So my maltese is 14 now, and lately has significantly declined and appears to suffer from arthritis and muscle atrophy. He has trouble getting up, walking, and prefers to sleep as much as possible.
Took him to the groomer the other day and he dramatically acted worse than before. I don’t know what those groomers were doing but he looks even more tired out and lethargic.
Trying to give him supplements but it doesn’t look like he’ll be back to his old self anymore. I’m afraid the end is near. How do I prepare for this? I thought I had a couple more years.
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You do what’s best for dog i won’t know. But for yourself, prepare for the guilt you yourself will put you through. Maybe you should have done that, done this, taken care of him this way that way, tried something else. It’s your mind playing games, you did your best. All dogs die. You’ll die too. Don’t get stuck in that guilt trip.
Meds can help with arthritis. Grooming is hard on them. They have to stand on three legs thru much of the groom. Fourteen years is a long life. Would it be possible for you to get a puppy now, so you are not alone when your baby crosses the rainbow bridge?
Not much you can do really, just be there for him, make his life as comfortable as you can. He might actually be in pain, so worth seeing a vet to get some painkillers and treatment. My little dog was looking bad last year and I thought she was dying, she had an eye infection that was treated and seemed to have cleared but I restarted the treatment and a day later she perked up. She did end up having a stroke or fit about a month later and I had to have her put to sleep. She was 17. Unfortunately they can go downhill quickly 🙁 good luck!
Get some dog treats
There’s nothing you can do to truly prepare. I have a couple of good boys over the rainbow bridge. Some went quickly and others slowly dwindled and I had to make the decision to let them go.
What I can tell you is you won’t regret making the best of the remaining days. Giving them extra love and snacks and cuddles. One of my guys stuggled with getting around so I carried him to his favourite beach where we watched the waves and birds for a final time.
Letting them go is painful but it’s also the most loving thing you can do.
It sucks… but focusing on their happiness and comfort allowed me to gradually accept the reality before it happened. My beautiful girl Shadow was with me for an amazing 15 years. I am so glad we got to spend that time together and the reunion will be amazing.
My 14 yr old dog just passed a month ago, it was sudden and I was fully unprepared for it. I’m still crying liking a baby and missing him like crazy.
Please talk to your vet. Dogs usually don’t show discomfort until they are in significant pain. Pets give us everything — companionship, loyalty, and love. They only ask one thing of us — to make a very hard decision when they need us to.
U should let her/him eat chocolate
I’m sorry you are going through this. We just lost our 15 year old dog in January. It’s challenging and hard to adjust but you have to remember the dog will be in a better place over the rainbow bridge. Be grateful you had a loved dedicated family member for all of those years. I held my dog in my arms wrapped in a blanket when he took his last breathe. I stayed quiet because my child was sitting near me in the same room. it will be tough just be there for the dog. When it’s the day you will know because the dog knows too! again I am sorry you and your dog are going through this.
Give him everything he’s ever wanted. You may not let him eat scraps usually, but at this point, let him. Take him to his favorite dog park. Let him socialize as much as possible
Call a vet who makes house calls; have a little send-off ceremony. Pick a date asap. A wonderful book on pet grief that really blew me away is Gary Kowalski “Good bye Friend”. I am not the author. Get to reading it and begin the beginning of pup’s journey
14 years is a good life….unfortunately. Nothing can prepare you. All you can do is take comfort in the fact that you got a good 14 years with your pup. That’s what helped me get through losing my girl. You’re lucky to have had that much time with your pup. It’ll be tough though