What do you do when your hunting dog gets too old?

[akirkland]

I called BS off the bat but laser therapy has helped my girl tremendously. When she was 7 months old, she blew out her elbow. Complete rebuild and thousands of dollars. But what the hell, it was just money, right?!?! Dr said she would have to have her leg fused by the time she was 2. Well she is 9, will be 10 in December. We use Duramax, Tramadol and Gabapentin. The Gabapentin helps nerve damage also. I would ask your vet if they offer laser treatment. And I would research the drugs I mentioned and maybe ask your vet if those would help out. We use Horse Cart in McKenna. A bit of a drive from Lk Tapps though. My 5 year old male is healthy as can be but has a nagging injury to a paw. The laser treatment has been wonderful during hunting season. At $25 a whack, we go as needed though. Sometimes thats 4 times a month, so be it. We love these guys like they are our children so any out of pocket money is well spent. Good luck and if you have any questions, PM me. I'm no pro, just been around the block a few times.

[akirkland]

And needless to say, she never had her leg fused.

[AspenBud]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

Yea, I've had him on Rimadyl but he just didn't seem to respond well to it. Seems like aspirin worked better but I don't think it's good to have him on a regular dose of either one. Got a vet appointment for next week to see what he thinks.

It's a long shot, but it might be worth it to have a canine rehab specialist look at the dog. One of my pointers was walking all funny last season, acting like he had a bad case of limber tail and it just wasn't going away. We took him to a rehab clinic and it turned out he had somehow misaligned his pelvis. The doctor there is certified to do some doggy chiropractic work and after some manipulation and a couple days of rest my dog was back to normal. If you want the name of the clinic PM me, they are down in Oregon however.

[Don Fischer]

My old GSP, Hannah, had a very tuff surgery when she was 12, my vet didn't think she'd live. Well she did and turned 13 before the next bird season started. I figured one last hunt and she was retiring. She was great. I lost her just a few days before her 16th birthday. She couldn't walk far without falling down and had trouble getting up. Ate great until the last few day's and my vet came to the house to see her. Her liver was shut down and he said it was time, God do I miss her! Fortunately I had a son of her's and a couple other pointer's or I might never have had another dog. Today I make sure I have a young dog around to help me get over the old dog. Well I suppose get over is the wrong word, my eye's are leaking!

[freberd]

our oldest lab still goes out for about 30 minutes or so then wife walks her back to the truck

her the dogs liver count was doubled the normal range from taking rhymdll after hunting
so the dogs acupuncture and laser therapy vet suggested milk thistle 6 a day and after 2 months liver back to normal range

We had 3 generations of labs expected the oldest to go this first but unfortunately lost her son at 10.  So his son is #1 dog now and trying to live up to his daddy's Olympic hunting skills

We just got a puppy and will be training for next season

[AspenBud]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

Yea, I've had him on Rimadyl but he just didn't seem to respond well to it. Seems like aspirin worked better but I don't think it's good to have him on a regular dose of either one. Got a vet appointment for next week to see what he thinks.

On a different note, was the surgery a TPLO? If not I would definitely consider a new dog and light duty for your old pal. The cheaper repair jobs tend not to hold up as well.

[LndShrk]

For those facing issues with lameness in your older dogs.

I would highly suggest giving a product called Duralactin a Try.. It is a Milk protein that is used to help long term management of inflammation.

It is not a cure for broken things for sure. But I have been giving it to my pups for a few years now (13 yo and 14 yo respectively to the photos above)

They both ran hard on waterfowl until the age of 12. But this stuff really helped them with their joints etc. The yellow I thought was going to have to retire at 10 because he was really having problems after the hunts. That is when I started him on this. Within 2 weeks I noticed a huge difference and he was able to hunt for another 2 seasons.

*****Disclaimer. I have zero interest in this product from a financial perspective. I am only a very satisfied consumer.

[netcoyote]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

Yea, I've had him on Rimadyl but he just didn't seem to respond well to it. Seems like aspirin worked better but I don't think it's good to have him on a regular dose of either one. Got a vet appointment for next week to see what he thinks.

