My senior dog is newly blind and deaf and won't walk. How can I help?

First matter of business is Sophie's safety. Baby gate any stairs or access to outside she may have. She can still us senses of touch taste and smell so utilize those for training. Banging the floor may orient her to where you are. There are also vibrating collars available. Make sure her area of the house doesn't change. Try to minimize moving furniture or inadvertently putting roadblocks (boxes, bags) in the path she normally travels. Dogs are creatures of habit so many acclimate well to loss of senses if thier environment doesn't change. I found this article that also may help with some pointers for Sophie. https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/senior-dogs/caring-for-dogs-that-are-blind-and-deaf

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Sammy has been declining. From your description, I sounds like Sammy may have several medical issues going on. It is hard to get a good idea of what all the issues may be without examining Sammy first and I would encourage that an exam be done on Sammy with his veterinarian soon to fully discuss and evaluate Sammy's conditions. Perhaps he has osteoarthritis, other degenerative joint or neurological dysfunction of his hind limbs making walking difficult and painful for him. It also sounds like he may have some vision loss or visual deficits making navigating around challenging. Lastly, the walking around in circles and defecating in the house may be related to canine cognitive dysfunction (canine dementia). He may also be experiencing some incontinence as well. Aside from the incontinence he may have from older age, there are medications and other holistic treatments that can help with the possible dementia as well as joint pain that may help make him feel a bit better and improve his quality of life. I think a good evaluation and discuss with Sammy's veterinarian would be a very good idea at this point. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sammy the best.

At 13, it is likely that Meika is starting to lose some of her hearing which might be playing a role in what you are describing. I would recommend repeating some obedience training with her like you did when she was younger using treats for reward to get her excited about doing training again. I would also start training her with hand signals if you didn't previously do that to help her if she is starting to lose her hearing. Finally, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to make sure she doesn't have arthritis which is contributing to her not wanting to walk as much or follow commands. If she has arthritis, it might be uncomfortable for her to do some commands. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Shat a handsome boy! Usually lipomas do not cause pain so they should not be the reason he doesn't want to go outside. He may be painful or was scared by something outside. I recommend putting him on a short leash and having a treat to lure him outside. Take him for a short walk in the backyard only to start, come in and praise him and reward him again. That should help build his confidence and see if its due to anxiety or pain. Some dogs who hurt don't want to walk like they used to due to discomfort. Often they will be stiff rising, want to go, but only go for a short way before stopping. What you are describing does sound like more like anxiety than pain. You can add the supplement Solliquin which is for anxiety or there are other brands of calming supplements sold at PetCo. You may also want to try having a dog he likes come along when you are taking him out since he may want to walk again if he has a relaxed companion going along with him. I haven't found deafness alone to cause these symptoms. I veterinary exam is always a good idea also, and they may want to do a trial of pain medication to see if that helps the situation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Danny.

You did not mention whether or not Pepper has been seen by your vet. If not, you need to have that done. If she can't walk then sometimes they also cannot urinate appropriately and this can cause serious issues. If you don't want her put her to sleep then you need to talk to your vet about all the options for her so that she can live comfortably and pain free. If she does have a disk issue there are medications that can really help with this problem that may even help her walk. Acupuncture and laser therapy can also help if those are available in your area. If she is not in pain and is in otherwise good health you can consider getting her a cart so her back legs are not dragging. Hope this helps.

Molly may benefit from some anti-anxiety medication at this stage, and pain medication if she is having arthritis or other medical issues. Take her in for a full workup and ask your vet for anti-anxiety meds like Lorazepam as this may help her feel less anxious when you are gone. There are things we can do medication-wise to really help her quality of life at this point.

This is very normal especially if she is blind. I would try to entice her to eat with some plain boneless skinless boiled chicken and white rice. Depending on her previous home, she may not be use to eating dog food. I would also make sure she is drinking plenty of water. If she still hasn't urinated within 24 hours, I would have your vet take another look at her. It may take a few more days for her to have a bowel movement especially if she isn't eating much or if she hasn't eaten for a few days before you found her. I hope this helps! She is lucky to have found you.