My dog has degenerative disease and seizures. How much time is left?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking him to the vet right away. He may have a back up of fluid into his lungs basically making him feel like he is drowning. I cannot give him a prognosis and tell you how much time he has left without knowing more about his case. You need blood work, X-rays and a possible ultrasound of his heart to know the severity and what is going on right now. If you are unable to do the full work up, discussing euthanasia would not be a bad idea because he is currently suffering. I hope this helps. Good luck and kisses to Baylor!

Hello. Please do not be afraid to see your vet. It sounds like a reassessment needs to be made. Cushing's is not a static disease & adjustments in medication sometimes does need to be made. In addition, other endocrine problems can appear that will need to be treated. Only you can say when it is time to say goodby & let her go. We, as vets, can only guide you in your decision. See your vet & hopefully he can tweak the medication(s) to make her much more comfortable. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend to take Whisper into the veterinarian asap. Mother Nature is sometimes not fast or kind. Some pets will linger (and sometimes suffer) for days before they finally pass away. The doctor will take a look at Whisper and let you know if there’s any treatments that can be done that may give you more time with her. Euthanasia may be an option as well. This process is quick and painless and will alleviate any suffering. It’s so hard to make this decision but sometimes this is the kindest decision. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!. I am so sorry to hear about Kika. What a long life she has led! When I have the talk about quality of life with my patients, I tell them to measure the good and bad days. When the bad day far outweigh the good then the time has likely come. You as the owner know your dog best. When the pet no longer interacts with family, stops eating well, urinates or defecates around the house, uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhea or is unable to move with out pain are all indicators of a poor quality of life. Dementia is a terrible disease in humans and people. We can only imagine how the dog feels. I think taking her to your Vet for at least an exam to see if there are any medical conditions that they could treat to help her feel better. Maybe she has urinary incontinence and some medications would help. Also there are some treatments that help dementia, though it is progressive. I hope this helps in some way.

I'm so sorry to hear that Lilly has developed seizures. Seizures in dogs can be fatal if not treated. There are a huge number of newer anti-convulsant drugs that are much safer than some of the older ones (and even a new diet). I always tell people that old age is not a disease. Seizures and their side effects are much more likely to kill Lilly than any of the medications that your vet might prescribe. I think it is worth having your vet examine her and discuss the treatment options. Hopefully your vet can put your parents' minds at ease about the medication and make Lilly feel better. I have included some information about seizures below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor Jenny! I'm sorry she is experiencing this! It is a lot of work to manage a dog with seizures and blindness. Dogs can still live a good quality of life but it does take some adjustment for them. Making sure to section off a safe area for Jenny is important to ensure she does not get injured. Try to avoid moving things around in this area so she can learn the layout. It would be a good idea to schedule an appointment for Jenny with your veterinarian to discuss her quality of life issues. Without doing an examination on Jenny it's difficult to say if her quality of life is poor at this time. If Jenny needs dose adjustments on her medication this can be discussed with your veterinarian. If her quality of life is poor, then unfortunately you may consider humane euthanasia to end her suffering. This decision is a difficult one, but there are resources to help with the decision. This website can be very helpful: http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vth/diagnostic-and-support/argus/Pages/quality-of-life.aspx If you are unable to continue providing care for Jenny, but her quality of life is still good you could consider rehoming her as long as you can find someone willing to take on her care. Thanks for using PetCoach and I hope a solution can be worked out to keep Jenny comfortable and happy.

Hello, sorry to hear about Buella. Seizure in older dogs are always concerning for some form of brain disease. Unfortunately, a brain tumor is something that is highly considered and one thing to rule out. Other potential causes include having inflammation of her brain or an infection. Less likely causes include severe liver disease or low glucose. All of these causes however would require that your vet obtains bloodwork and potentially an MRI to examine her brain and look for any tumors. If she continues to have these episodes, she should be seen by her veterinarian soon. Alternatively, you may be able to start anti-seizure medications and see if this helps control her episodes as long as she is otherwise eating, drinking, and acting like her normal self. Hope this helps and best of luck.