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Need some unbiased feedback.

 

I have a 14 yr. old dog. She's very sound and in very good health. The problems is she is almost blind..has some vision not alot..and she is also almost deaf..again some hearing.. seems to be distorted.. Example I can call her or clap hands and she looks for me BUT she looks the opposite direction.

 

She walks around the house with no problem, even comes out to the barn with the other dogs..and hangs out..seems to like to lay outside in the shade. (Let me just say that at no time even with the "regular" dogs are there horses or vehicles moving around.)

 

When water is turned on she jumps around and gets excited--it's a border collie thing I guess. Somehow she knows when I'm working sheep because she WILL NOT STOP BARKING.

 

All in all she appears like she is happy and content..still sometimes I think that perhaps it would be a kindness to let her go. Might add she eats like a horse..

 

If I thought it was time I would have no qualms of letting her go..

 

I guess I just remember the days as an open dog when I was always having to get after her to slow down..take time etc..she was a working fool..

 

I truly believe dogs live in the here and now..not the what was..I don't know.

 

She's been a good dog and I want her last days to be happy..This isn't about me but about her..

 

So what is quality of life from a dogs point of view??

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Your dog sounds like she's doing wonderful. If she's happy, healthy and comfortable ... what more does she need? :)

 

My old Jesse will be 13 in February. He's weak in the hind end and almost completely deaf, but he's mainly healthy and always happy! He's not in pain, he's not uncomfortable, he eats well and he's adapted to his disabilities just fine. In fact, he romps around as well as a stove up old grandpa can romp.

 

Now, if your old girl were moping around, running into things, falling over stuff, losing appetite, failing in health, hiding from the other dogs, being abused by the other dogs, or retreating from the things she used to enjoy ... that would be one thing. However, it sounds like she's anything but!

 

My opinion is that if she's enjoying her life, if she's getting around without pain or disorientation, if she's healthy and eating and having fun, that's all she needs. Blind dogs are not at all uncommon and they generally adapt. Dogs in fact adapt to some pretty incredible disabilities and go on to love every day they have.

 

Your old thing sounds like she's doing just fine. :)

 

Give her a hug for me!

 

~ Gloria

P.S.

I knew a couple people that had a border collie and a Queensland heeler who both lived to be 17 years old. They stayed happy and healthy until the very end. You're blessed if your old dog can do so well. :)

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So what is quality of life from a dogs point of view??

Well only a dog could answer that question...

In case of your dog I think I would lean to letting her go, but it is not my dog...

What I mean is when I would be emotionally attached to the dog in question I might have a different opinion.

Doesn´t help a bit now does it... B)

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I think if the animal still finds pleasure in life - eats, doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain, takes an interest in things - then it's not time.

 

But everyone has her/his own criteria. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer.

 

I couldn't agree more with this answer. :)

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You don't say what has caused your dog's blindness, but if it's cataracts, you might think of trying Ocluvet eye drops. They aren't cheap, but they are quite miraculous, at least they were for my old girl. She was about 14 and had lost most of her sight (and a lot of her enthusiasm for walks as a result). The Ocluvet drops restored her sight to almost normal. It was amazing. I swear, if cataract surgery weren't such a big business for humans, they would come up with something like this for us as well.

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From what you have written, it sounds to me like she still has a good quality of life. She doesn't sound like she's in pain and eating well and not having other issues. I would let her continue to enjoy those things she seems to like to do - she WILL let you know when the time has come.

Give her a scruffle for me - I have a soft spot for old dogs :)

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My basic rule is: If this were me what would I want.

 

If your eyes were going and you had trouble hearing - if your arthritis made your hands look like claws - if you had to tell the kids that you're not getting old, you're getting cute

 

Would you expect them to put you down because your quality of life was not up there at the top?

 

Now, if I were in pain, having seizures, unable to even interact with others..., I wish my family could give me release. Yeah, I have a "living will". But that's only if I have to be on total life support.

 

Your dog sound perfectly happy - just getting old. It happens to all of us. Enjoy the pup and let the pup enjoy you - and life.

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JMO, but I say it's not time. She's old, but seems to get around without pain, and still enjoys the little things in life. When she is in pain, and it can't be managed by meds, then I'd say it's time. You don't want to see your loved one suffer. GIve her a scratch on the butt for me!

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i agree that it is not yet time perhaps. my criteria is to pick 3 age appropriate things that my dog loves doing: eating, barking at sheep, finding a good peice of grass to roll in, getting excited over the hose, whatever. when my dog no longer can take pleasure in 2of those things, and they have not been replaced by other enjoyable things, then i would consider letting the dog go.

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Hi,

 

My 14yearold Lab is almost completely deaf now. Brings on some challenges. Not able to walk behind her without letting her know am there. Have to make eye contact to get her to come in the house. etc.

 

As long as your 14year old can hear and smell, I am sure she thinks she still has alot of work to do. :)

 

Its hard isn't it? (watching them grow older.)

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It sounds like she is pretty happy overall. If she was bumping into things, acting dejected or her legs were failing her it would be one thing. But she is still healthy overall, getting around fine and sounds like she enjoys taking part in day to day routine except for not working sheep.

