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My 11 yr. old golden retriever has been showing stumbling problems associated with his rear legs. He has a somewhat weak reflex response in his right knee. I'm told this probably indicates a neurological problem. I assume he needs further evaluation. Exrays have been recommended, though I don't take this lightly since he may need to be anesthetized. One doctor says to do radiogram to rule out spondylosis of lumbar/lumbarsacral area. Another says that can't be treated, that what we look for is demylenating disease. Is this worth it, or are we just going to find out he has something that cannot be treated? He is so upset by medical visits I don't want to put him through anything unnecessary. [His ability to use his legs is important we because we live in a 3rd flr. walk-up condo and, in our 70's, we cannot carry him if he loses use of his back legs.]

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Anesthesia is pretty safe, even in dogs this age, if you get pre-anesthesia bloodwork to rule out liver and kidney disease. So, I would not be as concerned about that.

You will not know if it's treatable without the additional (and often expensive) tests.

As far as quality of life and longevity are concerned, this is a pretty tough question to answer and I really think that it's a personal decision that you must make.

I counsel people on this topic all the time, though, and I can tell you what I would tell them.

You should choose three things that your pet loves to do. It might be riding in the car, eating cheeseburgers, going for walks, chasing a ball. As she gets older or, maybe, sicker, she will cease being able to do these things that she loves. When one thing is gone, like chasing the ball, it's ok because she might take up a new activity like sleeping in front of the fireplace. However, when you can no longer find even one thing that she loves to do, it might be time to reevaluate the situation.

As far as guilty feelings go, you should not feel guilty if you decide that your pet is no longer living a happy, content, productive life and you help him to go on to a better place. You have to remember all the good times that you have had with her. We are lucky in that we are allowed to help our pets to move on. Sometimes I wish that we could do the same for people.

Let me know if you have more questions.

I am very sorry about what you are doing through and truly feel bad for you. Losing a friend is never easy. It makes me so happy to see a pet owner who cares so much, though.

Reply to Tammy Falkner's Post: I didn't think we were looking at a life threatening disease at this point. I did think we might be looking at a serious mobility problem for a dog who has to cover three flights of stairs 3 times a day, and who is too heavy to be carried by two people in their mid-70's.

But what I get from your answer is that, assuming money is not an issue, and it isn't, you would go ahead with further testing because it is the only way to discover if his condition is treatable. I also assume you are saying there are treatments for conditions that show these symptoms.

Yes. You don't know what's going on until you delve into this more. MRI's and further testing can be great diagnostic tools which will help you pinpoint the problem and tell you where to go next.

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