Suji seems to be slowing down. It’s as if someone flipped a switch on her birthday. Whereas once she was a determined and tireless walker, lately she has been slow and given to lengthy stoppages. It reminds of a similar situation with my pug, Jelly, who would just quit partway through her walks, taking a seat in the grass and refusing to budge. I would later discover that she suffered from hip dysplasia and the lengthy walks made her uncomfortable. I wonder if it’s something similar with Suji. I do know that she suffers from some hip dysplasia as well, but it’s never slowed her before. She’s been taking krill oil/MSM/glucosamine (for her joints), monthly cartrophen injections (for her arthritis), and rimadyl (a non steroidal anti-flammatory) – and that has seemed to help.
She’s also been taking tacrolimus to address the keratitis on her eyes – and I’m wondering if that might not be it as well. She seems to be having trouble seeing as evidenced by her wayward walking pattern and her recent propensity for walking into things. She can see me hunker down to offer her a treat from 12 feet away but often, if I’m holding the treat just inches from her face, she won’t even notice. I wonder if it’s an issue with her peripheral vision that has made her more cautious and uncertain in her walking.
Otherwise, her appetite is good. She’s still as vocal and cantankerous as ever if breakfast or dinner are delayed, or she wants to go to bed so she can get her good night treat. Still, there has been a noticeable change. We’ve started giving her a small dose of gabapentin for pain whenever she seems uncomfortable, and plan to bring her in to get checked out by our local vet. Hopefully, it’s something we can address.
Yes, 15 is old for a dog. But she was perfectly fine up until recently, and the sudden change has been surprising.
Leave a Reply