Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum How long when the dog is struggling to get up/down?

My dog Amy is a golden retriever mixed and is 14 years old. It takes "a little work" for her to get up on her hind legs and lay down. She's been that way for a year or so. I just keep waiting for the day she can't make it up. How long do you let it go on? Heck, at that age,is it normal?

I'd say at that age normal.

Heck, I'm just now about to be 31 and I don't bounce around like I did 5 years ago.

Man that's a tuff one. But I think you'll know when the time comes. My buddy had an old American bulldog that he had put down 2 years ago. It got too painful for him to get up, so he took him to camp, and let him chew on a deer leg one last time

I don't know the answer but my ex father in law had a lab that was like that 3 or 4 years before she got to the point she just couldn't go anymore. I hope yours gets to stick around a good while longer, Dan.

Man I hate to hear that, but like Bill said, it's hard to say.

My parents had a lab that was like that for a few years too. Finally one morning she just couldn't get up and if you helped her, she couldn't stand on her own. She was around 14 years old when they had her put down.

I had a mixed breed that I adopted when my neighbors moved into an apartment. I took her in to keep her from going to the pound. She got to where there were days she'd drag her hind end 6 feet or more before she could get up, then the next day she'd be fine. Her kidneys quit working before she ever got to where she couldn't get around.

My bull mastiff gets to where he is a little stiff getting up in the morning when it is cold. The vet gave him some stuff called steadfast. It seems to work.

I know the day is coming,but I don't want her to suffer.

You can give here medicine and shots that will help her out alot.

Give it a aspirin a day.It did wonders on my old lab.

Vet told me a half a Goodys was better than an aspirin. They don't digest exactly like people do so the powder was better. But its not for long term either. But may help the hurt some.

Talk to your vet about joint supplements and pain meds. There is no set time or standard when enough is enough. The people I know that made the decision said the dog let them know.

My German shepherd is there now..Just started her on a pain med and a steroid..I give them about every three days or sooner if she starts hurting worse. Makes all the difference when she has her drugs.

I have dogs and horses..Many people swear by this..I am gonna give it a try.They say it works on old folks too.

http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/dog/dog-joint-bone-health/cosequin-dog-product-selector

Tough spot, been exactly in the same spot, ours didn't make it that long, one morning it went outside to pee, fell down, couldn't get up. Loaded her up that morning, still hurts that was nearly 20 years ago. All 4 of our Goldens have had to make the one-way ride to the vet.

14 is very old for a golden, 12 is rare. My vet said they usually get some form of cancer, mine died at 12. Sweet dogs

I knew when it was time, Rymadyl will help until then. Over the counter meds are tough on a dogs system.

It sucks going thru this.

If that was the case with me, they would have already put me down and I ain't near ready to go yet. We had an old lab, 17, that was having those problems but she hung in there for 2 or 3 years. A respiratory problem finally did her in.
When it's time, you'll know

my lab jake is 13 and he struggles as well. just old age i reckon..

My lab is 10 and he isn't struggling but he has started doing a lot of grunting noises when he lays down over the last year or so, however, he also does it when laying down and you are playing with him so who knows what it is. I don't think its any pain or anything being that he can still jump in the bed of my truck.

x2. We have 3 goldens and one of them is just like yours. Rear legs just don't do it any more. It is sad to watch, but like others said, you will know when it is time. What happens is their rear vertebrae and hips get locked up. For what it is worth, there are dog chiropractors out there. I was a non believer up until a couple of years ago when we literally had to carry one of our goldens into his office and she ended up walking out on her own. A good one can tell you exactly which vertebrae are locked up and he will adjust the whole spine up to the dogs neck. Not saying his treatments are permanent, but it is an option. He was able to help our golden but only up to a certain point in her life when her spine just got too far gone.