NationStates Jolt Archive

It's 6:30 AM here and I have been up for 2 hours. Why? Because my little Pomeranian, Dolly Doodle (aka: Dolly Wolly Doodled on the Floor Again), woke me up barking for food. Why would I spring out of bed at 4:30 to feed a spoiled pet? Because Doodles will be 18 on December 2. She's hard of hearing, has cataracts on both eyes, has lost all of her teeth, has the old lady funk, and for the last 2-3 weeks hasn't been eating much. She is still very spry and bouncy (vet says her heart is good and she doesn't have any major aches or pains). She barks at the fridge and pantry and does her "num-num dance", but when we give her something to eat she turns up her nose and starts barking again. Last night we tried to tempt her with 2 different kinds of her soft mushy dog food, finely diced hot dogs, diced steak, and a little saucer of cream gravy. Before you say anything about her horrible diet, remember, she is almost 18 and has lived long past her expected span. I'm not worried about shortening her life and would give her a shot of whiskey and a smoke if she wanted it. Finally, she showed an interest in some fried cheese sticks my hubby was eating. There we were, 10 PM, cooking up cheese sticks, quick cooling them in the freezer, dicing them up, and hand feeding them one tiny piece at a time. She ate about six little pieces and went to bed. :( This morning she isn't showing interest in the cheese or anything else. :( :(

She's getting awfully skinny, and I'm having to seriously consider her quality of life. Although nothing else seems to be causing her discomfort, she has to be hungry. Is this an indication of a failing body or a spoiled rotten little dog? Do I need to consider putting her to sleep, or let her go hungry until she eats what she is given? I can't bear to think of losing her, but I would never want her to suffer. What would you do?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/Zooke/HerMajestyDollyDoodle.jpg

The dog is simply spoiled rotten. If it saw you eating a can of dog food then it might show interest in it. :)

If she wont eat, it might be best to put her down.

How much is it to get doggy cataracts removed? Might help if she could see.

The dog is simply spoiled rotten. If it saw you eating a can of dog food then it might show interest in it. :)

That's what I would think, except Doodles has always had a really good appetite. She may only be 3 pounds, but she has always eaten like a wolf. Due to her age she doesn't blow her coat anymore, so we had her clipped for the summer. She is really looking bad with her little hip bones protruding and her ribs showing. If the other dogs around here didn't look like they needed to go to fat camp, people would think we neglected our animals.

If she wont eat, it might be best to put her down.

How much is it to get doggy cataracts removed? Might help if she could see.

It's not the expense of removing the cataracts, it's the anesthesia danger for such an old dog. We don't move any furniture and she seems able to navigate the house and yard with no problem. We just have to be careful not to sneak up on her and scare her.

Well, I know a cousin of mine (who's a vet) has a dog, that they inserted a tube in through its back, and it wears a blanket/doggy sweater over it to cover the hole, and you feed it through that. You could enquire about that.
-Sanctaphrax-

Well, I know a cousin of mine (who's a vet) has a dog, that they inserted a tube in through its back, and it wears a blanket/doggy sweater over it to cover the hole, and you feed it through that. You could enquire about that.
-Sanctaphrax-

I don't know if that would be advised for such an old dog. Anyway, she likes to wear bandannas (fan-dannies) and our schipperke, Sophie, can't stand it and tries to pull them off. Sophie also tries to herd Doodles with little tugs and pushes. I can see something like that ending very bad...and again there is the major anesthesia risk.

Oh, I know what needs to be done if this continues. I just don't know if I can do it.

She just wolfed down about half a can of vienna sausages. Guess I need to go to the store and buy a case of them. :)

Congrats! :D

Congrats! :D

:D :D :D :D :D

Now we're going to wait for Eutrusca to log on so we can watch him on webcam. I don't know how much she can see or hear, but she'll watch him for hours. Must be his animal magnetism. :fluffle:

Hmmm... just realised... you're as young as my dad...

Hmmm... just realised... you're as young as my dad...

Young as your dad....thank you....I think. :confused: :confused:

Young as your dad....thank you....I think. :confused: :confused:
Yes... my single dad...

I would never hesitate to put down anything named "Doodles". George Carlin said "Life is a series of dogs". Eighteen years is a good run and if the animal can't function on it's own, it's more hassle than companion.

My cat is 19. She went through a similar thing, refusing to eat much, and making "feed me" noises, would only eat "people" food. I thought she was just being finnicky at first, and then she lost weight. It was mid-winter, and she seemed happy otherwise, so I let it go until spring. When I finally took to her to the vet, they diagnosed a hyperactive thyroid, and gave her medication, which she is still on. She is much better now, eats regularly again without complaining, the inexplicable crying has stopped. Ask your vet for a blood work-up. It costs about $200 but it's worth it.

Yes... my single dad...

Single, huh? Wait a minute while I ask my husband if it is OK to meet him. :p

By the way, 12/2 is the day Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor. It was also the day when he won at Austerlitz:D. Nice birthday for a dog eh?

I would never hesitate to put down anything named "Doodles". George Carlin said "Life is a series of dogs". Eighteen years is a good run and if the animal can't function on it's own, it's more hassle than companion.

It's actually Dolly Wolly Doodled on the Floor Again = Dolly Doodles. She's literally dumb as a box of rocks and it took over a year to housebreak her. It was a year of Dolly doodles everywhere.

She functions very well and is pretty active. It's just that her appetite is off. I'm going to follow Willamena's suggestion and ask our vet to run a few tests. It's not uncommon for my pets to live 20 years or more, so I don't want to sell her short if it can be fixed easily.

By the way, 12/2 is the day Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor. It was also the day when he won at Austerlitz:D. Nice birthday for a dog eh?

It's also my father-in-law's birthday and he's a great guy. Don and Dolly Doodles celebrate together each year.

It's actually Dolly Wolly Doodled on the Floor Again = Dolly Doodles. She's literally dumb as a box of rocks and it took over a year to housebreak her. It was a year of Dolly doodles everywhere.

She functions very well and is pretty active. It's just that her appetite is off. I'm going to follow Willamena's suggestion and ask our vet to run a few tests. It's not uncommon for my pets to live 20 years or more, so I don't want to sell her short if it can be fixed easily.
We have a couple of little dogs, a Yorkie and a Rat Terrier, both of them are old and incontentent, and a lot of trouble. I couldn't ever bring myself to put them down until the day comes that they are miserable. Maybe a quick visit to the vet would solve a worm problem, or something.

Our dog sam was put down last year. He was 16 and had gone completely daft but about 3 years ago he had a similar problem to your dog and the vet put him on Vivitonin. It made him all zoomy and he seemed to lose about 5 years. he regained his appetite and was really quite happy for the next few years.
I eventually found him standing in the garden facing the corner. he'd been there for several hours and didn't know where he was so he had to be put out of his misery but I recon the Vivitonin gave him a free 3 years.

It's worth a visit to your vet. They have all kinds of good stuff.