After 14 Years - It's Time and I Need Advice

JustAThought

PhotogTom wrote: »

My dog, Kelly, a choc lab is 14 years old, white muzzled, 50 yards in the garden tires her out and she spends most of her time by the fire.

In our life together, she has
1) enjoyed riding on our jet ski when we lived in Florida
2) hunted ducks in Florida swamps from an airboat
3) boated and hiked all over Florida
4) flown the Atlantic in a cargo hold and moved to Ireland with me and my wife
5) hunted ducks on the Shannon River
6) helped me renovate an abandoned farm building into a home for all of us (rode in the van each day to collect supplies, sat in the sun while I swung a hammer!)
7) gone on uncountable hiking and hill walking trips with me
8) did i mention she put up with having both hips replaced when she was 2?

and now, I have to think when is the right time to put her down!

After being a "bullet proof" dog in terms of house training, she started wetting her bed. A dose of antibiotic cleared it up only to start again. On the third problem in as many weeks, and after finding lots of blood in her urine, the vet did an ultrasound and found a tumor on her bladder and possibly on her liver as well.

Surgery isn't an option at her age.

She is bright eyed, alert and affectionate but it seems the cancer is progressing and she can't stay on antibiotics all the time.

In bits over it, but how do I decide when? She is on antibiotics now which will probably clear up the current symptoms.

The vet will come to the house for us. Should I have him come next weekend when she will probably be at her best in terms of having just finished the antibiotics? Or wait until she has symptoms again? Going on past form that will just be one day the following week.

How do I know when the right time is? She isn't in paid now that I can tell but it isn't fair to let the cancer spread so she is either in pain or sopping wet from not being able to control her bladder.

I knew the day was coming, just never thought it would be so hard.

I only saw your post this morning & am so upset for you. What really comes through us the love you have for your dog & all the great times you shared together & how you made her part of everything you did . I hope you are doing OK. it is clear that whatever the time left, your dog will be wrapped in love & know that you will do your best for it, as you have always done these past 14 years .

Pretzill

I only saw your post today too. I can relate I have two 14 year olds whove been to the vet more often this year. But I'm thinking palliative care now and also hoping I'll know when the time is right but dreading it too.

We've done so much together and they know they're the best dogs - the female has bouts of vestibular disorder when shes going through it I think its time but she comes back to herself so quickly - I couldnt let her go yet. But once I see them getting worse the decision wil have to be made. Awful sad for you Op I understand but can't add any advice.

Jen Pigs Fly

My 16 year old cat was put to sleep on December 21st 2012 after just under a year going through vet visits, drips, injections, tablets, medication, over night stays, x rays, biopsies, everything really.

She had severe renal problems, and it was kidney failure that took her from us. In the end she was very bad, would not eat, kept wetting her bed and the dogs bed, then she lost the use of her legs, she then perked up but we decided we would not wait for her to get that bad again.

Vet reassured us she was not in any pain, and we wanted to keep it that way.

In the surgery when she came in prepped for the final time she looked so tired, she was telling us she couldn't do it anymore, she couldn't go through another round of tests, she was ready. This reassured me that it was the right thing to do but it killed me, heartbroken wasn't the word. She just wanted it to end, she had enough.

She would've been 17 this year. Got her when I was 6. Her ashes are in her fav sitting place in the sitting room.

I have a 11 year old lab with severe hip dysplasia and I've noticed lumps in her stomach (she's already seen the vet with them he says they're cysts. I bring her in every few months to get them checked) and while she is full of life and energy - she pulls worse than my 1.6 year old lab! - I know that she only has a few years left so I plan on making the very most of it, with beach walks, forest walks,etc just me and her before she gets too bad. There is a possibility if the lumps are not monitored they can turn cancerous so I'm taking no chances.