Off-topic -- our elderly dog

[Ratatosk]

We've got a diabetic, 13 -year old basset hound. Diagnosed at age 8, pretty much lost his eye sight two year ago. On insulin twice a day, But he still gets around okay, moving slower, sleeps a lot and needs to go outside to pee more frequently.

Here's the thing. When we aren't around and he needs to go outside, he usually goes into our bathroom and pees on the bathroom rug. A minor inconvenience and it's usually been on the rare occaison that I'm a few minutes late getting home at lunch time. More recently, he started having accidents elsewhere. A few times on Max's bedroom floor -- figured it was probably that we still have old carpet in there, must be the scent or the spare bedroom -- also old carpet. So we started closing the bedroom doors or putting up gates in front of the doors while we were gone. Last week he barrelled thru a gate and peed on our brand new carpet in the spare bedroom and then yesterday he peed on the middle of our living room floor- hardwood floors, but peed on some of Max's books he'd left laying there.

We suspect it's probably time to have the dog put down. We were kind of hoping he would just pass away in his sleep. I'm feeling terrible because he's not in pain, he's not suffering -- so how can we justify putting him down just because of inconvenience. I was soooo angry last night I was ready to take him down myself, but it was an accident -- my husband seems to give him more credit and thinks he's like the dog in son of the mask -- plotting and scheming against us. Add to all this -- this week's topic at Max's daycare is family and pets -- bring a photo of your pet to school, have all activities during the week center around pets.

Some would say -- it's just a dog! But he's been part of our family for over 12 years, Max loves him to pieces and before we left this morning had to give him a doggy treat. I feel really really bad about considering "offing" the family pet because of the mess, but we can't have him peeing all over everything. Help!!!!

 

[Mockingbird]

Wow, tough decision. I don't suppose there's any way you could leave him outside? Or maybe if you check with your vet there might be some kinda doggie diaper out there.... Or maybe you could shut him in the bathroom and take the rug up, or some other room where there's nothing for him to pee on....

 

[anonymous]

I have 2 elderly dogs (16 & 18) and PetsMart does sell doggie diapers. I don't need them often, but I do use them on the ocassionally. My older dog had a week or so when he was having accidents alot and I thought maybe it was the beginning of the end, took him to the vet and he said it was just a virus. Maybe you should ask your vet to check him out before you make any rash decisions.

 

[Ratatosk]

Bathroom could be an option. As far as being outside, he's not really an outdoor dog, plus being a hound, he could start howling while we're gone. Have a neighbor to the east who would call the police if he knew we were keeping the dog outside and he barked.

When the dog peed a few times in the bedrooms, I upped his insulin. Another option would be to take him to the vet for a glucose curve and see if he needs that adjusted. But he's up to 23 units of humilin N twice a day. Seems excessive.

Okay, just looked at the doggy diapers online. Doesn't your dog try to chew them off? And geez, I think we JUST got max potty trained and now we have to get diapers for the dog. It they work, it'd be GREAT!

 

[JazzysMom]

OH MY I hate these decisions. I dont have any other recommendations about dealing with the accidents until he either passes on his own or you make a final decision. Maybe run it past the Vet & get a professional opinion! Good Luck!

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Liza,

I've been where you are and it's awful. Last March we had to have my border collie, Taz, euthanized for a very similar reason. She was 13, hard of hearing, eyes glazed over with cataracts, had suffered a bout with vestibular syndrome and hadn't fully recovered but was still pretty active and as since the day I got her, the love of my life (don't tell my husband). Thing was that she had become fairly incontinent so she was having quite a few accidents. We'd only move into our house a year before so my husband was less than thrilled. To make things worse, Taz started urinating while she was sleeping, on the new couch.

It broke my heart but we had her euthanized. Fact is that no matter how much I loved her, I just couldn't have her urinating all over the house. I felt horrible that I was "killing" a dog just because she was losing control of her bladder. If she'd had cancer, wasn't getting around, in pain, I could have easily made the decision but this just seemed to me like I was "killing" her because she was no longer the perfect pet. I spent a lot of time talking to my vet about options and there are a few out there. The vet eventually talked me through it and helped me come to terms with my decision.

 

[ejwiegert]

We had a family Golden Retreiver who was 15 when we had him euthanized. It was hard on all of us, but he had cataracts and degenerative muscular problems in the hips and hind legs. My mom and I felt guilty for years, but we know now that we did what was best for him. I think in this situation you have to weigh the dog's quality of life versus what you feel you can adequately provide him. We knew we couldn't do the physical therapy since we weren't home long enough and often enough to do it (it was required 3-4 times a day for 30-45 minutes each time). We offered Toby to the vet clinic to see if there was someone who could help us help him, but when they were unable to find a PT helper, we decided that he had 15 wonderful years with us and we let him go. I just think it comes down to their quality of life versus what you can do to help increase it. If you can't increase the quality of life, sometimes it is better to just let go...for their sake.

