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Elderly family dog advise (1 Viewer)

mkripke

Footballguy
I am reaching out for thoughts and opinions, I am sure there have been many of you in this situation.

We own a Boston Terrier, she is 13 years old and throughout her life she has endured cataract surgery and eventually the removal of both her eyes. She is a real stubborn and independent dog that was getting around on her own, including going out to the bathroom. which is more than I can say for her brother and sister sometimes.

Well the other afternoon, out of nowhere, she had trouble with one of her front legs and wasn't able to lift it to walk, sort of dragging it forward until she could put in down on her pad. My wife took her to the vet and eventually to a veterinarian neurologist. 

Where we are right now is, she had x-rays and blood work and we are waiting to hear what is found. The next step will be MRI and that would, I assume, tell whether she has something that will correct itself, needs to have surgery, or there is nothing that can be done.

Right now, she wont even move, we have been trying to carry her out to the bathroom and use a towel to hold her up, but she wont go t the bathroom. She will eat and drink water if you bring the bowl close and low enough, seems completely normal as she was days ago and is still a treat fiend.

If anyone has been at these crossroads, I would love to hear thoughts. I dont think surgery would be fair to her at her age, but she looks as she always have just to let her go...  😪😪🐶

 
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Im so very sorry. It sounds like she is declining and it might be time to say goodbye. It is your job to ensure she isn’t suffering. I have had to say goodbye to two of the best girls to ever grace this planet. It’s hard but I couldn’t let them suffer. 

 
Man its really tough we are going through the same thing now. We have a 15 year old shi tzu that is blind and has doggy dementia. We have to pick her up to take her outside. I know she doesn't have much time left but she still eating and drinking like normal. I have had to go through this before just listen to your gut you will know deep down when its time. Really its the last act of love you can show your pup as hard as it is.

 
Only you know but it sounds like it’s time. Maybe wait for the results to see if it’s something that will improve quickly. 
 

Im so so SO very sorry. It’s one of the toughest things you’ll ever have to do.

My only advice is if it is time, see if you can get the vet to come to your house. No dog should have to go on a ice cold stainless steel table. If you must go to the vet- stay with her and bring a blanket. 
 

 
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Wait to hear from the vet. Most I’ve dealt with are pretty honest about things. The most important question you can ask, IMO, is what the pet’s quality of life will be like and for how long.

14 is pretty old for a Boston. It seems unlikely that it will be good news, but ultimately the reason you go to the vet is to let the experts help make the call.

If it is time, give her a good goodbye. Treat her like a queen and then make sure you are there with her to send her off and comfort her. It’s extremely tough, but I think being with them at the end is the best thing we can do for them.

My Boston had an aggressive cancer that rapidly deteriorated. We probably waited a bit too long, she declined extremely fast one day, and she was really struggling to breathe at the end. I felt awful for her but she still seemed happy at the end as we held her and the vet administered the drugs. She was miserable physically but she was with my wife and me and that was enough to make her content.

 
Neurologist called and the x rays and blood are normal. We said no to the MRI, and asked for their thoughts on next steps. They will call back later. It is harder because other than her not walking she looks perfectly normal. I have no idea what to do and I feel either decision I make will be wrong. Letting her go, am I taking time away from her, could the MRI find something and could surgery help and will she survive the surgery

 
Ugh. Very sorry to hear about your situation. All of the posts so far are spot on. Quality of life is the most important guide you can use in regard to a rapidly deteriorating dog. Mine is 14 and while she's still doing pretty well, this is out there looming and we will need to deal with it. One of the things I love about dogs is they live in the moment. Spoil her rotten as long as you can and it sounds like you're ready to make the right decision when it needs to be made.

 
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When I was a kid my brother bought a family dog from a shelter.  He would eventually move away to college so she became my dog.  I moved over a 1,000 miles away to a ski resort, my brother came to work/visit over his winter break from college so he was staying at my place. 

