Been a tough realization for me and my wife. Our 8 1/2 year old golden no longer wants to swim, jump, or roughhouse. He still seems very healthy but his slowing down has been rapid. He is the oldest of our 3 (all rescues). Currently finley is comfortable but refuses to jump onto our couch.
Letting go
- Thread starter beelit47
- Start date
My basset hound is 11 and has pretty much always enjoyed relaxing but he still has a lot of energy. For a basset. Just had a lot of health issues creep up including now treating protein in the kidney.
Our other dog is a mixed breed rescue. Maybe hound, boxer, pit mix. She’s 9 and has the energy of a puppy sometimes. Mixed breed dogs seem to be heartier than purebreds.
Our other dog is a mixed breed rescue. Maybe hound, boxer, pit mix. She’s 9 and has the energy of a puppy sometimes. Mixed breed dogs seem to be heartier than purebreds.
You might want to have a vet check him out. Our border collie started exhibiting the same behaviors and we learned he had a tumor. He hung in there a lot longer than the vet predicted but It got so bad we eventually had to put him to sleep. It’s been two years now and we still miss him. In the immortal words of pet owners, “he was a Good Boy!”
I'm on my 2nd basset. I don't think they ever lose their energy. Those idiots will fall asleep in the middle of the road and then get up and run 1000 miles an hour for no good reason, then just lay back down.
In January we had to put down our 15 year old Aussie. One of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do. We recently got another Aussie so we are healing. I’ve had two bassets, great dogs.
take him to the vet. see if it is something other than age effecting him. could also be some things you could do to help like diet or or supliments.
My pugs made it to 16 & 17, respectively, and I remember the 16 was a dog the vet -- when we first got him -- said 'return to the breeder, he's got too many medical issues.' Our 17 was healthy, and still active, but had a brain aneurysm that struck without warning, and he lost all motor control one morning. We tried to save him to no avail (other than costs).
How do you tell the difference between a pug that has had a stroke and one that hasn't? Isn't that like trying to identify feline narcolepsy? "Doctor, my cat just falls asleep all the time for no reason".
8 1/2 isn't that old for a golden so have him vet checked, as recommended above. Ours was about 12 when she had a stroke and had to be put out of her misery. The refusal to jump on a couch could be a result of pain from arthritis. I hope your doggie friend gives you unconditional love for many more years. And kudos to you on the rescues. Our new lab mix puppy is a rescue. I named him Wally.
Ummm, I know you were making a joke, but my pugs were quite active through 15, and the one that made it to 17 was still very active. They were the most active pugs I've ever seen. But we gave them a huge back yard to play in for virtually their whole life.
The one that only made it to 16 did 'go downhill' after 15, and that's why we finally 'put him down.' Blame my wife, she kept him around probably +6 months too long. It took some conversations with the vet to 'let him go.' He was eating less and less, so it was time.
But our 17 was in outstanding shape and his bloodwork and vitals were excellent at his last check-up just 2 months earlier. He still 'ran around' with me in our back yard, albeit at a slower pace, but still, 'jogged' and 'walked' with me. Heck, we just took him to Road Atlanta for the weekend prior, and people kept asking how old he was, and didn't believe he had just turned 17. 10 days later he had the 'neurological event' and we only put the money into saving him because he was in such outstanding shape for his age. Otherwise we would have put him down without trying.
Yes I was totally joking. Pugs are hilariously stupid like bassets, dachshunds, and Pekingese. I've loved every one of those breeds I've had, but they are all just as dumb as a box of rocks, lol.
The mixed breeds tend to be healthier. The age at which they slow down is largely a breed/size thing. larger dogs tend to have shorter life spans than smaller ones.
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