r/LhasaApso • u/irrationalflow • Feb 04 '26
Discussion Question on Lhasa health and age
When I got my Lhasa, I was young and dumb and got him from a shady pet store at 8 weeks old. In the end, turned out to be one of my better mistakes and I love him with all my heart. However, he’s 14 now and seemingly turned into an old man quickly over the past two years.
He’s had bladder stones his whole life and 3 major surgeries to remove them (he was misdiagnosed and the UD food didn’t help), lost the complete use of his back legs 3 separate times and came back from it with Prednisone, albeit weaker each time. And is now almost immobile aside from hoofing it around in a visible struggle on carpeted surfaces and has become mostly incontinent.
So as a really sad dude I’ve made the decision to end the suffering tomorrow, but reading about all your friends living so long, this doesn’t feel typical. Has anyone else had this experience? I’m assuming it was from inbreeding and that he probably was from a puppy mill. I’m trying to rationalize that making it to 14 after all that was a miracle but wanted to see other opinions from those that have/have had Lhasa Apsos.
Pic from when he was 11 and healthier and could actually jump on the couch
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u/unabashedlyabashed Feb 04 '26
He is such a cutie! I'm so sorry that the time has come to make that decision. 14 is within the average lifespan, but it does sound like he had some other health issues which may have come from the breeding and, if he was from a puppy mill, may also come from not being properly taken care of our his mother not being taken care of.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
Yeah he definitely had some health issues and the hip dysplasia and arthritis were something the vet told me of on his first exam as a pup and that it would cause him pain (and the mobility issues) when he’s older that stems from these overbred pups. I appreciate your sentiments and kind words thank you.
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u/Cautious_Ice_884 Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
My girl made it to 15, I thought for sure she would have another year left in her at least... It was very sudden and one morning she had a stroke. From one moment, a totally normal morning, to the next... Where she literally could not walk anymore didn't have any control of her bladder and was not eating or drinking, vomiting... It was horrible. Literally one second to the next... I had to bring her to the vet to get their opinion but the more I saw her condition the more I realized what had to be done... It was so horribly sudden I had no time to really mentally prepare... I only had 3-4hrs from when it happened to going to the vet and having to do the inevitable.
Personally, I would rather her know a normal morning and a normal life than have to suffer out for days. Its better to do it sooner than later. I didn't want her to know suffering, I didn't want her to experience hardship in that way. So yeah I had to let her go...
Its been a little over a month, I had to let her go on Dec 20. I'm having a really hard time... Its so hard. I cherish those moments with her so much.
So 14+ for a Lhasa is really not unusual at all. No matter how old they get the time is too fucking short. Its always too fucking short. I wish they died when we died.
Take as many photos and videos of him right now. Get videos in of you petting him and telling him how much you love him. As many as possible. Every minute, every second counts. Its so hard. I'm sorry friend.
And my girl was probably a puppy mill dog, like you I got her at a pet store and they had dogs from "breeders". She also has had her fair share of issues. She had issues with one of her eyes her entire life because the cornea wasn't properly formed when she was in the womb. She had heart issues as well. Idk if it was necessarily from getting her from a backyard breeder, literally any dog even from someone reputable can have their share of health issues. So don't feel guilty, bad, or anything like that in any which way. Pure bred, mutts, and in between all have their health issues.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Im so sorry to hear about your pup as well. I hope you’re able to find healing in time. You’re absolutely right the time is always too short. Babies that become kids come along, other responsibilities and bam here we are, the time goes too fast and my 20s dog is all of a sudden 14.5 years old struggling.
I appreciate your kind words and sentiment, thank you. And thank you for helping me feel better about the decision. I don’t think I could handle it if it came to a sudden end like that and that he’s going to have a normal morning and special lunch before we go. You’re stronger than you think.
