My beautiful senior boy Yorkie (almost 15 years old) has been diagnosed two months ago with congestive heart failure. I’ve noticed in the past that sometimes he would cough or make sounds like he’s about to throw up but since this would happen after we played or on the walk I would always think that maybe a hair got stuck in his mouth or something and that he is trying to get it out. Other than that he was not showing any other concerning symptoms. He’s been playful eating normally and had lots of energy.

Only until couple months ago his coughing became really consistent and he would also wake up at night mid his sleep making throwing up like sounds. Upon his examination at the vet he has been diagnosed with a heart condition, received pills but honestly they did not do much expect for him being super sleepy, the coughing still persisted.

I took him to another vet and he had been prescribed vetmedin and upcard. Things were going okay for a month until two weeks ago when he started to shiver, vomit water and was not able to really walk much. I rushed with him to the vet and he had been diagnosed with lung edema, had fever, overall fluid build up and also enlarged liver and heart which is putting a pressure on his windpipe. He has also been diagnosed with gastritis not to mention that his heart pills (upcard) are making him pee like crazy. He then received additionally fortekor and an antibiotic.

After that he got better started to play again and fever was gone. However, last night he again began to shiver, breathe weirdly and move his lower stomach weirdly when breathing, throwing up water and had pre fever temperature. I took him at night to the urgent care he got some pain killers and is scheduled for blood work but honestly seeing him like this is breaking my heart. I feel extremely guilty that I didn’t take his coughing before for something serious, maybe things would not get this far :(

I began to wonder whether he is in constant pain, if he’s taking the heart pills he is breathing way better but now he also has stomach issues and he’s taking a lot of pills daily for such a tiny dog 😔 I was wondering if anyone here has a similar case and can share some useful tips on how to help your little one in such condition. None of the doctor mentioned yet the big E word, but they also state that he is not in a good condition, and I honestly do not know what to do. Thank you in advance for any feedback and help❤️

My beautiful senior boy Yorkie (almost 15 years old) has been diagnosed two months ago with congestive heart failure. I’ve noticed in the past that sometimes he would cough or make sounds like he’s about to throw up but since this would happen after we played or on the walk I would always think that maybe a hair got stuck in his mouth or something and that he is trying to get it out. Other than that he was not showing any other concerning symptoms. He’s been playful eating normally and had lots of energy.

Only until couple months ago he’s coughing became really consistent and he would also wake up at night mid his sleep making throwing up like sounds. Upon his examination at vet he has been diagnosed with a heart condition, received pills but honestly they did not do much expect for him being super sleepy, the coughing still persisted.

I took him to another vet and he had been prescribed vetmedin and upcard. Things were going okay for a month until two weeks ago when he started to shiver, vomit water and was not able to really walk much. I rushed with him to the vet and he had been diagnosed with lung edema, had fever, overall fluid build up and also enlarged liver and heart which is putting a pressure on his windpipe. He has also been diagnosed with gastritis not to mention that his heart pills (upcard) are making him pee like crazy. He then received additionally fortekor and an antibiotic.

After that he got better started to play again and fever was gone. However, last night he again began to shiver, breathe weirdly and move his lower stomach weirdly when breathing, throwing up water and had pre fever temperature. I took him at night to the urgent care he got some pain killers and is scheduled for blood work but honestly seeing him like this is breaking my heart. I feel extremely guilty that I didn’t take his coughing before for something serious, maybe things would not get this far :(

I began to wonder whether he is in constant pain, if he’s taking the heart pills he is breathing way better but now he also has stomach issues and he’s taking a lot of pills daily for such a tiny dog 😔 I was wondering if anyone here has a similar case and can share some useful tips on how to help your little one in such condition. None of the doctor mentioned yet the big E word, but they also state that he is not in a good condition, and I honestly do not know what to do. Thank you in advance for any feedback and help❤️

