When I first joined this forum, I dunno, maybe 7 years ago, Ami was 1, Archer hadn't come to join the family and Zev was even a thought. And most of the dogs on this forum were young.

Now? Ami is 8, Zev is months away from 12 and Archer, the baby, is almost 7. And, dogs on the forum here? Some have already passed away, a couple way too early, others lived a long life. And more and more, I check out the posts and I see the signs of aging dogs. Back end/spine issues, limos, lumps, lethargy... The dogs, along with us, are getting older, ever so inexorably closer to their time.

I'm fairly certain Ami has some sort of spine issue but so far, so intermittent that the very cannot pick it up, just says stiff hips. And of late, he's again got an intermittent limp right front leg. My first thought is lyme again. Then it goes away. Then he gets ice balls between his toes, he limps and I wonder maybe the limo is residual bruising from a note gone ice ball. Or he's hurting himself, anywhere from shoulder to paw where jumping down from our bed ( it's high, 4 poster, top of mattress is at my waist.) Will be calling the vet but it's not very satisfying. It's drop dog off on parking lot, they take him inside, bring him back when he's done, consult in the driveway.

Sigh. Old dogs tug at the heartstrings.

Im glad my vet is not doing the drop off thing anymore because splinter has to go today.

Spider is the baby in our house and she turns 6 feb 17th. Squirt turns 9 on 9/11 and the boys will be 8 in August

I asked about their procedure when I talked to the vet yesterday. They schedule appoints as they normally did; drive up, leaving dog in the car let them know you're there; wait in car / parking area until called - they keep three people in the waiting room and replenish from the cars as they get done with patients. Maybe that sounds confusing but I know Mary and it'll work.

Who's getting older?? Not me!! (( Oh, don't I wish! ))

I think the hardest part about having pets is that at end of life it's always our decision that 'it's time.' That's one decision I'd really rather not have to make ... and every time I have, I've always gotten another dog to fill the hole. I can't see doing that this time (whenever 'this time' is going to be) because any young dog I added would probably outlive me. The appendix to my will specifies that my beneficiary find good homes for whatever dogs are still with me.

I know what you mean. Kavik has a pinpoint lump on his neck and has the beginnings of arthritis. I'm starting to notice him slowing down a bit. I wish the vets here would let me go in with him during checkups. Love my old boy but his age does get me thinking about the future.

Part of why I got Tulok was so I would still have a relatively young and healthy dog when Kavik's time comes. I've been dog-less for a short time before and the hole they leave is unbearable.

If I could ever have one wish it would be for our furred friends to live as long as we do.

I'm with Al. I'll be 70 this year and it doesn't seem fair to get another dog that I may not outlive. Possibly, maybe an senior foster or hospice foster. I dunno. Not sure o want to put myself through that.

amymeme wrote:

I'm with Al. I'll be 70 this year and it doesn't seem fair to get another dog that I may not outlive. Possibly, maybe an senior foster or hospice foster. I dunno. Not sure o want to put myself through that.

and we know what happened to your last foster ...

@amymeme https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/02/04/fifty-huskies-surrendered-overwhelmed-breeder-colorado-shelter/?_gl=1*oy1hdg*_ga*Ul9YWVpGYzVpNmtWNy1rLVlYRDRneHFUQTZVaTUxcU5HWXF2bDNUd25CRDVfWEhkMEZaTzdhN2xmdjRYMU1iWQ.. your new dog or 50 lol

Oh my - that first link? There's
a full face picture of a red with bar mask. While Ami doesn't have the bar, and this dog is not a wooly, it is still like looking directly into Ami's eyes!

Its really sad a " overwhelmed breeder" dumped 50 dogs at 1 time. Im contemplating contacting them to see if they have any puppies. I can deal with unsocialized. Spider fostered 9 orphan pit bull puppies from 3 weeks until they were adopted. She had a really hard time with them leaving so i dont want to do that again. Shadow is the worry. But im not sure how much longer i will have him either. Vet thinks maybe a few more years if we are lucky and no other major medical problems come up. Its something i want to do more research on if i get another purebred. To me 7.5 really isnt that old for a dog, but it is getting up there for a german shepherd. Squirt who knows, spider could go into her 20s if she favors the wolf side or half that if she favors the husky side.

Kenzi has been stiff and arthritic since she was around 6 and my others all had hip dysplasia so stiff questionably mobile dogs isn't anything new for me as the age, but the other stuff like cancer and diabetes was a slap in the face for aging. even though keno was only 9 and I don't consider 9 that old. Kenzi and Z'ev are the same age. She's headed for 12 soon, though we don't know exactly. But for so long she didn't seem old outside of just arthritis that would show up after an especially long hike, but the diabetes has made her age very obvious. And the vet saying she's pretty old for a husky doesn't help. B12 supplement has helped with some of her rear end weakness. I was getting ready to put her on nupro gold but her BG numbers have been high and want to get that under control.

We will have more dogs. Husband wants to run out and get another dog as soon as kenzi passes so kye isn't alone. Kye has surprisingly taken the passing of keno a bit hard. Been more needy and spending more time around us. When kenzi goes away for the day for her curves at the vet he looks for her a bit. I'm less on board with rushing out to get him a replacement though. The house was different without keno for sure but when kenzi is gone it's very different for me. She's going to be hard for me to lose.

Well there will be 50 purebred sibes available soon in Colorado

I don't even want to think about my husband and losing either of these dogs. We had a stray cat we were feeding a decade of so ago. She and hubby has quite the love affair. When she died, he sobbed like a baby. Broke my heart.

