One of my two dogs is 14, he'll be 15 on July 2nd. I've had him since he was a puppy at about 10 weeks old. He's had heart issues for the past few years and has been on 3 different medicines every day to treat it. In the last 3 months it has gotten significantly worse, he coughs/chokes all night and a lot of the day. He still gets around and can walk, has trouble going up and down stairs but manages to do it still. It's so loud when he coughs/chokes that you could be in the basement and hear him upstairs. I feel terrible for him, but I also selfishly dont want to let him go. But this is no way for him to live, whenever he's laying down which is a lot of the day he just coughs and chokes a lot.
Last month I took him to the vet about it and they added another medicine, but it hasn't helped at all. The medicine is expensive but I don't care about that, I'll pay whatever i have to if it actually helps him. This doesn't seem to be helping him at all.
My vet says there's nothing else he can do. No more medicine to try for it.
I'm debating taking him to another vet to see what they say.
He still has his energetic moments, loves to go for his walks, but I can definitely see he's having a hard time.
It's killing me. I don't know what to do. I really dont want him to suffer and it seems like he is starting to now and i'm helpless at this point unless another vet finds a solution.
What would you guys do?
Again, sorry.
A few years ago we had to put our dog down. He had bladder cancer and we were treating it. It got really bad but we could have performed surgery. However, when the vet took an x-ray of his chest we saw his heart was so enlarged that he most likely wouldn't have made it through the surgery. The vet's opinion was to not even put him through it. He was having trouble breathing and gaging too. We put him down. What a tough day (week, year, etc.) that was.
I guess my advice is dogs know you love them and they trust you to do whats in their best interest. So dont have any fear around doing the wrong thing or hurting your dogs feelings, unwavering love and trust for you is how they start and how they end. Sorry for you having to go through this.
I hope everything works out for you Mook. I certainly feel your pain.
My wife in the past year had to put both of her cats down that she's had for more than 10 years. It was devastating for her and for my daughter. But in the end, she knew she made the most loving and humane decisions for our cats.
Stay strong, buddy.
Putting down my 5 year old American Bulldog was one of the hardest decision I've had to make, and immediately second guessed myself because the doctors could never find hard evidence why he wasn't eating anymore and could only speculate he had cancer. I had to tell myself that whatever he had likely couldn't be cured and this was the best decision for him.
Good luck. It sounds like you know what needs to be done, but just can't.
Going to get another vet to see him hopefully by end of week and then ill know what my decision needs to be.
Sorry, dude.
If it were me, I would just do my best to determine if the good outweighed the bad. If he's spending most of his days coughing and choking it's got to be a tough way to live. And I know those good moments he has are what make you so hesitant.. how could they not?
I think you'll know what's best for him. You've cared for him his whole life and no one knows him better than you do. My heart goes out to you.. I can't even imagine how difficult it has to be.
Most vets won't blow smoke up your ass about your pet. It won't hurt to get a second opinion but prepare for the worst. Sounds like you already have.
I was a train wreck when I had to put down my Rotty about 7 years ago. I dreaded the day for a year.....and probably waited too long. It's not easy.
I'll never forget the firs time I noticed her vision was going --I threw some article of food at her, and she would normally just snatch that shit right out of the air with lightning quick reflexes but this day she didn't. The food sailed over her head....I was like WTF...it was seemingly all down hill from there. Still miss her.
Sorry you are going though this. Dogs are great, I only wished they lived longer lives.
I stayed with her for a few minutes in an empty room before they took her away...then I literally ran out of the vet's office.
I can't imagine making the call, but I know if my dog is in pain and unlikely to improve I hope I have the strength to make that call.
This really sucks.
The younger one, also a little lover boy all of his life, was mostly himself until the end. Developed cancer behind his eye and you could see he was in pain. I took him to the vet and held him while he died.
So funny, I see these things daily in my practice and I handle them with concerned intelligence and dispatch but I fell apart when it came to our two cats.