I had a 'dream' of our/MY dog Brandy where she came to a mountain that looked down on where I was living.  It was about 7 degrees with ice and snow outside but in the 'dream' the temperature was 'perfect' without a wisp of breeze.  We were able to communicate in a ridiculously easy manner so pure and effortlessly I can't explain.  This went on for hours and hours till she communicated that she 'Had to go.'  I panicked and said 'Its not your time.'  She tried to calm me and communicated that 'Its alright and not to worry.'  I was frantic then woke up in a panic. 

When I woke up I was in my cold room but I was drenched in sweat.  I looked at the clock and it was almost 6:00 PM.  I could hear my brother and roommate talking.  I had never slept so long in my life and figured my brother and roommate must have been curious what happened to me but oddly they never questioned why I had slept so late.  

I told my brother about my 'dream', three minutes after I told him our mom called to tell us she had to put Brandy down.

I remember those words 'Its not your time.'  I think everyone has a time.  Dying/leaving is part of our existence here.  Its an important part of our time here.  Do whatever you can to comfort your loved one but let that time come on its own.  

 
Neurologist called and the x rays and blood are normal. We said no to the MRI, and asked for their thoughts on next steps. They will call back later. It is harder because other than her not walking she looks perfectly normal. I have no idea what to do and I feel either decision I make will be wrong. Letting her go, am I taking time away from her, could the MRI find something and could surgery help and will she survive the surgery
You can't 2nd guess yourself you have obviously given her a great life and a loving home. I agree surgery probably not a good idea for a dog that age. Listen to the vet and your gut. Bring her home from vet love her and when its time see if the vet will come to the house. She will be more comfortable and she will be the ones she loves when the time comes.

 
Wife just texted me that she walked or tried to, still dragging/ favoring that leg, only a short distance but it was something (hasn't even attempted that in the past 36 hours). Of course she then went to the bathroom on the rug and I am sure she is horrified she did it. Well we shall see.....

 
I have two old small dogs. One of them collapsed years ago and both her hind legs were dragging suddenly. Turned out to be a herniated disc and they were able to treat it quickly with meds. She’s been a running terror ever since. I’m going to offer some optimism that it could be something like that.

 
Good luck. I think you need to find out if the leg issue improves. When my 16 year old lab Bailey lost use of his hind legs and couldn’t go out by himself I could tell in his eyes it was time. He wanted dignity. Kept waiting for loss of appetite and that never happened. 
I made a decision and called the vet. Appointment was made for the next afternoon. Gave him his 2 favorite human eats - peanut butter pancake for breakfast and a prime rib bone for dinner. I had the kids each day their goodbyes and they left to Starbucks to wait for us. Vet came with a nurse and it was so peaceful. We petted Bailey and showered him with love to the end. It was still heartbreaking and we all cried for days but I think it went as well as possible. Never fun. Hang in there

 
If anyone has been at these crossroads
Sorry man. Dude, two eyes later and she is still up to life's challenge. That's very impressive. No doubt she's made an impression on you through courage alone. Not to mention the long life you've had together (dog years). Do you have and photos/videos of her from a while back? It's hard to see on a daily basis, but that'll help put things into perspective for you. However I may be answering a question you didn't ask anyone. My bad on that. Man, dogs are members of the pack at their core. And they're going to do their best to be stubborn and cantankerous and whatever else they have to do as not to get left behind. They'll fool you into thinking they're not as bad off as they really are. Dogs have a high threshold, man. So once it actually starts showing, and it's noticeable that she's lagging behind.. that'll mean they can't hide it anymore. I'm kinda crying a little bit writing this one. Can you post a pic of her? Like the one on your dresser or entertainment center or fridge. I'm kinda sure I'm not the only one who'd like to give her an imaginary high five thru the computer screen.

 
So sorry to hear this.  It is terribly hard to put a dog down but sometimes the most humane thing to do is end the suffering for them.  We put our 14 year old Boston Terrier down 1 year ago because he was having a hard time getting around, couldn't get down from the bed and started peeing on the bed because he couldn't get down. It was a very hard thing to do but it is even harder to see them suffer and be in pain.

