One year ago today was my last day with Duke. It's so hard to believe he's been gone that long even though the days without him creep slowly. I miss him so darn much!

Dukie likely had a stroke that last morning, but even so, he fought to make it a regular day. He was off balance and stumbling and still wanted to go outside to walk, still wanted to pick up his toys, still wanted to kiss my tears away.

I kept praying it was a bout of vertigo...old man's syndrome. But by late that night all he could do was lift his head and I knew... When I asked Duke if it was time, his eyes told me he was ready.

There was no way for me to carry him to my car and I called the fire department at the corner. Five or six firefighters all lifting Duke in his great big bed and carrying him out the door and down the sidewalk is a picture I'll never forget. They placed the bed gently in the back seat and waited with him while I got my things and settled Emma. I still cry easily when I think about that honor walk for Duke...he deserved everything and more.

We arrived at the same hospital Emma goes every month for her injection...Duke only knew it as an ER. But he was brave...even kissing me as they wheeled him in the door...and again as I lay on the floor next to him in his bed. He was ready and no matter how much I wasn't, I had to do it for him.

It's been a hard year and I've cried more than any year I can remember. Big cries and sleepless nights. Emma doesn't believe in kisses...Dukie never missed a tear.

Dukie, I miss you so much!!! You were such a good boy!! I still sleep with your favorite toy and will love you forever. Thank you for being my Goober, my Buddy, my boy. Please come and visit me when you can.

I love you Duke... always with all my heart! ❤️💔🐾

my littlest angel, lucy, passed over the rainbow bridge yesterday on october 3rd, 2026 at 2:10pm. it was the hardest thing i’ve ever been through but she went so peacefully, wrapped in my arms, looking up at her mommy, while being pet and called baby. i believe that before she even went, that she was already in her own form of heaven.

i was a mess, naturally. but i would’ve traded her pain for my own at any time. it was so weird holding her after she passed, it’s like my body registered that it was no longer her, just her vessel which amplified my feeling of her crossing into a better place and shedding her pain.

last night, i was praying and asked god for a sign that i absolutely wouldn’t miss that she’s okay and that i will see her again. today, while driving, i turned down a road by my home that i drive down often and as i was turning, i saw a big sign name for a business that i’ve never noticed. the name was lucy’s and we drove passed it around 2:10pm. i am in disbelief and also so relieved knowing that my decision was the best for her and she confirmed that for me. i can’t wait to see my little bug again, i know she’s with me in spirit until that time. 🐾🩷

Our almost 15yo Aussie has been in slow decline for a year or so now. He’s been in pretty rough shape the last few weeks. Quite recently, he’s started leaning like this while laying down and seems quite uncomfortable. There was no incident that we can recall where he might have hurt himself. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this.

My old boy is pushing 15, for a large breed, longer than I ever expected. His vet vusit last month came back with clear bloodwork, but he was clearly in pain. He was put on metacam, which helped, but he recently has taken a turn. Heavy panting and restlessness when awake, but sleeping more, drinking lots of water, apetite not what it is normally, the pain cues are back.

Im not ready, hes been by my side since I was 20, has been the most wonderful dog. This is gonna hurt :(.

I posted here recently about my senior, Max, and his GI issues. I appreciate the feedback. I requested a med change due to Galliprant seeming to be the culprit and the vet agreed.

We just switched to Meloxicam 9 days ago and the diarrhea has stopped. At first it seemed to help his pain some but not nearly as well as Galliprant. However, now it doesn’t seem to be doing a thing for him. I can definitely tell his pain is way less controlled. He’s not even wagging his tail when I rub him. 🥺 He’s basically slept the past 2 days and is hesitant going up the 2 steps to our decks. ((As a side note, I bought him a ramp and he won’t even try to walk on it. Stubborn boi))

I am just wondering what other options we have. I know all NSAIDs have a risk of GI side effects. He seems to be tolerating the meloxicam much better than the Galliprant. I did buy some Dasuquin joint health supplements but I haven’t started them because they also have a risk of GI upset. I do think I will start them this evening and see how he does. I’m just so worried about him. I can’t handle him hurting so much. Especially when he is so happy when his pain is better controlled. Any suggestions that I could bring up to the vet. I really want to change vets bc I’m not overly happy with this one place but I do think if I request a specific med, he will be willing to let me try it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Squishy face Max tax 🥰

