Owners of elderly dogs help,

[Gryff]

Our 12 year old Visla on New Year’s Day became very disorientated , very distressed , and just wouldn’t get/up for about and hour
Our vet a friend came round and she like me thought he’d had a stroke
We think he has but he seems to have lost most of his sight
But no other symptoms effects
Just looking for advice now we do know you can teach an old dog new tricks we took him for a walk on a family owned secure dog walk facility he goes every day and he was+fine both on and off the lead
Our dog sitters of years are fine looking after him as he will be with them
Our only issue he’s eating fine but because he can’t smell water he’s not drinking enough I’m making him beef broth boiling up chicken bones etc skimming the fat off
Just looking for other tips for him he’s his usual laid back self
In fact absolutely chuffed to bits as+he now has a chair in our bedroom for over night
Any tips welcome all the other dogs are like nanny’s with him in the garden or if he’s about to walk into something etc

[Bootrip2]

So sorry to read this, we’ve had 2 ‘old ladies’ in the past and it is so sad to see them like this, sounds like you are doing all you can to keep him comfortable. Both our old dogs used to have memory ‘lapses’ and not know where they were or what they were doing, then followed by their old selves. My advice is to just spoil them rotten while they are here! 🐾🐾

[Gryff]

Bootrip he will be spoiled rotten it’s odd for us in 40 years of dog owning the dogs have told us I’ve had enough
Rocky was running about like a young un today in the dog walk with the other 4 of ours and the other family dogs he even the gun dog he is nose working all the time pointed on a pheasant in the undergrowth
It’s the drinking enough he just won’t entertain water cwise he can’t smell,it even although he goes to his bowl none of the other dogs would dare touch his water bowl food he’s happy to share but not water all our Vislas have been the same
So it looks like vats of doggy flavoured water frozen for now

[Bootrip2]

The frozen drinks would be good, how about frozen puppy milk you can get? And maybe frozen fruit?

[sam7]

Can you add water to his food? If he is wet food fed you can make it into a sloppy goop. If kibble you can soak some. There is a product called cat soup on the market, which is basically flavoured water, maybe giving him that? Would he eat cucumber? That is 90% water.

[Eeyore14]

Sorry to hear about your dog, we used to add water to our kcs’s food when he got older, would he like a kong with frozen treats in that have been presoaked? Or drink from a hose when he comes back from his walk, he would have the sound of the water and feel of it moving might encourage him? Sending him belly rubs and you hugs.

[olgaandcoda]

Will he drink weak tea to replace the plain water? We had a blind dog years ago and she managed fine unless we moved furniture about.

[storm]

Flowing water so dog can hear it. ie cat/dog water fountain.

[Gryff]

He’s drinking water today and seems to have found his bearings in the garden and rooms he is in the most

[Bootrip2]

Pleased to hear he is more settled, I think like us they get days when they don’t feel so good. Hopefully will be more on the mend tomoro. X 🐾🐾