I'm Terrified My Dog Might Be Dying

I live together with my mom, in a humble little two-story townhouse. I've lived here pretty much my whole life, with my mom... and our little dog, Zelda. Zelda is a Shih-Tzu, and she's 13 years old now. She's an old girl, but I still love her more than anything. I've had this sweet little dog for half my life, and she has kept me going through all the pain and misery that life has placed in my path. I would do anything to keep her safe and happy until her final day. Which I fear may be coming sooner than later...
I've heard that some Shih-Tzus can live up to 18 years, but every day Zelda seems to be getting weaker. She spends the vast majority of the day in her bed, only occasionally getting up to eat, or to let us know she has to go to the bathroom (that is if she can hold it in and not go straight on the carpet...). Her legs have lost a lot of their strength, especially her back legs. She can barely hold herself up anymore. We even had to move her food and water bowls closer to her bed, because she refused to go in the kitchen because she kept slipping on the tile floor. But what concerns me the most, is her weight. It's no exaggeration to say that she's all skin and bones. She used to be kind of chubby actually, but now you can practically see her whole skeleton. I give her treats every day, and she DOES eat from her bowl, although rarely, so it's not like she can't find it. Though at times I think she may be going blind and/or deaf too, because she never responds when I call her name, and she's always bumping into things.
That little dog is all I have left, and I'm forced to watch her fall apart. Is there anything I can do for her? Is there anything I can do for myself, to help cope with the fact that my heart breaks every time I see her like this? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Has she seen a vet? If taking to her to a vet would be a problem financially, there are free services out there.

I think that there are some sites for mourning pet loss out there too.

There may not be much that you can do for her other than give her lots of love.

Wishing you and Zelda the best.

 

I would very strongly recommend that you guys take her to a vet to have her physical health evaluated, and let someone qualified tell you about her quality of life. You may love your dog, but if she's truly in such rough shape and can't do all the things that dogs enjoy, the most loving thing you can do is let her go.

I suggest you spend as much time as you can with her, petting her and giving her love. Give her treats. I suggest you start mixing wet food in with her dry kibble to help her gain some weight, but she just might be old enough that she can't keep weight on. I would also make sure she always has cold water with ice cubes in the bowl during the summer.

 

Bring her to a vet. Google free vet clinics in your area if you have to. There must be some place to bring her. This is going to be hard, but we are here for you if you need to talk.

 

Thanks for the support, everyone. I'm going to schedule an appointment with the vet as soon as possible, using what little money I have left in my bank account. I know Zelda's health is worth it, but I just hope it doesn't end up costing TOO much...

 

^ in addition to free services, some vets might also offer services on a sliding-scale basis.

Vet services can be pricey, so you may want to figure out ahead of time how much this is going to cost.

There's nothing wrong with accessing free or low cost services if you need them.

 

I don't trust a vet too much. All they want to do is the expensive treatments, and those treatments are often unnecessary.

If I was to go through with what the vet told me about my boy it's look like this.

Desexed
right rear leg operated on
left rear hip operated on
spinal readjustment and alignment
spinal surgery.

I said yep thx for the advice and did nothing, nothing wrong with the dog either. How dare a vet suggest traumatic surgery on an animal that hadn't even matured yet.

So I do not trust them. They are like doctors, they don't get anything unless they can convince your animal is ailing from something.That's the business.

 

Yes its very hard to trust someone who is in the pharma business!!! (Vets/Doctors) -- All they want is $$$$$$ usually and wont do anything otherwise.......


Im so sorry about your dog.... I fear 1 of our dogs,a sweet MINI DOXSEN is getting weaker and weaker also...... She is 16 or 17 and My mom thinks she has congestive heart failure



Im so sorry about Zelda OnaQuestfortheD and will say a prayer for her,she must be very pretty!!!!

Peace and love to you my friend

 

I found this on the humane society's Web site http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/

You can click on your state and it will list everywhere that is free or low cost vet care.

 

None of these things however will solve the fear of loss. No matter how perfect the care life is always indefinite. We will face these tragic times again and again until we realize that the appearance of death is not an end and does not take away our capacity to enjoy. Our relationships never leave us they wax and wane in importance to us.

 

It always hurts when our little friends begin to deteriorate, which of course is inevitable. I remember all my kitties I raised to cats.

Hope the vet will help you and your friend.

 

Yes its hard...... They are just as much a part of the family as we are...

 

Update for anyone following:
We've had the vet check her bloodwork, and it turns out Zelda is slightly anemic. Not life-threateningly, but still. We're putting her on some steroids that may help with both the anemia and her weight, as it should increase her appetite. We've also been cleared by the vet to abandon Zelda's "hypoallergenic diet" that we've had her on for years. We just picked up some Beggin' Strips and other kinds of treats that she hasn't had in ages, and she gobbled them right down like she never forgot about them. Just from the first dose of steroids she immediately has a noticeable boost in energy from before, and hopefully she'll be able to stay strong for these last few years of her life. It gives me hope to see her gobbling down food and actually moving around again.

 

That's great new quest! I'm glad your friend is feeling better.