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My senior German Shepherd is declining with many issues. What's next?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 13 years old

hi my german shepherd is 13, has a hip problem, going blind, going deaf, has a hard time getting up, cannot not go up more than 3 stairs, has a very weak bladder and starts peeing on accident in the house (she's potty trained), and at random times (even when just laying on the floor) starts to do what sounds like wheezing she has never done that before. she drinks a bunch of water even if it is cold. So what should i do with her? Leah

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 19th, 2017

It sounds like poor Shelby is declining which is normal for a dog her age and breed. She has several different issues going on. The two options you have are to take her to the vet to be worked up for her arthritis and excessive urination. This would likely include X-rays of her hips and spine, blood work and a urinalysis. There are many good arthritis medications out there for dogs so Shelby may benefit from one of those. The excessive utination may be due to something like a UTI, diabetes, or kidney disease. The other option would be to opt for humane euthanasia of Shelby. I can understand that this is a hard decision for anyone to make. I generally counsel owners that if the dog is having more bad days a week then good days, euthanasia may be the best choice. I hope this helps lay out your options for Shelby. If you have additional questions or concerns, please post another question or request a consult so we can talk further about options. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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