Advice on living life with an elderly dog

Unfortunately it’s doubtful she will want to become active and accompany you both in your adventures anymore. If you can afford it find a good pet sitter. That can come to your home and on days/weekends/holidays you aren’t home, and take your dog on a couple of wee walks and feed it. We do this in our dogs ‘retirement’ years so we can still live active lives.

Could you have something someway between a pushchair, a wheelchair and a pram onto which you could place her in a basket so she can be with you without needing to walk?

Yet light enough so that as the need arose she could be carried by one of you while the other of you lifts the "buggy" over a kerb or whatever.

Thank you so both much for your suggestions. I will look into both options. I do like the pushchair idea very much.

Your idea DillytheGardener has made me think I could try to find someone else in our situation and that we could dog sit for each other...then the dog would get to know the other dog and people and we wouldn't feel so bad leaving her.

Our Patterdale was put to sleep in February this year, she was 16.
Up until January of 2021 she could walk miles with us as we tramped across the Yorkshire countryside.

Her last long walk was about 10 miles, she came home and barely left her bed for 3 days.
Even the sight of boots and sticks no longer set her off jumping and barking.
We went on our hikes without her.
She was happy with just gentle walks around our local area, she would put the brakes on when she had had enough so we turned around and headed home.
Sleep was by now her favourite pastime.

Our last holiday with her was this Christmas, we had a week in the Dales, she had gentle walks and the family around her with lots of turkey titbits.

Her last fortnight was starting to look grim, she had lost the light behind her eyes, was becoming incontinent and didn’t want to go out.
We knew it was time.

We all have such happy memories of dear Nell and know that she lived her best life with us.

Let your little terrier just be and enjoy her company.

I see someone with one of these walking their dog.

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I'm another who would recommend a buggy to take her in on your walks. Then she can walk when she likes but rests when her legs are tired. She'll still enjoy being outside and with you.

What about something like this? I live near Hadrian's Wall and have seen dogs being carried this way by several hikers.

How about a doggy carrier if she's not too heavy. My DD has one for her Cavachon also a bike box. He still loves going everywhere with the family.

My dear friends just stopped walking together. I'm afraid they took it in turns to have outings. It was at least 3 years - the dog was extremely "vocal" and cried regularly even if only one of them was missing. I think introducing dog-sitters now whilst you have a chance is a great idea.
Their dog was no.1 in that family

Jazz is 13 and has arthritis in both front wrists, and until recently, was on Loxicom and YuMove. If his pain was severe I also have vet paracetamol.

He started crying in his sleep in April and the vet said there is a new drug called Librella - it is an antibody that helps with pain relief. It is £60 per month, and it has helped with his pain. No side effects at all.

He will walk, but not far. I have his nails trimmed regularly. He can still run on the beach every day, but I take the stroller and push him back if the tide is out a long way.

I have two strollers, one for the pavements, and one for the car. He is still a busy, curious sheltie.

If you can get a stroller I do recommend the Togfit, I saw one for sale on Facebook market place recently.

We are in almost the same situation as you RichmondPark1.
Our border collie is almost 11 and riddled with arthritis and since last September won't sleep alone downstairs. I now sleep downstairs with him. He is afraid of stairs, so won't go upstairs.

Our lives revolve around him, everything is planned around him and his needs.

The one thing that has helped him in the last eighteen months is a drug called Librela. It really is a wonder drug, enabling to go out for gentle walks again. That might be worth looking into.

Ours cannot be left with anyone else and cannot be in enclosed spaces so has never been in kennels. We love him and he has brought us such joy. Nothing will ever be too much trouble for him.

If you want more information about the Librela, please pm me.

I hope you have more happy years with your girl.

Could you foster another dog? Our Nephew’s mixed up terrier type little dog who must be at least 20 has looked on her last legs several times over the last few years. Yet each time he has adopted/rescued another dog, she has had a new lease of life.
He recently adopted a large Sierra da Estrela dog who’d had a broken hip from being run over and all three of them are getting fitter and doing longer walks each day.

If you are able to foster even temporarily, it might help your own dog without being a commitment that is too long for your own health.

I forget to say there is also a bike attachment, if you go cycling. Make sure you buy one big enough, I saw a dog in a very small one recently on one of the very very hot days, I did feel for it.

I have also bought him a 'raised' food dish.

To be frank, we stopped going away unless we could take her with us - e.g. to stay with friends. She was intensely attached to me, and although we’d often put her in kennels in previous years, once she was old with a few health problems, I couldn’t do that to her. Like you, we had nobody I’d have felt happy to leave her with.

Leaving her at home for half a day was fine, but no more. Very short walks ‘to do the needful’ were all she could manage.

She was half cocker spaniel - the owner of her mother never knew who her father was - she suspected some ruffian on a farm!
She was eventually PTS at 14 1/2, and TBH we should have done it a bit sooner.
We’ve never had another dog - I’d love one, but when you have nobody to leave them with - and kennels around here often need to booked well in advance, so no spur of the moment trips or whole days out - it’d be just too much of a tie.

@Maya1 yes, kennel days are over for Jazz too.

I was very upset to collect him from kennels recently after my first trip away since lockdown, and find he had poo stuck in his fur, they hadn't checked his bottom. No idea how long he'd been like that, I thought they would be giving him special attention as they know his age, I won't ever take him again. He'll be 14 on 12 October.

That is awful. Razzamatazz. How uncomfortable for poor Jazz.
He looks an absolutely stunning boy in his photo.

Glad he is doing well on the Librela.

Thank you all so much for your understanding and helpful advice. I loved hearing about your dogs and seeing the beautiful photos of Jazz and Nell. Don't we all love our pups!

I will speak to the vet about Librela and am going to look into the togfit/bike basket idea. We would do anything for her really to ensure that her life is as happy as it can be for as long as possible. Here's my girl Tilly.

Well all these lovely pooches are so lucky to have loving families. I do hope you get something sorted for little Tilly!

I met someone last night, she had her 15 year old dog in a buggy.

Her dog hadn't been out of her garden for two years because of her difficulty walking, the owner admitted to being embarrassed to use a buggy until she saw me passing regularly with mine. I'm glad her dog has some stimulation again.

Maybe have several options for dog transport. I wonder if your dog would be small enough to fit one of these baby carriers that strap on to the parent's chest or back.

My GRT is small enough for one of those however I understand yours is mixed breed so may be bigger than my dog.

I mean JRT

Oh dear this has brought it all back to when our border collie was getting old. I think it started with her becoming deaf. (sounds like me).
She got to 15-16 and then started wanting to be out all night barking. We let her sleep with us but no, she was so restless and wanted to be out.
At the time we were moving back to England, so the vet advised we have her PTS. Such a sad decision for our dear little friend. but we needed to take the responsibility.

If you go Facebook there is a turmeric users group. They have a recipe for turmeric bites that have proven to be useful for arthritis, joint pain etc in both humans and animals. There are many wonderful stories on how it helped people with their dogs. There is no charge for the information and the only costs are the ingredients you can get from any supermarket. Might be worth a look.

My 16 year old Border Terrier used a buggy in the last year of her life and it was a success for her. She was always so active I thought she would never accept this mode of travel but I was wrong. She stuck her nose up in the air and gracefully acknowledged her adoring fans. She is greatly missed.