Old dog...what to expect when 'the time' comes?

Don't worry about this yet, she is in no pain and she is only getting up slowly so you may have many years with her to come. Losing a close pet -especially a dog with the bond we have them- will never be easy, but what you can do now is to make her time, how ever long it is, as good, as fun, and as comfortable as possible.

Look in to a supplement that may help things with the onset of arthritis (assuming it might be that) like 100% Pure wild salmon oil (this basically just fish oil, but wild salmon oil has a low amount of mercury)

Another supplement is glucosamine and chondroitin which will help with joints.

You can feed her: raw green tripe (a good source of Protein and Zinc, and a very good source of Vitamin B12 and Selenium.)

Raw heart which an extremely good source of nutrient. Or/And you can give her sardines in sunflower oil which is a good source of Protein, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Phosphorus and Selenium.

You can ask your vet to do a blood work test to help determine what she may need in her diet to help her along with old age, this will also give in site in to any hidden illness.

Ask him about NSAIDS drugs, such as Rimadyl for the future.

Have a read here about things to expect and ways to make her life a little better:

http://www.dogclub.co.uk/advice/lifeyet.php

"The time" may be a while off yet, so just take things as they come, educate your self, and deal with what ever situation arises at the time.

My dog, Tia, was a cocker/lab mix, so I'm assuming that she was a smiliar size to your Pepper. At about 11, she did start slowing down, and I made the decision to watch her closely to see what her quality of life was. We first noticed that she had a bit of trouble jumping up on the couch, but it wasn't a big deal. Eventually she started losing her hearing and her sight was affected, but she was still a happy, sweet girl who continued to have a good appetite and loved being outside with us (she continued to be almost puppy-like when she was outside). In December, she appeared to have a stroke and lost the use of her back legs. The vet said to wait 24 hours before bringing her in to see how she did. After 24 hours, she was able to walk a bit, but she seemed very disoriented and confused. She was 15 (would have been 16 in March), so we decided to take her in to see what the vet suggested. We made the decision to let her go because the vet said most likely she would continue with the strokes, and we didn't think it was fair to make her suffer. I tell you all of this so that you will know you most likely can have several years with your dog as a senior before you have to make any kind of decision. Try to see that she has a good diet, gets some exercise and that you give her all the love you can. The last few years with my Tia were very special because I was never sure how much time we had. I am thankful that I had almost 16 years with her. Good luck with Pepper.

Soo i recently lost my dog dazy. She was 13. Her last days we could tell. At first she was uncotnant and we had to constanly clean up after her. She got really skinny because all the food she would eat would go right through her. The day she passed, she couldnt get up off the floor so i sat with her untill i noticed she wasnt breathing any more. Im sorry for you because i understand how it feels to loose a dog that you have had most of your life. i was 8 and she died just before my 22 birthday. It will hurt to loose your dog. I still think about her all the time. My heart is still broken. My advice is to spend as much time with her as you can. Do all the good things for her. That doesnt mean take her to the vet all the time, but make sure shes confy. My dog was a pit bull and the best dog i have ever had. It will be hard to get over her but you will someday.

If there's ever a time to put your dog's welfare ahead of your own needs, this is it. While the idea of living without your beloved pet can be devastating, the thought of him suffering should feel even worse.

So in considering what to do, ask yourself the following questions:

•Does your dog have a terminal illness? Ask your veterinarian what to expect at the next stage and then ask whether you're prepared to go there.

•Is your dog in the kind of pain that cannot be significantly alleviated by medication?

•Will more treatment improve his quality of life, or simply maintain a poor quality of life?

•Can you afford treatment? End-of-life care can run into thousands of dollars, and people can end up prolonging their grieving while paying off credit cards.

•Is your dog so old he has lost most bodily functions? If he can no longer stand up, get down stairs, defecate, and urinate on his own, the quality of his life is pretty poor.

•Does he still want to eat? Once a dog loses his appetite he's signaling he's close to the end.

•Are his gums pink? When gums aren't a normal pink, your dog isn't getting enough oxygen.

•Is it in his best interest to extend his life, or are you extending his life for yourself? This last point is the most difficult one for most of us to sort out, but it may well be the most relevant.

The getting up slowly could be arthritis. My moms dog had it and my mom just gave her a half an aspirin a day and it seemed to help until she got too old n finally passed away in her sleep. She didn't act any different we went camping that weekend and she acted fine got excited when we went for walks just like normal and then when my mom came home from work monday afternoon she was just gone.

She could go peacefully in her sleep !! MY dog suffered horribly with kidney failure in OCT 2009 and I still cry for her. She died in my suv on the way to the vet to put her to sleep. IM not sure i will ever get over it.

some dogs will let you know when its time for them to pass, my friend her dog passed away this past year it was october 2009 when he passed away, he was 17yrs old, never been on a good diet, eat hot dogs and churches chicken all the time, if he had dog food it was kibbles and bits, but the day he passed away, he cried for my friend for her to pick him up, she pick him up and he passed away in her arms, it was very sad, he was a great dog, his the father of my dog rocky, and the grandfather of my dog lady, hopefully my rocky and lady live that long, i cant imagine life without any of my dogs, they have there own special place in my heart, there my babies, lucky wasn't even my dog, he was my friends dog, and i cry for him, when i think of him, he was such a unique dog,

Age will catch up to her. We had a very old Pug that simply laid down for the night, and never awoke. I hope yours goes that peacefully.