 

[julie]

Lisa, I completely understand. A dog IS a member of the family!

We had to put our 6 month old rottie Zeus to sleep a few years ago. We didn't know what was wrong with him (the vets couldn't figure it out) but he started loosing bladder control, stopped eating regularly and just didn't look comfortable or happy. An autopsey (it was a teaching hospital so we donated his body) revealed what was wrong and that we has done what was best for him

That being said, does your vet think that in spite of the insulin, hard time getting around, sleeping a lot, being blind... that he's still happy and not in any sort of constant pain? I ask, "does your vet think" only because sometimes it helps to have a second opinion when it's regarding the life of someone you love.

Sounds to me like he's on his way to whittling into nothing. I know (personally) if I were that dog walking around like that and just genuinely old and probably uncomfortable, I'd want someone to put me out of my misery. Plus, as time goes on the bathroom issues are only going to get more frequent and you'll probably have a lot of bowel movement accidents too.

He's definately more than just a dog to you and your family and understandable so, but I don't think you are "offing" him just because of the mess... there are other factors that you mentioned, diabetes, blindness, moving slower (maybe he's in pain too, animals can't really communicate that).

Ultimately it's your decision but I would not think that putting him to sleep at this point would be cruel or wrong.

 

[Momofsix]

To all of you ... I am in the same boat here I have a 15 year old Rat terrier mix.. she has been with me since age 3 months cared about me when no one else did. she too is going down hill fast potty problems and loss of hearing and eyes.. she is still alert and at times try to play with my 3 year old Chocolate lab.. Other than the loss of bladder control I can't justify having her put down I didn't know about doggie diapers thanks I will check them out..

 

[dyza]

similar problem here as well. Our dog is a lab cross, 12 years, shes deaf because she has a bad ear infection, shes had this infection for 4 years, no matter what we try , we just cant keep it at bay. She has rubbed her ears that much, that she had both blown up like a baloon, filled with blood. Her ears are now all shrivelled up, and her inner ears are all swollen, not helping are deafness.

Now that the boy is up and freely moving, hes over at the dog more, she has still such a wonderful nature with our children I should say, my worry is with all the gunk that it is in her ear. Is it harmful to our son?

 

[luke]

I am a bit of an animal lover and actually seem to get along with animals than people most of the time. So this one is a very easy one for me...I don't mean to be rude but I would NEVER put an animal just because of incontenence. I have a 12 year old Pom mix that is deaf and pees in the house often....to the point where she has ruined the finish on part of my hard wood floor. I too get angry when this happens but I can not fathom putting her down for it. We had to put our cat to sleep last year because she had 2 types of inoperable/ untreatable cancer. We waited until we felt that she could no longer stand life and then it was the hardest decision I ever made. Ending an animals life because of inconvience is a miserable thought and would never find it acceptable.


Luke

 

[Ratatosk]

At noon I mentioned doggy diapers to my husband. He looked at me like I had antlers <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> We're thinking that we'll probably keep him confined to the bathroom when we're not home. When we first got him we kept him confined to a room downstairs when we were gone, probably just have to do that again -- except upstairs because I don't really want to carry a 50 pound basset hound up and down the stairs a few times a day.

When we come home from work he always comes to greet us, wagging his tail. So it breaks my heart to even be considering euthanizing him.

Thanks for all your responses, I've been feeling like such a horrible person to even be thinking in these terms. Liza

 

[Ratatosk]

It's been over two months since I posted about the dog. He's had over two months of going to his favorite places -- the dog kennel, out to the lake several times, has hunted cucumbers in my garden.... Pretty much made the decision for us this afternoon.

When I went home for lunch, I noticed the dog was sleeping behind a chair. When I was done doing dishes and some chores, he still hadn't gotten up to go outside. So I brought him some cookies, as I noticed he hadn't eaten much. Wouldn't touch the cookies, he couldn't get up using his back legs and pretty soon he started whining. Poor baby wet himself. Managed to carry him out side and laid him on some dog beds to make him comfortable, by then he appeared to be having seizures, really rough time breathing. My husband took him to the vet this afternoon. We figure we'll put his ashes under the trees in our backyard -- one of his favorite places. I mentioned the garden, since that was his most favorite place -- laying on the warm dirt, eating cukes, playing in the mud -- but we EAT stuff from out of there.

 

[ejwiegert]

Liza,

I know that must have been terribly difficult. I truly believe that animals have a way of letting us know that their time with us is over, and as their guardians we have a responsibility to do what is in their best interest. Sounds like you all did exactly what was right for him. I can truly appreciate and sympathize with you as we had to make a similar decision about our golden retreiver about 4 years ago.