We buried their ashes in our backyard. They may be the only two cats in history to have Kaddish said over them.
If you feel like a 2nd opinion is the way to go, go for it
It was one of the hardest things i've ever had to witness but I do recommend it. I wanted my Molly to only look at me while it was happening in case she was scared (She was always scared at the vet). I definitely recommend to anyone going through it for the first time to be in the room.
and he had his appetite back within hours, and once he was able to eat, he bounced back in a day or two and we stopped giving him the pills because he was humping everything in sight. I don't know why the vet didn't offer this $20 fix on the first visit. maybe your vet is as bad as mine.
Sorry to miller, and mook, sorry about your dog.
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It was really hard to do because I chose to stay with him and comfort him while he was injected and drifted off. Not sure I would recommend everyone do that part, it was rough.
It was one of the hardest things i've ever had to witness but I do recommend it. I wanted my Molly to only look at me while it was happening in case she was scared (She was always scared at the vet). I definitely recommend to anyone going through it for the first time to be in the room.
Exactly why I chose to be there with him so I could comfort him right to the end. I didn't want him to have extra anxiety in his last moments.
My only point is it likely isn't for everyone because it was very hard emotionally and not everyone may not wish to go through that and have that be their last memory.
I don't think there is a right or wrong way for what to do and each person should choose what is best for themselves and their pet.
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It was really hard to do because I chose to stay with him and comfort him while he was injected and drifted off. Not sure I would recommend everyone do that part, it was rough.
It was one of the hardest things i've ever had to witness but I do recommend it. I wanted my Molly to only look at me while it was happening in case she was scared (She was always scared at the vet). I definitely recommend to anyone going through it for the first time to be in the room.
Exactly why I chose to be there with him so I could comfort him right to the end. I didn't want him to have extra anxiety in his last moments.
My only point is it likely isn't for everyone because it was very hard emotionally and not everyone may not wish to go through that and have that be their last memory.
I don't think there is a right or wrong way for what to do and each person should choose what is best for themselves and their pet.
Steve, absolutely. There's definitely no right or wrong answer. Sorry if it came across as argumentative. Definitely not the intent. Just wanted to give my thoughts.
Greg...this is what my hope is as well. My golden is my best friend. She has been there with me through the good times and bad. I really do dread the day that is eventually going to come.
Sorry to hear about this Mook...hopefully you go to the other vet and they offer some sort of alternative.
However, we decided that it was just time because it seemed like she wasnt herself and enjoying it. It was so tough. WHen I took her to the vet, she even mentioned it was time.
Like everyone else has said, you will know when its time. But my advice is that if you do go through and put your dog down, it is not the wrong decision even if it seems to be. I am sorry you have to go through this and wish you the best man.
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you already know what you want to do. Just don't talk yourself out of it.
I agree with Peter, you'll know in your heart when it's the right time. I do think it's unfair to the dog to let it suffer -- but if she's still enjoying life then the situation is tougher -- the moment you know that the dog's quality of life is going to cause her to suffer unnecessarily - and she really can;t understand what's going on - then that's the moment
Going to another vet for a 2nd opinion and going to try that all natural stuff for at least a week and then make a decision. My dad came over to see him tonight, my dad was the one who got him for me when I was in 6th grade.
Good luck, buddy.
It is a very hard thing to do but it may be for the best for them, because they hang around for us, not themselves
1. He coughs non-stop without a break for a couple of days.
2. He stops eating.
Yes, he's on enalapril
ARBS:
candesartan (Atacand),
eprosartan (Teveten),
irbesartan (Avapro),
telmisartan (Micardis),
valsartan (Diovan),
losartan (Cozaar), and
olmesartan (Benicar).
The cough resolves in humans. I don't know how this applies across species. Just a thought. Other options would be calcium channel blockers or beta blockers. But again... i didn't study veterinary medicine.