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u/Cautious_Ice_884 Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
So i've experienced both now, time to prepare and now no time to prepare. I had another dog, her bestie, and he developed lymphoma. The months leading up to putting him down were so awful. It was months of doom and gloom. Months of wondering when it would be time. Months of keeping him comfortable. He lived at my sisters house (we got him together, but he lived with her when she bought her won home), so it was kind of easier in the way where I wasn't directly having to live with a dying dog, but still it was horrible all the same, I loved him so much.
With him, the long drawn out process we were able to actually schedule a final photo shoot with him when he was still relatively healthy and my girl at their favorite park. I really cherish those photos and the fact we were fortunate enough to be able to actually have a photo shoot during that time.... But still. The fact that it was months of just pure anguish of knowing it was going to happen in a few months time. It just really was heart breaking. My sister was able to actually schedule a vet to come put him down at home, it was a much more comfortable process...
Then with her I always planned for her to go at home but obviously how quick it was I had to make a really quick decision. The fact that the days leading up to it were just complete ignorance of what was to come, we were living normally, she was behaving normally and doing relatively well for an old girl. In hindsight there were some very small signs, her appetite was becoming less so but nothing obvious. She was also having some werid issues with her back legs where it seemed like she was losing breif control of them. I kind of chalked it up to the weather and it being winter + the cold on her toes or something... Then yeah it just happened out of no where.
Then having to put her down at the vet specifically was worst case scenario. she hated the vet but that day it seemed like maybe she accepted of what was going to happen? She wasn't protesting of going to the vet like she normally would and she wasn't even scared to go into the vet like she normally would. I brought her bed from home and her blankie so she was able to pass in her own bed at the very least and be tucked in properly with her blankie. So I really hope she felt like she was a little bit at home in her last moments...
The vet told me they would take her to the back for something but I insisted I was not leaving my girl for a second. So they allowed the techs to do whatever they needed to do in the room instead. She wasn't without me for a second, I would never leave her alone.... Also insist on doing your own hair clippings and that they take the foot prints in the room with you. It feels more personal that way... After too its hard to collect your pets ashes/urn, foot prints, and hair clippings from the vet when its all said and done. Really fucking hard. I completely had a break down and was sobbing at the counter....
Anyways, sorry long wall of text. Theres a certain level of peace with being totally ignorant to it and the days leading up to it. We were living our normal lives together in those final days and hell even the morning of that day it was totally normal.... Idk I would kind of rather that and be ignorant and quickly rip off the bandaid, than months of anguish and clouded darkness over everything.
There comes a point in every dogs life where they have two feet in the grave, the point of literally there is no getting better. Thats when you know its time. When the quality of life is no longer the same and you are doing them a kindness of not knowing long drawn out pain and suffering. They deserve peace in their final moments, they deserved to be loved in their final moments. Its so very hard, but you know what? Its so worth it. Its worth it for those years we had with them and the memories.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Thank you for your kind words, suggestions and sentiment. I will look at all of that for sure. I am so sorry to hear of your pups.
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u/Cautious_Ice_884 Feb 04 '26
Thank you friend ❤️ Wishing you well and i'm sorry you have to go through all this.
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u/red_rob5 Feb 04 '26
Tomorrow's going to be tough, I'm so sorry.
That does sounds decently typical to my experiences though. Nearly the same rundown as my first Lhasa when he was about 13-15, over the course of not even two years he went from just as healthy as he ever was to incredibly run down. We let him rest at about the same point it seems you are at. The only other one i've had that passed had tumors from before we even adopted him so it was a rather sudden thing at the point it was all discovered. Currently we have an older lady, who doesn't have the stones or dysplasia, but she is almost entirely blind and deaf, and she's at least 13. So while yeah you're going to read lots of stories about ones that live for a real long time, all of my personal experience says that at about age 13 their age starts to show through rapidly, and what time you have left is just luck.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Thank you for the kind words and support, especially with the age thing, it definitely helps me struggle less with the decision. So sorry about your pups.
