What are the best ways of caring for an elderly dog?
By cherieamor
@cherieamor (6)
Philippines
March 23, 2009 9:44am CST
I used to have 2 rottweilers, both of them are females. I used to breed them when they were younger. I lost the older rottie just a week ago. She was 12 years old. She had all the signs of aging before she died. Her black coat has white fur intermixed with the black, she cannot get up from prone position, she cannot even sustain the dog position for defecating. One time, I saw how she dropped her body when all her legs gave way when she defecated. It really broke my heart seeing her that way. I called her vet who came over our house to see her, but he can only recommend pain medications. I lost her thinking that I could have done more to make her last years more comfortable. I still have her offspring from her first litter, and she is now 9 years old. She is now beginning to show signs of aging too. I want to do everything I can to make her life happier and more comfortable. The loss of her mommy rott really affected her a lot. She now rarely stands up, she howls at night, and she has become less active. I thought she could be having joint pains, so I called the vet again to take a look at her. The vet told me it is more of a herniated disc than arthritis. Treatment remains symptomatic. I thought of I should buy maintenance medications for pain, and an orthopedic bed for her. I want to be the best mommy for my rott. I am also thinking of making her sleep on my bed at night just for her to recover from what I sense as depression. Any suggestions?
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