 
You as the owner know your dog best, and will know when it's time.  It's extremely difficult, but try not to wait too long to end the suffering.  I know I did with our last dog, and I regret it.   

 
The vet prescribed steroids for a possible disc issue, and wants to see her in 2 weeks, So we will do that and just do our best for her. I am hoping that we will see signs of improvement in that time period, but if not, it is going to be a real hard time. She actually has a FB that one of my girls created all those years ago and there are pictures of her when she had both eyes and yes, she is very stubborn and I have been amazed how she gets around and up and down flights of stairs, extremely fast when dinner or treats are out

 
i am sorry you are having to go through this and sorry your pup is not doing well in short i wish you the best take that to the bank bromigo

 
I guess the hardest part to grasp is that she is acting normal with everything she does and is fully aware of everything around her, she just cant walk.

 
The vet prescribed steroids for a possible disc issue, and wants to see her in 2 weeks, So we will do that and just do our best for her. I am hoping that we will see signs of improvement in that time period, but if not, it is going to be a real hard time. She actually has a FB that one of my girls created all those years ago and there are pictures of her when she had both eyes and yes, she is very stubborn and I have been amazed how she gets around and up and down flights of stairs, extremely fast when dinner or treats are out
My Boston had a disc issue. Some steroids, and no lie, a doggie chiropractor made a big difference. Watching the guy made me feel like I was paying him to pet my dog, but it did seem to benefit her.

 
It is your job to ensure she isn’t suffering. 
Won't even read the rest of this thread 'cuz I don't wanna start bawling.  But... this.

This past December 23rd we said goodbye to our dear Black Lab named Polly.  We were taking her to the vet that afternoon to have her put down and she died right there with me, my wife and kids on her little sleeping pad in the living room.

At some point "you just know".  

Wishing you and your family the best.

 
Update for anyone still following, Lola has been on steroids since Wednesday night, and she is up and walking with her usual Terrier attitude. No way to tell how much better she will walk, so we are keeping her away from stairs, she still loses balance every now and then, but is definitely more like her old self. She goes back to specialist in 10 days, so we will wait and see what they say and how she progresses

 
We had a pit bull/lab mix years ago , aww my sweet Raja .. ahem dusty... sorry. 

Anyways...Raja was on her deathbed at least four times and a couple of prednisone later she was back to her normal, happy self. Bought her another 2 years.

 
mkripke said:
Update for anyone still following, Lola has been on steroids since Wednesday night, and she is up and walking with her usual Terrier attitude. No way to tell how much better she will walk, so we are keeping her away from stairs, she still loses balance every now and then, but is definitely more like her old self. She goes back to specialist in 10 days, so we will wait and see what they say and how she progresses
Sorry - late to the party.  I work for an animal health company (albeit in finance, but very exposed to the business).  I'm assuming if it's a possible disc issue, then a lot of it is pain management.  I'm curious why they chose steroids vs. something like Rimadyl/Carprofen.  Steroids can cause "bathroom issues" and aren't really viable for long-term use in a lot of cases.  If the steroids are for short-term, you may want to ask about Rimadyl for longer-term treatment.  Hopefully it's just getting the inflammation and pain managed and she can get back to a normal, albeit geriatric doggy life!

 
This is the part of having a dog be part of the family that I hate the most. They really aren't a "pet" but a member of the family. We had a hound mix named Rusty that was about 12 years old and had some serious arthritis in his hips. Struggled to get up and down the stairs, sometimes would limp pretty heavily. I had a number of people say to me "Man. When are you going to get to the point where he needs to be put down?" I always told them "He will let me know." One day he was coming down the steps and collapsed. My wife yelled for me and I came running and gently checked him out. He was unable to stand without leaning against the wall. Panting and drooling. I scooped him up and put him in the car taking him to the vet. Called my adult daughter on the way and told her to get to the vet NOW as this may be the end. He really was HER dog as she was growing up. The vet said it appeared to be something neurological.. Maybe a stroke, who knows. We could do a bunch of tests that were going to cost a lot of money or accept the fact that it may be time that the quality of life was no longer going to be something we could provide to him.  :cry:

