sick pet/when to throw in the towel?

[shvl73]

Alan, It's great to hear she is able to take the meds. I wish you luck, they're definitely worth the effort. Awfully good to hear you're getting support at home, she's a good person, you just gotta reason with her!!
Dan's story hit home, the only night I can sleep through is when I'm away! Other than that, I have to get up with the crew at least once a night, usually twice. Funny, our oldest, a 16 (almost 17) year old Dalmation is now able to go through the night by managing his diet. Nancy has researched it alot and is making the food for the whole crew, with supplements for the elderly. The old guy is very weak in the hind end but, still has plenty of attitude. We'll also be faced with the decision soon but, not yet.

 

[texasjohn]

Tough situation. Been there. Never easy. Not a $ decision for me, but a probability of quality of life decision.... when the quality is below a certain level, gone, not likely to rise again, it's time... You're doing all the right things, if they don't make things better, then it's realistically time. It's a process and your entire family is going thru it.

 

[CurlyDave]

When God created dogs he first made all the lesser breeds. Only then, having honed His skills to the utmost, did He create Labradors.

When I faced this situation, I starting by looking at the relationship between my family and our lab, Rose. She did not choose us, we chose her and she had no say in the matter. Despite this, she gave us 100% of her love, affection and loyalty.

This placed a moral burden on me that I would make decisions in the best interest of both the family and our dog. I would have paid any expense to have her back in good health, but that was not to be.

My decision was easier than some -- when the vet gave me a handful of syringes of pain reliever so that I could spend a last weekend with her, I knew that the time had come and the weekend would have been for me and not Rose. I gave the medicine back, and sat on the floor with her while she passed. That was 6 years ago, and I still grieve for that dog.

Do not take an apparent lack of pain as a sign the dog is feeling good. Labs will endure a lot of pain with no outward sign.

The kids have grown and gone, and we now have two more labs. I don't think I will ever be without at least two.

When the time comes, you will know it. Give yourself time to mourn, and then go out and get a new companion.

 

[dmccarty]

Shvl73,

We have been trying to manage the poo with diet as well. It sorta works. It certainly has lessoned the amount that has to be cleaned up. The dogs are sorta on a schedule but sometimes things just happen and then the schedule is all upset.

The other thing I forgot to mention is in regards to putting the dog to sleep.

The last dog we lost fought cancer for two or three years. We knew when it was time. Chase really did not want to move. She had laid down on her bed in a quiet space we made for her. She and we knew it was time. We could tell the end was nearing so we called the vet and scheduled a home visit. The vet and a helper showed up to put Chase to sleep. Chase did not have to move. She just stayed in her bed and her pain was ended.

My dog Kelly checked on Chase one last time and I had to hold her to let the vet get near Chase. I think both dogs knew what was happening somehow. When Chase stopped breathing Kelly started to howl.

Chase and Thorpe where cremated and are sitting on a book shelf in the study.

Chase was put to sleep when we still lived in the city. Our new vet happens to be a neighbor and a client of the wifes. In the small world department, the new vet is a partner in an office where one of the vets who treated Chase's cancer worked.

When it is Kelly's time the vet will make a house call. Its easier on everyone.

Kelly pooped outside last night! Woo Hooo!

Later,
Dan

 

[shvl73]

Shvl73,

We have been trying to manage the poo with diet as well. It sorta works.

It sure isn't foolproof is it! Sometimes you just get clean up duty!

we called the vet and scheduled a home visit.

Our vet does both large and small animals so, home visits are doable. She was here recently to vaccinate the whole crew and do a general health check on our two oldest. A vet that does house calls is valuable.

 

[tallyho8]

After I read this thread yesterday I had to take my old Bluetick out of the kennel and go for a walk. I had been putting this off for some time and he really needed the attention. I sat and brushed him for a while after the walk and when I went inside, my wife wondered why my eyes were so red.

 

[Tig]

Our dog is in her 18th year and has some difficult times. She is still healthy but does not see or hear very well. I joke that she was never very good at listening so not much has changed there.
Twice my wife has been ready to give up on her because of illness and the mess. She reconsidered each time and things did get better. I am now the one who gets up as required in the night to take the dog out out. Careful diet and regular trips outside have helped give her a chance to not embarrass herself. The biggest turn around for her was after her last close call with the needle. I decided to try long walks after sunset. We don't go very far but we wander around for an hour or so. That seems to have helped her become more regular and sleep better. We still get up through the night to have a drink and to have a pee but not to clean up a mess.
I am fortunate to work from home so I am able to give her this amount of attention. If not, the decision to put her down would have been made for me.
All the best to you, Alan and Pepper

 

[jinjimbob]

Always do what is best for the pet.
Being alive, but in horrendous pain is not what is best.

