Older, sick dog-not sure what the right thing is anymore

[golightly1118]

My eleven year old dog is sick with cancer. It's a type that is very aggresive and invasive, and the vet explained that even with surgery and chemo, he would have a year max to live. This was in January. We decided to not put him through all that. The little guy was our first baby, he's been with us through college, a cross country move, early married life, and the first year of DD's life. The tumor is getting much larger. I just don't know what the right thing is to do anymore. He's still happy and playful, still has a good appetite, has lost some weight but doesn't look emaciated. Sorry if this is a rambling post, but I feel like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't with this situation. I know we're probably looking at having him put to sleep within a few months, I guess it just hasn't really hit me yet.

[MamaMolly]

Oh, I'm so sorry. I think if he isn't in pain and seems happy enough then it is the best, kindest thing you can do. You'll know when he is ready for you to let him go, but it doesn't sound to me like now is the time. :grouphug:

[hillview]

I agree with pp. Sounds like doggie is ok for now. Keep doing what you are doing and at some point if he is in pain you can make a decision.
HUGS

/hillary

[karstmama]

yes, you'll know. when he stops eating or playing or starts lying around whimpering, you'll know. i'm sorry about your first furbaby's sickness.

[elephantmeg]

we went through the same thing last year. We weren't sure if we would know when the time was-but one night she cried all night and we knew. We took her in that morning. By the time we got to the vet she couldn't walk anymore. It is so, so hard. A few days before she wasn't eating well and more lethargic but when it was time to say goodbye it was very clear. I was so relieved to have it so clear.

Huge, huge hugs. It was so hard but it really drew DH and I even closer together

[bubbaray]

I'm so sorry. :grouphug: I would talk to your vet and ask him/her to let you know when it is time so that your dog is not in pain.

[twowhat?]

What a hard thing to go through. I've always heard vets say (and I agree) that if you can list 3 things your dog loves that he/she still partakes in (e.g. eating, walks, barking at squirrels), then it is not time. It's all about maximizing quality of life, and it sounds like you're on the right track.

[indigo99]

I commend you for the decision not to do treatment. When my greyhound got cancer, we had just lost my mom and couldn't deal with more loss. It started with an emergency (get a transfusion or he'll die within 24hrs). Then there were just always more small decisions (do some tests to see what's wrong, do the surgery, try this drug etc), and it escalated into about $8,000 in vet bills. It did make him better for a bit, but I think it was probably the wrong path to go down.

I think you'll know when it's time. We asked the vet and actually found someone to come to our house and administer the shots when it was time. I couldn't watch, but I sat with him until the lady came. Then DH buried him in our backyard.

[larig]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your pup. My childhood dog got cancer at 13. You know when they aren't prepared to continue. He'll let you know. Try to enjoy the time you have together--no matter when they leave us, it's never enough time with them. Big hugs. :grouphug:

[kdeunc]

I am so sorry. We went through the same thing last year. Misty had a prognosis of anywhere from 1 month to 9 months best case scenario. She lived 6 months. You will know when it is time. She and her brother we our first babies too. :hug:

[KLD313]

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I think it becomes clear when it's time to put them to sleep. You'll notice quality of life decline. I always think if they're still eating then they're probably feeling ok.

[lablover]

I agree with the others - he sounds fine right now and you will know when it is time. We had to put our lab down right before Christmas. She was refusing food off and on for a few days (which she had never ever done before.) Finally she wouldn't come downstairs one morning and we knew something was wrong. She was obviously in pain. DH took her to the vet that afternoon and she had a large tumor on her spleen which was most likely an aggressive form of cancer. Her stomach was also full of blood. Our choices were to do surgery or put her to sleep as she would bleed to death otherwise. The vet said surgery would only give her a few months to live at best and it would also be hard on her, given that she was 10. She also said that if it were her dog she would put her down that that point. I drove out to meet DH and we put her to sleep. It was so devastating, we had no warning. She was our first baby too. One week prior she was running, playing, eating and we had just had a conversation with some people on how good she looked. She most certainly had the cancer for awhile prior to that but she still had quality of life and didn't seem to be in any pain. You will know when it is time. Big hugs to you! :hug:

[niccig]

yes, you'll know. when he stops eating or playing or starts lying around whimpering, you'll know. i'm sorry about your first furbaby's sickness.

:yeahthat: I'm sorry, we love our furbaby too.

[carolinamama]

Sorry you are having to go through this. We were there a year and a half ago with our first born baby. We opted for palliative care - used pain meds as needed and just tried to make our dog's last few months the best they could be. His tumor grew aggressively and quickly but he really seemed happy to be with us until the last few days. He let us know it was time. He had a few episodes where he just couldn't get comfortable and whimpered for 30-45 minutes. We put him down the next day. It was so hard at the time but truthfully, I know we did the right thing. Treatment would have been too hard on a 12 yo do, imo. It's a hard decision, but I think you will know when it is time and I know DH and I feel like we made the right choice after the fact with our dog. HTH.

Hugs to you - it's so hard to see your dog go through this.

[mackmama]

I am so so sorry. These decisions are incredibly hard. I think you look at his quality of life. It sounds like he still enjoys life (albeit in a different way than I'm sure he used to). When he no longer has quality of life, then I think you consider whether it is time. I also think dogs tell us when they are ready - so try to trust yourself and your choices. Big hugs to you and your beloved dog.

[1964pandora]

I'm so sorry. Different animals have different pain tolerances. My dog had really severe hip dysplasia that was probably quite painful, but the Vet said that he was coping with it very well and appeared to be happy, so he didn't think we should put him to sleep yet. Finally, the dog started to fall down and was unable to get up on his own. That's when we knew...

I hope that at some point the time has obviously come so you can be at peace with your decision.

[SkyrMommy]

I'm so sorry. We just went through this with our two kitties, both with cancer and both let me know when it was time. They just lost a little of that sparkle and love that was them and we said our goodbye's. I miss them terribly, but cherished the time I had with them both.

Thinking of you...:hug:

[Tenasparkl]

I'm so sorry. We went through the same thing with our dog a little under 2 years ago. We decided to treat the cancer and she survived about 6 months after treatment began. It was so hard on her and I regret it now. Our daughter was a tiny baby and we felt very sentimental toward our "first baby" and felt like we needed to do all we could for her. We ended up spending a TON of money and her quality of life only got a little better before the end. She also had a heart condition that we were treating, so we're not actually sure what happened in the end. Enjoy the time that you have left together.