how long do i let my dog go on

fsdss

my dog, an 11yr old bearded collie, has horners syndrome, where one side of his face has dropped.
took him to the vets last week as he seemed to be swinging and not so stable on his hind legs. the vet diagnosed ear infection for which he has antibiotics and steroids. his hips were fine on examination

on weds last week, took him for a walk, he collapsed in the park, appeared disorientated and couldn't get up for 10 mins or so. i dashed home (only a min or so away) to fetch the car to take him back down to the vets - when i came out and got in the car- there was my pooch pootling up the road like he was a pup!!

i think he had a stroke as he is now leaning on his left side, very wobbly and keeps banging into things (eyesight is ok)- he circles around. the vet wants to send him for an mri scan - but i have said no considering his age and syndrome.
i took him for a gentle walk yesterday to the end of the road and back and he was fine although fell over when he cocked his leg.

he has been off his food for today - so i have force fed his medication and he has had a little scrambled egg.

he's sat in front of the fire now wagging his tail, he doesnt appear to be distressed, and is as happy as larry

i dont want him to suffer - and he doesn't appear to be suffering given his wagging tail and responses oooh i wish he could talk!!.

Stephb1986_2

dont we all wish our pets could talk! im so sorry your doggie is poorly i hope he gets better soon.

My mum said to me that if we find out that my dog has cancer again we wont do anything about it and let nature take its course as she's getting old now maybe if she was in pain we would have to intervene

Can you ask the vet if he can change his medication or see how long he thinks he's got left

Sending hugs and kisses and treats for your doggie

Steph xxx

foreign_correspondent

I don't know the answer to this one, I think only you can decide, with the support of your vet.
If he seems waggy and happy I would wait a while, I think you will know when it is the right time.
In an odd way I was very lucky when my last dog died, she went in her sleep and had been full of beans the day before, I would have hated having to take her, but I would have if she had got to the stage where she was struggling.
Whatever you decide, enjoy your time together, that is the most important thing,
best wishes,
fc x

orlao

I'd say that as long as he is happy and content in himself, keep going!

You know your dog, they seem to "tell" us when they've had enough.....

Good Luck x

fedupnow

Oh my goodness.

What a horrible time for you.

I agree with others. If he is happy and painfree just spoil him until he lets you know otherwise. You will know when it is time, and your vet will hopefully help make the decision with you. I know how hard that decision is, my sympathies.

hev_2

Just wishing you good luck.

I think that if the dog seems fine in themselves, then just love them to bits. Animals do have different reactions to problems like losing sight or mobility - I am sure he'll do fine if he is not in pain.

If your vet is sympathetic go back and just have a word. My vets are brilliant and have coped with my over anxious owner syndrome for years as they would rather have an animal brought in just in case than neglected. You are certainly not neglecting your dog but I am sure the vet would be happy to reassure you about how the dog is feeling.

Good luck

pukkamum

We hit this point on monday our dog (16) had a growth on his bottom which we had removed last november 2 weeks ago he had a growth on the side of his face which we hoped was a tooth absess, we took him to the vets last friday and she told us she suspected it was a tumour but she would give him some anti-biotics over the weekend to see how it gets on. Over the weekend he really perked up he was eating well wagging his tail pottering around the house etc so i convinced myself he was getting better and that as he was so alert etc the vet would never put him down. We took him to the vets on monday and he struggled to even walk from the car to the emtrance and we had to pratically carry him in. She took one look at him and knew it was a tumopur it had tripled in size she said that because of his age etc it was kinder to put him to sleep and despite the fact he was pottering around at home and eating etc he just looked so tired and fed up so we did it before he raelly strted to suffer, i tell myself i did the best thing as he was not yet suffering. Sometimes what is best for us isn't what is best for them and in a way it almost crueller not to as htey just don't understand why they feel so bad. I was also terrified he would get really ill whilst i was at work and die all by himself which would have broke my heart. HTH i feel for you so much we are all distraught and dealing with a 6 year old who is broken hearted isn't easier but for the best i think.

Kimberley

Best of luck. I guess we all face these terrible decisions as our dogs grow old, hope he is well.

TDA10

Best of luck from me too fsdss - and sorry to hear your sad news Pukkamum - I lost my 12 year old collie 10 years ago this year but I still miss her heaps, as I do with the countless cats, rabbits, guinea pigs etc that have passed over the years

cluuuuur

Best of luck to you. You will know when the time is right, even though it will never be easy.

Talk to your vet some more. Vets can help from a pain management side, help you to understand maybe what your dog is feeling physically and to decide when is too much. Like other posters have said, dogs don't think about physical health, mobility, etc in the same way that we do (which is both a blessing and not, sometimes) - they simply don't understand what they have lost in terms of health because they live in the present.

With my old beloved dog, and many of my other animals, I have tried to make the choice on a more "personal" level for them, by remembering the things which they got the most joy from, and narrowing them down to three or four most special things - a comfort toy, a place to sleep, a favourite food, a walk, etc. When two or three of these things can either no longer be enjoyed physically, or the animal no longer exhibits enjoyment of doing them, it can help in knowing it's their time.

mjburton

Hi,

I am brand new to this so apologises for any mistakes in posting etiquette - I registered as I wanted to reply about your dog and hopefully give a little peace of mind.

I work with people who have balance complaints and I strongly agree with your vet - from what you say it does not sound like a stroke (most of my patients also believe they have had a stroke so it is a perfectly normal suspicion/reaction).

I also had a cat who had an infection of the balance system. Having spent the whole day dealing with balance, I too wondered if she was having a stroke.

It sounds as though your dog had the acute phase of a vestibular disturbance whilst on the park although it is likely that the problem was starting some days before if he was wobbly on his legs.

It is normal for him to veer to one side (towards the affected side) for a few days and will quite possibly hang his head to one side for a short while too. It will improve. (It's worth bearing in mind that he may have a secondary relapse which is usually less severe than the first spell and recovers quickly again).

His appetite will return - dizziness does tend to make you feel sick. I boil a bit of chicken in water - keep the water and give in place of plain water when cold, my dogs love it, prevents dehydration and has neutrients from chicken and is far more appealing than plain water. I also give the chicken with a bit of plain rice. Something bland for a queezy belly!

Keep going with the gentle short walks and build his exercise levels up slowly. Keeping active will improve the balance function.

If it is a stroke any improvement could be very slow but it isn't always end for your dog, my parents had a spaniel who had numerous strokes but was a happy girl for several years.

I really hope this eases your worries a little. Sorry it's a lengthy reply but I know how scary it is in that situation.
It is always such a hard decision to say goodbye when the time comes.

If you are concerned still have a chat to your vet again - he sounds like a decent one.

For good information about balance problems google Timothy Hain and have a look at his balance and dizziness website.Vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis is the condition to look at.

I hope he recovers quickly. Best wishes to you. Give him a big fuss from me!