Issues with aging spaniel
Discussion
Had a tough 6mths or so with our nigh on 14yr old working cocker.
He has arthritis & a suspected slipped disc so he was put on Metacam to manage the pain, unfortunately this reacted badly with him & we had several weeks of stomach upset during which he was pain relief free meaning nobody could touch him! Due to this he missed his haircut & got rather hairy, this resulted in a poorly paw as something must have got stuck in the fur between his pads.
Finally settled his tummy & the Vet put him on Onsior as an aletrnative to Metacam, this doesn't seem to have affected him, stomach wise. His paw is back to normal & he's had his haircut!
The last 2-3 days he appears to be walking into things & stumbling more than normal (he has been stumbling a little for a while now). He also doesn't look quite his normal self & is more restless, takes ages to settle down in the evening & moans a heck of a lot! He has dirtied the house a couple of times, something he hasn't done since he was 12wks old. Could be me but he seems to be cocking his head to the side slightly (right side).
Is this just an elderly dog or does he need yet another expensive visit to the Vets? Last time they suggested meds for dementia, can't remember the name but I said I'd go away & have a think about it before commiting.
It's pretty distressing at the moment, had several dogs over the years but for various reasons never seen one through the latter stages so this is all new to me & deeply upsetting.
He has arthritis & a suspected slipped disc so he was put on Metacam to manage the pain, unfortunately this reacted badly with him & we had several weeks of stomach upset during which he was pain relief free meaning nobody could touch him! Due to this he missed his haircut & got rather hairy, this resulted in a poorly paw as something must have got stuck in the fur between his pads.
Finally settled his tummy & the Vet put him on Onsior as an aletrnative to Metacam, this doesn't seem to have affected him, stomach wise. His paw is back to normal & he's had his haircut!
The last 2-3 days he appears to be walking into things & stumbling more than normal (he has been stumbling a little for a while now). He also doesn't look quite his normal self & is more restless, takes ages to settle down in the evening & moans a heck of a lot! He has dirtied the house a couple of times, something he hasn't done since he was 12wks old. Could be me but he seems to be cocking his head to the side slightly (right side).
Is this just an elderly dog or does he need yet another expensive visit to the Vets? Last time they suggested meds for dementia, can't remember the name but I said I'd go away & have a think about it before commiting.
It's pretty distressing at the moment, had several dogs over the years but for various reasons never seen one through the latter stages so this is all new to me & deeply upsetting.
From your description, several possibilities spring to mind.
Deteriorating sight, neurological issues and/or dementia. Possibly also ear issues?
One of my oldies Joe, had dementia which caused him to be unsettled in the evenings/at night. He would whine and pace. I used Aktivait, which definitely helped him. It's a supplement rather than a medication, so you can buy it without prescription (I used to buy it online from VioVet) and you can give it alongside Metacam - you should probably check that you can give it with Onsior.
There may be certain aspects of aging that we have to accept, but I think you may be able to do something about some of these symptoms. Definitely worth a try, anyway.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Deteriorating sight, neurological issues and/or dementia. Possibly also ear issues?
One of my oldies Joe, had dementia which caused him to be unsettled in the evenings/at night. He would whine and pace. I used Aktivait, which definitely helped him. It's a supplement rather than a medication, so you can buy it without prescription (I used to buy it online from VioVet) and you can give it alongside Metacam - you should probably check that you can give it with Onsior.
There may be certain aspects of aging that we have to accept, but I think you may be able to do something about some of these symptoms. Definitely worth a try, anyway.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
I would be highly highly suspicious of a vestibular episode, especially if the issues came on quite suddenly. Common in our senior canines and they can recover but how much can vary. A check up ASAP would be good. There are medications that can help them recover better from vestibular incidents. The unfortunate thing with them is if they have repeat episodes which can have more severe after effects and longer recoveries.
There is also a supplement called Aktivait that is worth trying. Can help with behavioural changes in aging pets.
Moorx, just seen your note re Aktivait (great minds and all that
) it would be fine to use with Onsior.
Hope things improve soon.
There is also a supplement called Aktivait that is worth trying. Can help with behavioural changes in aging pets.
Moorx, just seen your note re Aktivait (great minds and all that
) it would be fine to use with Onsior. Hope things improve soon.
Edited by bexVN on Sunday 5th February 22:05
Edited by bexVN on Sunday 5th February 22:06
Old dog.
I`m lucky that my 15 yr old cocker is like a dog less that half his age. very fit and still runs at least an hour a day out with the lurchers, but ,, he will still pee uncontrollably, but hey ho.
You make the choice as to when too much is too much. Until then just let him crack on being an old bugger.
The minute his quality of life a seriously reduced, you have to do the right thing, you have just to be fair as to when that is.
Good luck and enjoy the dog.
I`m lucky that my 15 yr old cocker is like a dog less that half his age. very fit and still runs at least an hour a day out with the lurchers, but ,, he will still pee uncontrollably, but hey ho.
You make the choice as to when too much is too much. Until then just let him crack on being an old bugger.
