Elderly Lab

Question
I am babysitting my son's elderly black Labrador Retriever while he is overseas on vacation.  The dog, Shardik, is our beloved family member.  He has many symptoms of old age, including deafness, cataracts, muscle atrophy, incontinence, and reduced mobility. I was shocked to see that he has lost weight to the point that he is just fur and bones. He still enjoys eating, though.  My son said that he is not able to process protein properly.

My question is:  what can I do to help Shardik put some weight back on and also feel more comfortable?  He looks miserable, and lacks that spark in his eyes.  I haven't even see him wag his tail.  He has done so much for us over the years, and he counts on us to take care of him.  Do you have any suggestions for diet, supplements, or anything else I can do for Shardik?

Thank you for your time.

Betty"

Answer

Hi Betty,

You didn't say if Shardik has been diagnosed with a liver or kidney condition, or what his medical problems are. Not being able to process protein is a serious symptom, and feeding him the wrong foods can make the condition worse. So please get back to me with this info so I can better advise you.

It sounds like Shardik should be under a vet's care if he isn't already. If he seems to be miserable, he may well be in pain. It sounds like he should be on some kind of pain relief medication anyway, given his mobility issues. If Shardik already receives pain relief medication he may need an adjustment in his dose, or a change of medication because it doesn't sound like it's working as well as it should.

Whatever Shardik's underlying medical condition is (the reason why he isn't able to process protein) it's possible that he's in the end stages of the disease. You might want to contact a veterinarian, rather than waiting for help from the internet. Most vet offices have a doctor on call over weekends and holidays, so you can still call your vet's office to see if this is the case. If not, there are 24 hour emergency vet clinics. Look for one in your yellow pages. A vet will certainly give you the peace of mind you need, and the real care Shardik deserves.

Best of luck,

Patti