Made the decision that day to put him down. My daughter sat on the floor with him and held his head in her lap telling him he was a good boy and loving him until the vet tech told us he was no longer there. Always hard. Always sucks. Always makes me cry like a baby. But they WILL let you know when it is time. Just make sure you are willing to listen. Unlike humans, dogs have the option to go quietly to the other side without having to suffer until the very last moment like we do. Hopefully the treatment works and you can put this off until the time is necessary. 

 
I'm sorry you're going through this. We had to say goodbye to our Romey last summer. We were fortunate that our vet makes house calls (in the middle of the first Covid wave) and we could do it in our backyard. It's the hardest decision ever, we even lived through a few months of him losing control of his bowels.

The one thing I've learned through several cats and now Romey, is that while we want to know the answer to what is going wrong, because we want to fix it if possible or know it can't be fixed before giving up, that you need to have a clear understanding of what you are testing for and if you find it, what you're willing or able to do about it. We are easy targets for spending all kinds of money and putting our animals through unnecessary procedures, just to know the answer. For example, doing a biopsy to find out if the failing kidney is cancer (I did this) was a worthless test, because I wasn't going to put him (my first cat) through chemo if the test had come back positive. Meanwhile, the negative test was inconclusive, because they may have biopsied a part of the kidney that did not actually contain the cancer and that was $900 down the drain while putting him through unnecessary anesthesia risk. His kidneys were failing, unless I was willing to put him through chemo, the treatment was going to be to treat the symptoms and give him intravenous/subcutaneous fluids as long as it helped.

If the steroids are working, it sounds like you're on the right track as if you went through with the MRI. Ask the right questions and don't let them push for test after test if the possible results don't offer a possibility of a more favorable outcome.

 
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Made the decision that day to put him down. My daughter sat on the floor with him and held his head in her lap telling him he was a good boy and loving him until the vet tech told us he was no longer there. Always hard. Always sucks. Always makes me cry like a baby. But they WILL let you know when it is time. Just make sure you are willing to listen. Unlike humans, dogs have the option to go quietly to the other side without having to suffer until the very last moment like we do. Hopefully the treatment works and you can put this off until the time is necessary. 
Very well said.  It sounds mean when we say it, but it is very true and as hard as it is, It is the last "good" thing we can do for our pets even though it doesn't come close to all of the things they did for us.

 
I'm sorry you're going through this. We had to say goodbye to our Romey last summer. We were fortunate that our vet makes house calls (in the middle of the first Covid wave) and we could do it in our backyard. It's the hardest decision ever, we even lived through a few months of him losing control of his bowels.

The one thing I've learned through several cats and now Romey, is that while we want to know the answer to what is going wrong, because we want to fix it if possible or know it can't be fixed before giving up, that you need to have a clear understanding of what you are testing for and if you find it, what you're willing or able to do about it. We are easy targets for spending all kinds of money to just know the answer. For example, doing a biopsy to find out if the failing kidney is cancer (I did this) was a worthless test, because I wasn't going to put him (my first cat) through chemo if the test had come back positive. Meanwhile, the negative test was inconclusive, because they may have biopsied a part of the kidney that did not actually contain the cancer and that was $900 down the drain 🙄. His kidneys were failing, unless I was willing to put him through chemo, the treatment was going to be to treat the symptoms and give him intravenous/subcutaneous fluids as long as it helped.

