Posted on 07/14/2010 12:47:36 AM PDT by Judith Anne
I have two dogs, a mastiff, and a minpin. The minpin is 14 years old, blind, and has been officially diagnosed with a brain tumor accompanied by epilepsy about 7 months ago, although the epilepsy started before that, and a brain tumor was suspected.
It's not as bad as it sounds, for her. She started having seizures about once a month, and the vet said they would increase in frequency. Due to her age, no treatment was judged likely to help much, for very long. He said her lifespan would depend on how fast it grew, and how well she tolerated the changes. She's been doing very well until July 4, when she suddenly went blind.
The seizures have become more frequent, about twice a week, but they've gotten milder. I pick her up and take her outside about 4 times a day, and she is able to find and eat her food and drink water in her crate with no problem. I keep her in her crate most of the time now, because she seems happy there, or on my lap, and to keep her safe from being hurt during a seizure. The seizure meds don't help.
I'm not explaining this very well, I hope it's clear enough. Anyway, she's been with me since she was a pup, and since she is not suffering I can't bring myself to have her put down. I've decided to take care of her until she goes.
This is a dainty and beautiful tiny dog. She "mothered" the mastiff when we brought him home 6 1/2 years ago; she has been a faithful little shadow to me, all her life.
She has "accidents" now, but it's no fuss to clean up, I have several cushions I rotate through the laundry, and usually manage to get her outdoors often enough.
The problem now is some odd behavior: She has been vigorously digging in her pillows, sometimes for an hour at a time, about three times a day. She's too weak and small to damage the pillows; but it's surprisingly noisy, esp at night. I have told her to stop, and for a second or two, she does. Then starts up again. She also walks in tight circles for 10-15 minutes at a time. Plus, she has totally stopped barking, which is uncharacteristic for her.
I am assuming that these are behaviors related to the tumor; could these behaviors be a type of seizure? The meds we tried completely knocked her out, or didn't work at all.
Again, she doesn't seem to be in pain, still eats and goes to the BR outside, except for more frequent accidents.
Is it time? Any suggestions? I'm willing to keep her with me until she goes, but I do not want to make her suffer...
Your wheaton/retriever mix sounds wonderful. I bet that was a smart dog. Some mixes are just amazing, very brainy, very healthy.
My mother is 87 can’t walk without assistance, some times in pain. I wouldn’t put her down or my dog, it’s theirs and gods decision not mine when it’s time. My job is to provide comfort whenever I can. IMHO only
You are not alone; God bless you.
I had to have a young (7 yrs) dog put down May 18th for health reasons.
I had the vet perform the service, and stayed with him until it was over, then had him cremated (EXPENSIVE!) to soothe the conscience of my tenant (long story). His ashes sit on the mantel above the fireplace, and I pet him (well, his urn, anyway...) every morning. It still hurts to see his photo,and I’m kinda tearing up a little as I type this, but as others have said, your little guy will tell you when it’s time, in his own way.
Be grateful for the wonderful times you’ve had with the little one, and remember that by taking them into our lives, we promise them that for their devotion and love, we WILL ease their pain when that time comes.
G_d will help guide your decision, as HE entrusts us with their care.
Oh, yes, he was. Mixing traits can produce slightly humorous results, though. Sandy was the size of a retriever, but liked to play tug-of-war like terriers... and, also, like terriers, growled as he did so. On the exhale AND the inhale. It used to sound like he was killing someone, but he was having a ball! He’d also crouch like a terrier (front end down, back end up and wagging), which looks quite silly on a retriever sized dog. And he thought he was a lap dog, too. I smile just writing about him, like it was just yesterday. (Its been seventeen years.)
One of the beautiful blessings of memory: the pain fades, but the joy remains.
I am so sorry that you are going through this. I had to put my beloved bulldog down last July. He had an inoperable tumor on his paw. He also had congestive heart failure and arthritis. As a result, he would sleep most of the time. He would wake up, eat, do his business and go back to sleep. The paw became very painful for him to deal with. He hobbled terribly and I could tell he was uncomfortable. It took few months of wondering what to do and a few crying jags to finally make the decision to put him down.
I realized that he was so faithful, so loyal, that he would never let go of me. So I had to ask myself some difficult questions: What kind of quality of life did he have now? How far had it declined from the healthy dog that we used to play and interact with? Was each day a little bit worse than the day before? How long was I going to ask him to suffer because I was too much of a coward to make the decision to end his pain? Would it be better to give him the gift of an easy death with me being by his side to hold him and comfort him than to have him die of a heart attack when I could not be there for him?
After 3 agonizing mos, I made the call. I took him to the vet, they give him the shot. He started to feel woozy, he looked back to where I was sitting behind him in the floor and he put his head in my hands like a pillow...and he died in my arms. It was very gentle, very peaceful.
I can’t tell you whether it’s time for your dog. I hope some insight into my struggles helps you make the best decision for your pet, and let’s you know...even when it is the right time, it’s still hard to make that call. Good luck to you and your beloved pet.
If the care and love you give her is any indication, you’ll know when it’s time. I hope she passes peacefully, to spare you the pain of making the decision. If not, she knows you’ll do whats necessary to prevent her suffering.
Prayers for you and your pup.
I think I remember oohing and ahhing over pics when you got that big handsome lug.
