dog at vet

[slinky.kate]

my wee dog rex( sexy rexy)was at the vet today,as i told you i would keep you informed ,but i'm afraid it was not good news today,his kidneys are worse and he is getting weak and lost another 2 lbs,he was given an injection of steroids to try and make him ear,more antibiotics,if there is no improvement in two weeks we have to think of getting him put to sleep(my wee darling)

[ttfn]

Kate I am so sorry to read of rex's decline. I have had many, many pets over the years and none has passed away naturally. Various vets have said that they can give my beloved pets another 2 weeks or so. But I have never been able to see that there would be any quality in their life for them to enjoy. Believe me kate I do understand what you are going through but our emotions are not paramount, the pet's quality of life is - of that I have no doubt whatsoever. I would urge you to reconsider your decision kate. In 2 weeks time you will still have the same dreadful decision to face - of what possible benefit can that be to rex or to you? I stand by lankeela on this point. Her posting is obviously done with great emotion but with the pet's welfare and well being foremost. She has obviously posted with great frustration here as she has made this point many times before, but I have to agree with her kate. Your beloved rex has given you his all. I really do feel for you kate, but I want peace for rex more.♥

[Andyvon]

I quite agree Kate. If Rex has become as ill as it appears, you are only really prolonging the inevitable, both for him and you. I've been there several times, as have the other posters here it seems, so we all know what you are going through.

That's the trouble with dogs. You have them just long enough to love them, and then they go. It's never easy. I always found the best way to get over losing a dog was to immediately find another. That's what worked for me and helped me get over the loss. I hope you also find a way of getting over the next few weeks.

All the best.

[tamborine]

Lots of vets treat the owner rather than the pet and will prolong life so long as the £££s spin.

[divegirl]

Just wanted to add to this.

Kate I am so sorry that you are having to go through this, my thoughts are with you.

And sticking up what Lankeela has said. We have the greatest gift that we can bestow on our animals and that is the one of not seeing them suffer [and believe me I wish I had held this right when watching my Dad die!] . We do not have to watch our animals suffer and to say she [Lankeela] would put a dog down if it sneezed is insulting. The hardest thing I ever did for my dog was to make the decision to end his suffering and to accuse anyone of doing this prematurely is just plain nasty!
The real bad thing to do is to keep them going because we deem to think they have one ounce of quality of life left!
Kate you will be in my thoughts.....but please do the right thing for the animal that has given you so much pleasure!

Lisa x

[carmalee]

really, really sympathise with where you are on this s.k - have been there myself fairly recently - but (with respect) this isn't about you it's about Rex - if he's suffering in anyway don't put it off. Also, if he suddenly deteriorates which can so easily happen, he is going to have his last few hours either in pain and/or confusion. Rather let him go calmly with you stroking him than in an atmosphere of panic and pain.

[boxtops]

I'm reading this and knowing how it has been with my cats. It's about them and their remaining quality of life - they trust us to know when to let them go, before even more loss of dignity sets in. It's one of the hardest decisions a pet owner has to make - but think what they would ask you, if only they could. Sad and very hard kate, but your dog is a good age - it sounds as if it's fast approaching the time to make that hard decision for him. Thinking of you, sk ♥

[LoftyLottie]

It was the words 'Cruel' and 'ashamed of yourselves' that made me angry, nothing more. I actually agree with Lankeela about euthanasia, but understand that we are not all alike and and everyone involved on this thread is doing what THEY think is best for their pets.

Lets leave the word cruel out of it.

Sorry Lankeela for being sarcastic, but I was angry. Noone asked for your opinions on this and slinky.kate didn't deserve your intervention.

[lankeela]

Maybe if this were the first post, but this poor dog has been in this state for two weeks since the last post, and previous to that. Now it has to endure another two weeks before the owner does what we all believe needs to be done and if you don't then I feel sorry for your pets when the time comes. And if my opinion was not asked then why come on a public forum? Or are opinions only valid if they agree with you?

[ClaireBare]

If the vet felt there wasn't a chance then they'd say so. Surely?