The minute his quality of life a seriously reduced, you have to do the right thing, you have just to be fair as to when that is.
Good luck and enjoy the dog.
Until about 6mths ago he was fighting fit, most people still think he looks like a 5yr old & he's in great condition generally, never been overweight, always well excercised.
The Vet did say that many working dogs do put their bodies through a lot & as a result can suffer more in older age, at least we know he's had a bloody good time of it!
The Vet did say that many working dogs do put their bodies through a lot & as a result can suffer more in older age, at least we know he's had a bloody good time of it!
Brads67 said:
You make the choice as to when too much is too much. Until then just let him crack on being an old bugger.
The minute his quality of life a seriously reduced, you have to do the right thing, you have just to be fair as to when that is.
Hopefully we're a long way from that tough decision, I've been bracing myself for it & will, hopefully do the right thing when the time comes. The Vet has given no indication, pretty sure he will when the time comes, he can be rather forthright!The minute his quality of life a seriously reduced, you have to do the right thing, you have just to be fair as to when that is.
bexVN said:
Have you taken him in to the vet since this episode. As I said if he has had a vestibular issue there are meds that may improve recovery
Hi Bex, been this morning, he agreed with you & diagnosed a mild case of vestibular syndrome, he has prescribed antibiotics & steroids, goes back next tuesday.Thanks Bex & everybody else, taking an older pet to the vets is quite stressful as you always fear the worst, thankfully this time was Ok
Head cocking in a spaniel could just be dirty ears. The are prone to it.
The stumbling could just be the Arthritis stiffness but as he is on painkillers he is not as limited by the pain threshold.
I always wince when I see someone mention Vestibular disease, My sister kept her poor collie alive for 6 weeks completely paralysed from the shoulders down because she was adament it was vestibular.
Is he insured? Tbh, at that age I would keep them comfortable and happy and only involve the vet if there is sudden or significant degredation.
Edited to add: Just re-read the opening post, His eyesite could also be starting to go, not unusual on an old dog.
The stumbling could just be the Arthritis stiffness but as he is on painkillers he is not as limited by the pain threshold.
I always wince when I see someone mention Vestibular disease, My sister kept her poor collie alive for 6 weeks completely paralysed from the shoulders down because she was adament it was vestibular.
Is he insured? Tbh, at that age I would keep them comfortable and happy and only involve the vet if there is sudden or significant degredation.
Edited to add: Just re-read the opening post, His eyesite could also be starting to go, not unusual on an old dog.
Edited by Ransoman on Tuesday 7th February 10:54
He's not insured. The vet checked his ears this morning, no sign of infection.
We'll see how the next week goes, no reason to doubt the vet, they've served him well for nearly 14yrs so far.
If we can extend his life (in comfort) then we will, if we can't we'll make his last days as comfortable as possible. If that costs a few quid then so be it, years down the road we'll have many fond memories of the dog & barely remember the bills (hopefully!).
But if he could just ease up a bit on the bills that would be appreciated...!
We'll see how the next week goes, no reason to doubt the vet, they've served him well for nearly 14yrs so far.
If we can extend his life (in comfort) then we will, if we can't we'll make his last days as comfortable as possible. If that costs a few quid then so be it, years down the road we'll have many fond memories of the dog & barely remember the bills (hopefully!).
But if he could just ease up a bit on the bills that would be appreciated...!
Ransoman said:
Head cocking in a spaniel could just be dirty ears. The are prone to it.
The stumbling could just be the Arthritis stiffness but as he is on painkillers he is not as limited by the pain threshold.
I always wince when I see someone mention Vestibular disease, My sister kept her poor collie alive for 6 weeks completely paralysed from the shoulders down because she was adament it was vestibular.
Is he insured? Tbh, at that age I would keep them comfortable and happy and only involve the vet if there is sudden or significant degredation.
Edited to add: Just re-read the opening post, His eyesite could also be starting to go, not unusual on an old dog.
Paralysis like that is definitely not the usual presentation for vestibular and if it was it would be highly unlikely that a recovery was possible (and I would have hoped a vet would have told her that). I have a lot of experience in dealing with and recognising the signs of vestibular incidents and the OP four legged friends definitely matched those signs.The stumbling could just be the Arthritis stiffness but as he is on painkillers he is not as limited by the pain threshold.
I always wince when I see someone mention Vestibular disease, My sister kept her poor collie alive for 6 weeks completely paralysed from the shoulders down because she was adament it was vestibular.
Is he insured? Tbh, at that age I would keep them comfortable and happy and only involve the vet if there is sudden or significant degredation.
Edited to add: Just re-read the opening post, His eyesite could also be starting to go, not unusual on an old dog.
Edited by Ransoman on Tuesday 7th February 10:54
OP hopefully you will see a slow and steady recovery now. Have you looked into Aktivait, worth considering. The thing to monitor is if another vestibular incident occurs close to this one as that can have more of an impact. The longer there isn't one, the better (our old collie had 3 altogether, the third one was quite a while after the second but did knock her very badly unfortunately) .
