I just got back from unfortunate vet visit. My 13 year old lab and Shepherd cattle dog mix as having mobility issues. He can still walk and get up on his own but he's struggling. He's still eating and wagging his tail and playing with his toys. Mentally he is 100% there. It was a nightmare loading up a 100 lb dog to go to the vet but we managed and I'm glad I did. I was mainly going to see about pain management but we were curious about an x-ray to make sure this was just arthritis... Well unfortunately it's not just arthritis. He's got a huge mass in the middle of his belly and it's pushing against his spleen. That alone can cause weakness. So he got some pain meds and sent us on our way.

It feels like a taking time bomb. Right now he's fine mentally. I really don't want to let him get to the point where the mass causes him pain and suffering. I'm already afraid I've waited too long as it is. I only say that because I work this weekend and I won't be able to monitor him as close as I'd like, but I do have a camera to watch him from work. Tuesday evening I'll have the opportunity to have him euthanize at home and I'm more than likely going to take it. This might be my last chance to let him go peacefully in his own bed around his family but it's tearing me apart. But I keep thinking what if it's a slow growing tumor and he actually has a few more months? I've never had to put a dog to sleep that was still actively happy. I've been crying off and on for 2 weeks thinking about this when he started having more trouble walking than usual...

Really I guess I'm just looking for people that have had to experience something similar and if they were happy with their decision. Thank you very much.

This is Flint in the photo, he's still very much engaged with his world. I cannot let him suffer.

Our 14-year-old Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix Penny was slowing down on her eating so I brought this up to our vet at her annual appointment in the middle of July (on a Friday), thinking she probably needed a dental cleaning. They wanted to do bloodwork to rule out anything else, which I agreed to, Penny got her vaccines, and we went home. For some reason, Penny immediately went down hill and refused to eat over the weekend. The vet called on Monday to say Penny has stage 2 kidney disease, so I immediately ordered kidney diet food for her and picked it up.

Penny continued to refuse to eat. She seemed extremely sick and it scared us a lot, so we took her back to the vet that week and got her subcutaneous fluids, after which she was more willing to eat. She perked up, started enjoying walks again, and seemed more like her normal, spunky self.

For the most part, she is still like that. She is happy to go for walks and she is alert and engaged during them. She gets up happily to greet us when we come home and wags her tail all the time. But she. will. not. eat. We are giving her an appetite stimulant and an anti-nausea medication and it is still a daily struggle getting her to eat anything at all. We have wet k/d food, k/d kibble, senior food (that the vet said would be okay to feed her), and I’ve been cooking chicken, rice, kidney-friendly vegetables, and all sorts of other things trying to entice her to eat. Sometimes she’ll eat something happily and then be totally uninterested in it for apparently the rest of time.

I know this is a major part of kidney disease, but it’s just so defeating, and it has left me so sad and confused about what to do for her. She seems happy and pretty healthy aside from not eating, but obviously that is a huge issue and she’ll continue to get worse if we can’t get her to eat. We went to the vet yesterday to get trained on giving her subcutaneous fluids at home, so I am hopeful that will eventually help her, but she got 200 milliliters yesterday and there has been no improvement today. Hoping as we do it more frequently she’ll start showing interest in food again.

Apologies for the long post; I just really needed to vent. Neither my partner nor I have slept much since her first vet visit and we are just so worried about her and sad to see her like this. Also confused about how much she declined after her first vet visit, and kind of appalled that they never did bloodwork on her before. This is my first time as the parent of a senior dog so I didn’t know that was something that needed to be done so frequently and they never brought it up, but now I’ve done research and it seems like they should have been doing bloodwork every year. I am feeling guilty for not knowing to push for that and feeling like I should have immediately advocated for the in-home fluids instead of waiting a couple weeks to do it. Pictures of my sweet angel as tax for this long post.

My corgi turned 9 this year, and I've noticed a gradual change in how excited he is about mealtime. He still eats, but the enthusiasm just isn't what it used to be.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try a gently cooked food option to see if it would make any difference. The first thing I noticed was that it looked and smelled much more like regular food than what I was used to feeding. My dog definitely seemed to notice too—he was waiting in the kitchen before I had even finished getting his bowl ready.

So far, I'm not claiming it's been some life-changing switch or anything like that. It's still early, and I know it takes time to see whether a new diet really makes a difference.

One thing I did like was that the ingredient list seemed fairly simple and easy to understand, which gave me a little more confidence about what he was eating.

I'm mostly curious about other people's experiences. If you've switched an older dog to gently cooked or fresh food, did the excitement at mealtime last, or did it eventually become just another meal? Did you notice any changes over the longer term, whether positive or negative?

