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Welcome to the forum! So glad this thread could help. It just goes to show (like many moderators have said) that even if the OP never comes back to the thread and anckowledges the answers, it might still reach others and help them. We've now had two GSDs who have acted lethargic and depressed--Sweetie at 7, and First Dog at the age of 12. As I mentioned above, Sweetie got a new lease on life through glucosamine and thyroid meds. The vet also gave us Tramadol for her, but we never had to resort to that. First Dog, on the other hand, was at the end of her life, and was suffering from liver cancer. We had been told by the vet that there was nothing wrong with her, even just three months before her death when the illness would surely have been detectable through blood work. Sigh . But we couldn't have pulled her through, even if we had known. So, long story short, do spend the money on a thorough vet exam if you can. 10 Years is not the end for a GSD, she can live another 3-ish years, which is really comparable to 10 years of life for a human, and who wouldn't want to live until 80, rather than 70? Best of luck.
I suggest you take your dog to the vet for a workup. Included, would be exam, blood work, urinalysis and maybe Xrays to see what is going on. I know what you're reading about life expectancy, but it's important to rule out anything else. It may just be due to age? It can be pain. Dogs can get depressed as well an they have medication for them just like humans.
Tramadol worked for our Stella - BUT - this is where she had terminal cancer and was in pain.
check out the thread Anyone ever used Tramadol for their dog?
We did, when our boy was in his last months, before the vet realized he had spinal cancer on top of his arthritis. Tramadol can be pretty hard on the stomach, so we had to be careful to give it to him on a full stomach. Even then, it didn't always agree with him. We were also giving him gabapentin, which works on a different pain source -- in the brain, I think. That helped. There are many more pain meds for dogs these days, not just Rimadyl anymore. But almost all of them are NSAIDS, which can be tough on the tummy.
hi everyone, I was searching the threads to find out information on rimadyl when I came across this thread. I also am researching Previcox and tramadol. One of my dogs, Moose, passed away just before Christmas due to cancer. He was on tramadol towards the end for pain management, and did have some rimadyl leftover. My second dog Piper, had a benign cyst just above her paw removed shortly after the new year. There were complications even though it was a benign cyst, and unfortunately that led to a necrotic effect of her paw that was spreading upwards to her leg. It's much more detailed than what I am writing here, but in the interest of the topic at hand, I will shorten it to say that unfortunately her leg had to be amputated. Fast forward to now, and she is doing pretty good on two front legs and her back left leg. She is navigating the snowpack that we have here, as I am shoveling and clearing paths for her wherever I can. She does have arthritis in her remaining leg, (the rear left leg). Initially for her pain post surgery she was on tramadol and Prevacox. The vet did tell me that she would most likely need an anti-inflammatory long term as her arthritis would only get worse. It has, & I just renewed her prescription for Previcox. I do not have to use it everyday - I can use it as needed... although it is difficult to tell sometimes her level of pain. Why make her wait until she's in pain to give her a pill, vs. giving her a pill daily and risking stomach or liver harm? I was considering using up the rimadyl that I have left over from Moose's operation. There is approximately a dozen pills left, and Moose was getting them 1 every 12 hours. I am considering giving Piper 1 rimadyl a day for the next 12 days and then taking two days off & switching back to the Previcox. I'm thinking this would prevent her building up either stomach sensitivity or liver issues. Before I bother the vet with this question, I would appreciate your comments. Thank you for your input. She is a 9 yr old lab rtvr mix as was Moose, so I'm thinking the rimadyl would be ok. The Prevacox is 3 bucks a pill. Small change compared to my vet costs from September 2014 to present...& I will bite the financial bullet no matter what, but if I can save a few dollars without harm to piper, then I'd like to finish the rimadyl.
Hip dysplasia is unfortunately all to common... my lab got diagnosed some time ago and my dad's dog (who he rescued from a shelter) also was diagnosed pretty soon after taking her home. The both of us have found ways so far to cope with this disease without having to operate. I've been using the Ortocanis hip brace for dogs for some time now whenever I notice extra stiffness or discomfort. My dad takes his husky mix out "scootering" (it's like mushing but with a big scooter with all terrain wheels and brakes that hooks onto his dog's harness), and he'll often use the brace as added protection for her hips and that extra bit of support.
So far we're dealing alright and surgery doesn't look like it's on the horizon. However it's extremely important to have your vet oversee the progression of the disease and be absolutely sure that your dog is NOT in pain and is having a high quality of life.
Im glad I found this forum, there doesn't seem to be many out there that talk about dogs!
Me and my family adopted a German Shepherd/ Golden Lab mix 9 years ago come this April. My father tasked me with training her, which I did a superb job, not to toot my own horn or anything, and I was only 12. She knows everything from sit to "Go get um", I just used different words for "Sickum" (Not on people, but for the rabbits she used to love to chase out of the yard, she wouldn't leave my side until I let her). Most commands have to even be said in certain expressions, with some commands I used hand signals with the words, she knows sit, stay, lay down, come, roll over and shake in both verbal commands and hand gestures. When she is feeling sassy and annoyed you might have to do both to let her know your serious haha.
Anyways I raise this friendly, obedient, loyal and super intelligent dog. I worked her out on my runs and walks as she was younger, but about 2-3 years ago she started showing major signs of hip dysplasia, which I know is common in shepherds and labs, which was followed by arthritis a few years after. Then to top it off my aunt brings her vicious untrained retriever over, and my dog being 7 years old didn't want anything to do with the jumping and the craziness. Well my aunts dog got playfully rough and was jumping and tackling and ended up hurting her hips very badly, a couple weeks after this I couldn't even walk her anymore. She has gained weight but not too much only due to a very healthy diet and vitamins/nutrients, she can even walk up and down stairs still! Not the prettiest sight however.
But about 2 months ago she started acting very lethargic, only showing energy for a minute or 2 when she is let outside to do her business, she cannot be left out in the cold and 3 feet of snow because of her hips and arthritis. So she shows her little burst of energy and happiness and then strolls back inside, to where she just lays down and stairs into the distance or sleeps, maybe moving slightly if you give her attention. Then last month we had a death in the family and she was laying at the diseased family members feet, who my dog was also very close too. The lethargy hasn't gone away, I would have chocked the lethargy up to depression but she was acting that way at least a full month before, and now she is just as sad as we are, if not more so. When I pet her and look at her face to face you can just tell she's depressed.
So I start looking into it, finding nothing helpful on the internet, except the scary fact that her life expectancy is 9-12 years. Anyway Im just wondering if the fatigue shes showing is a form of sickness or just old age? And will the sadness she is showing eventually go away? I was under the assumption that I had at least 4-6 years left with my buddy. Something is definitely wrong.
I don't know how old she was when you adopted her, but a 9+ year old GSD is getting near the end of their life. It sounds like she is showing signs of pain, old age and possible illness. I would take her to the vet to see if there are any treatable medical issues and prepare yourself for the possibility that you will have to let her go soon. I feel terrible for you, I had to euthanize my 9 1/2 old GSD back in October and still can't quite believe that he is gone forever.
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. But we couldn't have pulled her through, even if we had known. So, long story short, do spend the money on a thorough vet exam if you can. 10 Years is not the end for a GSD, she can live another 3-ish years, which is really comparable to 10 years of life for a human, and who wouldn't want to live until 80, rather than 70? Best of luck.
