My Border Collie, Cody, is starting to show his age...

[driver8]

Cody is almost 11 1/2...up until about two months ago, he was very active. He loved his walks and loved to hike.

Anyhow, Cody has arthritis and it is really causing him some problems. He sometimes has trouble getting up, and is not as steady on his feet as he once was.

Cody has been going for acupuncture and that seems to help him, and I have him on a glucosamine and condroiten supplement. He has good days and bad days...

My question is, how will I know when Cody is suffering? He is a very quiet dog, and he hides his pain well. The thought of putting him to sleep brings tears to my eyes, but the thought of him suffering is even worse.

I have never been through this situation with a dog...if anyone has advice I would appreciate it.

[auburngrad82]

1. I've got a similar situation

Our Australian Cattle Dog Petey is 10 years old and has really slowed down lately. Years of playing frisbee and ball and anything else he can play has taken a toll on his joints. It makes me sad to see him slowing down so much.

A few things that we've done that seem to help are:

We've taken him to a doggy chiropractor and it really seems to help. He seems to enjoy it (and he's not a dog that likes strangers handling him) and for weeks afterward he acts like a puppy again. It's amazing to see the difference. It's like he's a whole new animal.

Our vet has also prescribed a pain pill for when he looks like he's in obvious discomfort. That helps as well. We rarely give him one but if he's limping around and is in a foul mood with the other dogs we'll give him one and it helps him relax a bit.

Other than that we just try to keep him active but on a lower level than before. We still play frisbee every day but maybe not as long a we used to. If he feels that the frisbee is too much for him that day he'll leave it and bring a ball that we just lob 10-20 feet. He doesn't have to run as far but he still gets to play.

If we didn't play it would probably kill him. It's his job in life. So we play every day.

[SiouxJ]

2. Same thing happened to my BC mix

Finally had to put him down at almost 18. He toughed it out for the last two years or so; good days and bad. I finally knew it was time when he would no longer eat. I mean, I gave him everything under the sun (even tried a burger from Burger King and I'm a vegetarian) and he wouldn't eat it. That's when I knew he didn't want to be here anymore. I'd say just try to make him comfortable; talk to your vet and keep up with the things that work. If he gets to the point where he's not interested in food, that's a pretty good signal. Until then, I'd say don't do it! Having said that, be aware that glucosamine and condroiten can upset their stomachs! I finally had to take Rocky off of it, even though it seemed to help as he lost his appetite while on it. He got interested in food again, once I took him off it, but then eventually he lost his appetite again, much later. Cody may not be up to playing but may still want to go for short walks. Older dogs are like older people; they slow down but it doesn't necessarily mean he's in pain.

I have two BC's now so I know how active and energetic they are. That's why it's particularly hard when they start slowing down, but it comes with age. Good luck to you and Cody.

[livetohike]

3. Try massaging Cody

It will help relax the muscles around his hips and legs.

Also, elevate the food and water bowls if you haven't done so yet. Other than that, I agree with everything SiouxJ and auburngrad82 said in their posts.

There's alot of love left in Cody. :-)

[hobbit709]

4. We gave our old collie

baby aspirin every day for 3 years and it helped her a lot

[driver8]

5. Thank you everyone for such great and helpful responses...

One of you said, "There is a lot of love left in Cody" and that is exactly how I feel...

Cody is on pain meds, acupuncture, glucosamine...I have not tried a canine chiropractor -- but that sounds like a good idea.

It is tough to watch the old boy slow down, as he has not slowed down since we have had him. My wife and I got Cody before we had kids -- heck, before we were married!-- so Cody has been a member of our family for a long time and we love him very much. My wife is very concerned about his suffering; that is one thing she doesn't want to happen.

So far, the vet seems to think he is doing well. He has bad days and good days...just like my 90 year old grandfather, I guess.

Thanks again for your words of encouragement and advice. I knew there was a reason I loved "dog people"!!

[China_cat]

6. Don't be afraid of Rimadyl

Yes, it can have some bad side effects in some dogs but if it works, the time he has left can be made comfortable.

As for knowing when it is time...make a list of the 3 things Cody loves the most. When he stops doing all 3 for more than 24 hours, you'll know.