I have a 15 yr old spaniel cross, he lost his eyes due to glaucoma 3,5 years ago, not long after that he developed diabetes , and about a year ago he started with urinary incontinence, and now he walks in circles everyday, until I stop him.
I have taken him to the vet, numerous times, and due to his age and diabetic status, any kind of surgery is a big NO.
so my vet has in very minimal words told me to give him love until he has no quality of life left, or perhaps passes away naturally.
I am not even sure what constitutes quality of life for him… I mean, he still wags his tail, he walks around, even though he bumps into everything and gets lost in the garden for hours… he enjoys his food, and affection from me, I dont walk him a lot because its a very slow walk… but when we go he does enjoy walking.
I have to make sure he eats and gets an insulin injection every 12hours… that means sometimes no matter where I am I have to excuse myself or leave early due to my dog… not many understand this
he is on medication for urinary incontinence but doesnt always work… I often have to wash his bedding and him regularily …not to mention that he does accidently walk into his poo or the other dogs poo, and brings it inside too, I am more often than not washing poo off from under his feet
are there other people out there with a similar situation.?.. how do you cope having such a needy dog?
some days I am so tired, he is hand full, and has meant some sacrifice from me, but I just love him, and he makes me laugh and he is very cute and fluffy… so having him PTS is not an option
I just want to know how other people out there deal with their dogs that demand lots of attention and time.
from
Marilyn
please share your stories with me .
Your dog’s quality of life doesn’t sound bad to me! I mean yes he has limited or no sight, but that’s not a big concern since the sense of smell is how dogs get around anyway. his diabetes are managed by his wonderful owner. and maybe he has some dog dementia. which i am sure you lovingly manage also. i would take him off the urinary incontinence meds. does too little good with too high risk of side effects.
but don’t rule out PTS in the future. my dog suffered from kidney disease, and he died violently seizing. to think of him having awareness for those seizures wrenches my heart and i can’t let myself think that he felt them. i would have put him to sleep if i had known. your vet is wrong. dogs rarely die peacefully in their sleep. but you will know when it is time, and now is probably not the time yet.
yes aren’t dogs a lot like elderly people? they go through the same..loss of senses, dementia, loss of bladder and bowels..disease..arthritis.. but it is so worth it. you gave him this chance at life and will see him through his death, he will never suffer heartache.
a tip for the incontinence..try putting an old plastic or vinyl tablecloth on the floor or over his bed. easier to clean.
add: I just read the other answers and have to say i’m shocked people say this is a bad or no quality of life. since when does urine incontinence, blindness and diabetes mean bad quality of life? that’s part of having senior dogs.
6 Responses
Cougar
2010 Jul 01 1i had a dog urinary inconsistency. he survived the first summer cause i could leave him out. he had shelter and water food. then when winter came i knew it would be to cold and harsh for him. so i had him put down. no way could i bring him in to poo and pee all over the house.
References :
Field Labs do it Best!
2010 Jul 01 2i knew a neighbor who owned a dog with diabetes, blind, deaf, sick, and some mild hip dysplasia (sp?)..
they were a family so everyone helped out with her and some dog owners on our street nicely helped out as well. Everyone on our street practically helped out as she was the oldest dog on our street and the first one passing away. Everyone loved this dog so everyone did what we could. We just had a really nice bunch of people on our street babysit the dog and care for her, it sounds surreal but you can ask everyone on our street and they will tell you the same.
but Marilyn remember, that you should not think of yourself and think of your dog first… since dogs cannot talk you have to think and think hard.. is he really happy?.. is he really having a good day every day?.. the owners i was talking about earlier really thought about themselves more than the health of their beloved dog who could not speak.. but lived wonderfully up until she couldn’t move anymore.. i am not trying to be mean but you have to realize your dog cannot tell you when his time is up and that he has suffered just about enough.. think about his quality of life and now how you feel.. i understand he means dearly but be careful on what you want for him.
References :
F?????????? ????? ???
2010 Jul 01 3It doesn’t sound like this dog has much of a quality of life… i feel for you, but i don’t think keeping the dog alive because he is cute, fluffy, makes you laugh and you love him is really fair to him…
References :
Felicia Q
2010 Jul 01 4For me…it’s not a burden. It’s an honor to spend quality time meeting the so called demands/needs of a pet in the end phases of life. Especially one that has been a loyal, loving friend to me.
I think you should consult your veterinarian regarding the quality of life and your pet. My question to people in your situation who feel euthanasia is OUT is "who are you keeping him alive for…him…or yourself" That’s not a mean question..it’s reality based. I put that same question to my dad once when his faithful companion of many years slipped into an extremely deteriorated condition yet my dad was tending to him 24 hrs a day and complaining of exhaustion and stress.
Shortly after I posed that question to my dad he put his pet to rest. She deserved that respect.
.
References :
25 years of vet medicine
Bobbie L
2010 Jul 01 5This is a POOR quality of life for your dog, and you need to not be selfish and keep him alive. It’s time to let your poor old dog go.
References :
?shelter puppies rule?
2010 Jul 01 6Your dog’s quality of life doesn’t sound bad to me! I mean yes he has limited or no sight, but that’s not a big concern since the sense of smell is how dogs get around anyway. his diabetes are managed by his wonderful owner. and maybe he has some dog dementia. which i am sure you lovingly manage also. i would take him off the urinary incontinence meds. does too little good with too high risk of side effects.
but don’t rule out PTS in the future. my dog suffered from kidney disease, and he died violently seizing. to think of him having awareness for those seizures wrenches my heart and i can’t let myself think that he felt them. i would have put him to sleep if i had known. your vet is wrong. dogs rarely die peacefully in their sleep. but you will know when it is time, and now is probably not the time yet.
yes aren’t dogs a lot like elderly people? they go through the same..loss of senses, dementia, loss of bladder and bowels..disease..arthritis.. but it is so worth it. you gave him this chance at life and will see him through his death, he will never suffer heartache.
a tip for the incontinence..try putting an old plastic or vinyl tablecloth on the floor or over his bed. easier to clean.
add: I just read the other answers and have to say i’m shocked people say this is a bad or no quality of life. since when does urine incontinence, blindness and diabetes mean bad quality of life? that’s part of having senior dogs.
References :
http://srdogs.com
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