J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I think our Dog is going to live forever, the ******, decided it didn't like the lino in the kitchen last night and decided to rip a good chunk of it up and get very confused, last time she did that was about ten years ago, she is regressing aged almost 15, to be honest I was thinking it was time for a one way trip to the vets but I am interested to see how long she lasts without a chemical departure, she is blind, deaf, stupid (always has been but has Doggie Alzheimer's I think) and appears to have a Beefburger growing from her back that I have to bathe every few days or spend £300 (not an option, PS3 or remove lump from 15 year old Dogs back) to have it removed which might kill her anyway according to the vet, The lumps stink like rotting flesh and its quite oppressive.

So, perhaps this is a candidate for a Poll, do I

1/ Stick with it, let nature take its course.

2/ Send her to Doggie heaven.

johnnyroper

tough one mate,if it were me and dog is not suffering or in pain i would just let nature take its course.
but if the dog is suffering then you need to send to the doggy heaven.

Spoon

You forgot.

3) Contact your local Chinese restaurant who will happily pick it up (saving you fuel costs) and pay cash for it.

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

i agree ,dogs are family members and ours gets treated better than me most times by my daughters
but if the dog is in pain do the right thing

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

That wasnt really one of the options, we order Chinese occasionally.

Apparition

Based on my recent dog's departure, you should do the honourable thing and have her put to sleep asap. She must be suffering.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

She isnt suffering, just kips most of the time but stinks and gets confused when she is awake, she used to manage the blind and deaf thing ok but now gets stuck like a school project robot and takes it out on the floorcovering.

Realistically, she will just dawdle on but I am really losing my sympathy, our dog has gone and we are left with the living dead (Dog), its a shame but she just pees me off at them moment, so I feel bad, honestly, if I dont clean her lumps for a few days she smells like she is dead anyway.

Apparition

As I said, she's suffering. Put yourself in her place. It's cruel.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

No chance, her place stinks....

Lee247

J4CKO, she is very old for a dog and I can understand your reluctance to have her put to sleep, but it sounds to me like it might be the kindest thing to do

Apparition

God help her with an owner like you.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

She's deaf and blind??? Poor dog.

I usually apply the following criteria:

Are they performing basic biological functions e.g. Eating, sleeping, toileting etc... Do they seem reasonably happy in themselves ie. respond to you and the surroundings with any degree of enthusiasm

Are they in Pain or suffering that the vet can do nothing about?

If the answer to the first is yes, then it seems unnecessary to put them down

If the answer to the second is yes, then it has to be given serious consideration in my view.

Awful decision to have to make at the end of the day, but if you can hand on heart say you did what you thought was right for the dog, then you can just be proud of the good home you gave her and the time you got to spend with her.

All the best.

Ns04

SVXNUT

You don't mention what breed?.
I have a mate with a 18 yr old blind Jack Russell, and a client with a 17 yr old Doberman, both are grey around the muzzles, but still quite happy.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Why ?, she has had 15 years of care and attention, cleaning an stinking oozing lump on her back every day or two is the latest example of the looking after she has had. Its tough as some days she is ripping the lino up looking mental and other she sleeps and then get up and has a good old roll in the garden and looks happy as Larry.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Cocker Spaniel, 17 years is ahell of good age for a Doberman, they usually dont live that long being a big dog, its funny, dogs seem to get to an age and then keep going, once past say 12 without getting cancer they keep on going.

Spoon

Yeh what a bummer that'd be giving them money back.

@ my negative rating too.

J4CKO, you won't be asking when the time is right, believe me you'll know, she'll tell you.

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

Sorry, and I know I shouldn't but

Sounds to me like she has reached that stage where there just isn't any point any more. Its hard, we let our cat go on longer than we should have just in case things got better. She was 17 and they didnt.....

little-ginge

I suppose it's weighing up what kind of quality life does she have? If she is deaf and blind,she is relying on her sense of smell and 'touch' as such... Are you sure she is not suffering from this festering beefburger?

I can understand to apoint how you feel...however you have loved her through her best times, and now you need to love her through her worst as well..and not get to the stage where you resent her for holding on..if this is the case you really should have her put to sleep, and not let her suffer.. If you resent her for breathing, then you shouldnt have her.

I have had to have a cat put to sleep and it is a heart breaking process; fortunately our dog died naturally,but she was fully able when she went at 15 yearsold.

Apparition

The very fact that you are asking ...pretty well says it all. You know.

My poor guy was almost 14 ( a TT...they normally live until about 12 ), he had bad eyes was totally blind, and deaf . He managed ok for a while , knew his surroundings from memory and coped . But once he lost his orientation and was visibly flinching when we stroked him, because he had no idea we were there. THAT was the time to say goodbye. That was the 17th December. I still miss him, he was my buddy, saw me through a lot. But I couldn't bear to think what turmoil was going on inside his head. It wasn't an easy decision to make. I battled with my conscience for quite a long time. Bless his heart.
Yve

lem6

thats what i was thinking too, please don't buy another pet.

Lee247

Oh come on, People. This is a tough call for J4CKO, even though he ignored my remark, the skunk, no pun intended there

A bit of help instead of a slating wouldn't go amiss

Spoon

Give me a minute then and I'll actually get him a phone number.

Lee247

Pass it on then, my roof has been leaking.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I dont understand this, she has had a happy life, nearly 15 years of being fussed, fed and looked after, plus me walking her in all weathers until she refused to go anymore, I may be slightly irreverent about things but in actual fact I am an animal lover, but first and foremost a realist, people skirt round issues too much and get too emotional, maybe I would but the Dog we had went a long time ago, what we have now is a very old tired animal, so perhaps cut me some slack !

Ripping the Lino last night really got me thinking, well animals dont destroy things for no good reason unless they are pups, or bored, but she has been ok since. I would spend the three hundred quid if I thought there was any point, but whats the point of putting a 15 year old blind, deaf and lumpy dog under anesthetic and through an operation which the vet says has a good chance of killing her anyway due to a heart murmur and old age.

Spoon

When was the last time a Chinese restaurant fixed roofs?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Wasn't ignoring you 84, just considering my options and wondering why I get the third degree about it, like I said, perhaps my approach can be a bit jokey but that's me, I don't do serious even around matters that send people into despair, life is generally amusing, I even see a little comedy in the Dog's "dogged" determination to hang on, fair play to her, even if its just to get one over on me !

Lee247

Don't they do it down your way

We get fed and the roof fixed at the same time

Sorry J4CKO

Spoon

Only a very small minority on here can decipher a persons humour and even less can remember it from one thread to the next.

Lee247

I know you weren't. Am just trying to lighten the load a bit for you. At least you have a sense of humour, even in sad times.

little-ginge

I've just re-read my own post and realised that I don't think I have worded it how i meant it to sound-even though it took me 3 attempts!!

What i was trying to say ( if i can get it right this time!) is if YOU feel that she is suffering in any way or her quality of life is non-existant,and given that you are beginning to become 'pissed off' with her, then maybe you shouldn't have her with you any longer, and do the kindest thing by putting her to sleep.

As i said you have loved her through the good times,now you must love her through the bad times too, but put her first - it may be heartbreaking to let her go,but if she is now suffering from doggy alzheimers on top of everything else, it may just be best tolet her go.. but only you and your family can really make that call,Jacko.