11 year old lab with issues... help!
 

Help!

I have an 11 year old lab retreiver and she is so sick! She was diagnosed with Arthritis 6 months ago and we have her on medication for that, at that time they also put her on urinary incontinence medicine cause she was frequenly urinating in the house and she never did that before. Well just about a week ago we took out Bella to the vet because a mammary tumor she has had for 3 years (started off the size of a blueberry) had grown rapidly to the size of a large grapefruit and she started having fecal incontinance. The dr recommended xrays to see if it spread to the lymph nodes but we have no money. I dont start my new job for a week, my fiance is making barely enough to pay the bills. Anyway the Dr said IF the xrays show it hasnt spread they can remove it but it was gonna cost like 800$$ but every day that it gets bigger the more it will cost. She also said that if it ruptures (which we have a feeling is going to happen because of all her ailements) we will have to euthanise her.

She still has SOME energy.. but her temperment has changed. She tried to attack some dogs at the dog park, she is constantly postureing and picking fights with our chihuahua.. and i dont know what to do. We are pregnant with our first child and IDK what to do. We cant keep her outside because its too cold (highs of 50degrees) Also I have a REAL problem with her urinary and fecal incontinance.. Its disgusting, unsanitary and even with the medication she is on it happens all the time. We have tried putting potty training pads all around her but she wont use them.

I dont know what to do. My fiance has had this dog since she was 6 weeks old and literally lets her do whatever she wants. She has no boundries and whenever I try to do any kind of training or tell her "No Bella" he tells me to leave her alone because she is dying. Or anything she does thats bad (and alot of the time the bad things she does seem behavioral" he says the same thing, she is dying let her do what she wants.

I need advice please! I love the dog, but I cant deal with all the ailements and be pregnant. I cant live in constant filth and no matter how hard I clean it up it still wreaks.

please please help im desperate:shrug:

Sorry that you're going through this :cry:. Sounds like Bella might be in some pain. Have you talked to the vet about her aggressive behaviour? That can be a sign of pain. Perhaps the kindest thing to do for her, if further treatment isn't an option, would be to lovingly assist her passage out of this life. Here's a really good Quality of Life Scale that you [B]and[/B] your partner need to read:
[url]http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/oncology-outlook/quality-of-life-for-pets.aspx[/url]

All the best to you during this difficult time.

Yea I told the vet but my fiance says that its not true, or that the other dogs provoke her. I know she is in pain, we have her on tons of medications.. the tumor is huge though, and every day it gets bigger the more aggresive she gets. She also just stand and stares at me... which she's never done before and it scares me.

Thank you for coming here looking for advice. I think you know what needs to be done. Having said that please have your husband read the quality of life scale. Its so terribly hard to make these choices. My heart goes out to both of you and I pray Bella finds peace.

Try putting a diaper on her - to keep her and your house clean without much stress.

I will have him read the scale.. I honestly feel like he is resistant to euthenasia because he feels like he would be murdering her. [not his words exactly his were im not gonna kill my dog]

I suggested diapers but he said absolutely not.. she is a dog and he doesnt want to change ****ty dog diapers and it would be embarassing for her.

Thank you for the advice, I love this dog but it's so sad to see all of this happening. She used to be the best dog in the world but now she just scares me. :fingerscr i hope he comes up with something after reading the quality of life scale

11 year old
 

I can see your frustration and sadness in having to watch this dear old dog deteriorate both physically and mentally and I think your boyfriend owes her more than what he's offering. For 11 yrs. she has been a wonderful, loving pet to him but when she needs him most he's not doing whats best for her. Prolonging her life while she's clearly suffering is selfish on his part and he needs to step up to the plate and put her well-being first and have her humanely put to sleep with whatever dognity she still has, not to prolong the enevitable and leave her to suffer.

[QUOTE=wennibear1;968423]I will have him read the scale.. I honestly feel like he is resistant to euthenasia because he feels like he would be murdering her. [not his words exactly his were im not gonna kill my dog]

I suggested diapers but he said absolutely not.. she is a dog and he doesnt want to change ****ty dog diapers and it would be embarassing for her.

Thank you for the advice, I love this dog but it's so sad to see all of this happening. She used to be the best dog in the world but now she just scares me. :fingerscr i hope he comes up with something after reading the quality of life scale[/QUOTE]

Poor old darling - I hope she won't have to suffer for too long.

I really think your fiance should get his priorities in order. [I]You[/I] should be #1 in his life now, and his soon-to-be-born child. Does he think it would be OK if the dog attacked you and hurt you? just because the dog is old, in pain and thinks she should do what she wants? The staring doesn't sound good at all especially with Bella's increasing aggressiveness. Apart from living in filth as you describe is not something you should have to be subjected to, especially if you have to clean it up. It is obvious that this poor dog is suffering with pain with this large tumour and it's making her feel cranky. Your fiance is being cruel in allowing her to go on in this state. I agree with the others that it is time (past the time!) to have her euthanized and let her go before something worse happens.

I agree with catlover2. As much as your fiance may love his dog, I am sure he would regret having anything happen to you. Maybe approach him that way.

Your dog has obviously lived a good life, living up to 11 years, but from what you are saying he is now suffering. Its not fair to the dog or you and your fiance.

I know it wont be easy, so I send my wishes to you :pray:

since you dog is old and in pain with changes in her behavior it is very likely her physics ailments are impacting negatively on her overall life. It is very likely that she has more internal issues then you know of. 11 is old for a lab, they don't usually live far past 12 so with limited money even finding out the full extent of her issues would likely leave you with little recourse for treatment and would likely have little effect on overall quality or longevity of her life, she is not a young dog.
You need to sit down and have a serious discussing on how long you can maintain her health and behavior without doing treatments, it sounds like she is getting near the point where she might die or need to be put to sleep to prevent further suffering.

Wennibear,have your husband read all the posts,most of us here have had to make the terrible decision to help our animals end a life of suffering.
You do it out of love and compassion for someone who has given you love and loyalty for many years.
Letting her go on suffering and probably die a painful death,is IMO animal-cruelty.
This is the last act of kindness your husband can do for his dog,the poor old soul.

I have to agree with Chico2 on this. We are all animal loving people here and would never ever suggest anything of the sorts unless there was no other option.

We have supported one another here on this forum when we had difficult decisions to make. It has not been easy and it is very painful, but as animal loving people consisting of rescues, shelter workers, volunteers, animal welfare activists, volunteers and regular animal loving people, we truly stand by quality of life.

Best to you all. I wish you strength.:grouphug:

Please note: Labs have a very high pain threshold, you cannot tell if they are hurting but there are signs such as significant behaviour problems that start to develop that are completely out of the ordinary.

pain
 

Also,remember dogs can't talk or cry.They don't show physical pain like a human. They don't have the luxury of sharing their pain with anyone.When I am not sure what to do when I am experiencing a pet dilemma I remind myself that having a pet is a big responsibility and it is my duty to do what is right for the dog. I sympathize with your lack of fundage issues right now-I also am dealing with a lack in that area and I have to take my own dog in tonight. I know I would have a hard time not feeling like crap if I did nothing and just allowed her to suffer while I dithered around trying to figure out what to do. Best of luck and know all these kind souls here fully empathize.