If the steroids are working, it sounds like you're on the right track as if you went through with the MRI. Ask the right questions and don't let them push for test after test if the possible results don't offer a possibility of a more favorable outcome.
Very good advice as well. I had a great shepherd mix named Bear. He got sick and could not keep down anything even water without throwing it up. Took him to the vet and xrays and preliminary tests were inconclusive. Dropped a $1000 on tests for a 10 year old shepherd with bad hip dysplasia. Vet wanted me to take him to a special animal hospital 2 hours away where it was about $500 to just walk in the door. All the while he was now on day 3 of keeping nothing down... Getting weaker and weaker. Doc thought it was maybe stomach cancer, or some type of blockage they weren't seeing. Eventually made the call to end the suffering rather than chase the inevitable. Don't regret the money spent as he was my guy and meant the world to my wife, but we probably could have shaved a day off his suffering had we not chased some of those preliminary tests that weren't going to really change much.

 
Oh man, have I purposely avoided this thread.  My three-legged pitbull (missing hind-left) is nearly twelve years-old and recently she's declined physically.  To quote the vet, "her hip is shot."

I'm all for treating her with lasers, meds, supplements (as in peparing her over-easy eggs twice a day because there is no easier way to get her to eat meds/supps), and carrying her up the stairs four times a day (55 pounds), but I live in constant dread that her hip is going to fail spectacuarly and she will be in pure agony. 

Pro Tip: Wash the dog dish thoroughly every day, even if she makes a happy bowl.  I do this practically every day, but got a little complacent yesterday.  Big mistake.

 
Very good advice as well. I had a great shepherd mix named Bear. He got sick and could not keep down anything even water without throwing it up. Took him to the vet and xrays and preliminary tests were inconclusive. Dropped a $1000 on tests for a 10 year old shepherd with bad hip dysplasia. Vet wanted me to take him to a special animal hospital 2 hours away where it was about $500 to just walk in the door. All the while he was now on day 3 of keeping nothing down... Getting weaker and weaker. Doc thought it was maybe stomach cancer, or some type of blockage they weren't seeing. Eventually made the call to end the suffering rather than chase the inevitable. Don't regret the money spent as he was my guy and meant the world to my wife, but we probably could have shaved a day off his suffering had we not chased some of those preliminary tests that weren't going to really change much.
Have a great vet that will be straight with you is so important.

When we adopted our dog, she was a rescue from a puppy mill. We noticed she was having some issues with her one leg and took her to the vet. She was diagnosed with a luxating patella. Literally everything I read about the grade she had said that surgery was 100% a necessity and ran a few thousand dollars, money that we really didn’t have. Thankfully the vet said that our dog seemed to be figuring out how to compensate and that she could build up some extra muscle in other areas that would allow her to live a pretty normal life without pain. We would just potentially have to manage some things down the road. We listened to the vet and he turned out to be absolutely correct. I had people shaming me for not getting the surgery and it turned out not to be needed at all.

The vet was also super honest with us at the end. Our Bailey was struggling to breath and seemed to have some sort of mass in her chest. They told us that our options were to end her suffering or to send her to another place where she would be put in an oxygen tent and they would then do an MRI. When I asked if they thought it was reasonable and beneficial to move her and do the testing, they flat out told us that it would likely be a waste of money and only draw things out. We had more money at that point so it was financially doable for us, but prolonging things when it just extended her suffering wasn’t what we wanted either. To have a voice we trusted be able to be honest with us in a moment where we may not have been thinking clearly meant a lot.

 
This is the part of having a dog be part of the family that I hate the most. They really aren't a "pet" but a member of the family. We had a hound mix named Rusty that was about 12 years old and had some serious arthritis in his hips. Struggled to get up and down the stairs, sometimes would limp pretty heavily. I had a number of people say to me "Man. When are you going to get to the point where he needs to be put down?" I always told them "He will let me know." One day he was coming down the steps and collapsed. My wife yelled for me and I came running and gently checked him out. He was unable to stand without leaning against the wall. Panting and drooling. I scooped him up and put him in the car taking him to the vet. Called my adult daughter on the way and told her to get to the vet NOW as this may be the end. He really was HER dog as she was growing up. The vet said it appeared to be something neurological.. Maybe a stroke, who knows. We could do a bunch of tests that were going to cost a lot of money or accept the fact that it may be time that the quality of life was no longer going to be something we could provide to him.  :cry:

Made the decision that day to put him down. My daughter sat on the floor with him and held his head in her lap telling him he was a good boy and loving him until the vet tech told us he was no longer there. Always hard. Always sucks. Always makes me cry like a baby. But they WILL let you know when it is time. Just make sure you are willing to listen. Unlike humans, dogs have the option to go quietly to the other side without having to suffer until the very last moment like we do. Hopefully the treatment works and you can put this off until the time is necessary. 
Thanks for cutting the onions in here....

