Senior check in.

[3muttsketeers]

Hannah who will be 13 on 7/8 is really slowing down now. She has lar par which I'm kinda keeping under control, but with the hotter weather am noticing a difference. She is also losing her sight due to cataracts and due to chronic ear infections, her hearing is going. She blew out her back right knee, but there is no surgery for her for many reasons, one being the LP. I've really noticed her slowing down lately and I hate it!
Her regular meds are Meloxicam, Tramadol, Doxepin and a lot of supplements. Looks like I've finally gotten the UTI's (constant) under control. Finally had to switch her food over to Royal Canine for the urinary tract. She's doing fine on that and eats it like a lab. She's got a couple of more days left on her antibiotics for the UTI. Switched her meds and put her on a longer dose. Seems to be doing the trick, but we'll see in a few weeks if she gets another one.

[Meechee'sMommy]

Meme is 15 and slowly losing control of a lot of things. She doesn't hear much unless you're yelling. Her eyesight is very bad, she runs into things occasionally(in plain light) but at nighttime, you could be INCHES away from her, and she'll run right into you or startle if you touch her. I catch her occasionally at night, staring in a corner or pacing, looking lost, it's very disheartening. Her Lar Par hasn't been very bad, but that changes after a few minutes of very light exersize. Her back feet drag a lot because she has very little feeeling in them and she also falls if going too fast. Bowels and Urine control are pretty much gone, half of her room is covered in potty pads. Still navigating down stairs with help very well, but I'm basically carrying her up stairs because she's too weak to haul her weight. Phew, that's just half of what's going on with her...It's hard seeing her like this. I honestly don't know how much longer we have with her. Though she doesn't have any major signs of illness(we do know she has a very severe heart problem) we know her life isn't as fun as it used to be. She can't go for walks or play ball like she wants to because of the heart problem, Lar Par, loss of feeling in her feet, and because she's fragile( one bad fall could spell disaster).

[Meechee'sMommy]

Holy Cow, that post was so jumbled! Sorry y'all, it's been a rough few weeks

[ZRabbits]

Holy Cow, that post was so jumbled! Sorry y'all, it's been a rough few weeks

No wonder. So sorry to hear Meme is having so much trouble in her older age. We lost Jake recently. Was good up to the last few months. Its really hard to see that playful pup (truly believe they never truly grow up) at such a vulnerable state. Sometimes you got to consider that quality of life. Sometimes it's time to let them go, because they will never tell you when.

My thoughts are with you and Meme.

KAZ

[Mr Kleb]

In reverse alphabetical order to match the photo - Stella left, Kendal centre, Achilles right.




Stella is an ACDx and eleven plus. True to her dominant breed she's been virtually no maintenance. She's lost a step of quickness yet is still fast. Woe betide the inattentive squirrel venturing into our backyard. She has good appetite, interest, energy, spirit.

Kendal's our chocolate boy. He's 12 1/2. He has an arthritic left wrist, limps, and needs a boost onto the bed. We walk him around the block; occasionally down the block, over to the next street, and back home. We have scrips for Tramadol (50mg) and Deramaxx (100mg). We administer one or the other as we believe appropriate and necessary, with our vet's concurrence. Appetite, interest, energy, spirit, are all good. After his life-threatening scare at the first of this year, we deeply appreciate our time with Dr. K.

Achilles the heeler mix is our mystery dog. I adopted him from a shelter eight years and two days ago. He was picked up as a stray and the ACO's best estimate of his age, a very reasonable one based on dental condition and wear, was that he was six years old. We believe there's no way he's 14, probably more like ten or eleven. He has good appetite, interest, energy, spirit, wants to go for rides. He will start chase games with Stella. We're blessed to have had more time with him than I anticipated in 2006.

We feed Acana kibble. We used to cycle their Regionals - Wild Prairie, Grasslands, Pacifica, and Ranchlands. We've gone to their Senior with an occasional bag of Chicken & Burbank Potato. We frequently add yogurt, often add fresh vegetables, and raw meat or a meaty bone.

All things considered we we are pretty blessed.

[Calley's Family]

Update on Midnight:

Over the past few weeks and seemingly over the past couple days, he has all but lost his hearing. We certainly will take him in to see our vet and discuss, but we unfortunately have bigger fish to fry with him.

I'll spare the drama, but long story short is that he has been diagnosed with right anal sac carcinoma with sublumbar lymphnode metastasis. In layman's terms, he has a kiwi-sized tumor in his right anal sac that includes the lymph nodes in the area. It is not common.

We are evaluating options and the pros and cons of surgery, chemo, radiation and/or some combination thereof. Because of the size of the mass and the concern of incontinence resulting from surgery, the vet we were referred to is consulting with folks at Colorado State University on what radiation might achieve and the benefits and risks of doing that. Surgery really does not seem a good option at this point based on the information we currently have.

We'll keep you posted on this thread.

This is one of those times we sign up for (wittingly or not) when we get those new, perfect, fluffy lab puppies that are full of life and hope. We need to keep in mind that we are here to make the hard choices for the best quality of life and to share those experiences as appropriate with others on the Lab Board, not only to get the good Lab Board support mojo, but to help everyone learn all we can about what we have to deal with and how we have to deal with it.

Note: We were told that rectal exams are not part of a typical canine physical, but this cancer may have been caught earlier if one had been routinely performed. You may want to ask your vet about it.

And yes, we will take all of the good thoughts you want to throw our way! Bloody effing hell, this sucks.

[Berna]

I've never heard about that type of cancer before. Lots of good thoughts sent for Midnight. Poor baby.

[Tilly]

Sending god thoughts and strength for you and Midnight

[Mr Kleb]

Bless you. Best thoughts sent for clear thinking and good decision making in this hard time.

[LucyTudeOn4Feet]

Aww, I'm very sorry to see Midnight's update. My heart goes out to you.