My old dog is fading

[Bengsxr]

I currently have a neopoliton mastiff and he is pretty old for a large breed dog. I went from Iowa down to Kansas City to get him when he was a pup. I remember the ride home he was so heart broken to be taken away from his mother he wouldn't even eat a hamburger I stopped and bought him. 10 years later he mopes around the house crying when I am gone. I know he dont have much time left with me and it will kill me when he goes but I was trying to find a french bulldog to soften the blow of the whole ordeal. I just can't find one that ain't a fortune and then lots of scammers. If any body knows any breeders let me know I can travel anywhere if needed. He ended up with allergies so he has special food and monthly shots. He has been great with kids. He has been my best friend for 10 years and got me through lots of tough times in my life.

 

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[Lovebottles]

Such a cute dog. Hopefully, he lives longer than expected

 

[holepuncher]

I feel for you. I’m not looking forward to the same with my old girl, according to the vet she should already be gone.

 

[Kace]

I understand and will watch for any French Bulldogs for sale.

Have you tried finding a French Bulldog Rescue? I've used Rottweiler Rescue. Those rescue societies are amazing.

I'm sorry for the sadness you're feeling...He's adorable.

Kace

 

[Bengsxr]

He still walks fine but I can tell his hips hurt from time to time and he pops a few pain killers actually 5 due to his weight and relaxes them for a while. No longer does he come up the stairs with me and that just stopped this year. Lucky the master bedroom is downstairs and his bed is right next to mine. Right now he is losing control over his bowels and being an inside dog due to Texas heat and he hates being outside long. I fight with my girlfriend every week over him getting old and how he can't help it. I told her he ain't leaving till he is ready. I looked at a few rescue sites and found a couple but one doesn't play well with other animals and one was pretty old already over 5 years old.

 

[Nitric]

He still walks fine but I can tell his hips hurt from time to time and he pops a few pain killers actually 5 due to his weight and relaxes them for a while. No longer does he come up the stairs with me and that just stopped this year. Lucky the master bedroom is downstairs and his bed is right next to mine. Right now he is losing control over his bowels and being an inside dog due to Texas heat and he hates being outside long. I fight with my girlfriend every week over him getting old and how he can't help it. I told her he ain't leaving till he is ready. I looked at a few rescue sites and found a couple but one doesn't play well with other animals and one was pretty old already over 5 years old.

I'm sorry. I've been through this. I had a dog he was a lab mix. That dog went everywhere with me. He was my best buddy! When he started getting old it was the same thing. And at first I felt the same way as you, but there did come a point where I had to have him put down. I dug the hole and cried like a little kid the whole time. We let that dog suffer for a year or more before we did it. In that time he destroyed the house. The floors. There was a part of the floor I had to cut out because it was so bad. Anyhow, I understand where your coming from, but I also understand the damage it caused our house when we moved out that house still stunk, it ran through the floor and dripped on the furnace piping too...You can't get that out!

 

[Simon1]

Bengsxr, he looks cute, it is always tough to face the future. I had to have mine put to sleep at 10 and felt it was way to early. I just couldn't get myself to get another because they are part of the family. I ended up getting a couple cats from our Animal Rescue League here. You just have to love them as much as you can while he is here, BUT, an important note is, ( and it is a hard lesson ), when it is time, don't make them suffer any longer just because you don't want them to go. It is an extremely hard decision to make. Enjoy the time you guys have right now.

 

[Bengsxr]

Lucky my house is on a slab and all flooring is either tile or faux wood. He isn't acting like he is in pain. I would never let him suffer. I have had to put down a dog before due to old age but this one is different because all we went through together he was pretty much the only reason I kept going when times were dark because I said who in their right mind would let my 175 drooling dog live in their home.

 

[Nitric]

Lucky my house is on a slab and all flooring is either tile or faux wood. He isn't acting like he is in pain. I would never let him suffer. I have had to put down a dog before due to old age but this one is different because all we went through together he was pretty much the only reason I kept going when times were dark because I said who in their right mind would let my 175 drooling dog live in their home.

Yes! Same thing here...That dog was with me through the worst parts of my life so far. And I'm glad he was here for that!! Even when my Brother passed, I'd take the dog to My Mom's house and it was so sad, he would get all excited and run to my brothers room looking for him. It was so hard to let that dog go!!