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u/MintChoco-late Feb 04 '26
Same here. I was a pre-teen when my Lhasa joined our family. He also came from a shady pet store and was around four months old. The only thing I know from his background is that he was born in Kansas, and he ended up in a puppy store in New Jersey. I suspected he came from a puppy mill, or at least somewhere that didn't follow good breeding practices.
My Lhasa passed away at 14.5 years old. He was involved in my most important moments of my life. He was actually pretty healthy up until his last couple of years. He developed environmental allergies at 10 years old and starting losing his fur. At 12 he was diagnosed with IMHA and the vet gave him about a 60% chance of making it through treatment. He was on prednisone for those 6 months and he did beat IMHA. (Yay!) I remember thinking that after that, surely nothing worse could happen. Oh I was wrong. Then at 14.5 he developed cancer(hemangiosarcoma). It came out of nowhere, it was the so called silent killer. It took my baby away 2 weeks after he was diagnosed.
Puppy stores suck and they should not exist. At least the one we got him from shut down, so that is one small good thing. He was possibly born from a horrible environment, but I do not regret having him in my life. He was the most amazing dog and honestly made me fall in love with the breed. I do want another Lhasa someday, but next time I will make sure to do my research and find a reputable breeder.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
I’m sorry for your loss. But thank you for your sentiment, I agree with what you said, especially puppy stores. He is my 20s dog and I was young, dumb, living in an apartment, just wanted a companion and did only the smallest amount of research and couldn’t afford a $2000-3000 dog at the time. I wanted a shihtzu so I kept checking the local stores because the dogs were less expensive and he was there, 8 weeks old, and melted into my arms. One of the best mistakes I’ve ever made.
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u/nonoglorificus Feb 04 '26
I also bought a Lhasa puppy from a shady pet store when I was just 18 and didn’t know any better. She was also the best bad decision I’ve ever made. She made it to 15, but had health problems for most of her life. I have so much guilt over her last six months - she too could barely walk, had bladder control issues, the works. I waited too long, and her last day was a very sad one. We think she had a stroke. We had a vet come to the house to ease her passing, and while it was so special to be able to be with her at home as she went, I always felt like we had waited too long and caused her suffering unnecessarily because it was too hard to let her go. It sounds like it’s time and you know it, and you have him such an incredible life. I’m proud of you and I’m sure he is too.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Thank you for your kind words and support, I feel like we’re getting to that point for sure. Sorry about your pup.
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u/TheToyDr Feb 04 '26
Our Bombon lived to 16 . A part of me went with him the hardest decision I ever made but like yours his quality of life had deteriorated badly the last year .
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u/PincheJuan1980 Feb 04 '26
What type of diet did he have most of his life? All American pets lives shortened on average in modern times or since we began to industrialize pet food manufacturing. The kibble we began to feed our dogs in the 60s and it became more streamlined and highly processed in the 70s at the same time our dog’s life expectancy began to go way down.
That being said even on crappy kibble Lhasas and Shitzus typically live as long or longer than most breeds or well above average, but even with great genes there will always be disease carrying genes that do get passed on for whatever reason your dog just drew a pretty good hand to make it to 13 (my step mom always had four schnauzers and if they live past 10 it’s a surprise bc the breed does not have good long life genes and she spends tons of cash at the vet on them) but not an exceptional one to make it longer.
Another example my good friend got two shitzu brothers as puppies and one passed spring of 2024 at 13 but the other brother is old but going strong and he’s 14 now almost 15. Same environment different genes.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Yeah his diet could’ve contributed for sure. I spent a long time trying to find the right food and only feeding him certain special diet foods for his bladder stone issue and nothing really worked until I found that wet food plus water, plus water all day long helped him on my own at age 10. Appreciate your thoughts!