Mi yorki de casi 15 años..con enfermedad cardíaca tipo B1 (soplo leve) a veces tose.. tiene una masa en la boca que descubrí hace cosa de un mes...el cirujano de mi veterinario está de baja hasta el próximo día 13...mi miedo es anestesiarlo..lo llevé a un centro de especialidades veterinaria de su propio vet, porque allí Tienen Anestesista, que aparte del cirujano, estaría solo pendiente de su anestesia..pero me 'obligaban' a hacerle primero un TAC,para ver de qué se trataba, porque sin él el cirujano no opera...pero al explicarme la anestesista (que conoce a mi prima y me lo dijo con total sinceridad..) que podria darle yn shock anafiláctico con el contraste del TAC, y morirse allí seguramente, que no solia pasar pero era una posibilidad), me dió pánico y no se lo hice ... Ahora tiene el 13 cita con el cirujano, que le quitaría la masa y luego la examinarían, y él se dedicaría a la operacion y anestesia(supongo con una auxiliar..) pero tengo miedo...no sabemos si es un tumor, benigno, maligno, algo de las encías...pero siento que sobre todo por las noches como que le molesta, al tenerlo tan pegadito a los dientes..y se le escucha su lenguita lamerse la boquita...no se si le dolera, el resto del día él esta como si nada, come sale a la calle tan feliz y pide chuches...he pensado mañana en llevarlo a otro veterinario con buen renombre de la zona, a ver qué opina...mi duda es si correr el riesgo de la anestesia en su condición, u operarlo para que no sea peor en un tiempo...qué harian ustedes porfa necesito consejos...

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, I appreciate the opportunity to ask for advice about my situation.

My beloved rescue dog is around 16 years old and two months ago he became non ambulatory (unable to move around on his own). He had arthritis for years and we are not sure exactly what happened, whether it was an injury or degenerative, but he lost his ability to bear weight on his back legs.

This might make me sound crazy but I really really love this dog as I know you all understand - I quit my job, bought a special harness and new buggy, and moved back in with my mother so I could take care of him 24/7. He weighs 30kg (he was heavier) so it was tough work. We got into a little groove and I was thinking up ways I could rearrange my life around the change because he seemed to still be enjoying life.

At some point, he started to become fussy about food. It was a daily struggle to get him to eat. I was spending money I didn't have (while not working) on new foods every day for him to try, I tried cooking food, toppers, everything. Now we are at a point where he will only eat a specific kind of treat which is not affordable or nutritious as his main diet. Every day he begs for food, but refuses to eat what is put in front of him unless it is these Pet Munchies venison training treats.

We are unsure if the problem is his teeth, his system shutting down, fussiness or all three (my guess is all three in tandem). My mother is mostly in charge of the situation because I need her to pay for things, and does not want to spend any more money on vet appointments to investigate the issue. It is hard for me to even get her to buy the treats he will eat. She is a verbally/emotionally abusive character when in challenging situations and this period has been damaging to my mental health because of it.

If anyone has any input or words of wisdom regarding how to know it is time to stop trying with an old dog, or how they overcame eating issues like this, I would be so grateful.

It is really hard for me to give myself permission to put him to sleep if there is something I can do to help. His quality of life has certainly slipped since this all began, but he still has light in his eyes. It is very hard for me to get my head around euthanizing him.

Thank you so much in advance.

(Context of the photo, i took this picture while a (2?) weeks post op from surgery.)

Our Dog, Lucy is a Black-mouth cur (F 10/12?) has been loosing weight over the last week and me and my mom noticed that her ribs are faintly beginning to show.

She gets 3 meals a day/3 scoops of Sensitive-stomach brand kibble and 3 probiotic chews a day. I think this may be relevant, she’s been trying eating her own poop almost everyday. I have to supervise to make sure she doesn’t do it.

I’m planning on talking to my mom regardless tonight about, but any advice is appreciated.

I don't know if this is normal or if I'm just torturing myself, but the other day I was looking through all these old photos and videos of my now senior dog when he was younger and all the wonderful adventures and friendship we have had, and I started sobbing. My dog is still alive, very senior now, but his health has steadily declined (All age related things) over the last couple years. He still enjoys walks but many things we used to do together, he's not up for and has some dementia so doesn't always act like himself. He's lost his vision mostly and hearing as well, gets scared easily because he's disoriented. He used to look at me and engage with me more. He still enjoys cuddles but not for too long. I feel like I am mourning him in advance, I don't want him to leave me, I love him so much and he's literally my best friend.

