Elderly pets are so hard. We want to help and they cant tell us how they are. I really feel for you because it is hard to let go. We love them so much. Best wishes as you process the best treatment.

Kaths, you're a good pet Mom. Hugs.

It sounds like you have a good and practical approach. Hope there's some help for Chewie.

Sorry about Emily too! Sometimes letting them go just has to be done. I'm glad we have that option instead of letting them suffer.

It's so hard--we are going through that now with our little dog.

So sorry -- hope the meds will help them both.

I hope Chewie can be helped at the vet so he is not in so much pain. Best wishes to Emily too and her walking difficulties.

i've dealt with many senior dogs over the years and always went to great lengths to keep them comfortable. sadly, you can only do so much before you run out of options. i hope meds will help with your pups.

also, do discuss pain relief with your vet. ibuprofen is toxic to dogs and should never be given. there are several alternatives that your vet can prescribe. my go-to for arthritic dogs has always been Previcox.

Yes, no ibuprofen for dogs. The only pain reliever from your medicine cabinet that you can give is aspirin--baby aspirin.

Or perhaps you meant to say 'carprofen' (Rimadyl)? Carprofen is a NSAID for canines.

It's always hard when our animals have health issues. I feel for you.

I don't know why I typed Ibuprofen, it's Carprofen. Vet says we will still need to monitor his labs. He seems to be in much less pain although still has a slight limp.

I was able to sign on today. So, I am going to mention the U.S. version of Cdn. Cartrophen (not to be confused with Carprofen) which is Adequin. It is slightly different than Cartrophen but it is injected and much better for a dog or a cat than Metacam. It is just the injections - but if you inject yourself (at least with Cartrophen) you don't have to worry - it isn't like Insulin. With Cartrophen you inject it into the fat at the back of the neck (bunching up the fat) - but Adequin I believe can be injected into a muscle. I had a lesson.

I know how hard it is to see our pups or kitties with health issues - and osteoarthritis can happen at any age.

We use to have Dachshunds and the 2 who were seriously alpha (my type of Dachshund) had the back and neck discs go and the surgeries to prove it. Yikes! I am sure that Toronto Veterinarian will know what they cost with no guarantees that it will work.

I hope that your pups do as well as can be expected.

I hope Chewie is doing better. It's tough when dogs age. I have a Boston terrier mix who will be 14 in a few months. That date we know for sure. I rescued him at 6 months. We also have a standard Daschund who we rescued at ? ,they said three. We think he is 16 or maybe older. He was turned into a kill shelter in WVA with no info at all but his name which we changed.

Wally has a tumor, probably benign, in between his claws on his right front foot. Vet said he's too old to go under anesthesia so we do nothing. Suffice to say, he no longer hits the trail with us but goes for a short walk every day instead of the miles he did just last year. Otherwise, he's fine. Eats well, and is his regular spunky self.

Lily316, Chewie is doing much better. I haven't noticed him limping today. He has multiple fatty tumors on his belly and chest. Every older dog I've had has had them except Emily, who is ancient compared to Chewie.

Our other dog, Ziggy,the Boston terrier mix has fatty tumors as well and the vet is fine with them. He said it's very common in old dogs.

Happy to hear the update on Chewie & that he is doing much better.