My old dog is falling, incontinent, not eating. Is she dying?

Question

My female rottweiler is 15 years old, she has always been quite sedentary, but recently we had to put down our 13 year old boxer and Ruby gave up after that, she stopped eating and wouldn't go for walks, we switched her onto wet food to encourage her to eat, but now the issue is that she sometimes cant use her back legs at all, she randomly falls over, and she pees and poos without knowing she's doing it. I have to keep bathing her in the tub, because she stinks daily, is she dying? Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Female | spayed | 15 years and 10 months old | 65 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

Ruby is likely very much in mourning over the loss of her companion dog. She may be in a lot of pain with arthritis (not using her back legs), and she may also have a neurological condition called cauda equina, which affects the nerves regulating tail movement , urination and defecation and sometimes movement of the hind legs. I suggest you have her examined by your vet and have a discussion with him about the prognosis of this getting better and her quality of life. 15 years is a huge age for a Rotti and she just might be close to the end of her natural life span.

My old dog is falling, incontinent, not eating. Is she dying?

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