On a different note, was the surgery a TPLO? If not I would definitely consider a new dog and light duty for your old pal. The cheaper repair jobs tend not to hold up as well.

He did not have the TPLO. We opted for the suture type (fishing line) of repair due to his age. We had that done on another older dog (both legs at once) and he held up quite well . I think the greater risk is him blowing out the other leg. That's reason enough to keep him on retired status.

[AspenBud]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

Yea, I've had him on Rimadyl but he just didn't seem to respond well to it. Seems like aspirin worked better but I don't think it's good to have him on a regular dose of either one. Got a vet appointment for next week to see what he thinks.

On a different note, was the surgery a TPLO? If not I would definitely consider a new dog and light duty for your old pal. The cheaper repair jobs tend not to hold up as well.

He did not have the TPLO. We opted for the suture type (fishing line) of repair due to his age. We had that done on another older dog (both legs at once) and he held up quite well . I think the greater risk is him blowing out the other leg. That's reason enough to keep him on retired status.

Probably a good choice given you can spend the saved money on a pup. Either way I think you have good reason to consider retiring the dog or cutting back on his time in the field.

[REHJWA]

You guys Suck!
Several of the stories here had my eye threatening to drain...must be allergies.

All my dogs have been measured against my first and greatest dog. But that is only because he was first and will always hold a special place in my heart.
 
I currently have 2 labs, a 10 and a 2 year old. We hunt sheds, upland and waterfowl.
If it weren't for the puppy I would not have been able out get out 75% of the time.
The hunts I have been able to share with both dogs have been some of the best.
I try to make up for it when i don't take the old girl out. Spoiled...nope...pampered maybe... but always LOVED!     

Thanks for sharing and hopefully you find a way to share many more good memories.
 

[jackson7]

Gents,
Amazing how attached we get. my female gsp is 12 1/2 and each year I am aware may be her last. That said, she had a great season and continues to go like a bat out of hell.
I thought I might move to a little more grouse hunting versus chukar and pheasant where she would not be doing the big open running as much. Her mother passed last year at 17 and although deaf would still get out and find birds through her last season. granted, she was not hunted as hard but was still a pleasure to have the matriarch  out. best to all

[rainshadow1]

My 'best dog ever' quit on ME!

Lab, 1/2 black 1/2 chocolate. She was about 12. I had her out hunting pheasant in a really hard wind with the new 1yo yellow lab. She led the charge for about 10 minutes, then fell back, was around me, then gone. I realized she was gone and looked back in time to see her going over a hill 100 yards away.

Hunted the pup for another 1/2 hour, but she never came back.

Went back to the truck and she was lying under the tailgate waiting for us! Believe me, NOT normal! She was a FIERCE hunter. Extremely laid back and a wonderful house dog, but when the shotguns came out, she was bloodthirsty! Absolutely intense, best bird dog I've ever heard of, or seen, much less owned.

She was just done. It was funny how she knew it.

She lived in ease and luxury for another couple years, then got super loving and friendly for about three days, then disappeared. (She never wandered, didn't need to be leashed.) Found her remains a year later, she went off to die alone.

Best dog ever.

[Ridgerunner]

I ended up retiring mine and she gets the easy life now , for a long time I didn't want another dog around till she passed, then I realized I didn't want to miss that many seasons , got a new pup last week. Now the training starts all over again.  Am glad that I got another.

[sled]

  Love Them To Death!

[netcoyote]

Just thought I should do a follow-up on my setter's condition since so many of you have offered some worthwhile advice. Took the dog in Monday for x-rays and the vet confirmed that his problem was advanced arthritis in his left elbow. This was probably going on for some time and made worse due to a slight conformation issue that caused his elbow to be at a slight angle compared to the other front leg.
This problem is here to stay and all I can do is treat the inflammation. He's now on Tramadol, but it only slightly helps and I am leery about increasing the doses. I think I'll also look into the Duralactin as someone suggested.
As far as field work, he's done. We walk for about a half hour every day; it's good for both of us. In the fall, I think I'll still let him run a short time, maybe 1/2 hour or so and judge how he handles it. I just hope someone takes me out in the field a bit when I'm "all stoved up and walkin' like a crab" (a Robert Duvall movie line).