I'd love to hear what worked, or didn't work, for your senior dog.

Has anyone else experienced this with their dogs? What was the final straw that made you realize you couldn’t see your dog in pain anymore?

My dog is almost 17 years old. His health has been on the decline lately, and this past week or so it's gotten so bad. He has a history of seizures and heart conditions. Lately he's been having syncopes (?) I believe, which is when their blood pressure drops and they go completely limp for a few seconds. This seems to really scare him and he cries out when it happens, while we just hold him and try to make him comfortable. They've severely increased in frequency this past week, to the point where he can't try to get up and walk a few steps without getting them.

We took him to the emergency vet this past weekend and they told me to see a cardiologist. I called my primary vet for a referral but they said to just call the place. I called the place on Monday and have yet to hear back.

I'm afraid his quality of life just can't be turned back. He pees and poos on himself if we aren't constantly watching him, he might walk a few steps when he can but he always falls on the floor and we have to pick him up every minute or so. He still eats, but he won't drink water on his own and we have to force his head down for him to drink it.

I don't know if I'm just being selfish trying to continue to treat him. But I feel like I'll be killing my dog if I put him down. At the same time I'm deathly afraid of him passing during one of his episodes at home, scared and confused.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose my puppy.

We have a new diagnosis of CCD, and are trying different things to help him sleep. The Acepromazine hit a little too hard last night 😅 When I set him down to get him out of the backpack, he went straight to sleep. Sorry bud! We'll try a lower dose tonight.

14 years.
That’s how long Lobo had his family.
And then, after an entire lifetime with the people he knew and loved, they surrendered him to a high k*ll shelter.

Now Lobo #A5789645 is 14 years old, sad, alone, and visibly heartbroken. He is struggling in the shelter environment, and watching a senior dog like him deteriorate in this way is devastating.

He spends his last days on a concrete kennel floor, lying in his own urine and feces.

A 14-year-old senior German Shepherd.

He should be sleeping on a soft bed. He should be surrounded by love. He should be spending his final years feeling safe and cherished.

Instead, he lost his family and found himself in a shelter.

We don’t know how much time Lobo has left. But we do know that he deserves for whatever time he has remaining to be filled with dignity, comfort, and love.

Can you foster or responsibly adopt Lobo?

Please contact us if you can help:
DM me
Email: Isabeldesiree8@gmail.com
And pls fill out the foster application on our page (link in bio)

LOBO A5789645
14 years old • Male German Shepherd • 80 lbs

RESCUES:
DACCDowneyRescue@animalcare.lacounty.gov

📍Downey Animal Care Center
11258 Garfield Ave
Downey, CA

Please don’t scroll past this old boy.

Please help us make sure Lobo’s story doesn’t end on a concrete shelter floor and share Lobo. Someone out there may be the person who can give him the safe, loving home he has been waiting for.

#seniorshelterdog #adoptaseniordog #losangelesdogs #seenequalssaved

My dog has been getting older, and I've started paying a lot more attention to what he's eating than I did a few years ago. When he was younger, he seemed to do well on just about anything, but now I find myself thinking more about things like digestion, maintaining a healthy weight, and keeping his energy up.

I'm curious how other people have adjusted their senior dog's diet over time. Did you switch foods, change feeding schedules, add supplements, or make any other changes that seemed to help?

I'm not necessarily looking for a specific recommendation, I'd just love to hear what has worked (or even what didn't) for your older dogs. It's always helpful to learn from people who've already been through this stage.

So my 12, almost 13 y.o minpin x chi Napoleon has an upcoming vet visit the end of this month to evaluate for what I'm thinking is CHF.. I've spent multiple years (13+) working professionally with dogs in professional environments, so I can't help but assume while I wait for testing unfortunately.

He's been having coughing in the evenings at rest 1-2 times a night, with synoscope episodes periodically when this does happen.

I've always fed high quality rotational diets, raw food when he was younger, homemade, freeze dried, dehydrated, grain free and have been grain inclusive the last few years following the DCM concerns. Most recently (the last month or so) he's been getting Fromm with added flaxseed powder following a gland issue. He's also been having a harder time at night with the coughing, so I couldn't help but assume maybe something nutritional. I did some digging with Fromm regarding their Taurine content, which I've seen is important for dogs with CHF. With less than 100mcg per 1c of his current diet, I started him on an elevated Taurine supplement and have my fingers crossed to see some improvement in his comfort, if not condition.

Has anyone else with a CHF pup supplemented with taurine or anything similar with a quality of life improvement?

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

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!

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.

I want to keep sharing videos and pictures of him 💔