There is a medication called Vivitonin (trade name) that may be worth asking your vet about. It just helps with oxygen flow in the blood and is sometimes px for vestibular cases (anyway, just a thouvht)
Fingers crossed for a slow but steady recovery.
bexVN said:
Paralysis like that is definitely not the usual presentation for vestibular and if it was it would be highly unlikely that a recovery was possible (and I would have hoped a vet would have told her that). I have a lot of experience in dealing with and recognising the signs of vestibular incidents and the OP four legged friends definitely matched those signs.
OP hopefully you will see a slow and steady recovery now. Have you looked into Aktivait, worth considering. The thing to monitor is if another vestibular incident occurs close to this one as that can have more of an impact. The longer there isn't one, the better (our old collie had 3 altogether, the third one was quite a while after the second but did knock her very badly unfortunately) .
There is a medication called Vivitonin (trade name) that may be worth asking your vet about. It just helps with oxygen flow in the blood and is sometimes px for vestibular cases (anyway, just a thouvht)
Fingers crossed for a slow but steady recovery.
The vets have suggested Vivitonin, we agreed this morning that we'll get this out of the way then have a chat about it. He did say it could also help prevent further vestibular occurences.OP hopefully you will see a slow and steady recovery now. Have you looked into Aktivait, worth considering. The thing to monitor is if another vestibular incident occurs close to this one as that can have more of an impact. The longer there isn't one, the better (our old collie had 3 altogether, the third one was quite a while after the second but did knock her very badly unfortunately) .
There is a medication called Vivitonin (trade name) that may be worth asking your vet about. It just helps with oxygen flow in the blood and is sometimes px for vestibular cases (anyway, just a thouvht)
Fingers crossed for a slow but steady recovery.
My old collie has had two vestibular incidents. I was present during the first and it was a frightening event. He was charging about completely at random and crashing into things. I researched the internet, found out that often they make a full recovery and after 3 weeks he was his usual self. It took 3 weeks for him to walk normally etc.
He recently had cognative issues and was a bit wobbly on his legs but is normal now. He kept going to the wrong side of the door as opposed to the 'opening' side. I reckon he must have had an issue one night when I was in bed.
He's 17 and doing really well at present, quite remarkable.
Wish you good fortune OP.
He recently had cognative issues and was a bit wobbly on his legs but is normal now. He kept going to the wrong side of the door as opposed to the 'opening' side. I reckon he must have had an issue one night when I was in bed.
He's 17 and doing really well at present, quite remarkable.
Wish you good fortune OP.
Glad to hear he's been checked over.
I would endorse what Bex says about Vivitonin. My first lurcher had a vestibular incident and was put onto it, and she didn't have any further occurences. May have been a coincidence, but maybe not. I hope you'll also consider giving Aktivait a try.
I would endorse what Bex says about Vivitonin. My first lurcher had a vestibular incident and was put onto it, and she didn't have any further occurences. May have been a coincidence, but maybe not. I hope you'll also consider giving Aktivait a try.
Ok, a quick update.
Been back to the Vets today, they are happy with him - his antibiotics & steroids finish tomorrow, on Thursday we'll re-start his Onsior & start him on Vivitonin & see how he gets on.
I was concerned about his weight loss (he is now 12.5kgs, he was 13.2kgs two weeks ago, this is the lightest he's ever been) but the Vet wasn't concerned & agreed that it could be down to recent lack of excercise & also the steroids. We'll up his food very slightly & keep an eye on him.
Once again, many thanks to all that have offered advice
Been back to the Vets today, they are happy with him - his antibiotics & steroids finish tomorrow, on Thursday we'll re-start his Onsior & start him on Vivitonin & see how he gets on.
I was concerned about his weight loss (he is now 12.5kgs, he was 13.2kgs two weeks ago, this is the lightest he's ever been) but the Vet wasn't concerned & agreed that it could be down to recent lack of excercise & also the steroids. We'll up his food very slightly & keep an eye on him.
Once again, many thanks to all that have offered advice
LordHaveMurci said:
Ok, a quick update.
Been back to the Vets today, they are happy with him - his antibiotics & steroids finish tomorrow, on Thursday we'll re-start his Onsior & start him on Vivitonin & see how he gets on.
I was concerned about his weight loss (he is now 12.5kgs, he was 13.2kgs two weeks ago, this is the lightest he's ever been) but the Vet wasn't concerned & agreed that it could be down to recent lack of excercise & also the steroids. We'll up his food very slightly & keep an eye on him.
Once again, many thanks to all that have offered advice
That's good to hearBeen back to the Vets today, they are happy with him - his antibiotics & steroids finish tomorrow, on Thursday we'll re-start his Onsior & start him on Vivitonin & see how he gets on.
I was concerned about his weight loss (he is now 12.5kgs, he was 13.2kgs two weeks ago, this is the lightest he's ever been) but the Vet wasn't concerned & agreed that it could be down to recent lack of excercise & also the steroids. We'll up his food very slightly & keep an eye on him.
Once again, many thanks to all that have offered advice
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