 

[Simon1]

Some dogs are good at hiding pain.
Simon was an indoor dog if you can believe that. Towards the end I had to actually carry him outside 3 times a day so he could do his business. He had "Degenerative myelopathy " which, ( at that time ), was almost unknown. It was/is common with big dogs. It is like hip dysplasia, only worse. Death is 100%, but they do not experience any pain. My son's German Shepherd had the identical condition. Luckily, he lived near Ames and they have a very good Veterinary College Program so he took her there 3 times a week. Swimming was something she liked to do there, even though she wasn't swimming. They place her in a pool with a special life vest on. She could do the dog paddle to help work her hips, it probably lengthed her time with my son by maybe 6 more months and it got to the point that she would look us in the face as if to say " I am ready ". Sad, but life is not always fair. Cherish the moments and take A LOT of pictures. You probably won't want to look at them for a while, but sooner or later you will and it will remind you of all the good times and make for great memories.

 

[randywa]

I know what you're going through. In February we found out that Junior had another tumor in his throat and there wasn't anything they could do this time. He was an 11 year old, 130 lap dog. We still have his mother but she is getting older and we can see it coming. Hoping for the best for you.

 

[Nitric]

Some dogs are good at hiding pain.
Simon was an indoor dog if you can believe that. Towards the end I had to actually carry him outside 3 times a day so he could do his business. He had "Degenerative myelopathy " which, ( at that time ), was almost unknown. It was/is common with big dogs. It is like hip dysplasia, only worse. Death is 100%, but they do not experience any pain. My son's German Shepherd had the identical condition. Luckily, he lived near Ames and they have a very good Veterinary College Program so he took her there 3 times a week. Swimming was something she liked to do there, even though she wasn't swimming. They place her in a pool with a special life vest on. She could do the dog paddle to help work her hips, it probably lengthed her time with my son by maybe 6 more months and it got to the point that she would look us in the face as if to say " I am ready ". Sad, but life is not always fair. Cherish the moments and take A LOT of pictures. You probably won't want to look at them for a while, but sooner or later you will and it will remind you of all the good times and make for great memories.

We did that too. I or my wife would carry him outside, he'd just sit there, take him in after about a half hour, and he'd go on the floor within seconds of being in. ANd the poor dog would bow his head and look down because he knew he was supposed to go outside. He would have good days where he'd get up and go to the door. But, within seconds would go right in front of the door.

on a side topic...One of the coolest things I've ever seen with animals. My wife has a cat. It would sleep right with the dog when he started getting sick. That cat would run to the dogs food bowl get one piece of food in it's mouth and run back to the dog and drop it by his head, over and over. I've never seen anything like it. The cat would groom him too. After the dog died that cat got real mean and is still mean today!!!

My wife and son are the only ones that can touch it. It will very rarely let me pet it. When our son was born he had a real rough start and had some medical issues. he was born 10 weeks early and luckily grew out of them for the most part. The same cat, even though she's old now, would lay under my sons bed And if he started making noise it would get nervous and start meowing at my wife.

Her cat even though I hate it because it's so mean to me is an amazing creature.

Another thing about that cat that is amazing, most anyone that tries to pet it, it rips into you. I mean chomps down on your hand and shakes it's head with no warning, will claw the crap out of you. I tell everyone that walks up to it"don't touch that thing, it will rip you up!!!" And usually they don't believe me because it looks so nice and acts like it wants you to pet it, they get bit bad!! My son is 3 now, he has grabbed the cat by the tail pulling it across the carpet, he has tried to pick it up by it's head, sits on it, etc...The cat has never bit, scratched or even hissed at him! We try to keep him away from it just in case but it's nearly impossible and the cat doesn't seem bothered by him. Even now it sleeps within feet of him... I can't even pick the thing up without getting tore up, I have to get my wife to do it. Really strange how it took to our son. It also doesn't get along with any of the other cats in the house except one, and it's a special needs cat. It will groom him and protect it from the other cats.The Re tar ded one is mine!

Animals are amazing at times, My dog was like a part of me. He knew when you were sad. It really sucks when they get old. It's like a family member leaving too early.

