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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Back from Our Monthly Vet Visits

    We went in for assessment and neuro-therapy treatment this morning.

    Visit got off to a sad start when I saw the candle was lit. The first thing the vet got into when I got him was that he just finished a consult with someone that lost their older dog last week and as I mentionned in the other post the pain is reflective of how much we loved and how these are the best moments with our dogs. Ok so at this point i'm crying and he asks me how Rocky is doing :P

    So we went over things, Rocky is stable, vet was happy. Heart, lungs and throat sound very good. back end not worse per say (but in need of treatment).

    At the end Rock started panting. Then as I paid he really starting going and once I got him in the car it was bad panting (note: I work very very very hard to NEVER have him pant). I stayed til he stopped (he panted like 10 seconds near the end of hte drive home) and he's been fine since. He had a cooling pad under him and I thought the car was cool enough when we got him but maybe it wasn't. mostly i think it was stress So I may have to ask about tips for avoiding this in the future.

    oh and then the poor lady who lost her dog today was there asking to pay (they said she could go in a room; or really she could leave and deal with it later but she wanted to deal with it now so they tried to hurry things along to get to her).

    So Rocky got a decent report from the vet but I am stressed from the experience :P

    The vet said he thinks Rock could make it to 14 (his birthday is April 27th so that's like 9 months away!). I HIGHLY doubt that. Honestly don't see him making it thru Christmas with a quality of life. But hey, that's all future stuff, and I won't think about that. well i work to not think about it

    He doesn't recommend any extra pain meds for Rocky which I'm not sold on. Meh, I could throw throw a lot of treatments and meds at him but budget is strained as it is. I'd sorta like to see another vet for second opinion but again, budget is pretty limited (well not LIMITED just tons already being spent)
    Last edited by Tanya; 07-07-2017 at 01:45 PM.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    It's so tough. There comes a time when you manage what can be managed and let Rocky live his life. I admire your dedication to him, to make him as comfortable as possible. I too think some of the panting may be due to stress. Heck, Archie pants like crazy going to the vet and it's all stress.

    Sending gentle hugs to that handsome boy.
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    barry581 (07-07-2017), Charlotte K. (07-09-2017), Mollysmomma (07-08-2017), Tanya (07-10-2017)

  4. #3
    Senior Dog Blackboy98's Avatar
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    Tanya your devotion to Rocky is what I would expect, you do EVERYTHING within your ability to help him. He is your friend, your partner and your dog- and he knows you are taking the best care of him.

    Thinking back thru my life, I don't think I even had a dog live to be 13 years old, so I have no advice other than love the heck out of him-which I KNOW you do.

    I too send gentle hugs to Rocky and to YOU.
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  6. #4
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    Look, even if his back end gives out eventually, you have those wheelchairs that can help him. If he is otherwise relatively healthy, I'd consider those. With all your care, why wouldn't Rocky live to celebrate his 14th birthday? I'm positive
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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    Annette47 (07-08-2017), MontananDakota (07-10-2017), Tanya (07-10-2017)

  8. #5
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    With all you've been through with Penny, and now Rocky, I applaud you for how much you care about your dogs. Having lived through senior years with a number of dogs all I can say is live each day with Rocky one at a time. Smile with him, laugh with him and love him every single day. Don't worry about tomorrow, or even an hour from now, live in the moment with him and enjoy his ride.

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    Charlotte K. (07-09-2017), Mollysmomma (07-08-2017), MontananDakota (07-10-2017), Tanya (07-10-2017)

  10. #6
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    Gentle hugs. We're here for you.
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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  12. #7
    Best Friend Retriever outrag's Avatar
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    Tanya you're doing all you can for Rocky and probably more than most people would do (excluding members on this site of course).

    Tanner had a really bad LP breathing episode one time when we were finishing up rehab/swim therapy one day. His breathing escalated and I thought he was going to die in the back seat of my truck. I had planned on driving straight to emergency vet but he calmed down in short order as we were driving home. We never went back to therapy after that as it was just too much for him but the stress/anxiety caused the escalation because he recovered quickly when it was just he and I alone in the truck. I think Rocky will react to different stressors in a similar fashion.

    As far as remaining time goes, I think it's good you're doing what you can for Rocky but also being realistic and having plans in place ahead of time. For me, with Tanner, I stopped thinking about how many months etc. I ended up focusing in on how can I keep him happy and comfortable for today or the next week. What are my options today, next week etc. There was a new normal appearing on a regular basis but as long as he wasn't in pain, was eating good, I was willing to carry him up stairs, etc. When he stopped eating, that was the hardest to deal with because I knew it was close. We didn't even get to try prednisone because I had that as a last resort in my plan for him.

    It is a hard time but I got strength through knowledge that I am doing all I can do and my plan for right now is A,B,C, and if that fails then I will try X,Y,Z, etc. It was also helpful to have communication with a good vet (or two) about what to expect. When I called the vet the morning I let Tanner go, it was reassuring to me when they told me you are definitely at the point where you can let him go. For what it's worth, I had the vet come to my house to lessen the stress for Tanner (and myself).

    Bob
    Griffin growing up!

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    Tanya (07-10-2017)

  14. #8
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Rocky is very lucky to have such a wonderful mom. I have had two elderly kitties but I have not gone through that with a dog. Samson will be five in September. I imagine I would be doing exactly as you. Your devotion is wonderful and refreshing. Best thoughts your way

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  16. #9
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Thanks guys.

    And again we need to cut back our walk morning walk Every time I settle into the "new normal" it changes again.

  17. #10
    Senior Dog MontananDakota's Avatar
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    ugh. Tanya, I'm right along side you. In the middle of the night last night Dakota, trying to get up to change positions, gave up. I helped her to her other side gently. As we lay there falling back to sleep I got a quick tinge of ...fear? anxiety? sadness? I don't know...
    How far can you go walking?

 



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