Sonny is my red miniature pincher and is my second dog. He is turning 14 years old at the end of November. He has pancreatitis, it got really bad in September that the Petsmarts vet wanted him to be put down. But I took him back to see his old vet 1 hour away and she was able to treat him. He is doing good now but is very sensitive to food so no more unhealthy dog treats and no more table scraps. My first dog is Manny (Pomeranian) he passed away last year. His picture is in the last slide.

I have a 13 year old labrador retriever. I'm fairly certain he has peridontal disease and I feel horrible because I neglected getting his teeth cleaned for a good period of time a few years ago. He more than likely would need a a deep dental cleaning under anesthesia. Not only is the money a concern, but more so than that, the fear of him being put under anethesia freaks me out. Is the risk worth it?

An eternity with you wouldn't be enough, but I know you had an amazing 14 years.

My 15 old golden can’t walk today. I took her to the park yesterday and I think she injured herself. I don’t know how to help her go potty. She is eating and drinking water but can’t stand.

my sweet girl (15 y/o toy rat terrier) was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease last monday. she did 3 days of fluids at the vet and was feeling much better and her numbers were looking so good, but this week has been rough. she refuses her kidney food and to get her to eat something, i boiled her chicken with rice last night which she barely picked at and was not interested in this morning.

she’s going to the vet in an hour and i’m certain that there is no way that this appointment won’t end with us scheduling her to be put down within a few days. she’s been with me half of my life and all of my adult life. i’m unsure how life will feel once her time with me is done. i told her a couple of years ago, during one of my anticipatory grief spirals, to let me know when she is ready and i’ll listen and now that it’s happening, i’m not ready to let go.

i value her quality of life so i know that i would rather bear the pain and grief and heartbreak for her to be relieved of her pain and discomfort. she’s my tiniest little soul mate and i truly hope that i get to see her again, in another life.

UPDATE: thank you all for the kindest words ever. i’m literally copying them into my journal to continue to reflect on. she rapidly declined over night and i made the tough decision to let her cross the rainbow bridge today. it hurts so bad being without her but i’m unsure that she would’ve made it through the weekend. she was the best lil companion ever and i am so grateful for my time with her. my parting words to her were “i love you, i’ll see you on the other side” 🩷🐾

My lab mix turned 9 in February and the slow morning getup is a real thing now. She gets up, takes those first three or four careful steps, and then she is mostly fine the rest of the day. But I can see it. She is stiffer than she was a year ago.

I have been reading joint supplement labels and the marketing on most of them is identical. Every brand claims clinically proven, every brand says fast acting, every brand has a happy retriever on the bag. The actual ingredient panels are wildly different though.

Some are just glucosamine and chondroitin with a sprinkle of MSM. Others are loading in green lipped mussel, turmeric, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and some newer stuff like UCII or boswellia. What I am trying to figure out is whether the more expensive multi-ingredient formulas are actually doing more, or if I am paying for a longer ingredient list.

My vet said glucosamine and MSM are the foundation and collagen is the third meaningful piece for connective tissue support. Everything else is bonus. Dose matters more than variety. She specifically flagged that a lot of the "premium" formulas underdose the foundational three because they are spreading the tablet size across ten ingredients.

Anyone here who tried a basic 3-ingredient formula and a premium 8-ingredient formula on the same dog and noticed a real difference? Or is the dose-of-the-basics really the whole game?

My mom's 10 year old dog keeps waking her up at 1, 2, and 4 am whining, scratching, and pacing. The Vet has ruled out all other causes and thinks it's dementia. She has already tried trazadone and gabapentin but he still wakes up in the middle of the night pacing ans wanting to go outside.

Is there anything else she can try to help him sleep through the night?

She already keep him on a strict routine, he doesn't drink water before bed, and he sleeps next to the other dog so we feel like that reduces some of his anxiety.

Booked the appointment today for my beautiful girl’s final moments. We will say goodbye in 3 days, just a month short of her 16th birthday.

This gorgeous little dog has been the most wonderful companion and filled our lives with beautiful memories, comfort and laughter.

She has been super healthy and fit her whole life, but around a month ago started to have various issues that began stacking one by one towards her now not eating, sleeping all day and struggling to get around.

I’ve been comforted by many stories and pieces of advice here around when it’s time, after really battling with the decision when I knew deep down quite a while ago that it was due.

These precious friends leave such an imprint on our hearts and define so much of the space we exist in. I don’t know how I’ll cope not seeing her curled up in my office or hearing her trot across the hall floor, but I know I’ll be at peace knowing that she’s no longer suffering and not enjoying life.