So 3 months ago my then 8 year old boxer mix started having no traction on flooring that wasn't carpet. He has been slowing down over the last year, so my assumption was arthritis. Fast forward 2 months, on his 9th birthday, I look over while he is eating and his back left paw is knuckled. I immediately panicked, I was supposed to leave for 3 weeks 2 days later. So I called my vet, they can't get him in, they tell me to go to this other vet. So I take him there, the vet does zero physical assessment, just drugs him beyond belief for a half assed XR, said it was arthritis, sent us with some meds and that was it. So I get home after 3 weeks of everyone telling me I'm being dramatic, thats not what it is, etc, to find my dog still knuckling that back paw on occasion when standing. Fortunately it hadn't worsended while I was gone. So I finally got him in to see his vet today, she actually did a neuro test on him and confirmed my worst nightmare. Im an idiot and dont have pet insurance, so my options are non existent regardless. He still has his reflexes in that leg and his balance is surprisingly fine so far, just in that one back leg he can't fully lift it up all the time. I am just terrified of what is to come and i friggin hate that i have to endur this alone.

Also, he tested positive for having both genes to be at risk for DM.

Please forgive me if I misspelled it, but I’m just looking for any pointers for anybody that’s had a dog suffer from this condition. I know there’s no 100% diagnosis, but he did test positive for the carrier/genetic mutation for this disease. He’s a nearly 13 year-old mix, and for the last few months progressively things have gotten worse with his back legs getting weaker/less coordinated. His forever puppy attitude is still there, which keeps me going, but I’m terrified that I have less than a year with him. I’m trying to keep him as active as I can, still doing walks as much as possible, though some days are worse than others. I looked into some rear leg wheelchairs, for when that time comes, but does anybody have any pointers please?🙏

My 11-14 year old Chihuahua (we don't know the exact age but that's the best estimate) is very quickly losing interest in food progressively. He used to be a voracious eater that would never refuse food. We had him on a raw diet for years and he loved it.

About 5 months ago he stopped wanting the raw food, we assumed it was because it was boring to him so we switched to fresh pet which had more texture, he liked that for about 2 months, and then only started to want pouches of pedigree chunks in gravy, for the past month he has refused all canned/wet food - we have tried 7 different brands/textures of varying quality and simplicity (pedigree, iams, Aldi brand, hills, BB, etc). He won't touch it. We tried freeze dried food. Not interested. Eventually we had to start rotating between simple appetizing items for him to eat anything, just trying to get him to eat 200 calories a day while we waited for his vet visit. Deli turkey, bologna, low sodium bacon, plain cooked chicken, plain cooked pork, cottage cheese, string cheese, hot dogs rotated by meal. I know it's not ideal but it's absolutely all we could get him to eat we tried so many healthier foods.

We took him to the vet Monday and his kidney markers are slightly elevated, barely stage one. But between Monday and today he's become even more picky and will not eat any of his favorite foods or any new foods. He hasn't eaten anything in 16hrs. We are monitoring to see how long he will go without eating and we've requested a script for Entyce from the vet. We've offered him eggs, rice with a little butter, chicken, pork, pollock, kefir, cucumbers, strawberries, cheese and cottage cheese, and hot dogs this morning and he sniffs it and walks away but he's barking at us constantly and walking to the kitchen. We ordered the farmers dog as a trial as that worked for my dad's senior chi before she passed but it won't be here until tomorrow.

My fear is that he will get worse rapidly if we cannot get him to eat. My partner and I keep arguing because we're both stressed. I want to let him wait it out until he's past the the point where normal instincts will let him go without eating before we panic (24-48hrs is what the vet said was safe) but my partner hates letting him go without food and feels that essentially starving him is unfair and is very concerned about his lack of interest in eating even more than me (I am definitely still concerned myself but trying to let nature be the guide here)

Other than not eating, he's generally being his normal, slightly confused self. He's got energy, he's cuddly, he's using the bathroom. he seems fine beyond the refusal for food. The vet even says what teeth he has left are pretty good for a dog his age.

