Quality of life?

Better_Days

OP I really feel for you.

My elderly dog is on her 'last lap'.

It all started with a nasty tummy upset a couple of months ago. Prior to that she was on previcox and gabapentin for her joints, with zantac to help protect her tummy from the effects of the previcox. (Plus various supplements)

We haven't been able to give her the previcox since the tummy upset, but the vet has assured us that even though she is stiff, the gabapentin will be controlling her pain.

Eventually we got the tummy upset under control and she really perked up. Not back to where she was before the tummy upset, but a reasonable quality of life, I felt that she was getting enjoyment out of every day and she still had that 'spark'.

Last weekend it was back to the v+d but another course of antibiotics bought about a fast improvement in symptoms. She is not herself though, although she does still want to go on her walks, and grumbles if the cats or the other dog strays into her 'exclusion' zone.

The vet was positive when we saw him at the weekend. We've used the same vets for over 15 years and we know him, and he knows us well. He'd say if he thought we were leaving it too long.

It is so hard. When there is gradual deterioration its a judgement call. I'm reassured that her pain is pretty well controlled, so it comes down to that ineffable thing - has she had enough?

Over the years we've had many pets PTS. Usually I've known when the time was right. This time I'm really struggling, and finding it very difficult to be objective.

I think it wont be so much about her symptoms, whether her tummy is upset or not, but more about when I look into her eyes and feel how she feels.

On a more practical note we will have the vet out to her when it is time. DH will take her to the local pet crematorium and we'll bring her ashes back home.

Years ago we had a lovely old black lab, Jet, pts whilst eating choccy biscuits, and a friend had her black lab pts whilst eating Tunnocks tea cakes. I don't think I'll be able to distract my current dog though.

Be kind to yourself OP, you are trying your best, and it is so, so hard.



Fragile Circle

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
never fully understanding the necessary plan."

Irving Townsend.

hmc

I feel for you so much
we had this decision in march. and I asked the exact same questions on here. billy virtually stopped eating, having had surgery for cancer the previous year. he was 11. though he was still playing with spaniel and jumping in the car for walks. I tried a steroid injection but he didn't want to eat. I wasn't going to put him through any more tests or surgery, the vet said his cancer had probably returned and he could feel something in his tummy.so we made the decision to do it while there was more good days than bad, still wracked with guilt
we also had vet come to house as he hated the vets. they were wonderful, I sat in his bed with him, he slipped away with me talking and stroking to him and they wrapped him in a fluffy blanket and took him away. you will make the right decision when the time is right, but as said above sooner is better than too late x

JP08

We had to go through the same thing last year, for pretty much the same reason.

What made us realise it was time was when we were talking about the quality of life, and realised all the things he used to like to do that he'd stopped doing in those last 6 months. He'd stopped chasing "balls" (tennis ball chasing stopped a while before, but that was eyesight - knotted tuggy towels were easier to see), stopped wanting to go swimming in every body of water (or anything vaguely passing for water), even stopped playing rip-my-towel-to-bits and chasing the pigeons out of the garden. His favourite walk was out of bounds as he couldn't cope with the lock steps, and even car trips were becoming hard as he was struggling to get up his ramp. Not quality of life for a retriever.

bugslet

suki1964 wrote: »

My vet wanted to put my lad to sleep whilst he was under an anaesthetic having an ultrasound I refused and said I would bring him home so we could say our good byes. He bounded out of the vets, I couldn't believe this was to be his last night. But yes come the morning, he could barely walk and I had to call the vet out.

I had a border collie aged 17 with kidney failure, wnet into the vets and onto a drip. Went back the next day and there he was looking like a 7 year old, but I knew as soon as the drip was out, it would be a return to him being ill. Flipping Xmas Eve as well.:(

Iain_L wrote: »

.

. She has a mass in her abdomen that is causing her no discomfort, and not affecting her life at all, but, and it's a huge BUT, it could rupture at any stage, leading to severe internal bleeding. That could happen five minutes after we left to go to work one day.
.

Had a Spitz with Haemangio Sarcoma (sp), ie multiple tumours around his body, which at some time would have probably caused internal bleeding. Like you, I was on pins and needles and wondering what was the best to do. In the end, I noticed his poo was very black and I took that as a sign that all was not well.

OP, I am inclined to agree that given the vet has suggested that now is the time, that they are drawing on a lot of experience with other patients and it is something that you need to think about doing very very soon.

It's horrible ( one of mine is in a similar situation with breathing problems, though at the only just stage), and all you can do is what you feel is best.

(((hugs))))

zaksmum

Thanks so much to all you lovely people.

I restarted Lucy's Metacam yesterday and her mobility improved dramatically by tea time. She walked without limping and was playing with her toys again, looking brighter than she has for a while.

As she is now, I wouldn't have her PTS... not yet, anyway. I feel like I've managed to buy her a bit more time and that's worth everything to me.

I know it won't be much time and I'm trying hard not to bury my head in the sand - but even another week with my lovely old girl is worth the world to me. She is snoozing now with her head on my lap and I'm stroking her, just so very grateful for that little bit of extra time with her.

missbiggles1

zaksmum wrote: »

Thanks so much to all you lovely people.

I restarted Lucy's Metacam yesterday and her mobility improved dramatically by tea time. She walked without limping and was playing with her toys again, looking brighter than she has for a while.

As she is now, I wouldn't have her PTS... not yet, anyway. I feel like I've managed to buy her a bit more time and that's worth everything to me.

I know it won't be much time and I'm trying hard not to bury my head in the sand - but even another week with my lovely old girl is worth the world to me. She is snoozing now with her head on my lap and I'm stroking her, just so very grateful for that little bit of extra time with her.

I hope you both enjoy the time you have left together. All the best.

rising_from_the_ashes

So pleased to hear she's doing better - long may it last and cherish every day and make it special.

Oddjob

There are very good reports of Youmove Advanced. Also a friend of mine's dog is on Nutraquin + and is doing very well on it. If it was me, I would try one of those.
Also as Kyrl suggested, Golden paste - turmeric - has very good results see the facebook page, Turmeric Users UK.


Its an awful decision to have to make, my heart goes out to you. xx

Iain_L

Apologies to zaksmum for butting in on her thread, but as Sammi was mentioned on page 1, I thought I'd let people know what happened.

She was seen by the oconolgy specialists at Royal !!!!!! in Edinburgh, and after examination they believed that the mass was a lipoma rather than a malignant tumour, and she was a good candidate for surgery. With that diagnosis we felt we had to give her a chance, even at 13 1/2 years old.

She was operated on on Thursday, and the lipoma, which was fully encapsulated (similar to a sausage in a skin) was completely removed. The surgeon said that she was in such good physical condition that her recovery would be faster, and hopefully she will be home again today or tomorrow. She is already twisting the staff around her little paw.

Our thanks have to go to our own very experienced vet, who admitted he didn't want to open her up without being sure what he would find, and so he arranged the referral to Edinburgh.

*Robin*

zaksmum wrote: »

Thanks so much to all you lovely people.

I restarted Lucy's Metacam yesterday and her mobility improved dramatically by tea time. She walked without limping and was playing with her toys again, looking brighter than she has for a while.

As she is now, I wouldn't have her PTS... not yet, anyway. I feel like I've managed to buy her a bit more time and that's worth everything to me.

I know it won't be much time and I'm trying hard not to bury my head in the sand - but even another week with my lovely old girl is worth the world to me. She is snoozing now with her head on my lap and I'm stroking her, just so very grateful for that little bit of extra time with her.

Please do try turmeric - Golden Paste - another vote here; the results can be surprisingly good, improving quality of life for the time you have left together.