Need Advice for My Aging Little GirL

[Lacey3124]

I want to thank you for having this wonderful site that we can come to for assistance and comfort; it is truly a blessing.

I have a 12yr old Shih Tzu, Lacey, that I've had since a puppy and she is my absolute baby. I do not have children, so I'm sure you can imagine she has replaced this in many ways... In this last year she has progressively been losing control of her back end. I have spent a lot of money on different medications from my vet in treating her for arthritis; have made/purchased booties for her back feet to keep her from sliding on the tile floors etc. Her back end is very wobbly, (almost like she's drunk), and now she is getting a little weak in the front end.
I do massage her back end every day, as much as possible and keep her quiet (on my bed) while I'm at work (for only 6hrs at a time). She seems content and not in pain; however, my question is:
Should I start walking her more often every day or would I just be "speeding up" the process of her disability? I'm so afraid that by walking her, that any strength she does have, I'd be causing her to become lame quicker and causing more pain for her? Should I continue to be dedicated by carrying her around, like I have been, or should I be allowing her to "walk the distance" as much as possible? Is a canine wheelchair the answer, or in your experience, is surgery an option and is it successful? Thank you so much for any advice you have to offer...
Signed,
Lacey's Mommy, Julie.
May 22/10

[CarolC]

Hi Julie,

It is hard to know for sure, but if she is weak in the front legs, she probably isn't such a good candidate for a wheelchair, but you could ask one of the wheelchair companies what they say. You might be able to take her for an enjoyable walk in a doggy stroller. Does she seem to have any neck pain as far as you can tell? Do you notice her panting? Did they try her on prednisone? It does not sound like something where exercise would help right now. Would you be able to have her checked by a specialist (which could run up a pretty large bill) to get a better idea of what is going on? The weakness in rear and front legs could be a neck problem, or it could be something like heart trouble, Cushing's disease, kidney trouble, etc. I am not a vet but a lot of things can cause weakness in an older dog. If they do an MRI or CT and find she has a disk problem, they will be able to give you an estimate of how likely surgery is to help. They judge by what condition the disk is in, so the best way to tell is through advanced imaging. If it's been going on for a year, somehow I have a feeling surgery might not give a whole lot of improvement, but a specialist could give you a better idea. I think you would want to be sure she isn't jumping off of furniture, and I'd probably carry her up and down the steps just like you are doing. By the time they are seniors it isn't surprising if they have several things going on, such as arthritis, hip trouble, etc. A lot of dogs will have calcification of the spine by that age, sometimes it causes problems for them and sometimes it doesn't. I don't know, it sounds like she is happy and contented, that's a lot.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Your baby girl could not be in better more loving hands! Like CarolC, I'm not sure additinal activity might assist her, but your massages will do her a WORLD of good! Your care should be a guide for us all!