[Alagopus]

It's the hardest part of having a pet - deciding between prolonging life and leaving it too long. My sympathies are with you, our dal is 15yo and we'll be facing this too in the not too distant future.

[woofgang]

I would certainly trust our vet to be totally honest about whether to hope or not. Lankeela your sentiments may be right and your concerns justified but do you think your way of expressing them will help kate or her dog? I would say to you kate, having been where you are that eating and antibiotics won't help the kidneys and its time to do the last best thing for your boy and let him go gently in your arms.

[anneasquith]

having kept up to date on your posts,kate.i believe lankeela is correct.poor wee thing .

[ClaireBare]

I totally trust our vet and always value his opinion and would hope they tell slinkykate when its time.

[woofgang]

with great respect, we only know what kate has told us....the vet may have said "well we can try this...but..."

[Meg]

I don't think my comment about sneezing is any more insulting than lankeela saying she is fed up with reading this cr@p and calling kate cruel.
I totally agree with euthanasia but it up to the individual owner to decide when the time is right.

[woofgang]

miss meg, your comment may have been justified but, like lankeela's, maybe not helpful?

[beattie819]

I also agree with Lankeela,it seems the time has come for you to be brave Kate.I wouldnt be able to bear the look in Rex's eyes. He needs peace, and pain free sleep. My border collie was 16 ,I missed her so much, said I wouldnt have another one as no other one could be as beautiful as her. Two weeks later, I got another one. My avatar is a pic of her, I wouldnt be without her, she filled the dreadful void, and gives us all so much pleasure, we love her to bits. My thoughts are with you

[jules77]

When we had to have our first dog put to sleep it was the hardest thing I had done in my life, I just about managed to stay in the same room. That day has haunted me ever since, and I felt so selfish that I didnt hold her in my arms and tell her how much I loved her as she slipped away. I knew that day would come again with my old boy as he had several problems, but all were kept until control, he was eating well and still going for his daily walks. One night he had a fit around 2am and was crying in pain with blood coming down his nose from the nasal tumour he had been diagnosed with a few months before. We called the vet, who just looked at me and said 'I guess you have made your decision', There was no way of turning the clock back and give him the quality of life he deserved, I couldnt see my lovely boy suffer, he was nearly 15 and had been everywhere with us.

I know where Lankeela is coming from, and harsh as it may sound, there is no easy way to say it.........I sometimes wish there was a similar solution to some of the suffering humans have to endure.

[Bambi_1]

I'm afraid I'm with those who say that it is time to make that very hard decision. I once put off for a week having a cat put to sleep out of pure selfishness - I was acting in a play and didn't feel that I could cope with going on stage having done the dreadful deed - and knew deep down that I should have done it earlier although my beloved cat was still able to move around on her own but was very ill. A couple of years ago I took my 15 year old terrier to the vet the day she became unable to walk, and I knew it was the right thing to do. It's a horrible thing to have to do, but it's far worse to let the animal suffer. Vets, in my experience, don't come straight out with it and tell the owner when it is time even if they might hint at it. Whether this if for the money or because they don't want the owner blaming them I am in no position to judge. But I know when I saw my mother suffering, with the cancer having got to her brain so she didn't know who I was, I really wished I could do for her what I could do for a terminally ill animal.

It is the kindest thing you can do, to stop prolonging the agony. It's the hardest thing, I know, but you are responsible for your dog and if you really love him you know that he will not get any better and if he's losing weight and getting worse then he has little or no quality of life. I really feel for you, but it's time to put your pain to one side and stop his. Thinking of you and your dog brings back memories of the cats, dogs and horses I have lost and will never forget. You won't forget him, but please don't make yourself regret leaving it longer than you should.

Best wishes from me and my latest dog. I swore I wouldn't get another one, but my friends decided I needed to move on and gave me a puppy for my birthday last year. She's sleeping here beside me and I wouldn't be without her.

[slinky.kate]

i have just read all your comments,thank you.the dog is my sons which he got for his eighth birthday(he's 23 now).rex is not in any pain,we are doing everything the vet says and this is the first time any mention of him getting put to sleep,we all know it will likely be in two weeks so we are spoiling him and loving him til'he goes back.