If anyone has any advice for navigating the aftermath/ burial (she will rest in our back garden under the apple tree) and the days after I would appreciate it.

I am making time and space to grieve but also want to celebrate this super star dog’s brilliant spirit and life with positivity, too.

If there’s anything you did for your pet or found helpful when going through similar I’d love to hear that too.

I have a medium sized dog that’s 11-12yrs old. He’s always been happy and healthy. He’s always been pretty vocal too, he’s an American Eskimo/lab/German shepherd mix (according to dna test). But there are a series of symptoms and behaviors that seem to be worsening. He’s been whining a lot, panting, restless, and now snapping at the cats even more.

He’s still eating, drinking, playing, enjoying walks, not having any accidents.

We’ve been going to our vet a lot. He’s had a bunch of labs done, chest xray, urinalysis, fecal test, Cushings disease test, and now has an abdominal ultrasound scheduled. But, he is very reactive at the vet - has to take gabapentin and trazodone beforehand, has to wear a muzzle and I have to be there so he doesn’t get too aggressive. So all of these tests and things are requiring a lot of money and time and energy for everyone involved.

His whining, panting, restlessness, and snapping is getting worse and selfishly, it’s really taking a toll on me. I try my best to be patient with him, but it’s hard to not react when I’m constantly being whined at. I feel like I can’t relax anymore and now it’s affecting my sleep, because he will snap at the cats in the middle of the night. It’s gotten to the point where I’m giving him a gabapentin often, and had to give him a trazodone today because he just won’t settle down. Sometimes he looks at me and seems like he’s in distress, and other times he seems happy and like himself.

Part of me thinks the continued testing, funds, and energy involved in going to the vet, maybe isn’t worth it. I haven’t personally put a dog down before, and he has been my lifeline for the last 10 years and has genuinely kept me alive.

I just don’t know what to do.

My approx 15 year old collie is coming to the end of his life. The vet believes he has CDRM and I also think he has dementia. He also has arthritis and is on medication for that. But he is utterly exhausting. The vet has told us he is ready to go when we are and he's been saying that for the last few months. Last appointment 3 weeks ago he said we're coming very close and almost suggested we do it soon. But he still has quality of life. But we are broken. He whines and barks constantly in the evenings. In the day he's fine, sleeps a lot . We are managing one short walk a day, a 20 minute loop takes us about 45 mins. He gets stuck on the floor sometimes and we have to help him up. Overall he sleeps through the night and occasionally has accidents but not too often. He relentlessly eats cat shit if he finds it on a walk which then gives him a bad stomach.

We are at breaking point. He is so exhausting and hard work that it's getting to the point where I secretly look forward to him no longer being here which is awful and something I never thought I'd say.

We also have a 3 year old collie and she is an absolute breeze in comparison.

He has always been a difficult high maintenance rescue dog, but this is another level.

I don't think I can continue much longer but cannot make the decision to have him PTS because it feels like it'd be for the wrong reasons. I can't work out if he's happy, but I'd describe him as not really being there a lot of the time if that make sense.

This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I am so burned out and it's such a difficult thing to manage around mine and my partners jobs. Fortunately my partner works from home so he's rarely left alone but I can't remember the last time I had a relaxing evening. I'm forgetting how he used to be and think I am emotionally detaching myself from him and have been for a while. He's been my shadow for over 13 years and I'm carrying so much guilt for feeling the way I do but I am utterly exhausted and don't know what to do for the best

Any words of wisdom or advice around when to make the decision is really appreciated. We're getting desperate

my sweet girl (15 y/o toy rat terrier) was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease last monday. she did 3 days of fluids at the vet and was feeling much better and her numbers were looking so good, but this week has been rough. she refuses her kidney food and to get her to eat something, i boiled her chicken with rice last night which she barely picked at and was not interested in this morning.

she’s going to the vet in an hour and i’m certain that there is no way that this appointment won’t end with us scheduling her to be put down within a few days. she’s been with me half of my life and all of my adult life. i’m unsure how life will feel once her time with me is done. i told her a couple of years ago, during one of my anticipatory grief spirals, to let me know when she is ready and i’ll listen and now that it’s happening, i’m not ready to let go.

i value her quality of life so i know that i would rather bear the pain and grief and heartbreak for her to be relieved of her pain and discomfort. she’s my tiniest little soul mate and i truly hope that i get to see her again, in another life.