what to do ....my dog

[cathspythons]

Originally Posted by mask-of-sanity

selfish as it might sound, i am not ready to let him go ....dont get me wrong i hate seeing him in pain, he is starting a new medication tomorroq which i hope and prey controls his pain, if it doesnt then i no i will have to think again about letting him go ,the thought breaks my heart

Only you will now if the time is right or not,go with what your heart tells you.

Originally Posted by KathyM

Please ignore advice like this - noone can tell you when it's time to put an animal to sleep, especially when that person is a stranger on the internet.

I would go with what a vet says personally, the OP didn't even ask whether it was time, sheesh.

The OP asked for opinions,i gave mine.Some people may agree some people may not.

[marthaMoo]

Originally Posted by mask-of-sanity

we know they have got worse but they want to see by what extent, to me its to risky for him , although i trust my vets i really dont no what to do, one vet is a personal friend but she is away right now. i am going to see if i can get hold of her as she will be totally honest with me, she also is the owner of the practice

Mmmm but will them seeing the extent of damage to his joints change anything? It wont change his meds or the amount he's on? As far as I know there are a few pain killers which are given out for Arthritus. Obviously other routes could of been taken if he were a young dog, but he isnt and I doubt there thinking of putting him through surgery.

How I think of it with Tess is, I am now only happy to give palliative care, She will not be x-rayed or operated on for any of her health conditions she has or could have. Dont get me wrong if she cut herself open and needed to be stitched that would be done, but nothing major. And my vet knows that. Because there is no point looking at something that you already know is there that you cant do anything about when they are a certain age with health problems already.

[mask-of-sanity]

Originally Posted by marthaMoo

Forgot to add, my Lab is now 12 she has arthritus in her hips and spine, she isnt great on her back legs, somedays I have to carry her up the steps (which nearly kills me..lol), she is also incontenant at times. She is on pain meds, is happy in herself and eats very well. We have had a couple of very close calls over the last year where she has had a couple of very bad turns but has supprised us all by bouncing back from death.

If you feel your boy is happy in himself, isnt suffering and is still himself (his eyes will tell you that) I dont think you need to be thinking about letting him go if he is happy. I know allot of people think dogs should be let go when you tell them whats wrong with them, most would think that about my Tess. But all the lights are still on and she is a fighter, I will know the day she tells me, just like you will with your boy.

A x

he is happy but not all the time, i help him into the car and also to get up sometimes, he is eating although he cant always get up to eat, we have had a few close calls this year also but managed to get past those ....he also has to stand nearly upright for a pee or poo and sometimes stumbles whilst doing so............seeing xrays wont change his care as its just a case of keeping him as pain free as poss

[KathyM]

Originally Posted by cathspythons

The OP asked for opinions,i gave mine.Some people may agree some people may not.

I'm surprised you think it's acceptable or even your place to suggest someone puts their dog down without having even met him. Only his owner can answer that question when the time comes.

[Shell195]

Many years ago my old Rottie bitch was under treatment from the vets for arthritis and incontinence. Even with her meds increased she slowly got worse but I refused to let go. It took a close friend to say "Look into her eyes and tell me what you see " I saw pain and misery and it gave me the courage to give her a release from her suffering. I have never left another animal this long after my experiance with Heidi.
I woulldnt go for x rays as there is no cure so why put him under stress?
YOU will know when the time is right to let him go

[mask-of-sanity]

Originally Posted by Shell195

Many years ago my old Rottie bitch was under treatment from the vets for arthritis and incontinence. Even with her meds increased she slowly got worse but I refused to let go. It took a close friend to say "Look into her eyes and tell me what you see " I saw pain and misery and it gave me the courage to give her a release from her suffering. I have never left another animal this long after my experiance with Heidi.
I woulldnt go for x rays as there is no cure so why put him under stress?
YOU will know when the time is right to let him go

i know that time isnt to far away, but its not right now...thanks for all the replys, i have decided not to put him through xrays, the outcome wont change and as you say the stress that it will put him under isnt going to change the outcome

[marthaMoo]

Originally Posted by mask-of-sanity

he is happy but not all the time, i help him into the car and also to get up sometimes, he is eating although he cant always get up to eat, we have had a few close calls this year also but managed to get past those ....he also has to stand nearly upright for a pee or poo and sometimes stumbles whilst doing so............seeing xrays wont change his care as its just a case of keeping him as pain free as poss

Bless him
As you have said its about keeping him as pain free as possible, and of course he is bound to have days where he is feeling a little stiff more than others. Especially with all of this horrid weather.