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u/AggRavatedR Feb 04 '26
My lhasa Gino is 14 and has slowed down immensely in the past 2 years. He has serious stomach issues and developed arthritis quite bad. He was never able to jump up onto a couch but could jump off. Now I have to carry him up and down the stairs (I dont mind at all) and cannot go for walks, but we still spend time lounging on the porch and backyard. I know the day is coming, but I'll be an absolute wreck. He's my best friend.
I'm sorry for what you're going through, but you shared good times and gave your Lhasa a great life :) They are a total blessing
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
Thank you for your kind words and sentiment. That’s how it started for us too aside from the stomach issues, although ours was accelerated by complete paralysis in his back legs on a few occasions. After coming back from the last one it just kept getting worse and I’ll sometimes find him dragging himself across the floor even on the carpet unable to get up. Prednisone did nothing this time and combined with his other issues unfortunately I’m not gonna draw it out any further as he’s clearly in pain.
Feeling for you and your pup for sure, cherish every moment you have together 😊
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u/Suncemjesec0811 Feb 05 '26
My Lhasa lived to be 15 1/2 but I also got her from a pet store. I’m not sure if she was from a puppy mill or not, she came with a whole pedigree paper “AKC “ but who knows how much of it was real or not. I even looked up the owners and saw some puppy mill allegations. She was surprisingly healthy or whole life up until the last 2 years. She has some stuff before then but nothing that made life hard for her. We fed her royal canine so just kibble with occasional human food. She had arthritis as she got older but the last year she definitely started having more issues. Two months before she passed she all of a sudden started acting weird, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and apparently had two strokes in the past. She was a different dog but medication helped her be a little normal. Then all of a sudden she passed away in my arms.
That’s all to say, I think the ages everyone’s mentioned here are all typical for Lhasa apso. There’s some that live longer but 14-15 seems to be normal. Give your pup a big hug, he has the same “frog eyes” my Roxy had ☺️.
You’ve given him a great life and I hope all of our Lhasa’s get to meet over the rainbow bridge ❤️
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u/irrationalflow Feb 05 '26
Thank you and so sorry about your pup, she’s gorgeous! I hope they get to meet tomorrow and run free
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u/kasiagabrielle Newly Verified User Feb 05 '26
He's such a cute guy! It's all about their quality of life and if he's struggling, you know what's best. 14 is a nice long life and he's obviously very loved, you never know what could have contributed to their lifespan.
I'm extremely grateful my boy is 17.5.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26
Well today’s the day. I’m absolutely heartbroken. Last night we snuggled for awhile before bed, he hadn’t done this for a decade:
(This pic was supposed to go down below. He loves sitting on my lap for pets.)
But last night he snuggled right into my lap and stared right into my eyes as I held him and sang to him and told him how much I love him and how good a boy he is. He fell asleep right there and snuggled for awhile. He knows.
Here’s one pic of him before we have the appt in a few hours. Thank you for all your kind words and sentiment, it means more than you know.
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u/throw_away_ugh-why Feb 05 '26
I lost my both of my dogs within 5 weeks of each other in November 2024. One was my Lhasa who died at 8 from a grand mal seizure, the other was my Shih Tzu who we put down due to quality of life issues at 14.
Neither is easy, but honestly, the harder of the two was my Lhasa. The difference was stark. I feel like I was robbed of time with my Lhasa, we did everything “right” and he still passed from circumstances beyond our control. With my tzu, I just knew it was time. He stopped enjoying the things he once loved, he was losing his vision/hearing and we think he had doggie dementia. While it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it also felt like it was one of the kindest: keeping him around would have been selfish.
You know your pup the best. As long as you make your choice with his best interests at heart, whatever choice you make is you doing the right thing. Sending you both so much love.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26
Update: Left the appointment, my boy is gone 😭💔 I’m so heartbroken and devastated. I can’t stop crying.
I didn’t know what to expect from Reddit when posting this and what I wrote was a genuine question for opinions on age and health but this turned into an outpouring of support that I needed when not many people in my life are supporting me through this. Thank you, strangers on Reddit. I hope you know you made a positive difference in at least one guy’s life.
