Why is my senior dog losing weight, mobility, and getting confused?

Question

i have an elderly male daschund cross named blue.he is at least 15 years old,probably closer to 19or20. over the past month or so,he has shown obvious declines in mobility,vision,reduced energy and weight loss.within the past week this has evolved into what seems to be an upper respiratory infection(cold)wobbling badly while walking,getting himself"stuck"in various places,a decrease in appetite,&what appears to be dried blood on the pads of his back feet.what is happening to him?please help him? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 17 years and 7 months old | 20 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

I can't tell you for sure what is going on with Blue. Certainly, as dogs age, their vision and hearing can decline. Other than TLC, there is nothing that can prevent these from happening. Mobility issues can be difficult to manage, but often pain medications and supplements will take out the pain component and allow the pet to continue to move to maintain lean muscle mass. Common prescription pain medications use include NSAIDS, gabapentin, and/or tramadol. Other options for pain control include physical therapy, acupuncture, and Adequan injections. Weight loss can be caused by inability to eat (as in oral or dental pain) or from a decreased appetite caused by a change in metabolic processes (kidney or liver disease, diabetes, etc). Getting "stuck" is common in dogs with cognitive dysfunction. This is most closely related to dementia in humans. There are a few supplements that may be able to slow this down a little, like high-powered antioxidants (I like Cell Advance 880) or SAM-e. I am not sure what to make of the dried blood without a picture or additional information. I recommend that Blue have a thorough physical exam and senior bloodwork performed to determine if there is any internal disease that needs to be specifically managed. The bloodwork will also help determine what pain medications would be most appropriate to use. Now would also be a good time to read up on Quality of Life in dogs. Discussing this ahead of when it is really needed will help you evaluate Blue with a clear mind and heart to know what to do that is best for him. https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life/Determining-Pet-Quality-of-Life http://www.lapoflove.com/diseases/canine/Cognitive_Dysfunction_in_Dogs.pdf

Why is my senior dog losing weight, mobility, and getting confused?

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