 

[Bengsxr]

Thanks folks I am sure he will tell me when he is ready and it will be a sad day as I tear up now just thinking about it and I probably don't even cry but maybe once every three years or so. I did get a good laugh at you and your cat Nitric. Simon my current girlfriend is from near Ames and I spent a few years up in Fort Dodge Iowa so I know ISU well.

 

[Simon1]

You are among friends here and we know what it is like to loose someone close. They are NOT just a pet, but an actual family member. When I was 15 and lost my first dog, it was tough, he had lost his eyesight and did what he could to keep up. I received him for my 3rd Birthday. Never wanted to go through losing another so it was like 30 years before I got another dog. I figured I had grown up enough to now be able to accept it when their time has come. But I was wrong, being older you seem to grow closer. The Veterinary lab in Ames was wonderful and had great facilities for pets, like the swimming pool, and they did good work. Keep us posted.

 

[Nitric]

Thanks folks I am sure he will tell me when he is ready and it will be a sad day as I tear up now just thinking about it and I probably don't even cry but maybe once every three years or so. I did get a good laugh at you and your cat Nitric. Simon my current girlfriend is from near Ames and I spent a few years up in Fort Dodge Iowa so I know ISU well.

Hey, you know how the say pets and their owners are alike? My wife has the same personality as that cat! All sweet and innocent looking but will take your head off! I'm jkg...kind of...

But wait...if that saying is true? I have the re trded cat!! That's not a joke either, the vets own words....Hmmm? Well? The saying must be true!

Take care! I don't cry over much either and I cried like a little girl when I had to let mine go. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[creskol]

Losing a K-9 buddy is always very sad.. I have shed many tears over the years, and I find myself in the same position today as I watch the decline of my companion and travel buddy Dex.


You might want to contact the folks here: https://www.adoptapet.com/s/adopt-a-neapolitan-mastiff

 

[Rookster]

Lost my 3rd Cocker 2 years ago. She was 15. It's gonna hurt. I wish there were a way to prepare for it but I haven't it. We just decided not to get another unless it were a rescue dog. Best wishes to you and the kids.

 

[Limitool]

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog and your pain of the upcoming event. We've had to put down 4 dogs in the past 2 years so I know the feeling. All of them were rescued and we gave them a great home and lots of love. We still have 3. Two small male brothers who were feral (Ike & Mike) and are now TOTALLY domesticated & a female Great Dane (Harley). I wish ya the best and I know you'll do what's right out of love when the time comes but it will be tough.

Now I'm not really a cat lover nor have I ever had one. But 3 days ago a very skinny pair of them showed up on my pool deck. This is NOT good for "their health". My 2 male dogs hate cats and it's like oil and water being mixed. We've been feeding them and their staying in my pool house for now. We left for a doctor appt. yesterday and the white colored one is now missing upon our return....? The smaller one of the 2 was enjoying some tuna fish for breakfast a few minutes ago.

But sir... My best to you... Brad

 

[releventchair]

Never easy when a dog gets to the end.
I have no answer beyond it happens and we go on with other dogs and none are the same.

One old girl with a heart condition has out lived even some of her own pups here. Can see a few feet still ,and can hear very little.
She sleeps touching me now to keep tabs on each other.

Due to meds her kidneys and other organs suffer.
Her regular blood tests keep track.

We started giving three ,and at times four of the dogs "golden paste.".
Cooked up at home there are recipes online but it is basically coconut oil ,turmeric ,fresh ground pepper and some water.

Here's the thing....The old girls tests now show her kidneys and health are much improved.
She still is in charge of the other eleven dogs. And throws in a good wind-sprint now and then. Followed with a coughing fit.
Her last visit to the vet , instead of having to be coaxed in she trotted up the ramp and inside like she owned the place. Greeted everyone and wanted attention. (No ,not how she has behaved there many years.)

She will be missed. As all that have passed are. But...there will be dogs . Some that need attention , as much as we need to give it.

 

[against the wind]

I love dogs,,
Had to put down the family dog back in the 70's.
Man that was a heart breaker.
Do you know that it is a standard Homeowner's Insurance Question? "Do you have a dog?
They are afraid that your dog might bite someone. Like maybe a burglar.
Shouldn't having a dog count towards having a home security system?