God bless you and your family as you mourn the loss of your pet and important family member. I'll be thinking about you all.

Emily

 

[CFHockeyMom]

I'm so sorry, Liza.

This gave me a lot of comfort when my best friend Taz died, maybe you've seen it before...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

 

[JazzysMom]

This appeared in Ann Landers on Fridy, April 10, 1992 & I clipped it out:

TRIBUTE TO A DOG

I remember bringing you home. You were so small and cuddly with your tiny paws and soft fur. You bounced around the room with eyes flashing and ears flopping. Once in awhile you'd let out a little yelp just to let me know this was your territory.
Making a mess of the house and chewing on everything in sight became a passion and when I scolded you, you just put your head down and looked up at me with those innocent eyes as if to say "I'm sorry, but I'll do it again as soon as you aren't looking". As you got older, you protected me by looking out the window and barking at everyone who walked by. When I had a tough day at work, you would be waiting for me with your tail wagging just to say "Welcome home, I missed you". You never had a bad day and I could always count on you to be there for me.When I sat down to read the paper and watch TV, you would hop on my lap looking for attention. You never asked for anything more than to have me pat your head so you could go to sleep with your head over my leg.
As you got older you moved around more slowly. Then one day old age finally took its toll and you couldnt stand on those wobbly legs anymore. I knelt down and patted you lying there, trying to make you young again. You just looked up at me as if to say you were old and tired and that after all these years of not asking for anything, you had to ask me to do one last favor.
With tears in my eyes, I drove you one last time to the vet. One last time you were lying next to me. For some strange reason you were able to stand up in the animal hospital -- perhaps it was your sense of pride.
As the vet led you away, you stopped for an instant, turned your head and looked at me as if to say: "Thank you for taking care of me" ~~~ I thought, "NO...thank YOU for taking care of ME!"

 

[Allisa35]

I can relate to how you are feeling. This September will be 2 years ago that we had to have our little Fluffy put to sleep. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. She was 16 and had some health issues. She initially had what we thought was a seizure. From there we found more info. She had cushing's disease and found that she had cancer which had to be removed surgically. We went through over a years time going to vets and the U of I clinic to try to determine what was going on. Even with all of this, we never found out what caused the seizure. She eventually had kidney failure (which maybe something you want to have them check) and we had to give her the subcutaneous fluids under the skin. We did that for several months. She also started going to the bathroom in the house (due to the cushings disease initally). She would pee right in front of us, and I would get so mad. But I always tried to keep in perspective that she was ill. We invested in a hand held carpet cleaner. Needless to say, our carpet is pretty much shot. As soon as we get enough money, we are buying new carpet.

The day we had her put down, she was in pretty bad shape. We. like you, were hoping that she would just go peacefully in her sleep. She was at the point that she couldn't even hold herself up to go to the bathroom. We would have to hold her up while she went. It was just heart-wrenching. Luckily, we found a vet that would come to our home to do it. It was so hard for me. I had her for 16 years, since she was a puppy. Even today, I still cry about it. Even though I know it was for the best, it doesn't make you feel any easier about making the decision.

I know some people feel differently about animals, but I feel that it is very much like losing a member of the family. I hope that you can make a decision and be at peace with it.

 

[Allisa35]

Liza, I previously posted to your original message and didn't see the date. Sorry about that.

I'm sorry your little doggie is gone. We also buried ours in our backyard under the tree with her favorite blanket and mouse toy.

 

[rose4cale]

I'm thinking this must be some kind of fate that I read through this today. This morning our 13 year old American Eskimo peed on our carpet. Something he has NEVER-EVER done...no matter how long he has been left. But this was just another day and we were up this morning. He never asked to go out, just peed on the carpet. We noticed this last week or two that he has become hard of hearing, his eyes have been getting more and more cloudy over the last year, and he has started getting cysts on his face and body. We know there is a decision to be made soon. But like you Liza, he has some really good days and doesn't 'seem' sick...(how often do we hear that...) We already know that we will not replace him and mostly I dread explaining it to the kids. Guess we'll take him a walk tonight and kind of talk about it. He has had a great life.

Sorry for your loss. They really are a part of the family.

 

[Ratatosk]

Thank you for the responses everyone. I had to leave town for a conference later that afternoon and we weren't sure what to tell ds. Didn't want him thinking people go on trips and don't come back. He's asked me twice and I've told him he's gone to doggy heaven, which he doesn't quite understand, but being a toddler his attention quickly goes elsewhere. Being home this weekend, it really hit home -- thinking he was out in the backyard and wondering if he wanted in. This morning I opened the fridge, looking for his insulin... It'll take time.