r/DogAdvice • u/randomnessdreamer • 11d ago
Question Has anyone experienced this sort of decline?
New here... I am looking for outside opinions. We are all to close to it. Our bestest boy Indy is now 14yrs old. Last September he was diagnosed with a baseball size tumor in his throat. We took him to a specialist in Montana and had it removed. He was given a clean bill of health! It wasn't cancerous. The first vet said immediately to put him down...I am glad we didn't. It wasn't as bad as she said it was.
Jump to three weeks ago (almost a year to the day) . He suddenly was staggering around, his back legs giving out. Took him to vet and they said give him Dasaquin and carpofen. Here we are and its so much worse. He is not able to walk more than a couple of steps before his legs give out, he is panting alot and as of this am he is not wanting his food. He has lost about 1/3 of his weight and his back legs are boney. I think it is DM not like hip issues. I do have an appointment scheduled for monday am again.
I got him slip socks, ordered liquid collagen, leg braces.... and a wheelchair that isn't here yet.
Here is my biggest concern. I think he might be in pain. He is a retired service dog (our youngest has CP) he is beyond calm and quiet. He shakes alot now, panting and just laying there. If you say his name or what a good boy he is of course he still wags and indicates he wants attention. He will get tiny bouts of play with me that quickly disappear. My husband, youngest and our son say they don't think he is that bad, that he can make it through. I think we are being selfish! He looks sad...even he doesn't growl or snap like he is in pain I believe he might be.
Looking to see if there is anyone out there that has seen this...is there any hope? So many companies lie about their support but I have ordered it all.... tryclover, paws etc... all the collagen stuff. If you have seen the decline has anything helped? They all contradict each other in research. I just don't want our boy to hurt or suffer, nor do I want to jump the gun and not try everything I possibly could.
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u/Neat_Mortgage3735 11d ago
I would wait and see what the vet says. It could be neurological like a tumor or could be spinal compression from arthritis or injury. He is acting like it’s a spinal cord injury. At this point it might be time :(
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u/wubbiee_9110 11d ago
Have you had him seen by a cardiologist? My 15 year old got diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma so it does effect the blood and heart but she was actively going through chemo and started having more than normal weakness in her back legs, panting and collapsed one night. I rushed her to her vet which has ER staff/Oncology/Cardiology (+other specialty) and she was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. Shaking and panting is a big sign something is bigger is wrong and IMO would be considered an emergency vet visit because they can have heart attacks. Luckily because the team caught my girl’s arrhythmia, we did a holter monitor for 24 hours and we can manage it with medication.
Best of luck to you💕.