WWyd? A tale of 2 elderly gentlemen dogs

[anon38350891]

#1: 14 year old Cavalier, I’ve had him since 16 weeks old. Most loving creature I could ever imagine. He is getting dementia. Gets lost in the house during the night, cries and poops indoors. Poops indoors during the day as well. Does not recognize the poop, and walks through it. Is deaf and going blind. Loves his kibble, loves his walks. Is on Prozac and a probiotic daily.

#2: Rescue Cavalier, have had him for two years. Also 14 years old. Mentally, sharp as a tack. Physically, his hips and hind legs collapse under him all the time. He doesn’t seem to mind. But I can’t tell about dog pain. He just scrapes himself up and marches on. For example, he can’t step off a sidewalk curb without his hips collapsing. He picks himself up and scrambles on.

These two elderly gentlemen are very bonded. They sleep side by side at night now, since they have both given up going upstairs for their separate evening dog beds. Gentleman #1 is very dependent upon Gentleman #2 for visual cues as to what they should do, due to his deafness and loving nature.

Good vet care for both.

Does anyone have thoughts about what these guys are experiencing re: quality of life? This is my question: How do you know when they aren’t really loving life any more? I’m not at all averse to euthanasia, but I am having trouble with these two guys as far as when I should start thinking about an easy death for them. I know dogs are Stoical about pain and discomfort, and I know that pooping in the house is ordinarily a bad experience for a house trained dog.

Any thoughts most welcome.

[Marshfield]

I think dog #1 is likely close in terms of quality of life. The question is whether it would be kindest to dog #2 to send him to heaven when dog #1 goes

[high_hat]

I had 2 16 year old whippets. Brothers who had been together most of their lives. One was worse off than the other but the one that was in better shape could not live without his brother. I ‘rescued’ his brother and brought him home after the other one had separation anxiety. Made few appointments I didn’t keep to have them put to sleep.

They were having difficulty sleeping through the night. “Think having a newborn.” They were pooping in the house sometimes right after they came in from outside. When I finally kept the appointment my vet assured me it was time for both of them. They went to sleep side by side on the vet’s exam table. One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made but they went peacefully.

[JanM]

I think it’s time for both. #1 is ready, and #2 will never understand why his brother is gone, and will probably deteriorate quickly. You have given them a great life full of love, and now it’s time for one last kindness for them.

[MsM]

Talk with your regular vet as far as pain for dog 2. You mention dog 1 crying - is he upset about being disoriented or pooping in the house? If he is just vague and not recognizing that he needs to go out, you might still be able to manage. You could baby gate the two of them in a smaller area and put a scented puppy pad down. With any luck, he will smell it and poop there. But if he is often upset about his condition, then you may need to let him go - and likely dog 2 as well.
I had a tough time with my Aussie who went suddenly blind. Many dogs do well without sight, but he wasn’t one. He kept hitting walls and getting stuck in corners, even in a restricted area. The vet thought there might be a progressive disease at work, since he couldn’t adapt and seemed to consistently turn left. The dog was too stressed and unhappy so I had to let him go.

BTW My female Cavalier is now recovering from her second back surgery! :eek:

[Magicboy]

I would release both from this decline at the same time

[VFT]

I have a dog that began getting pretty bad dementia, he was terrified to be in the house whenever the air conditioner kicked on ( which was all the time since this started in July). He would cry horribly in the middle of the night and get lost in the house just like your guy. I was seriously considering euthanizing him due to the dementia, because that was no way to live. I decided to try one more thing that seemed like a long shot, lion’s mane mushroom pills. I noticed a difference right away and over time a huge accumulative difference. This was almost 2 years ago now and he has only very slight dementia symptoms that just reappeared this winter but had completely vanished for a good year and a half before that.

This might not be appropriate for your dog, but if the dementia symptoms were the biggest factor in his declining quality of life, it might be worth a try.