It's been almost 2 years since we had to put our shepard/lab mix down.  I know everyone says this but he was the best dog, I've had many dogs growing up and non like him.  Anyone that met him felt the same, just something about him and the way he looked at you.  He was thru a lot.  While finishing our basement a half wall fell on his foot.  Had to carry him out to the bathroom for a month or so until better.  Around 10 years old was playing and he quickly changed directions and went down in a heap.  Thought he broke his hip but turned out torn ACL.  Vet recommended surgery but I did some research and saw people that rehapped and turned out ok.  We kept him on a leash in the house and out for over a month and then slowly gave him more exercise.  Within 3 months he was running and playing fetch like nothing happened (was stiff in the morning).  Then my wife let a friend stay over that had a dog.  While we weren't home she had the dogs together.  Sprocket (our dog) never cared much for other dogs but got along with them.  He preferred to keep to himself....anyhow I get home and he's by the doorstep by himself.  Seemed odd but whatever.  That night he's not really moving, not sure what's going on.  Asked the friend and she said she didn't notice anything.  Next day he doesn't want to get up.  I carry him outside to go to bathroom and call the vet.  While I'm outside the friends young kid comes up to me and says "Sprocket needs a band aide".  I said what do you mean?  He just says that a couple of times.  Go to the vet and they look at his front feet and don't see anything.  He does seem to start to move ok when i get there, go figure...anyhow don't notice anything else strange.  Go home with vet saying just let him rest.  Latter that day we notice blood up by his upper shoulder.  This is over 24 hours since he started to act weird.  It's night so we wait until morning to take to vet.  Turns out he has a wound on his upper shoulder that looks like a dog bite.  As the "friend" and she said no she didn't see anything....anyhow he gets stitches.  Something happens and the wound isn't healing.  The stitches keep pulling out and they keep removing more skin to get to a good area.  After a while the wound is open and about the size between a baseball and softball.  Gross looking, we have to change bandages every other day.  We keep going to the vet 2-3 times a week for checks and they can't figure out what is going on.  Long story short there was some kind of infection and whatever they did didn't make it better.  Finally the vet tells us they can't fix him (oh yeah forgot to mention that during this time has has basically stopped eatting and has lost around 20lbs, this is over a month or so).  We try to give him the best 2 days we could, visit all family.  Take him to Dairy Queen for a ice cream, go on a last walk and took plenty of pictures.  Took him to my brothers farm for him to dig a couple of holes....then one last car ride to the vet.  The vet always had a candle that had a note that if the candle was lit someone was losing a family member, please be respectful.  Well this day that candle was let for us.  We were with him during the process and held him to the in.  Miss my buddy so much, would do anything we could do have him back...anyhow sorry for the long post.  I see this topic a week or so and told myself not to click on it as I knew what it would do...but today i clicked and now I'm all chocked up....hug your pups!

 
It sucks but I think you have to do right by the dog and let them go peacefully. We had to put one of ours down 5 or so years back and I still get upset thinking about it, but it was important for her to not be in pain and for us to be there holding her so she felt loved and safe until she passed. 

 
I am sorry about your pup, it is tough to see them get old.  That said if I had an elderly dog that couldn't/wouldn't move I would put it down and not think twice about it.  That is no life for a dog.

