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babypaws · Mar 11, 2009, 08:57 AM

Is there a safe decongestant for a dog that is 15+ and has liver issues? He has sinus congestion and excess phlegm.

tickle · Mar 11, 2009, 01:15 PM

Hi babypaws, if your poor old pet has lived to almost sixteen, I wouldn't even start to suggest what you could give him for the problem you mentioned. Vets consider him a senior citizen and probably wouldn't treat him either, wanting him to live out his life just the way he is, congestion, excess phlegm and all.

Tick

shazamataz · Mar 12, 2009, 04:35 AM

Seems your dog has lived a pretty long life... what breed is it?

babypaws · Mar 12, 2009, 08:31 AM

Jake is a mix - supposedly black lab and shepherd, but he's smaller than both.

shazamataz · Mar 12, 2009, 08:54 AM

That's pretty old for a medium sized breed :)
I've found a few things on the internet but I wouldn't give an old dog anything without talking to a vet first :)

babypaws · Mar 12, 2009, 09:07 AM

Actually, we have taken him to the vet. She is treating it as a possible infection with an antibiotic, Clindamycin. He will take this for a month. She said it could also be a tumor causing the problem. An x-ray might show shadows. The other choice was scoping under anesthesia, but she didn't recommend that given his age. I don't see the point to the x-ray. If they found something, they wouldn't recommend anesthesia to do anything about it. It's becoming increasing difficult to get him to take the pills. It seems that because he can't smell the food they are wrapped in, he won't eat it. He has lost 13 pounds in the last year because it has become difficult to eat. I've gotten him to eat some canned food lately.

tickle · Mar 12, 2009, 12:20 PM

Hi, baby, just realize that your lovely old pet has lived a long life, longer then most dogs of his mixed breed. As long as he is functioning, moving around, sleeping okay, happy in his old age, do the best you can and when you realize that you can't give him a good quality of life there is only one other option. One that I have had to take a few times in my long life with dogs and cats. Good luck to Jake and you.

We don't know just how much they suffer when being pushed and pulled and poked.

Tick