[Cujosmommy]

I have a Shi-tzu he is 12 yrs old and recently he wont go up the stairs like he cant he will however go down them his eating is good and his drinking he is not really playful and today when i walked him his stool was soft and looked like it had clear mucus any idea what could be wrong he is getting up there in age.

[Lunareclipse]

First off, your dog is 12 years old. That is a senior dog. That is like asking an 80 year old granny to go up the stairs. At this age, you should probably have your dog vet checked to see if it has any health issues that senior dogs generally get. Your pooch probably should be carried upstairs from now on unless it wants to stay downstairs. Your dog might only have 1-3 years left on it. They normally live 12-15 years. Maybe you can ask your vet about senior food or something for senior dog's joints. They get arthritis just like we do.

[cigwyllt]

Royal Canin do a special mobility diet which helps a lot.

I would certainly have him checked by the vet as his bowel movements sound a little odd but as for the stairs - he is only a little dog, just carry him. Towards the end my Jack Russell needed to be carried upstairs but it was never an issue, just what we did.

[Lunareclipse]

Our oldest saint can't go up the stairs at all so we put a crib mattress downstairs for her to lay on. There is no way I'm gonna carry her up the stairs. I can imagine her reaction. She's never been picked up.