I never let cost come into it when it comes to giving our pets the best help.

 

[schmism]

ive discussed this numerous times with the wife when i comes to our 2 labs.

For a sickness we are willing to spend nominal amounts for non-invasive procedures. If we can fix it with some basic rounds of medicine we would go for it. After that, make the dog comfortable. IF it improves we continue, if not we put it down.

Traumatic injuries follow the same path. set the broken bones, minor surgery perhaps. But if the prognosis is not good with long road of recovery ahead, likely to just put the dog down then and there.

An example. We have a couple of free barn cats. We are fond of both, one more than the other because he's a great cat. But when he got sick a few weeks ago, we just let nature take its course. He wasnt in pain as best i could tell, we were prepaird to come home and find him dead a couple of times. but each day he hung in there. WE did our best to keep him watered and fed even offering up treats we normally wouldnt give. IN a few days he started to turn around, and some 2 weeks later he is just about back to normal.

SHure i could have taken him to the vet, spent tons of money on diagnosis, medicines, treatments, but at the end of the day, hes a free expendable barn cat.
Are you more attached to something if you spent lots of hard earned money on it? In for the penny, in for the pound? Spend a non-insignificant amount on a pet only to have it bite it on the highway a week later? (if not the highway perhaps the coyote)

I suppose at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference and ideals.

 

[escavader]

Its been a few days since i first posted.She hasnt seen much inprovement,so i doubt its a virus or infection.With her liver swollen on that xray,its probably much worse.About the only thing she will eat is chicken[that we cooked last weekend] .She will only eat 3 or 4 peices[its white meat strands] to a time ,but it is a start.Daughter said she aint 1/2 of her muffin today,which is the first other food ive seen her eat for 5 or 6 days.Got one more night of the pills and they are done.Vet said id notice a big change in two days[if it was some sort of bug]
,its been 5.
Shes on her own after tommorow,its in gods hands.We are going to make her as comfortable as possible.If i think she is suffering we will put her down.If she stops eating all togeather again,im not going to have her die from starving its not right.Ilove the dog ,but im not gonna have her final days,being chopped up needlessly by a vet,in some exploratory surgery,when all they are going to find that her liver is full of cancer or something.Im not having some ultra sound done ,when the xray revealed her liver is swelled up,what use could that be?
If its GODS will for her to die,shes going to right on the front porch where she is the happiest,ill have the vet come here.As a person if i had a choice,it would be die at home ,not in some hospital.As her master and best friend ,the kindest act i can do for her ,is to put her down if shes suffering
As you can see ive stopped my sniveling ,and made up my mind about a few things.Iknow what im gonna do,and i need to be strong about it.The sniveling and tears will be saved for after.Hopefully like the barn cat ,shell come around.
ALAN

 

[rox]

Alan,
You are a good man.

 

[elalexander]

Sorry for what U R going through Alan. Our MiniPin, Tucker is failing at 14 1/2 years. Our Vet told us Just Monday each day we get is a gift. Our daughter Married and moved to the southwest and didn't see Tucker for almost 2 years. When she and her twins came home Tucker was just walking around the backyard looking for a deer, rabbit or squirrel to chase when he saw our daughter. His little ears went back and he ran to her...they had missed one another so much, I never would have believed it. It was awesome. These girls and guys are part of our families. When our son deployed to Afghanistan and Iraqi for a year the same thing happened. These dogs know their human family and love them. It is so sad when that time comes that we need to say goodbye. I only hope that when it is my turn someone is compasonite enough to say "good bye Ole friend" to me and let me go.
FYI: Tucker is beside my feet as I write this knowing I am up and I guess just wanting to be with me while he could have been sleeping in his bed in the other room with my wife. They hate two miss anything.