What meds is he on if you dont mind me asking?

[corny girl]

It's about quality of life aswell. I had a Pem Corgi years ago who when younger had slipped disc's in his spine on several ocassions (due to the breed having a long back & short legs). This as he got older caused severe nerve damage which accupuncture didn't help neither did a new drug on the market (Metacam). Over time he started losing the use in one back legs. My hubby sat me down & had a heart to heart with me one day. I then realised that it was perhaps time to let him go as his other leg was now affected & he was incontinent too. It was hard for me to make that decision as i was 5 months pregnant at the time with my youngest child. Toby was only 12 1/2 & i'd had him since he was 6 months old. I will never ever forget him as he was so special being my first Dog. It wasn't easy for me to make the decision, i was probably being selfish & wanted him to be alright but his quality of life had gone (i had to help him move about, clean him where he was incontinent etc..), to me that's no life for any animal. Sometimes you have to step back & look at the animal, is their quality of life good, can they still get about, can they enjoy life as they once did? If the answer is no to any of these questions then maybe it is the right time to let them go with dignity & free their suffering.

I feel for anyone who has to make that decision, it never gets any easier the more animals you have either. Thinking of you hun, sending big hugs your way. You know you have support from us on here should you need it.

[LisaLQ]

I've got no advice, just wanted to say I'm thinking of you and your dog - it's a hard time for anyone, only you will know when is best.

With Sky, she had pancreatitis, and the enzymes had started to destroy her surrounding organs. We'd put her through a couple of weeks of treatment and tests, and no improvement. We knew it was time because we saw her "essence" slipping away. No, I'm not an ageing hippy who sees auras (LOL) but you know when your dog has had enough, they're not 100% with you any more - the light's gone from their eyes. The fact you're asking us means you're not sure - in which case, it probably isn't time yet. Be aware that although vets do care very much about animals, they will not tell you when it is time to consider this - our vet asked us if we wanted to continue treating her as she might have stretched out for another month - but we knew she was suffering, and the only benefit would be for us (and the vet's paycheck!).

Now we have Blu (6-7 year old dane) with spine damage, hip dysplasia and arthritis, potential bone cancer - I'm still deciding whether to put him through the biopsy, as the vet says it makes very little difference to his prognosis - the only reason he'd be having it would be for my peace of mind. He has months at most, weeks if it's cancer. He's still playing like a puppy - with the right amount of pain relief he's living a normal life, all be it one confined to the house/garden (he's not allowed walks any more). Some vets would have written him off - even our vet says we have to prepare for the time when he cant get up again.

I know he's not ready yet. You'll know when your boy is. No-one else can tell you what they would do or what you should do - ignore those who've said to put to sleep (shocked - how can they decide based on an internet message?!) and make your own decision when you believe the time is right. When his bad times outweigh the good - and you see him fading, you'll know.

Thinking of you and him xx

[feorag]

Originally Posted by mask-of-sanity

selfish as it might sound, i am not ready to let him go ....dont get me wrong i hate seeing him in pain, he is starting a new medication tomorroq which i hope and prey controls his pain, if it doesnt then i no i will have to think again about letting him go ,the thought breaks my heart

Truthfully, I don't think any of us are ever ready to let our pets go, but I agree with what has been said before, I truly believe that your pet tells you when it's had enough and you will know when the dog himself is ready to go. I'm a firm believer in quality over quantity every time and like Shell, after years of having to do this (in over 40 years of multiple animal keeping, I've only ever had 1 animal die at home) I would rather euthanase a week too soon rather than 1 day too late, because I cannot bear the thought that I've caused that animal who trusted me to suffer pain that I could have prevented.

I too wouldn't put him through the stress of an x-ray at this late stage in his life. I would just treasure him and when he tells you he's had enough, give him a quiet, peaceful, pain free death with you beside him knowing that you loved him. It is, after all, your final gift of love, as difficult as it is!