The tough one for me will be Ami, here's my soulmate. Z'ev is a very mixed blessing for me. He's my velcro dog, bonded at the hip. But he's also constant work, monitoring his arousal level, keeping him sane.

Oy, my husband took the loss of keno very hard. Outright sobbing for days followed by a deep depression that still comes back from time to time. The words "I miss Keno" have been on repeat off and on since November from him to the point of being annoying at times. I have a large concrete german shepherd I was going to paint to look like kye since kye looks more like a white GSD than a husky and now hubby doesn't want me to paint it because it's black and tan like keno was and he wants it to stay that way. Even though keno this thing has erect ears and keno didn't. I'll give it to summer but I'm going to paint that concrete dog white eventually. He's going to have to get over it.

Bodhi is eleven and a half. He is still healthy and vigorous, despite having surgery in December to remove a non-cancerous mass on his back. His mortality weighs heavily on me.

Oh my, Michael. I didn't realize Bohdi was quite that old! Wishing him continued good health. Z'ev is about the same age and would never guess he was an old dog by behavior. Other than he sleeps like the dead and if you look on his eyes, there is a tiny bit of sagging and the eyes themselves are starting to get a bit cloudy.

I worry more about Ami because he is big for the breed and it rankles the mind that the bigger the dog breed, the shorter the life span.

You're in our age group - what are your thoughts re getting another dog at this stage of life?

Amy- I just can’t deal with the idea of Bodhi’s life being finite. He and I are so bonded. When my previous husky, Tasha, passed, I went into a deep depression that didn’t lift until I rehomed Bodhi ten months later. I ran with him for the first five years that I had him. I used to think that was imperative for huskies to prevent having your house destroyed. But Bodhi has adjusted to long walks.
I am 72 and can’t run anymore. That will factor in any decision about getting a new husky. Part of me feels like Bodhi is my last dog. But part of me realizes that I am a dog person and need a dog for completion. That part of me thinks that rehoming another adult husky is in my future.

I completely understand the feeling. I joined 10ish years ago and at the time Demon and Dakota were young 2 year olds and Diablo wasn't even a consideration. Now, Demon and Dakota are 12 years old, and Diablo will be 8 tomorrow. Demon has more lumps and bumps than I care to admit, and Dakota has survived 2 surgeries to remove masses, one of which was malignant. Diablo is our healthy one, and still acts like a puppy half the time. The thought of losing any of them or making that decision haunts me all the time.

Got back from the vets this afternoon ... not a particularly good discussion there.  
She did blood work on Sasha and well, I'll let you see for yourself.  Now tell me what it means, please ...
Sasha's one tired pup, that 1.5 hour drive is rough on me and rougher on her since she won't set / lay down.



Hope that's readable, had to screen cap a pdf ... click on it and you'll get about 10% bigger / better copy.

So are you thinking cushings or liver? And if its liver its really broad although mostly not good. Cushings is treatable (at least in horses)

What does your vet think

@lostmaniac She drew blood before we left but didn't have anything to discuss then. I got that as an email later.

Not sure what she thinks ... we'll talk tomorrow. Cushings, liver or diabetes from what I see on the web.

She gave me some Carpovet (Rymadil) and then, in her note, said not to give it to her. Suggesting Galiprant<?> as an alternative. Problem being, in my mind, is that with few exceptions Sasha isn't often indicating pain just old age. She doesn't do steps unless she feels like it, I'd rather use the ramp but she's lead dog on the leash. Tonight she was objecting when it came to sitting / laying down but she prefers to stand when we're traveling and I know that caused some pressure on her hips.

Elevated liver enzymes can come with diabetes. What usually tips off to diabetes though is rapid weight loss and some extra peeing (though not always). Diabetes robs B12 and will make them really weak in the rear end. Diabetes is super common to happen as they get older too. Cushings alone is a little less common from what I've see. Cushings usually comes along later if the Diabetes is harder to control. Once I started treating kenzi's diabetes liver counts came back under control. I give milk thistle on and off to kye for his liver because prednisone is hard on the liver. Even the prednisolone which is supposed to be easier still has an impact on it.

I couldn't get the print out to blow up any clearer so I'm mostly going off what you all have responded in regards to liver and her mobility issues.

The figures in red are:
ALT 343 U/L H 10-125
ALKP 2000 U/L H 23-212

According to the web ALKP that high suggest some serious liver problems. Mary's initial response was to treat for pain - which isn't normally *that* apparent - I'd be thinking now that getting the ALP under control would be the major issue.

Waiting for a call back from her ...

Dont quote this as verbatim because my cushings experience is horses. But there is usually a strange oder that accompanies it. Its not always a really strong odor. But horses have sweat glands all over so that may not be a dog symptom.

This is probably one of those instances where google is NOT your friend. Keep us updated

Lostmaniac wrote:

So are you thinking cushings or liver? And if its liver its really broad although mostly not good. Cushings is treatable (at least in horses)

What does your vet think

Mary wants to do some more tests; two separate tests on two different days.  She has to fast 12 hours before the tests and as a part of each test she has to eat something between bloodwork ... can't do that on one day.

Mary is inclined to think Cushings but without testing for it she's not going to declare that such is the case.  (And I'm really okay with that.)

Yes, Cushings is treatable in dogs as well ...  liver failure, on the other hand, isn't ... but this decline has taken 2 years to get to this point so, well, we'll see.