My old dog seems to have had a stroke. Is it time to euthanize him?

Question

I think my 14 year old dog has had a stroke, very unstable on feet, head swinging side to side, appears confused. will eat from my hand but turns his head from fluids. H e also has several soft masses on his shoulder, abdomen and legs, as well as a few hard pea sized lumps. is it time to uthenize him? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 13 years and 4 months old | 45 lbs

Christie Long, DVM · Accepted Answer

I'm really sorry you're going through this with Tony. The masses may or may not have to do with his problems that you're seeing - they could be benign growths, but the only way to know for sure is to test the lumps and see what they are. Your vet can do a simple test for this called a fine needle aspiration. Regarding whether or not it's time to euthanize him, you should know that there is a disease called Vestibular Disease (sometimes called "Old Dog Vestibular Disease) that causes signs such as you're describing. They usually recover uneventfully in 5 - 7 days. However, many other conditions (such as stroke, as you've mentioned) could cause these signs. I recommend getting Tony seen by your vet as soon as possible to sort out what's going on with him, and figure out if he has a poor quality of life and whether euthanasia should be considered, or perhaps whether this is a treatable disease.

My old dog seems to have had a stroke. Is it time to euthanize him?

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