Another when is the right time threads

[LurchertheLurker]

I have an old terrier (not quite 15), during the summer and again the day after new year she had what looked like an asthma attack, really struggling for breath, after the second one the vet scanned her and found a large growth pressing on her lungs, and her liver was very enlarged. She is on 4 steroid tablets a day and the vet implied she wouldn't live more than a week or two...........
8 weeks later I am wondering if now it the time to let her go. I thought something would happen to make the decision for me but she is just going downhill slowly. She is drinking a lot and so pees anywhere anytime, and I'm wondering if she is having trouble pooing (lots of little poos) her gums are quite pale, and she is very stiff as she can't have her arthritis medication with the steroids.
But, she is still eating, and enjoys a wander round the garden and a roll in the grass.
This is so hard.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Oh I'm so sorry, it's awful isn't it. We lost our old boy just before Christmas. He was like your dog for a couple of weeks, happy to mooch around. Then over a weekend he just went downhill. He looked so miserable, he wouldn't eat or drink and he kept going out to lay in the cold. We knew it was time. They say better too early than too late. You get to the point when you realise you're putting it off for your sake not theirs and you know what you should do.

[GemmaTeller]

Last Saturday we had to make the decision about one of our boxers.

She was 9 years old and had been a bit 'off' a few weeks previous. We took her to the vets who treated her for a stomach upset and on doing an ultrasound said they couldn't be sure but there looked to be a tiny black mark on her spleen.

Anyway, she rallied round and was back to her old self the next day and the following week had blood tests which came back OK.

She had two more separate 'off' days but last Saturday morning deteriorated rapidly over two hours and we got an emergency appointment at the vets.

She was diagnosed with a splenetic tumour and internal bleeding.

We were offered surgery and a blood transfusion but that she might not survive the operation and if she did she might only have a few months left.

We decided to let her go rather than put her through the surgery and a possible 'messy' ending.

Its a heartbreaking decision to have to make but you have to think whats best for the dog.

[Lara2]

Laradog1 has just had her spleen out - the histology results came back last week. Her spleen was cancerous, a really rare, bad one. The vet has given her about 2 months. She's 11 and we ummed and ahhed about what to do but she has come through the operation and is bouncing around like a puppy, eating, drinking, enjoying her walks etc. Looking at her you wouldn't think there was anything wrong. We decided against chemo - I can't do that to her and it may only prolong her life a little longer. It's just awful knowing I'm going to have to make the decision in a few weeks. DH says hope for the best and prepare for the worst. The only thing that will make it slightly better is knowing that it's the last gift we can give her - a comfortable, dignified end, at home, surrounded by the people who love her and her brother with her. It's probably what we'd all choose for ourselves and I can give her that.