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it doesnt sound like its time yet,I think its time they are are not happy anymore, youll know it times when she stopped barking when you work sheep, when she stops jumping around exitedly for water. for my Ladybug I knew it was time when she gave up playing fetch, she was blind, deaf and would often fall over chasing the ball, but it was her fav. thing in the world, so when she stopped, I knew.

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It is my opinion that eating isn't really the best QOL indicator. I know many a suffering animal who continued to eat despite being past the point of enjoying life. Not eating is definitely a sign that something is very wrong, but many an animal will eat right up to the bitter end.

 

When to let a pet go is a personal decision that only an owner can make. You know your dog better than anyone else. If you think she is happy and enjoying life, keep on trucking away. If, however, you think she is in pain, confused or upset a lot of the time, it might be appropriate to let her go.

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Thanks everyone. My head tells me that she's happy and content with life at this stage.

 

But the heart hurts when I see the other dogs race out and she's carefully feeling her way...till she catches up with them..she's not in pain. If she could see sheep she would work them.

 

As I said before I think dogs live in the here and now..and for now she seems quite content even it the eyes and hearing are what they used to be.

 

I just kind of needed to hear it from outsiders..

 

I've never heard of ocluvet eye drops..I think I'll post in health and see if anyone else has used them.

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Thanks everyone. My head tells me that she's happy and content with life at this stage.

 

But the heart hurts when I see the other dogs race out and she's carefully feeling her way...till she catches up with them..she's not in pain. If she could see sheep she would work them.

 

As I said before I think dogs live in the here and now..and for now she seems quite content even it the eyes and hearing are what they used to be........

 

 

Then go with your head, as well as your heart. :)

 

I know I feel bad for my old guy, too. The other day, he was out in the yard at my friend's house when we were putting the sheep away for the day, and my task was making sure he didn't get run over! And this a dog that used to be a mountain-climbing, sheep-gathering, go-all-day kind of guy.

 

But ... what I've noticed is that my oldie has actually adjusted quite gracefully to his limitations. Once the sheep ran past, I let him go and he wobbled along behind them, following them to their pen. At the gate he stopped, job done. He was happy. That was enough. :) So long as the old ones are happy, healthy and well-adjusted to the changes in their life, I have no problems letting them enjoy the days they have left.

 

For one thing, Jesse gets to snooze in the house for as many hours a day as he wants. ;)

 

~ Gloria

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I have dogs that were deaf or blind their whole lives. They have had to adapt but they have had useful long lives.

In my work, I have two clients who are both deaf and blind. It is harder for people since we have a sense of what is being missed. I agree with you that dogs live in the present tense.

 

As long as you are willing to make adjustments to keep your old girl comfortable, I dont see why she couldn't go on for a few more years if her health stays good.

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I had to let go of my Whisper this past summer. She was blind and partially paralyzed in her hind end. There was not a night that went by that she didn't somehow mess in the house. That whole last year she bumped into things and kept on going in her new shuffling gait that broke my heart. But she did not seem to be in any pain. The last month of her life, I was watching her carefully, because even though it was her nature to fight every step of the way, I thought I could see her begin to start failing faster and begin to lose her will to live. The last day she couldn't even stand up, though she tried so hard when I asked her to. And even though she was unable to make a sound (I never found out why she couldn't) that day, I could see her try to whine. She had given up, too tired to fight any longer.

 

Your dog will tell you when it is time to let her go. Until then, help her adjust to her blindness, love her, and care for her. If there is any question at all in your mind, it probably isn't time to let go yet.

 

That's JMHO.

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I'll just add my two cents to what most everyone else has said. If she's still enjoying things, still interacting with you and the pack, and seems to be pain free, I would let her keep on going.

 

My Willow is 15 1/2. She doesn't run fast anymore (well, except at the most inconvenient times when she takes off to someplace she wants to go) and she can't hear well (which means when she runs off on a mission, there's no point in yelling for her), and she has cataracts, but still seems to see okay. I have to help her up steps and she plays the helpless act on the ramp and makes me lift her on to that too (okay, makes is probably too strong a word, but she stands there and gives me that look). Just yesterday, she was a little more than my van's length away from me and I was clapping and calling to try to get her attention. She perked up, her face got bright, and she was looking around for me--in the wrong direction.

 

But she still runs around with a pine cone in her mouth, will follow one of the younger dogs out around the sheep and "bring" them to me, and still tries to boss everyone else around. This dog has survived mast cell cancer and has a serious heart murmur and an enlarged heart. She has occasional "spells" that aren't quite seizures but don't quite seem to be syncope either.

 

And yet, even though it taxes her, she'll go in the pond after a ball, she'll run around the yard while I kick jolly balls and various other items (pine cones, a crushed gallon jug, etc.) for the other dogs.

 

I can't look at her, even with her problems, and think that her quality of life isn't good. Oh, and FWIW she gets anorexic fairly regularly, but so far, good stuff like ground lamb or venison will pick her appetite back up, so I don't use her appetite as a sign.

 

I had to put Jill to sleep this spring (3 months shy of her 16th birthday). On her last day, she showed no interest in her favorite thing on the planet--baby chicks. I already knew it was time--she couldn't get up on her own, nor could she stay up except with forward momentum--but that total disinterest in the little chicks sort of sealed it for me.

 

You know your girl best of all. You'll know.

 

J.

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