Nail Trouble

Question
the German shepherd i babysit is 16 years old and is huge. hes well over 100lbs but isn't overweight, hes rather thin. His owners don't really care that much about him. I feel so bad for him when i take him for walks and he ends up dragging his back legs and carrying him is kind of out of the question. I was thinking that it was hip dysplasia, but then i noticed his nails were bleeding on the back, because his feet sometimes drag as we're walking. Ive tried making him shoes(there aren't any doggy shoes big enough for his feet) but he just ends up falling all over the place. I'm not really sure what else to do for him, but i keep trying to stop them from putting him down and i think his time is running out:( please help

Answer
16 is really old for any large dog. It's time to expect him to have some health issues. Have they had him vetted to find out what the problem is? It could be something as simple as arthritis. Rimadyl is a wonderful drug to help older dogs with their levels of pain. See if you can talk them into getting him to a vet and finding out exactly what's going on.  He could continue to live a good life if he can live it pain free. If his pain is beyond help then putting him down would be a blessing. It's part of the responsibility of being a pet owner to make sure our dogs don't suffer needlessly through old age. It's wonderful that he has you in the last years of his life to keep him company. From the symptoms it honestly sounds more neurological, like he possibly has had a stroke. That being said, he might not be in a place that medication will help him. If they wont' take him to be be vetted, maybe they would allow you to?
Cindi