15 year old English Setter

[selzer]

I know it is not a GSD. My parents' English Setter is crying all the time now. He gets stuck in the back hallway not knowing whether to try to go up to the kitchen or to stay on the landing.

He falls all the time too. Dad was going to make the call today. But Mom feels the dog is still eating good, so why do it at this point.

This is Dad's dog. We gave him an IOU for his birthday/Christmas present fifteen years ago. He picked Pip out at 7 weeks. He got the book and tried to raise him by it. He originally had no one feed him but himself.

The dog is out of hunting lines, and he set on the kitty first thing. My dad took him hunting and the dog would get all birdie. He did put up a few birds for Dad, but mostly he liked to run. The joke was that poor Pip had only two brain cells, and normally they would not work together. It took his first seven years to learn how to bac himself out of a situation.

Now the poor thing is just miserable.

[katieliz]

such a hard and sad decision to make, sounds like it's getting near time tho.

[GranvilleGSD]

Poor old guy. Always a hard decision to make, especially for the people who live with the dog. They don't always recognize the changes since they are with the dog every day. We had to go through this back in August with our eldest GSD.

[Kayos and Havoc]

Poor old timer. It probably is about time but so hard a decision to make. 15 is a grand age for a dog. to dad.

[Doggydog]

This is a tough call. It's really got to be up to your Dad, and it depends on how much hospice care he is willing or able to provide.
My favorite vet, whom I will forever miss, gave me this advice when Cherry was 14. If the dog still eats, if it still gives & receives love then it still wants to be alive. When the dog is done, it will withdraw and stop eating. That's when you know it's time.
Depending on what's ailing the dog there are a lot of supplements that can help. Acupuncture, physical therapy. Dr.Bill also told me that dog food simply can't provide enough nutrition at this age and recommended switching to raw. I no longer remember what the prescribed diet was. But I do know that when I switched her diet and started adding enzymes and supplements that Cherry rallied and improved greatly. I feel these tips kept her alive many more months that turned out to be the most spiritual and tender time we spent together.
She died the same day that she withdrew and stopped eating by the way. In fact, both my seniors did.
Rita had so many problems at the end of her life it was getting really difficult. If she had looked at me from her bed when I got home like, Mom I feel crummy - I can't get up and say hi. Then I could have taken her right away to end the suffering. But instead she would get up and wag her little stumpy tail and insisted on being in the middle of anything family was doing. It was a real lesson to see her still finding happiness and enjoying love in spite of all her troubles.
In both instances, the level of care I had to provide these old timers was demanding, expensive, emotional.
Honestly, at 15 for a dog of that breed... it can't be much longer. Wks or maybe months.

[Caledon]

We had an English Setter too (show lines) and made the decsion when she was 14 years old. She would have difficulties getting up and occasionaly she would fall. So Sad.

When is the most difficcult decision a pet owner will ever make.

You gave your dad a wonderful birthday/Christmas present, 15 years of unconditional love.

[selzer]

We are on route to the vet. I see this dog every day. It is hard.

[selzer]

It is done.

When we opened the cap, before we could put the tailgate down, he jumped over and landed on his nose and flipped onto his back. I lifted him carefully into the truck and we drove carefully over just to avoid any unnecessary bumping. Dad did not what to crate him as he hasn't been crated in a dozen years or more. And he jumps our and injures himself, uhg.

We got into the vet's office and the poor thing's nose or tongue was bleeding and dripping clots of blood, while his little tail wagged.

The only good thing was that they got us in quickly and it went without pain or fear, just quietly relaxed into sleep and passed. No shudders or anything either.

It was definitely time.

He had a great life, except for the last several months and letting it continue the way it was, was not good.

[shilohsmom]

I am so sorry.

[Strana1]

I am so sorry. Free free Ol' Boy