My dog is an australian shepherd and 12 years old. He has been active and healthy until recently, one night about 3 weeks ago on our ususal walk he just stopped. My sister was with me and she had to stay with him while I got the car. He could get in but hasn't been the same since. He does not get his leash for a walk since then. I had noticed in the week before he seemed more tired on the walk and had cut them down in distance. Since he stopped on his walk he has gotten consistently worse, and it seems heavier even though he is not eating more. The other night he got in the pool to swim as he does but never left the top step and we had to help him out, he just didn't seem to have the energy to get out. His bark is also deeper and raspy and he occasionally gags for no apparent reason. Last night I noticed his face seems puffy and his eyes seem to be bulging out. Now he walks from bedroom to family room or to the back yard but is out of breath and flops down like he couldnt go a step farther. Recently he had a bad experience at the vet when he went to have a tooth pulled. he had a reaction to the anethesia and had to be given i/v and steroids. He didnt sleep for three days after that and won't go to vet voluntarily now. He ended up not needing his tooth pulled and they corrected the dental problem which was an exposed nerve they said. The dog weighs about 80 lbs and he does not want to go back to the vet. He is highly intelligent and honkered in when we turned the corner to vets and would not get out of the car and he is too heavy for me to force out. He did not want anything to do with the vet and I am very worried, could this be heart failure. I can't find a mobile vet. What do you think, what can I do. I know he can't live for ever but was active and seemed healthy before this happened. Thanks