Hi Ailsa,
Aging - not nice for any dog.
Personally, I think the damp weather always makes the arthritis a bit worse. Roxy has been fine lately, until this morning, when she was mega-slow on her walk. She is currently on Metacam daily and I have also added Syn-Flex which has made a further improvement. You might want to try that - it's a human arthritis linctus safe for dogs. FYI, Roxy will be 12 next March.
Hope things improve with Biff and the decision you're dreading is a way off yet.
Hugs to you all xox

Thanks Moonsotne. He has a pretty thick coat and doesn't seem to be cold all, but i'll ask the vet about a coat. He doesn't go out if it is actually raining as I don't want him to get wet...it's hard to dry him with a towel when he's sore and he hates the hair dryer.

Thank for the hugs!

:smt043 :smt043 :smt043 :smt043 :smt043

Thanks Vicki, we tried Synflex and it didn't do anything.

The vet said his arthritis is mild and he's concerned a lot of this is to do with a neurological problem, perhaps a lipoma close to his spine.

Oh, the poor old lad

Big hugs mate.xxxxx You asked if anyone has seem similar and my answer to that is of course "yes", this is how my girl went, so suddenly, within 3 weeks in fact as you know. The severe stiffness behind, the moaning when she laid down, as if to say thank Christ for that, I've made it to my bed. The very last day, she was so stiff behind, when she laid down outside she had her tail stuck underneath her, that said it all to me! Yes, she could still jump in the car in the mornings to go out (after 3 or 4 attempts though), but when she got home after a meander of about 10 yards up on the green, she would just lie there outside all day looking miserable. You know what happened next, so I don't need to remind you, but I will remind you of what the lovely lady vet said to me when she called at the house at 11.00 pm. that night, which was quote "you are being a very responsible dog owner, knowing that her quality of life is now affected, and believe me, when it affects the nervous system, they are in great pain, so you've called us at the right time - you wouldn't believe what we have to see sometimes" unquote from the vet. There endeth my story.

When I actually made the decision, which in hindsight was in fact too late imho, but that's by the by, I thought to myself "what am I doing here?" Why am I holding on to her when I can see she's not happy any more, just to prolong things another week maybe, another month perhaps, when I could let her go relatively pain free (she wasn't pain free though)? I held on because SHE was holding on for me, and Dave came into the scenario too coz he just couldn't let her go either. I also thought to myself, she's only 11 1/2 and all of our dogs have lasted to the ripe old age of 16, so I was hoping she might actually recover maybe, when in reality, there was no hope whatsoever of that happening.

I've also seen a black lab up on our green, which was suffering from the time Cassie was, but he was on morphine, and he kept bringing this dog up there every morning, walking it the whole length of the green, when you could see this dog was ready to leave, it broke my heart that he hung on for so long, when he lost him anyway a month later.

These fatty lumps that he has, do you think they could possibly be the dreaded, especially as some of them are growing so fast? I ask that because if you remember, I took Cassie to the vet only 3 weeks prior with her small lumps and he assured me 100% that they were nothing nasty! I knew different, my gut instinct on the one on her shoulder though. Turned out I was right, as it grew enormously during the next 3 weeks and then they agreed with me, but I didn't want anything done, and they didn't want to do it anyway, they would have, but they didn't want to, too complicated they said. I keep beating myself up thinking if only they had done something when I suspected the worst things might have been different, but that's hindsight for you.

Kneel down on the floor,hold his head in your hands like I did with Cassie and look into his soul, and then you'll know what he's telling you - how hard is he resting that head in your hands, whereas he never had a problem to raise it higher to lick your face! You'll know A, you'll know. I can't bear to think what you're going through after what happened to the both of us back in July, just don't give yourself any false hopes if he's in too much pain - you wouldn't do that to him I know. Everything on constant yet again.......xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aw H, big hugs mate.

You did everything that you possibly could for your girl and you let her go at the right time. Hugs.

Sometimes I think his pain is too bad, like this morning when he wanted to pee but couldn't hold his leg up. Other times, when he's growling at the pup playing tug of war...I wonder what I'm so concerned about, but then a couple of minutes later as he hobbles away and moans as he lies down...

I don't know about the lumps. They assure us they are fatty lumps but sya they can never be certain about all of them without doing a biopsy on them all...they'd be there for weeks! I am concerned that they are growing so fast. he has a VERY large one by his willy. It isn't effecting him peeing etc but it's getting bigger...I then have the issue of whether I will let them knock himout to cut it out if it gets too big, when the chances are it will grow again. I am dreading being faced with that one.


Thanks H...the hugs and advice are always very much appreciated xxxxxx

I had the same here didn't I, ups and downs, one minute a total nutter, Dave saying "how can you even think about it", an hour later I could see she was in real pain, ups and downs mate! You'll know, you'll know. You can't do the de ja vous bit again A can you, with the vet I mean? YOu can't do that to yourself!!! Keep your eye on those lumps, the big one will probably burst (that's what happened with Cass and the dog on the green). Don't bother with the biopsies, I had all the lumps done, over and over again until she cried in agony at the last one and I told him enough is enough, coz every blooming time they came back "inconclusive"!!!! Don't go there once they've got big, it's really not worth it, and what for, coz you'll not be doing anything about it via the vet will you???xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxconstantxxxxxxxxxxxxxhugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxconstantxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks H...nope we won't be doing anything about them I don't think...if it's cancer, then it will probably have spread...if they are just fatty lumps, they will just come back...Unless they could drain it under a local and we can stay then take him straight home...)
He has siad we can x ray to see what/if there is going on round his spine/rear end...but totally sees our point about not doing that one.....that would be too much wouldn't it H? Can you imagine? Just doesn't bear thinking about and again, we wouldn't be doing anything about it.
Nope...just don't want him hurting.

If nothing's working at the moment for him, i.e. the Metacam etc. why not ask the vet if he can have morphine as and when and if he needs it?? I remember the vet telling me we could have had that for Cassie after they knew we were just going to leave her here with us at home, but as you know, things all went a bit too quickly and we never got that far? Might be worth mentioning to the vet next time you see them perhaps.

The trouble with these lumps is, they can't drain them IF they're not that kind of lump. I know this, because when Cassie's first appeared about 6 years ago or more, all of a sudden, the vet drained it and he never knew exactly what it was (we know now of course). This time around, however, they couldn't biopsy it properly, coz every time they stuck the needle in to take a sample, nothing much was coming out, and that's how I knew what it was! It's the same with fatty lumps, they are what they say, fat, and you can't really drain that can you? If it would put your mind at rest I would suggest getting a sample maybe, but I'm sure it will be the same outcome as we were and they won't be able to get enough stuff out of them. I just don't like the sound of the way they're growing so fast, but then maybe I'm paranoid about that bit! He won't feel the needle going into the lump, so they won't have to knock him out, it'll just be uncomfortable for him, although Cassie didn't seem to mind originally when they first did them - until the last time when it got much bigger that is.

Keep him happy, as active as you can and he wants, and take it from there A, and of course, treasure every waking moment just in case you're on that long hard road again. I'll keep everything crossed that you're not. p.s. and don't forget to spoil him rotten too!!!! more hugs.xxxxxxxxx(((((hugs)))))xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx