My boyfriend's dog can't get up.

[malik]

Hi. I'm new here and I just need some answers. My boyfriend has a 14 year old, 95-pound Alaskan Malamute. Lately he’s been having problems getting up the stairs. Two days ago, he found his dog unable to get up. He’s been laying outside in the grass pretty much the whole night. He even tried with his brother to put a blanket under him so they could carry him inside the house. However this didn’t work either because he would kinda growl at them whenever they tried to lift him up. Eventually later on the night, my boyfriend managed to help him get up inside the house and carried him up the stairs. Now, his dog is able to get up once in a while, just enough to pee, eat, and drink, but he still has a hard time getting up. He still has his appetite but just has a hard time getting gup and walking. My boyfriend called a mobile vet service to come in his house and evaluate his dog. He told her of his dog’s symptoms and she told him that since he’s old he’s most likely arthritic and that his conditions won’t get better and that perhaps it’s best to put him to sleep. My questions is do you think he should get a second opinion or should he just rely on what she says and observes of the dog because she is a doctor? I told him that I think he should get a second opinion or at least have the doctor show him some kind of proof or something before he decides to put his dog down to sleep. I mean, if it was my dog, I think I would want the doctor to do some x-rays or at least some kind of tests to show me that his condition is really bad and that there’s absolutely nothing that medicine can’t do to help his dog and that there’s absolutely nothing that she or any other doctor can do to help his dog. I told him that I just want him to be sure before he makes a big decision. I don’t want him regretting not getting a second opinion especially if it could’ve turned out differently. What do you think? Please post any suggestions or opinions so I can relay the information to my boyfriend as soon as possible. Thank you.