Help save this dog!

C

CactusKathy

Forums Novice
I work for a fudiciary firm. One of thier clients has a Sheltie named Peanut. Peanuts owner may never leave the hospital, in the meantime I have been taking care of him. He is about 14 years old, and his health is questionable. I have had him for 3 months now. When the social worker brought him to my home he was in seriously bad health. The vet said he has horrible teeth and a skin problem. From the first day he has been a member of my pack of dogs. (Dobermans). He had some behavior problems, using my living room for a bathroom. He frequently crosses his legs and falls over. He liked being with me but would not respond to being called or any voice commands. I had him shaved because he was so matted that he could not move right. After the first month I decided he was deaf. So I have taught him to come by a hand sign. I have put him on Bil-Jac soft food and he loves that, so I keep food out for him all the time. I have to wash him with a medicated shampoo. I have to bath him every 3rd day or I and my husband get allergic. After reading many topics on this forum I think this guy is close to death. I'm dedicated to keep him until I think he is suffering. I hope to hear from others on this forum to help me with him. He's been making small improvements all the time like using the doggy door. I have lost him around the house because he likes to curl up in a small ball in corners of the house. Because he can't hear we have to go around the house looking for him. Any help would be appreciated.

THX
 
Sometimes old dogs that are loosing their hearing can still hear whistles or bells. That might help you 'find' Peanut. If you have hardwood floors or linoleum, you can try stomping on the floor, as well.

Glad to hear the doggie door situation is progressing. The poor old guy must be so confused :( He is very lucky you are looking after him.

What specifically makes you think he is dying? If he was severely matted, he might just be suffering from neglect. 14 is definitely an older dog, but Shelties can live past 16.
 
Kudos to you for taking in this senior sheltie. Must be very disorientating for him to have such a big change so late in life, esp as it sounds like his owner may have not been able to care for him for a while.

As mentioned, shelties can easily live to 16yrs, so his current issues may be due to the stress he is under. Shelties are a very sensitive breed.

I'm wondering if a sheltie rescue near you may be able to give you hand and guidance as they would have experience with seniors that have changed homes.

A couple of people on this forum do rescue or have taken in seniors so hopefully they can give you more assistance.
 
Bless you and your husband for adopting Peanut and tending to his medical needs. My elderly sheltie is deaf and I also use visual cues to get his attention. The bells sound like a good idea too.

As long as he seems comfortable and not in pain or discomfort just love him as that is what he needs and wants now. I would make sure your vet gives you advice on his needs as you have been doing.

You are clearly going above and beyond for him! Many thanks!!! We all wish there were more people like you in the world!

When quality of life and pain enter into your equation you might refer to this article:

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2009/march/ten-ways-you-know-its-time-euthanize-your-pet-6745

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress! :hugs
 
Welcome and a big thank-you for taking Peanut and giving him a loving environment during what must be both a confusing and sad time for this old boy who no longer has "his person".

You have already gotten some excellent suggestions. I would add that possibly keeping Peanut in a smaller area, rather than giving him full roam of the house might actually be a big comfort to him...sleeping in corners may be his way of seeking what feels more like a small safe den. Is your home set up such that you could have a small pressure gate that you could easily move to different locations so that Peanut was mostly gated into whatever room you are in? This would also assist in stopping the LR from being his bathroom. And, being a senior, he probably has arthritis and the aches that go along with it...a nice soft doggie bed that you could easily carry into whatever room you will be in would both give him more physical comfort and it would become an emotional comfort item too...something of his own that he can count on.

Deaf dogs very quickly learn to use other senses to guide them...smell is actually their strongest sense and smelly foods can be used to alert them and get them to seek out the food...and a small piece of something smelly like strong cheese is a good, non-startle way to wake them from a sound sleep...just place an inch in front of his nose and he will slowly awaken.

Also, as already mentioned by Cindy, vibrations are excellent for awakening or getting the attention of a deaf dog without startling them. Outside, in the dark at night, a flashlight is a good attention getter. Metal pan lids clapped together often can usually be heard even by a dog who has lost a huge amount of his hearing. And a small fan that you could use to direct flowing air over his face or body will usually get attention and it is much quieter than pan lids!!

You are doing a wonderful job in helping this old lad...Kudos to you!

Trini
 
I have a sheltie who will be 16 next week and he has similar issues with disorientation anywhere that is not familiar to him. I have to watch him on walks because if he can't see me he frequently goes off in the wrong direction, and we have walked the same route for many years.

The crossing legs/falling over may be due to muscle wastage, especially if he has not been able to move properly due to his coat being matted and also likely he had not been receiving much exercise, which is still important even for senior dogs. His balance may improve over time but at least with shelties being small dogs, falling over doesn't seem to result in anything more than a brief moment of embarrassment. Since he had a vestibular attack, my boy has fallen down quite frequently (he also has muscle wastage due to being on Prednisolone) but as soon as he is on his feet he forgets about the indignity and carries on with whatever he was doing.

I would agree with the suggestions of keeping him in a relatively small area. My boy thankfully has a cast iron bladder but we restrict him to certain areas of the house because he has been known to get stuck in places! You might find though that the house soiling improves once he has become more settled. At that age they can take quite a while to adjust to changes.

Like everyone else I want to say thank you for taking on Peanut and making his twilight years as comfortable as you possibly can :smile2:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top