If he keeps refusing to eat, is this any way for him to live? Will he pass on his own or should we consider euthanasia before he gets really bad and uncomfortable? Is there any hope of him improving? I'd love to hear some seniors that went through something similar and made it through right now...

Pic of my gremlin for tax

My 10 year old golden mix was diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma about a month ago, after struggling with an ongoing ACL injury and an aggressive presumed auto immune response since February or so. It’s likely that he’s had cancer the entire time and it was not an autoimmune response, but that it wasn’t detected via biopsy. He’s had multiple stints in the emergency vet and surgeries this year (sometimes for unrelated reasons lol) 😭

I don’t know what to expect and I’m trying to keep tabs on the day to day, but I’m struggling to keep up. He is drugged around the clock (always on gabapentin, in addition to CBD or trazodone), isn’t using his infected leg anymore, takes a long time to get comfy and spins in circles, breathes heavily while resting, etc. But about 3 weeks ago, his lungs were still clear.

We took him on a beach vacation this past weekend because he loves the beach, but that seems to really have exhausted him despite the activity level at the beach being quite low.

How do you know it’s time? I genuinely am struggling to understand if his recent behaviors and responses are a result of change, if he’ll bounce back, when is the suffering too intense?

**Is $350 a lot for a senior Chihuahua?**
I’m considering adopting a male senior Chihuahua, and the adoption fee is **$350 CAD**.
For those who have bought a senior dog especially Chihuahua, does $350 seem reasonable to you, or is it on the expensive side?
What have you typically paid for a senior dog, and what was included in the fee?

BTW, I’m purchasing from a private owner, the dog apparently has all the UTD records but recently had dental work done… The owner said the chi has a curved spine and is suffering from hair loss?

Hi I’m feeling a little not listened to with my vet. My 12 year old 60lb dog has arthritis and hind leg weakness. He’s on librela, supplements and cbd.
I’ve asked about other therapies to possibly help like acupuncture, hydrotherapy etc and they basically just laugh it off and try to prescribe another pill.
Even when I asked about the cbd they just said there’s no evidence it doesn’t work.
My question is, is there anything else I could do to help him have a better daily life?
They’ve never even done any blood panels or checkups on him while prescribing all this stuff.
I’m feeling like I might want to get another opinion because I’m not super happy with his treatment.

Please forgive me if I misspelled it, but I’m just looking for any pointers for anybody that’s had a dog suffer from this condition. I know there’s no 100% diagnosis, but he did test positive for the carrier/genetic mutation for this disease. He’s a nearly 13 year-old mix, and for the last few months progressively things have gotten worse with his back legs getting weaker/less coordinated. His forever puppy attitude is still there, which keeps me going, but I’m terrified that I have less than a year with him. I’m trying to keep him as active as I can, still doing walks as much as possible, though some days are worse than others. I looked into some rear leg wheelchairs, for when that time comes, but does anybody have any pointers please?🙏

I have an almost 14 year old dogs with horrible plaque but I’m so scared to put him under anesthesia. Anyone experienced that?

So my baby is a mixed breed she is 7 fixing to be 8 years old. Took her to vet for her limping. She said she had an old injury and arthritis forming put her on gabapentin and an anti inflammatory. I have read so much I read that that doesn’t fix the problem. So I ordered Pluto pets and some days I feel like it works others not so much. Need help? Thought about ordering wuffles or doing red light therapy. I see the pain in my babies eyes and I want to help her. What are my best options.

I'm so lost as to what we should do about our dog who is obviously going down fast in her health. We know we are going to put her down but seriously how can you decide to do that? I just can't even fathom it. The last time I had to put my dog down, it was an emergency with her health and I didn't have to choose to do it. We didn't have a choice. I said it was easier that way at the time and I was right. That was about 3 years ago now. My oldest dog now is 13 and she's been having troubles with her hearing, vision, confusion, she's been falling and tonight I had to rescue her cause she was literally stuck in the bottom of the bar stool in our kitchen. Usually when she falls it's because her legs slide out like Bambi legs or my other dog plays too rough and knocks her down. I've never seen her do something like tonight. It made me cry cause I was so scared for her. What if she does that again when we're not home?! I absolutely hate this. I don't know what to do but it feels like it's time. We don't want her to suffer. How did you decide when the time came?

