A) Would you allow him to keep doing what he loves to do, although it will
likely cause his health to suffer and possibly shorten his lifespan (he's 10
or 11 years old now?

B) *Keep him indoors and warm since that's what's good for him although he
is clearly unhappy with it?

Honestly, at his age it would be ALL about
the Happy for me.

Seconded. More time with a miserable dog doesn't gain you much.
--Glenn Lyford

In article ,
Tara Green wrote:
Honestly, at his age it would be ALL about
the Happy for me.

Yeah, me too. (Dealing with a similar situation with
Image).

I know this is controversial, but do you
shave him down in the summer? I probably
would do that as well.

I don't know about that, though. I'd shave his belly, not
the rest.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:
In article ,
Tara Green wrote:
Honestly, at his age it would be ALL about
the Happy for me.

Yeah, me too. (Dealing with a similar situation with
Image).

I know this is controversial, but do you
shave him down in the summer? I probably
would do that as well.

I don't know about that, though. I'd shave his belly, not
the rest.

If there were truly an effective way to only
get rid of the undercoat and have just the
guard hairs for shade, I would be ALL for
doing that.

But otherwise, it is a LOT of heat to keep in
when there's also a lot of heat to keep out.
The insulation of a nice gauze keeps me
cooler in summer, but that of a nice
sweater...not so much (whether or not I had
my pants on!). I've never truly bought into
the Insular properties of the really thick
coats when it comes to hot weather. I've seen
too many dogs get real relief from the heat
when their fur is cut short (not shaved
completely, just shaved short)

Tara Green wrote:
Honestly, at his age it would be ALL about
the Happy for me.

Well, I don't know about "at his age", but when the best possible outcome
is merely mitigating the symptoms (not a "cure"), and mitigating makes him
miserable, I'm in the "all about the Happy".

I'm sorry Khan is sliding into geezerdom so abruptly, and even more sorry
that it presents such difficult decisions/challenges to Suja.

--
Mary H. and the restored Ames National Zoo:
The Right Reverand Sir Edgar "Lucky" Pan-Waffles;
U-CD ANZ Babylon Ranger, CD, RE; ANZ Pas de Duke, RN; and rotund Rhia

"Mary Healey" wrote in message:

I'm sorry Khan is sliding into geezerdom so abruptly, and even more sorry
that it presents such difficult decisions/challenges to Suja.

It's tough. I haven't been here before.

Khan's the same as he's ever been, except for the inability to get into the
car and the falling down on the stairs. If anything, a little more sassy
and demanding. If you didn't see him in those specific circumstances, you'd
never know that there is a problem.

Suja

"Suja" spoke these words of wisdom in
:


"Mary Healey" wrote in message:

I'm sorry Khan is sliding into geezerdom so abruptly, and even more
sorry that it presents such difficult decisions/challenges to Suja.

It's tough. I haven't been here before.

Khan's the same as he's ever been, except for the inability to get into
the car and the falling down on the stairs. If anything, a little more
sassy and demanding. If you didn't see him in those specific
circumstances, you'd never know that there is a problem.

Suja




Geezerdom makes them ever more loved, treasured, and appreciated. Something
very endearing (but scary) when you watch the old man toddle around

"Nessa" wrote in message
...
On May 4, 2:12 pm, "Suja" wrote:

Anyhow, we have a dilemma. Khan hates warm weather. But, I've noticed
that
he does better, mobility wise, when it is warmer. He wants to sit outside
when it is cool and in the unfinished basement when it is hot outside.
Both
are likely not good for his arthritis, and will likely contribute to his
hip
issues.

So,

A) Would you allow him to keep doing what he loves to do, although it
will
likely cause his health to suffer and possibly shorten his lifespan (he's
10
or 11 years old now?

B) Keep him indoors and warm since that's what's good for him although he
is clearly unhappy with it?

Suja

what about insulated pants for his hips???

================================================== ===================

I have a friend who makes and sells diving equipment, and one of his
products is a battery powered heating pad that is used inside a wetsuit. It
is a simple, flexible rubber heater that could be put into a cloth bag and
used as a spot heater, as a heating pad can be used for muscle spasms and
pain relief. It uses rather heavy rechargeable batteries which are not a
problem underwater but might not be suitable for a dog to carry especially
if there is a problem wearing a backpack. But it would be possible to add
an umbilical cord, and it is rather safe because it uses 6 or 12 VDC. You
could even connect it to a low voltage lawn light system so a battery would
not be needed. His website is http://www.patcoinc.com/. Tell him you heard
from me, and maybe he can help you, if you are willing to think "outside
the box". He is also an inventor, as I am, and it takes some imagination
and free thinking to come up with advanced technology.

I definitely vote for quality of life over quantity. Help him enjoy the
time he has left, rather than lengthen his time by reducing his happiness.

Paul and Muttley

Suja wrote:
"Tara Green" wrote in message:


Suggestions? He's on K9 Liquid Gold and fish oil (Aunt Jeni with Vit E).

What's in Liquid Gold?

I'm using a combination for Viva (11 1/2, spondylosis) which has been
working so well that I'm actually bringing her out of retirement to try
to get her RE. I'd given both things separately but the two together
seem to really work wonders. With the caveat of YMMV, etc., I'm giving a
combination of Connectin and DogGonePain. I get both at KV Vet
(http://www.kvvet.com). We went from very slow/no sits and unable to
back up to happy faster sits, backing up, doing stairs without
complaint, etc.

But I too am all about the happy. If this combination has long-term side
effects I honestly don't care...

Suja wrote:
I'm sorry Khan is sliding into geezerdom so abruptly, and even more sorry
that it presents such difficult decisions/challenges to Suja.

It's tough. I haven't been here before.

it IS tough at this stage of things. i respect your asking of the group
as a "best practice" scenario, as the group experience is probably quite
collective.

to try and add something on the other posts, I agree that it's all about
quality and you. IMO, suffering is not allowed: it is for situations
where there is NO alternative. I am still unhappy with the outcome from
my last "suffering" scenario, and that was 7 months ago. but I did the
right thing, not the easiest thing. you will know when things are too
much and the suffering outweighs the cuddles and squeezes and mutual
respect.

Khan's the same as he's ever been, except for the inability to get into the
car and the falling down on the stairs. If anything, a little more sassy
and demanding. If you didn't see him in those specific circumstances, you'd
never know that there is a problem.

I've also has recent experience with this. my friend's little Pom cross
was slowly heading to her last rest, but the day-to-day nature of her
relationship with Zippy failed to alert her to Zippy's worsening
condition. with occasional visits, I was much more able to see her
decline and I let my friend know that IMO, suffering was starting. she
did what she had to do after some thought and deliberation.

i'm not saying that release is the right answer for you and Khan, but
there needs to be some sense to your actions. this has made me sad. good
luck.

In article ,
zutroi wrote:
i'm not saying that release is the right answer for you and Khan, but
there needs to be some sense to your actions.

I am not sure there is any kind of Usenet post I hate more
than ones suggesting it's time to euthanize a dog the poster
has never seen and knows nothing about. It's really beyond
ass-y.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community