 

[escavader]

SHES GONE. First time ive been able to post,because ive been bawling too muchI guess im a 42 year old child.
We took her to camp for a long weekend .Istopped at wally world and bought a chicken ,cause its all shed eat,and i hand fed her a weekend,gave her steak tooOn SATURDAY,i had to go out to do trail work for my atv club,i asked MELINDA to take her for a tiny walk,to see if we could get her strength back.When i returned she ,told me she made it about 100 yards and layed down in the road,and had to be carryed back.Iknew it was not good.On SUNDAY while we were packing to come home ,She just laid out in the bushes,which was unusual,she was always chomping at the bit to get in the truck.
Sunday night she wouldnt come in at bedtime ,we let her sleep outside.I let her in Monday morning while getting ready for work.Itryed to feed her some chicken ,but she refused it,i knew it was time.She was Trying to say "DADDY IM TIRED,I CANT GO ON" .My wife took her to our vet.They had the paper work faxed to them from the other vet.It said right on it under diagnosis,probable cancer of the liver,due to blood work.I was furious !!!!!!!!The other vet had never told me.They only wanted more money for more tests.Im not done with them yet,that will be another story.
She had lost another 8 lbs since last week.There was no more hope.The vet put her to sleep.While the wife drove her home i hurried back to be with the girls.Icried the whole way.We arrived at the same time .The girls said where is PEPPER? Then we all bawled togeather.I lugged her body ,wrapped in her favorite blanket,and placed her on a large pine stump,near her grave.My 10 year old cuddled up to her and stayed there Ihad the hole dug.Its hard to run the hoe when your all teared up.I placed her in her grave we put the homemade dog bed my 13 year old had sewed for her before our vacation.She also went to her room,and gota large stuffed black lab animal,and placed it with her so she wouldnt be alone.The youngest put some toys with her and we buryed her all by hand.WE raked and cleaned up the site,made a border of rocks.Ifound a large peace of granite for a head stone,and placed it,ill carve it later.WEmade her a cross out of 1by 3 and wrote PEPPER BICKFORD ON it.It was over,we all cried our self to sleep.We are all doing better today,boy i miss her.Shes not by my chair no more,not under foot getting ready for work,didnt come in my bed and say goodnight last night,didnt greet me and jump in the jeep when i got home from work.......Ill miss her the most when the family goes off,or if i go work at camp,she always was my company.Ive rambled long enough.You all were right i knew when it was time.DO ME A FAVOR AND HUG YOUR PET TONIGHT.
ALAN

 

[Inspector507]

Alan, I'm so sorry to read that.

I know Buddy's days are numbered as well. He is still a sick guy and we've been fighting stuff for 2 years now. So I do count each and every day as a blessing.

I know Pepper means as much to you as Buddy does to me.

 

[skargo]

I'm very sorry Alan, I have tears reading this.

 

[shvl73]

I'm very sorry to hear the news. It sure is hard & upsets me to read it.
You were very good to her & I hope you can find comfort knowing that.

 

[randy41]

Sorry for your loss Alan.

 

[dmccarty]

Alan,

In the end you knew it was time and so did the dog.

My Kelly is getting close. The amount of food she is eating is decreasing. Walking is hard. I can see in her eyes that she is giving up. The time is close. But not yet.

I watch All Creatures Great and Small. Its about some country vets in north England working in the 30s to 50s. One of the vets wrote a series of books that were best sellers back in the 70s and 80s. If I had read those books a few year earlier than I did I would be a vet today. I have read all of the books, they can be very funny and sad as well. And I think I have seen every episode of the TV show several times. The TV shows are true to the stories in the books.

The episode last Sunday had a story line about the vets dog named Dan. Dan had a heart attack and would have to be put to sleep. The vet really had a hard time dealing with the reality which is telling. He knew it had to be done but still had trouble dealing with the reality. He took Dan for a final walk and Dan died on the walk.

I have seen this episode many times but it was really hitting home hard as I looked at Kelly....

Course its also hard to write about Dan having a heart attack and dieing in a field when you are named Dan!

Sorry for you loss. It sucks and hurts.

Later,
Dan

 

[Paddy]

Alan,

I can just begin to know your grief. I had to put down my Jack Russel, My Little Buddy. He was just 4 years old. This is hard to right because it just happen a week ago. He had kidney failure that looked alot like the melemine(sp) contanimation of dog food last year that caused all the dog food recall. Perfectly healthy then one day would not eat or drink. I was injecting water under his skin by needle, 1 qt a day. As you might imagine, 1 qt in a jack russel was a baloon of a water bag. But in any case, the kidney failure caused a stroke that made it clear, it was time to say good by. I could see it in his eyes. I did spend $3000 on testing and vet care in a the short 3 week time.

My bigest regret was how short he lived, 4 years. I just burried my grandfather at 107.5 years. No one cried, he had a long full life. My little buddy lived a small fraction of a jack russel life. The only boost I can give you is; He lived a long life with an ovously loving and caring partner.......you!

I hope your time of grief goes quickly, mine is sure dragging on.

Patrick T

 

[rox]

My heart goes out to you Alan. The part that teared me up was talking about your children putting their toys in with Pepper. How sad, I really feel your pain.