Posting here for traffic - need urgent opinions about my lovely Dog :-(

[Huskylover1]

I have posted in the doghouse section, but no replies, so posting here for traffic.

We have an awful predicament. Our dog is 8 years old. She suffered Glaucoma when she was 3 years old, and after treating the "bad" eye with multiple drops a day for 18 months, she had to have that eye removed (the tissue started to die).

On 22nd December, she walked in to a wall, and we knew something was wrong with her "good" eye. We got her to the vets and the pressure in her eye was too high, meaning that the Glaucoma had now hit her "good" eye, so she was hospitalised. She came home a few days later, and amazingly a week later had her sight back! Felt truly blessed!

She was placed on a treatment plan of about 11 drops a day. With a plan to gradually decrease this, as things stabilized. Thankfully, I work from home!

Anyway, since then she's had 2 more relapses (pressure in the eye too high). This is very painful. She was admitted again yesterday, to be placed on 2 IV drips. One reduces the pressure in the eye, the other hydrates her organs.

So, this is her 3rd admission and hooking up to IV's, since 22nd December. The vet says that with 3 admissions in 6 weeks, the prognosis for the eye doesn't look good, ie. she will be blind forever now, and we have 2 options :

1)Remove the remaining eye
2) Put to sleep

She is home now (picked her up this afternoon), and we don't have to make this decision until her next relapse. This could be tomorrow/next week/next month, no idea. The pressure will spike, she will be in pain, and we will have to quickly decide what to do.

I am not sure that I can see her with two sewn up eye sockets! It feels cruel. She is a magnificent beast, a black and white husky with bright blue eyes (well, she did have). She's a real hunter. Loves running wild off the lead and playing fetch, both of which will now be off the menu.

DH thinks we should remove the eye and see how she copes, but this is another major Op, and when we got the first eye out it was horrendous, she had a bad bleed and her whole face was matted in blood. I am thinking it would be kinder to PTS. I don't think it's fair to put her through another major Op, just to buy another 4 years (till her life expectancy), which would be a life of no sight and effectively no communication, as she can't speak!

That's the predicament....very grateful for any views.

[Chattymummyhere]

I agree with you op as horrible as it is to make that desision.

[Yura]

we've had to make a similar decision some years ago. in our case, we've decided to send her to sleep ( extremely active dog who suffered a lot when not able to run).
how does she react when confined? is she probe to anxiety? ours was extremely anxious and did not deal well at all with lack of free movement, and that's what made the decision.

[Huskylover1]

Thanks chatty

[sonjadog]

I think I would put her to sleep. I have dogs myself and I know how hard this decision is to make, but I think it is our last duty as a dog owner - to make the difficult decision. It sounds like your dog has suffered enough and now it is time to say stop. If you put your dog through this operation, make sure you are doing it for the dog´s best, not just because you don´t want to lose her.

[Huskylover1]

yura she is a very laid back dog, so no anxiety, however, being a Husky long walks are her thing and she loves running free, which actually with Huskies is not something they can normally be allowed to do, as they are meant to be kept on the lead at all times. We have been very lucky, that her recall is excellent, virtually unheard of for the breed.

[user892]

How sad. I don't think it'd be unreasonable to say a peaceful goodbye if there really is no hope of saving her sight, and you think she would be distressed for the rest of her life.

[Yura]

Such a difficult decision! how fid shevdeal with temporary blibdness before? ours (irish setter) started to bite her front paws, and while horrible to watch, it made the decision easier. And how good is she with pain?

[Yura]

sorry, phone and spelling!

[VivienneWestwoodsKnickers]

My DP is a bleeding heart. I've read him the post, and he says he feels for you and the dog. She agreed we would both say it may be kinder to put your girl to sleep.

I'm so sorry. Poor girl. Poor you.

[tabithakitty]

Poor you, poor doggy.

We had our family dog PTS many years ago. My mum (a nurse) was strongly in favour of having dog PTS. I didn't say anything at the time but felt the its was a bit premature. However, the dog was pts.

Now, a bit older and wiser, I think the time was right and I am SO glad I didn't make my Mum feel bad about it.

Sad times.

[birdladyfromhomealone]

This has made me cry for two reasons,
Our 17 year old Yorkie went blind in her last year of life, she kept walking into things and crying out i pain. We had to keep her on the lead on walks for her own safety and clear the house of danger for her.
We pts when she lost control of her bowels though not due to her eye sight AND she was 17 not 8!!!!
I too have glaucoma. my left eye burst when I was 28. I bend down and it burst and the jelly was in my glasses. The pain I was in with the high pressure was horrific, when it burst it was a blessing- no pain.
Having the eye removed was ok but having the socket made from muscles and bone from my hip when it all sunk 5 years later was awful.
I now have glaucoma in my right eye meaning I may go blind/ lose this eye too.
At the moment i I was a dog I would wat to be PTS- sorry!

[Proseccohoho]

Feel so for all of you. If it were me I would say a heartfelt goodbye to the brave girl, but that is just my opinion. Only you will know how well she will cope and some thrive, so good luck to you all to make the best decision for you all. X

[GoodGirlGoneWrong]

Horrible decision to be made.

I'd probably put her to sleep.

Fellow husky owner here and my girl has one fantastic blue eye and one brown eye.

[Dangermouse1]

Really sorry for you but I think you're right I would PTS. It's about quality of life and not just the blindness but the trauma of a second major operation. You could have a housecall when the time comes and it will be stress free and painless for her.

[SallyGinnamon]

Awful awful to have make that decision. Only you know your girl and how she'd cope (or not) with blindness.

Sometimes we have to make the right decision for our DDog even if it isn't the easiest decision for us.

[Kleptronic]

Oh my god birdlady how awful for you

Not great for you either OP. Only you can decide if she'd cope. I don't think my collie would. What a hard decision to make.

[JigglyTuff]

I really believe you have to put yourself in the animal's shoes - are you keeping them alive for your sake or theirs?

I do know a very happy blind dog but she lost her sight very young and has never run free.

I suspect it would make your dog utterly miserable from what you say about her.

I'm so very sorry - it must be utterly heartbreaking

[MrsPringles]

I think it would be kinder to PTS, a horrible decision to have to make but I think long term it's for the best

[JaimeLannister]

I regularly meet up with a golden retriever who had both eyes removed for the same reason as yours. He is doing well nearly two years later.

He is very laid back though and as long as his bowls, bed and cuddly toys are always in the same place he seems content. He goes off lead in a secure field.

A husky may not be as happy with such a sedate life but only you can tell that. Good luck.

[DramaAlpaca]

I would PTS in this situation, heartbreaking though it is.

I'm so sorry.

[Reow]

:-( How is her general quality of life? I think if my boy was blind and in pain a lot I would regretfully have him pts. I know she's not human, but I wouldn't want to live my life blind and possibly suffering.

So sad.

[Huskylover1]

sonjadog These are my thoughts. And also how our 2 grown up kids feel (their dog too). But DH is wavering. He's saying once we PTS, there's no going back, whereas we could take the eye out and if she doesn't cope, then get her PTS

[harderandharder2breathe]

How did she cope when she was temporarily blind? Was she ok or distressed? I think that would be the decider for me although from your post I lean towards PTS.

Poor you and poor ddog

[ludothedog]

My dog is blind and copes ok. She is however 11 years old and incredibly laid back and rather lazy. She was like this before she was blind.

I would say it really depends on your dog's personality.
Sorry, that's no help.

[DontTouchTheMoustache]

I almost cried reading your post op my dog means the world to me so I imagine this is absolutely breaking your heart. You know your dog best and you know how she would cope. I'm so sorry you have to make this decision