sick pet/when to throw in the towel?

[escavader]

My 10 year old lab,pepper got sick when we went on vacation this year.Suddenly she wouldnt eat,drinks gallons of water a day,and sleeps alot,instead of being active like she always was.Its like someone turned off a switch.She has lost 25 lbs in 4 weeks.She didnt act like she was in pain,so i thought it might pass,until last weekend ,she didnt have strength to get in the jeep for a ride ,or get out.
Ifinally got her in the vet today.Vet noticed something swollen in her belly. she has a very high temperture.Xrays revealed her liver slightly swoolen.Blood test,and urine came back ..vet gave possible senerios, infection,mabey from drinking from puddles while we go walking,lliver cancer etc etc.
We are going to try the route of infection,by giving her medicine.
400 dollars later,i give her her pills,and she throws them up,boy it is discouraging,and heartbreaking.
If the pills dont work the vet has two options,an ultra sound [600 dollars,and may not prove a thing]or exploratory surgery,with a liver biopsy.
Ifeel against the surgery,cause i only feel the worst could become of it,cant see what good could become of it.Just end up with a sick cut up dieing dog.
The wife is unhappy with the spending...400 today ,600 last year to remove some fatty bumps on her.She thinks its time to let go,of course this lab has been my faithful companion since a pup.goes everywhere i go,except work of course,the protector of my children,the gaurdian of my home.Never had to even hook the dog ,always lays in the yard or front porch never to stray
Iguess in straying from my point,i dont think ill be able to spend alot more,but gosh darn it shes like a kid to me.
Iwrite this with a sad heart,and watery eyes,Can anyone offer me up any advice,i cant be the only one whos ever been there.Thanks in advance to my friends on TBN.
ALAN

 

[tallyho8]

Read this thread. It contains some pertinent information. Very sorry to hear of your situation.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/113167-when-time-dogs-struggles.html

 

[Inspector507]

Alan, I feel your pain and remember those tears. My dog Buddy, started having seizures. Before we could treat that, we needed to rule other things. Turns out he had Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia along with the siezures. His red blood cells were being destroyed by his white blood cells. Then he lost all of his fur due to a fur growth spurt caused by the steroids. What a mess he was.

Check Pepper for the color of her gums. And bruising in the ears. Gums should be pink, but not grayish in color. Buddy's liver was slightly enlarged too for some reason, but no cancer showed up on xray or CAT scan. Ultrsound showed no abnormalities. His liver functions were normal. An enlarged liver is something to worry about but if the functions are normal, it lessens it.

If they have done a liver function test and that came back bad, then surgery may be an option to see what's going on, but do the function test first in my opinion.

Currently he is battling Kennel Cough because we took him to be groomed, but we'll be over that soon. He can no longer have vaccinations with his AHA. After that he will be his healthy fat self.

I can't imagine the money we've spent and the number of specialists we've seen so he can once again follow me out in the yard and play.

 

[Bird]

Iwrite this with a sad heart,and watery eyes

Yes, it would be with a heavy heart and teary eyes, but as tallyho8 said in the thread he provided a link to, if an animal is in pain or serious discomfort, and I didn't expect a complete and reasonably prompt recovery, I'd be having that animal put to sleep. I suppose I might do that sooner than many others would, but maybe that's because I wish someone could do the same for me if I were in that condition.

 

[Inspector507]

if an animal is in pain or serious discomfort

I just didn't see that in Buddy, nor did the specialists. If he had showed that, no question. But if he isn't ready to throw in the towel, I couldn't either.

I have made that decision with other pets when the Doc's said it was time. All of those were cats with Feline luekemia. Buddy is my first dog and my best friend.

 

[randy41]

Alan-give the pills a chance to work. good luck.

 

[ultrarunner]

Went through the same decision 2 weeks ago with Heidi, my 12 year Australian Shepherd... she was a very sweet, great with kids and infants... and always the first to see me.

Her inoperable cancer was spreading and she was going downhill fast. Keeping her would have been for me rather than for her... so I held her while the Doc did the I.V.

Sorry that you are going through this...

 

[escavader]

You guys are great.Funny i never read that ,thread tally hoe,really made me bawl.Idont understand why, shes not dead yet,must be the sensitive side coming out that never does.Mabey cause the two young daughters are up set is setting me off.
To be honest i cant tell if shes in pain or not.She wags her tail,and is not wimpering.She just doesnt act her self and sleeps alot.You guys make me believe ill know when its time.Its not time to give up hope,ill try to give her pills again in the morning.Ithink i tryed to feed her too much at once and her weak stomach couldnt handle it.
The funny part is the dog knows me better than i know myself,when she lays her head in my lap she knows im sad.Ican play the tough guy around the kids and not let it show,but that dog knows.
Unfourtunately i think the spouse isnt as fond of her as the rest of us,she thinks of her as just a dog,but im trying to avoid arguing ,it will never turn out good. Its hard to put a dollar sign on a pets life,isurely can think of worse things we spent money on.Ican see her point a little,to sink a few thousand into extending an old dogs life a little,or spending it,and losing her anyway.
ohhh i dont know....horse ahead of the cart
ALAN

 

[shvl73]

Alan, I'm sorry to hear of your girl's health. it is not an easy desicion, but one I will make when there is no hope of recovery and when it is clear the patient has given up. Nancy & I have only our furry, feathered family members and have spent sums of money others thought foolish, to maintain health and cure the ill, all worth every penny to us. I think you'll truly know when it is time, and it won't be based on cost, but when you know you've exhausted all avenues and your dear friend has let you know that she cannot recover. Until that point, I would encourage you to continue to try.
Torin

 

[bearhawk]

It is hard to put a price on a pet. But if I had to with my dog. It would be like that mastercard commercial. He is priceless.

Of course there is always a limit to spending, but would you spend another 400 to see your buddy feeling good again? Maybe 600?

A couple years back I had an orange tabby cat. Now some people are cat people, and some are not. But this was a GREAT cat. he got sick and spent a week at the vets. $1500 and all I got to do was bring a box home.

But there was a chance that he would be ok, and I could not "not try" to fix him.

I did have to make arrangements with the vet to be able to pay him off over the next few weeks.

You are the only one that can make the descision to try to fix your buddy, and if the wife won't understand... A new wife is easier to train than a new puppy !