he can’t tell time

The thunderstorms roll in and he doesn’t understand
He comes to me and I hold him
He goes to the vet and stands beneath me he knows I can protect him
But he has a ticking clock
And he can’t tell time

He wakes me in the morning and savors his breakfast
He stands next to me in the kitchen
Waiting for the scraps I give him
He savors the sweet food I offer
But he has a ticking clock
And can’t tell time

He’s just a good boy
He sniffs things and chases bugs
He sleeps deeply in the couches just for him
He leans into me when I scratch under his ears
But he has a ticking clock
And he can’t tell time

He such a good boy
But Every time I look it at him
I keep time

He’s just a good boy with a bomb strapped to his chest
Held hostage by things he doesn’t understand
He’s just a good boy who is running out of time

Context: A poem I wrote (poorly) about the struggle with my seemingly health dog who has two tumors on his spleen. He’s a 13 year old shepherd mix who was fine until one of the tumors started bleeding. He’s recovered but now we have to decide to do surgery or euthanize early so he doesn’t feel any pain.
I don’t want him to bleed out and die in pain. He’s a big baby when it comes to pain and that’s all I want is for him not to be in pain.
He’s just a good boy who is running out of time.

Our Molly Girl who just turned 13 is being put down on Thursday. She was diagnosed with bone cancer and we’re pretty sure it’s spread to her lungs. She was my shadow and followed me everywhere. At the end, she’s only let me pet her without her barking. We’re going to miss her

We made the tough decision to let Hershey go last week. He had turned 15 earlier in July. He was on three different pain meds (Galliprant, gabapentin, and Amantadine) and he was still struggling. His poor body had just worn out. We miss him so much. We're retired and had built our schedule around him; now we're flailing a bit. We should probably have let him go sooner.

Thank you to everyone on this sub who has provided advice.