Old dog. No appetite. Help re food and later

[Deleted User]

My 15 year old spayed old dog is obviously fading fast. She walks slowly now and sleeps a lot. She still shows token interest if a rabbit runs across us when I am in the field

She has not eaten properly for days. Just a lick here and there. I have tried chicken, fish and so on and she drinks loads. She appears to be content and I honestly hope she goes in her sleep.

I could do with some advice re food and also about afterwards because her dying is inevitable. We live in lots of acres but it is a community development and is leasehold so I cannot bury her here. What please is the next step when she dies? Do I take her body to the vets?

straws

I'm so sorry - they become part of the family don't they and it's unbearable to lose them. She's obviously been very loved and well-cared for to live to such a great age though. Does she have any particular medical problems? Is it worth a trip to the vets to see if they can suggest anything to tempt her to eat? The only thing I can suggest is to warm the food through, so it smells more tempting.
Please don't leave the vets to dispose of her body - they put them in plastic bags and into a freezer and then someone comes to pick them up maybe once a week to dispose of - I know it's practical, but personally I find it appalling. I'm lucky that my parents have a big garden and so all the family pets are buried there and I suppose that's where our dog will go when the time comes (I'll never be able to sell that house!) I'm sure there are places that will give her a more dignified burial/cremation - sorry, I don't know the costs involved, but I'm sure you could do a search.
Whatever you decide, I hope you know you have given her a very happy life and done everything you could.

Bossyboots

Firstly, old dogs lose their sense of smell. We had just this problem with our 18 year old a few weeks ago and I was convinced we were going to lose him. He wouldn't eat chicken or anything either. We spoke to the vet's nurse who suggested Royal Canin food for his breed but in fact, I found that Royal Canin do a food for old small dogs so I got that. He eats with gusto now although we do have to hand feed him some as he cannot stand long enough to get a whole meal down. RC food for older dogs has enhanced smell. They do food for old dogs across the size range. If you do not have a supplier nearby, ask your vet to order it. If you go to the Royal Canin website, you can find a list of suppliers. I was lucky, as there is a pet supermarket opposite my office car park and they sell it.

Telephone your vet and ask what to do when she passes. They will either say take her there or give you the details of the crematorium they use. The one our vet uses is open to the public and also has a pet cemetery. Don't forget to ask what arrangements they have for after hours deaths.

Finally, just to say I will be thinking about you. This is the downside of pet ownership and I know how you must be feeling.

black-saturn

I've got no advice but I just wanted to say I hope everything goes OK in the end. It must be a horrible time. I just picked up my 6 month old dog and gave her a big cuddle.

Marsh_Samphire

Our fussy (young) dog loves Royal Canin. Agree with previous poster, warming the food releases more smell and could help. Our last dog died when she was 16, was very poorly at the end but still managed to get onto my lap to beg for my Bailey's.

SnowyOwl_2

Hello Kittie

I am sorry to hear about your poor old dog - it's so hard when the inevitable gets so close.

I sadly lost three much loved cats over the past year - I had all three creamated through my local vet. I felt that it was the last thing I could possibly do for them and it was the right thing to do. For all three I got their ashes back though I had the choice of letting the crematorium scatter their ashes in a garden they have for that specific purpose.

Perhaps your veterinary practice could offer some advice about what is available and how to go about making the appropriate arrangements. It's better to be prepared I suppose.

SnowyOwl

Badgergal

Personally I take pets (that have not been PTS at the vets anyway), to the vets for a "communal cremation". Having them cremated privately/individually is often hugely expensive (for me anyway) and my finances are such that I would rather that money is spent on a living animal, vets bills being what they are.

This is easier for me to say though, because I have strong beliefs that when we/our animals die, whatever "essence" makes up who we/they are, leaves the body and it is just a husk. This became really apparent when I had my old dog PTS - so strongly did I feel that "she" wasn't there anymore, she had gone. It might sound weird but even my vet used to say what a "bond" I had with that dog so I was confident that when I felt she'd gone, she'd gone, so I could be a bit more practical about her body.

I know some people don't feel like this though and that's fine, we're all different.

I hope your dog's appetite picks up and you have a bit more time with her, I know how it is.

[Deleted User]

Thank you, all of you. I`m going onto the royal canin website now. I also did a google search and found a nice pet crematorium not too far away. I phoned the lady so my mind is at rest on that problem

I even liquidised some lovely tinned beef with water today but she wouldn`t look at it so I am really hoping that the royal canin does the trick

I really do hope that she goes in her sleep as I don`t want her to go through the vet trauma, lovely though the vet is.

livinginhope

Aah Kittie sorry to hear about the dog,we had to take our beloved 17 year old to vet last night for same problem,not eating but drinking loads,vet has said that kidneys are failing fast,and that there wasn't a lot really that can done other than regular dialysis(sp),the cost was the first on our minds,the vet then said maybe we should think about having him put to sllep this we have decided to do but in a couple of weeks.
My thoughts are with you,hope she gets better soon xx.

Lillibet_2

(((Kittie))) So sorry to hear of this, we are dreading the day we have to deal with this with our beloved springer spaniel.
Have you tried soup? My friend did this with her dog who instantly re-discovered her appetite & lived a semi-refreshed life for 2 years on a diet of condensed soup & porridge! I have also fed it to very sick cats when they are not up to eating solids. Might not work but worth a try, especially if it gives your dog a bit of pleasure?

Good luck
(tearfully) Lillibet x

Bossyboots

kittie wrote:

Thank you, all of you. I`m going onto the royal canin website now. I also did a google search and found a nice pet crematorium not too far away. I phoned the lady so my mind is at rest on that problem

I even liquidised some lovely tinned beef with water today but she wouldn`t look at it so I am really hoping that the royal canin does the trick

I really do hope that she goes in her sleep as I don`t want her to go through the vet trauma, lovely though the vet is.

kittie, my daughter stayed with our last little dog when he was PTS and she said it was very peaceful and calm for him.