I’m so sorry about your little one.
Very good subject to bring up. I’m sorry you had to go through all that and a misdiagnosis, too.
A tick took our neighbor because no one was looking for it (apparently they finally discovered it on his back but it was too late); he was a ranger, so one would think they might’ve entertained the idea of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, even if he was in Florida.
You are a truly good person.
I rarely say this because I think too many people really don’t...but you ~deserve~ your dogs....:)
[it sounds confusing but it’s the highest compliment, possible]
Yes, that is the best way. I’d like my girl to go that way too, although it would be quite a shock to me finding her body.
ALL my dogs get kelp tablets, except for the one who gets Thyroxine.
[she is severely hypothyroidal]
Even “lowly” kelp produces a noticeable difference in their overall health.
Djinni, my “heart” Ibizan started having corneal dysplasia at 3 years old.
Blast the luck, it developed into corneal ulcers and then chronic keratitis.
[it is identical to Pannus in German Shepherds]
We were told she -had- to have her steroidal and antibiotic eye drops twice a day for the rest of her, lest she go blind.
So, we gave them to her faithfully for months.
Then, I accidentally ran across an obscure reference on the web regarding the thyroid/eye connection and added the kelp tablets.
She can now go for weeks with no drops and no eye problems at all.
Her eyes have even lost that weird iridescent slight cloudiness that was once there.
If her conjunctiva start looking the least bit red, I use the drops for a couple of days and she’s fine again.
I have no idea what the kelp/iodine is “doing” but it’s doing it very well.
I even started taking it myself and I can tell the difference if I forget my daily dose.
[and I’ve had thyroid panels run many times...all of which came back “normal”. what is “normal”? maybe what’s normal for one is too low for another]
I was shocked to find that it was *here*.
Don’t mean to sound like a broken record because I’ve posted extensively about this on many threads but tick borne diseases are a plague upon our pets and are too often undiagnosed.
This map will let you know what the biggest dangers are in your particular area:
http://www.dogsandticks.com/NA-map-lyme-disease-dogs/index.html
When we got the mastiff as a 7 wks pup, he weighed 30 pounds, and the minpin weighed about 7 pounds. She looked him over, licked him quite a bit in a motherly way, and then urged him to follow her outside to the corner of the yard where she did her business. He learned immediately (mastiffs are very bright) and only ever had one accident.
He followed this one around for weeks. She did not chew furniture, so he did not chew furniture. She’d bark and sit for a treat, and he learned that from her. She’d pile her toys up and snarl if he got into them, so he learned to keep his toys in a basket. He watched her get her collar and leash put on, and submitted to the same thing, with a lot of play.
She’s been the “teacher dog,” and took her responsibility seriously. We had her spayed as a puppy, but she never lost her mother instinct. The mastiff took to “drying” her off with his tongue, when they came in from the rain or snow. I think he’ll miss her as much as I will. I’ll put one of her pillows in his toy basket. I did that with one of my husband’s shoes when he died, so the mastiff would have something to carry around — he used to carry it to his bed, and lay his head on it, now it is at the bottom of the toy basket, “flavoring” them all with fading scent.
Pretty impressive...I’d say I hope she never taught him to lap sit, but with all the mastiffs I’ve known or known of, that one’s inevitable, size be damned he’ll still want to.
Sounds like you’ve truly been blessed with such wonderful dogs.
You are so right. The breeder said, “Never let the puppy do something you don’t want the grown mastiff to do.” Naturally we couldn’t see HOW letting a little baby mastiff in bed at night to keep him from crying would be a problem. After all, the minpin stayed at the bottom under the covers, out of the way.
It’s amazing how well a mastiff and a minpin can get along. Minpins fear nothing (except thunderstorms) and mastiffs do not realize how large they are.
The minpin has been asleep all day, woke to go out and to eat some fish, drink a bit of water, back asleep.
A brain tumor is a death diagnosis..Watch carefully for any change in behavior...Much depends on where the tumor is located...the dog can go aggressive and its not the dogs fault. Its hard to let go, when I had my last dog put down with cancer and spontaneous leg fracture it was on the floor of the vets with her head in my lap...cried like a baby as we all do..
The dog I had to have put down 10 years ago, I had the vet come out to the car and do it...with me in the back seat petting her.....Most vets will come out to the car. They will also stay with you until your ready to drive. Its the hardest thing to do. But you do what is best for the dog and not what is best for us...
Good luck and sympathy for which ever road you take...The one put down in the back seat of the car had been in and out of renal failure for a couple of years and I had to cook her food, no dog food....The vet had given me a special receipe for dogs with renal problems....
Putting a dog to sleep only takes about 3 seconds. I kept asking the vet, are you sure she's gone...I already had a grave dug in the back yard for her..(my son's dug it as I knew she didn't have much time left)
I now have 2 graves side by side in the back. If possible bury your baby in your yard, make sure the grave is at least 3 feet deep, more if the dog is big. Just so some critter won't dig it up...
My heart goes out to you Judith....you will do what is best and never second guess your choice...what ever it is..
((thanks))
My son dug the deep grave last weekend. *sigh*
I knew a schnoodle once: our priest’s dog. Really cute and smart. Great sense of humor. That must have hurt, to say goodbye.
Last week? Oh, bless you!
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