 
Sorry - late to the party.  I work for an animal health company (albeit in finance, but very exposed to the business).  I'm assuming if it's a possible disc issue, then a lot of it is pain management.  I'm curious why they chose steroids vs. something like Rimadyl/Carprofen.  Steroids can cause "bathroom issues" and aren't really viable for long-term use in a lot of cases.  If the steroids are for short-term, you may want to ask about Rimadyl for longer-term treatment.  Hopefully it's just getting the inflammation and pain managed and she can get back to a normal, albeit geriatric doggy life!
I will ask, thank you

 
Man hope this works out for you. We were just in this situation and it sucks. 13 1/2 year old American Bulldog/Lab mix. A little over a month ago heard a bang, wife and I both ran and she had fallen down the steps and was laying at the bottom and wouldn't move. First thought was her and our other dog tangled feet as they ran down the stairs. Scoped her up and rushed her to the vet, by the time we got there she was at least lifting her head and thumping her tail. Vet checked her over and she sat up and then stood and walked albeit very gingerly. They said keep an eye on her and gave us Rimadyl. Over the next few days she got better and within 5 or 6 days was back to herself and outside barking and running around the yard. About a week later and she suddenly started having issues using her right rear leg, dragging it, trouble squatting to pee, would wait at the stairs for me to carry her up to bed. Back to the vet, they said nothing broken, she wasn't acting in pain, possibly neurological and recommended we see a specialist. Of course it was a week until we could get in. Over that week she had good days where she forced herself to get up and move, even going down the stairs somehow and one day over the weekend I didn't think she would make the next day. Mind you while this is going on my older son was in the hospital with severe anxiety and depression, he was 4 and our younger son 1 when we got her so she was their dog and he is asking how she is doing. Took her to the specialist, their tests showed she had cancer that was attacking her spine and her lungs, there was nothing we could do. Brought her home because my son got out of the hospital that day and let the boys say goodbye, she got a nice big steak for dinner, my wife I took turns sleeping on the floor with her that night and I'll admit crying our eyes out.  Next day you could see the look in her eyes like she didn't want to keep going like this which made it easier I guess. Took her to the vet that afternoon and stayed with her until she was gone. Thankful for our other dog who keeps us entertained, he has adjusted well considering he is 8 and she had been there since he arrived at like 7 or 8 months old. Wife thinks we need to get him a friend this summer but not sure I'm ready yet.

 
Man hope this works out for you. We were just in this situation and it sucks. 13 1/2 year old American Bulldog/Lab mix. A little over a month ago heard a bang, wife and I both ran and she had fallen down the steps and was laying at the bottom and wouldn't move. First thought was her and our other dog tangled feet as they ran down the stairs. Scoped her up and rushed her to the vet, by the time we got there she was at least lifting her head and thumping her tail. Vet checked her over and she sat up and then stood and walked albeit very gingerly. They said keep an eye on her and gave us Rimadyl. Over the next few days she got better and within 5 or 6 days was back to herself and outside barking and running around the yard. About a week later and she suddenly started having issues using her right rear leg, dragging it, trouble squatting to pee, would wait at the stairs for me to carry her up to bed. Back to the vet, they said nothing broken, she wasn't acting in pain, possibly neurological and recommended we see a specialist. Of course it was a week until we could get in. Over that week she had good days where she forced herself to get up and move, even going down the stairs somehow and one day over the weekend I didn't think she would make the next day. Mind you while this is going on my older son was in the hospital with severe anxiety and depression, he was 4 and our younger son 1 when we got her so she was their dog and he is asking how she is doing. Took her to the specialist, their tests showed she had cancer that was attacking her spine and her lungs, there was nothing we could do. Brought her home because my son got out of the hospital that day and let the boys say goodbye, she got a nice big steak for dinner, my wife I took turns sleeping on the floor with her that night and I'll admit crying our eyes out.  Next day you could see the look in her eyes like she didn't want to keep going like this which made it easier I guess. Took her to the vet that afternoon and stayed with her until she was gone. Thankful for our other dog who keeps us entertained, he has adjusted well considering he is 8 and she had been there since he arrived at like 7 or 8 months old. Wife thinks we need to get him a friend this summer but not sure I'm ready yet.
:cry:

 

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