Quote:

---

May not be anything to do with hips. Congestive heart failure can manifest itself as a cough and fainting i.e. the dog collapses but gets back up again and carries on. Had a Jack Russell who suddenly started to show these signs when she got to about 15 years old. The vet told me that dogs only use a small percentage of their heart capacity but as age catches up on them they can quickly go from being very fit and agile to failing as their heart capacity has finally got to the stage where it can't keep up. Vet gave me some pills to try but told me the old dogs heart was dying quicker than the rest of the dog. While the little terrier didn't seem in any pain I imagine suffering from bouts of unable to get enough oxygen in to keep up with an active body was no fun and the pills didn't help so sadly I put her down.

---

I don't like this post! But a good comment.

Blitzen did have a vet checkup maybe in January or December? The vet said his heart beat was good.

I think a new vet visit is called for. He got a lot worse since January. His cough was there. It comes and goes. I think mainly when he gets cold.

It could be his heart. He has never been great in the heat even when young. But he does have trouble getting up and rising with his rear half. So hopefully that and not heart problems. Old man back problems I hope.

Lots of people have mentioned fish oil and krill oil tablets. As well as tumeric.

As I have all of these, for me , he is getting them now., Wrapped in mince meat, and handed to him, he just swallows. In his food, will probably spit them out.

So he is getting a fish oil tablet, and a combined krill and curcumin (tumeric) a day now. These are all good for muscles, arteries and the heart.

Old age, what a pain.

***

A question. Sardines in oil. I want to feed them to him. I assume he will eat them. He has never before. How many should one feed a week? I don't want to over do it, more than necessary, too expensive.