Senior dog struggling to walk, incontinent, and in pain. What are my options?

Question

Our oldest dog has been having trouble walking and moving his hind legs. He also can't control a lot of his bodily functions and has snapped at my sister when we had to move him(He is also an enormous and heavy dog) .We have all outdoor pets and I'm concerned that since his eyesight seems to be declining that he might hurt one of our cats without realizing it. Should we put him down or try something else? We live in a mountain and have a lot of wild animals like coyotes around. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 14 years and 7 months old | 70 lbs

Susan England-Foster · Accepted Answer

I am sorry you feel like Sox does not feel well. I would recommend starting off with a really good physical exam with your vet. The vet will be able to determine why he is not walking well. The main concern is arthritis/ joint disease vs neurologic disease. There are lots of options for pain control in our loved patients. There are a range of medications, supplements and even therapeutic procedures like a cold light laser an acupuncture. You can start an over the counter glucosamine and chondroitin supplement however any other medications need to be prescribed by a vet. If you decide with the vet that her pain is not controlled and you feel she has a poor quality of life it might be time to put her to sleep. Hopefully you and your vet can make a plan to avoid that from happening.

Senior dog struggling to walk, incontinent, and in pain. What are my options?

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