Go Back   Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca > Discussion Groups - mainly cats and dogs > General Forum for cats and dogs

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old May 24th, 2012, 01:59 PM
Huntersbf Huntersbf is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1
How do you know when it's time?

My dog hunter is 12.5 yrs old German Shorthair Pointer and seems to be physically going down hill fast. He is on pain meds for his knees as well as joint support. He is also on Pro Calm which is an antianxiety med for his intense fear of thunderstorms. He woke up this morning still shaking from the storm last night. Unfortunately, his body is giving out before his spirit which makes this all very difficult.

Just recently he seems to be awake all night panting and moving from one side of the bed to the other, sleeping on the floor. If my husband or I get up to use the bathroom, he scurries back to his bed like he thinks he is about to get the beating of a lifetime. This is a dog that has never and I mean never been hit. We have had him since he was 4 months old and have loved him completely. We are very confused as to where this fear is coming from and it scares me to think that he has dementia or something. When I talked to the vet, he suggested that I take him in for a neurological consult to see if there is something going on.

Here is my problem... He's 12.5 yrs old. With all of the issues he having as an older dog, I hesitate to put him through the anxiety of another visit to a new vet and wonder if anything they have to say will actually improve the quality of life or just cost an arm & a leg to prolong it. I also can't have a big dog acting fearful in a house where we also have kids. About 5 weeks ago my son accidently startled him when he was sleeping and Hunter snapped at him which is why I brought him to the vet then.

Any advice would be welcomed. On one hand, I feel like the writing is on the wall and I just can't read it. On the other hand, I worry that I would be acting hastily to do anything. I love him so much and I just want to do what is right for him. He has been such a great friend and that is how I want to remember him.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old May 24th, 2012, 03:36 PM
LavenderRott's Avatar
LavenderRott LavenderRott is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,671
I am so very sorry. There are no magic words that anyone can use to make this easier.

Panting and inability to get comfortable are definite signs of pain. Personally, if there was no way to get that under control, I would make the decision now. That is me.

I know that it is difficult to put your heart aside in this matter. You need to try, and to make your decision based on what your head says. Just know this - releasing a dog from pain is the most selfless thing that an owner can do.
__________________
Sandi
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old May 24th, 2012, 08:10 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4,371
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntersbf View Post
My dog hunter is 12.5 yrs old German Shorthair Pointer and seems to be physically going down hill fast. He is on pain meds for his knees as well as joint support. He is also on Pro Calm which is an antianxiety med for his intense fear of thunderstorms. He woke up this morning still shaking from the storm last night. Unfortunately, his body is giving out before his spirit which makes this all very difficult.

Just recently he seems to be awake all night panting and moving from one side of the bed to the other, sleeping on the floor. If my husband or I get up to use the bathroom, he scurries back to his bed like he thinks he is about to get the beating of a lifetime. This is a dog that has never and I mean never been hit. We have had him since he was 4 months old and have loved him completely. We are very confused as to where this fear is coming from and it scares me to think that he has dementia or something. When I talked to the vet, he suggested that I take him in for a neurological consult to see if there is something going on.

Here is my problem... He's 12.5 yrs old. With all of the issues he having as an older dog, I hesitate to put him through the anxiety of another visit to a new vet and wonder if anything they have to say will actually improve the quality of life or just cost an arm & a leg to prolong it. I also can't have a big dog acting fearful in a house where we also have kids. About 5 weeks ago my son accidently startled him when he was sleeping and Hunter snapped at him which is why I brought him to the vet then.

Any advice would be welcomed. On one hand, I feel like the writing is on the wall and I just can't read it. On the other hand, I worry that I would be acting hastily to do anything. I love him so much and I just want to do what is right for him. He has been such a great friend and that is how I want to remember him.
My Standard Poodle was a very proud dog , people would come up to me and made a comment about how proud my dog looked. So when Finlay got cancer I decided I did not want my dog having to feel like he was doing anything wrong like having accidents in the house. And Finlay was starting to get a gaze in his eyes then start growling at me . He never did this before and I was worried the cancer may had spread to his brain too. He came into a room one time and just started to growl at me. This was the second time in a week and I knew my dog was slowly losing his mind and I had to think of my my grandchild who was only 5 yo. I knew then it was time to let my beloved dog be in peace. I put Finlay down while he still had some pride left but his body was failing him badly , he could not eat anymore and I was not going to have him stay overnight at the vet and be all alone at night. I knew it was time when Finlay was starting to growl at me like he did not know who I was, the cancer was eating away at my beautiful dog and he was in pain . I told Finlay I was going to take his pain away from him and carry is for him.
I am so sorry to hear about your dog .

Last edited by Barkingdog; May 24th, 2012 at 08:21 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old May 24th, 2012, 09:24 PM
lindapalm lindapalm is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 717
If he is still eating and drinking good, and seems to find enjoyment in being outside or going for rides or walks, I would ask my vet for different pain meds, and wait awhile. As far as the fear of thunderstorms, mine is the same. If she could sneak outside during a thunderstorm, she would keep running until she dropped, same thing with gun shot noise or fireworks.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old May 25th, 2012, 08:52 AM
marko's Avatar
marko marko is offline
Administrator - Pet lover
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Montreal Quebec Canada
Posts: 12,651
So sorry you are going through this. It's the hardest part of being a pet owner.

Imo, we have an excellent article on the topic of when it's time. Feel free to check it out here http://www.pets.ca/dogs/tips/euthana...e-pet-tip-228/

Good luck - wishing you strength in this difficult time.
__________________
Please tactfully EDUCATE or IGNORE posters you don't agree with.
Please PM me & Include URLs and post #'s for any issues and it's my pleasure to help.
I'm firm - but fair. Mind the Rules and enjoy your stay.
Newcomers FAQ - How do I post on this BB?
Pet facebook group
Check out the Pet podcast
Follow me on Twitter
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
dog acting strange, end of life, neurology issues, old age

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Forum Terms of Use

  • All Bulletin Board Posts are for personal/non-commercial use only.
  • Self-promotion and/or promotion in general is prohibited.
  • Debate is healthy but profane and deliberately rude posts will be deleted.
  • Posters not following the rules will be banned at the Admins' discretion.
  • Read the Full Forum Rules

Forum Details

  • Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
    Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
    vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 0%).
  • All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:43 AM.