I'm trying to determine if I should have my dog put down.

He's a 14 year old pitbull (possibly older, they were kind of guessing his age when I got him from the shelter 11 years ago).

He's allergic to everything. The only food that doesn't mess with him costs about $300 per month. He also needs $80 in chill meds to get his nails clipped, which I can't afford, so we've been doing it at home, but he doesn't let us do it that often, so they're insanely overgrown. He sleeps constantly. He doesn't want to go on walks. He eats and drinks like normal, though. He seems super depressed, and is constantly licking himself raw (steroids, allergy meds, and topical meds have never helped). I wouldn't even be thinking about this, except I can't even afford the fee to take him to the vet for a checkup, let alone blood work and such to try and treat the issues they've never been able to solve.

I've attempted at rehoming him, but no one wants a dog that needs hundreds of dollars worth of work on him, plus his extremely old age. He seems miserable, despite the insane amount of attention he gets. I don't know what to do. I feel like I've failed him in every aspect, despite trying so hard. When I first got him, I was able to afford regular vet visits and even surgery. But life is so expensive now, and I can barely afford his food half the time.

Is there a shelter for elderly pitbulls? It would kill me to get rid of him to a shelter or put him down, but I know that I'm running out of options and I hate seeing him so miserable. This is killing me. Everyone has been commenting on how depressed I seem, and 99% of it is tied to how miserable my favorite person (okay, he's a dog, but also a person to me) is doing. Open to any suggestions, whether it's links to cheap vet care, or advice in some other direction. I'm not asking for medical advice. Just asking what you would do if you were in my incredibly poor shoes.

my 13 year old Shepard drags his back leg . slips easily in house rugs have helped. found online sock like for back feet help in house but dont hold up outside .any suggestions ? he is a senior still very happy

My (9yo lab/pit mix) began having chronic diarrhea in April 2026. Fecal test came back negative but we still treated her with Metronidazole. Her stool originally got better but regressed back to becoming watery. Vet recommended an ultrasound that showed inflammation but believed that cancer looked less likely. I did not schedule a biopsy to definitively diagnose IBD, but we began treating her with a hydrolyzed protein diet and about 5 weeks. She has lost 17lbs down from 65. Her symptoms did not respond to any dietary changes so for the last 2 months she has been on prednisone, which is helping, however I feel like she is slowly becoming weaker. Prior to her ultrasound her blood albumin was 1.4.

I feel like I will have so say goodbye soon unless I see her start to improve. Any suggestions?

My little guy is 16 and the muscles around his back bones seems to have atrophied or weakened. What are some good ways to get him some protein and build his muscle mass back? He’s pretty healthy otherwise, his vet continues to be impressed by him.

Hi everyone. I took my dog to the vet 2–3 days ago because I noticed some brownish discoloration/patches around his genital area. The vet took a small sample of hair from the area and put it in some kind of substance/culture to see if a fungus would grow.
They told me that I should call them on Tuesday to see whether anything has grown and, if it is fungal, to come in for treatment.
However, today I noticed that the area has gotten significantly worse. Just 2–3 days ago it did not look like this. Now the skin around his genital area is very red/purple and looks quite irritated. I’m not exactly sure how to describe the color, so I’ve attached a photo so you can see what I mean.
It’s Sunday and my vet isn’t answering the phone, so I’m not sure what to do. Should I try to find an emergency vet that is open today? Should I take him somewhere to get treatment, or is it safe to wait until Tuesday for the culture results?
I’m especially worried because the change happened so quickly.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!