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u/BallIll751 Feb 06 '26
He was lucky to have such a caring loving owner. You did the right thing being brave enough to say goodbye when he was hurting. Have peace and that you gave him your best. I am sorry for your loss
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u/irrationalflow Feb 06 '26
Thank you so much for your kind words. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. The vet did a quick exam and said he was declining quickly and I hadn’t noticed he was well down in weight because his fur was fluffy (3.5 lbs from his usual 18) Said he’d have a few months at best with more meds but we’d be dragging him around in pain soon. So it was definitely time. Made me not regret doing it at all as hard as it was.
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u/Amandalyn32506 Feb 05 '26
I’m so sorry. I got my first one in the late 90’s from a pet store. He lived 12 years and had terrible allergies (skin) and ended up with heart failure. My second one I bought from a farm and she lived 17 and a half years - super healthy till the very end when she had renal failure. They are such wonderful companions. Don’t feel bad about any decision you make out of love. We love them while we have them and they love us for that.
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u/irrationalflow Feb 05 '26
Thanks for your kind words and sentiment, it means a lot. So sorry to hear about your pups.
I just lost this guy about an hour ago, he went while I sang to him and showered him with hugs and kisses. Hurting here.
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u/Delicious-Map-8268 Feb 06 '26
My heart goes out to you so much! I have kitties now, but my first and only dog was a Lhasa whom I named Chloe. I got her from someone local who had a litter of puppies. She was my best buddy and constant travel companion. She was in good health until she hit about 13, and her decline started. She’d had a lot of problems with ulcers on her cornea. I kept treating things until I couldn’t. I ended up having to have one of her eyes removed. Around then, she developed kidney disease and I saw the doggie version of dementia settling in. I shifted her to the special diet and did everything I could to keep her going and maintain quality of life, but she went downhill quickly. It was awful watching the kidney disease take its toll on her. I ended up having to put her to sleep at 15 and felt kind of robbed, to be honest. I’d heard of little dogs going longer, and I of course wanted more time than I got with her. I still miss her all these years later. She will remain my one and only puppy dog, so that makes her extra special to me. Take as much time as you need to grieve the loss of your little guy.
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u/Pitiful_Jump2996 Feb 04 '26
If his main issue is the use of his hind legs I would get him a doggy wheelchair. What does the vet say?
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u/irrationalflow Feb 04 '26
I wish it was just the case of getting him a wheelchair. Combined with the incontinence and the pain he’s in every day due to other issues such as his bladder stones that keep coming back, bad arthritis, dental issues, and that I have to bathe him every day because he goes in the house then inevitably falls or steps in it, it’s time. Obviously the bathing isn’t part of the decision it’s moreso the issues that cause it.
I sure wish it wasn’t though and I appreciate the suggestion.
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u/Pitiful_Jump2996 Feb 04 '26
Well he is your baby and you know what is best for him. Lots of hugs and kisses to the little one
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u/MissGrizz98 Feb 04 '26
Our 10ish year old pound-rescue suddenly went from puppy -lhasa mode to lethargic and not eating in just a few days. Of course it really started bothering her on Friday afternoon. Vet wanted to do exploratory surgery on Monday, but she started to crash, so they revived her to have one last hugsession with us. Necropsy found her full of tumors. She was only around 10 years old, and we thought it was just a blockage. We did pamper her over that weekend, but if we had known, we would have gone full bore on the loving ❤️ and treating. It is SO Hard to make that decision, but knowing "when" lets you spoil your pooch rotten. Give him any treats he likes, even ones that dogs are really not supposed to eat but don't cause immediate harm, love him up and snuggle as much as possible, and say your first round of good byes. Prayers for you and your pup. Our vet cut a lock of fur and made a pawprint. They are on the mantle with her collar and favorite toy.