To think our healthy dog has just been put down?

[AfternoonTeaIsLovely]

Our dog was a bit jumpy and yelpy yesterday. She didn't want to come in the house and when she did, she was panting a lot. A few months ago we reported some excessive panting and her snapping at our daughter and it was put down to age and hormonal issues (had her womb out last year at 14years old). So yesterday we presumed it was anxiety again and stubbornness when she didn't go out for another week later. Her panting continued through the night and we took her to vets first thing. She had applied herself and was displaying signs of a stroke.

It's all a bit of a blur but my husband tells me the vet said it looked like advanced Vascular disease. We were told we could try steroids but she may not be able to eat them at home and also told that putting her to sleep was an option. I trusted my husband to make the right decisions as I wasn't understanding what we were told. I know 100% my husband would have given her a chance if he thought she had one so
we had her put to sleep.

I've now come home and googled to find most sources saying a full recovery can be made. Hubby doesn't think I should call the vets as they are busy but I just don't understand why this happened so quickly and why her prognosis was made to sound so terrible. I had to take my child out so couldn't stay for the final moments, hubby says the vet told him after it had been the right decision.

This was a PDSA hospital and out dogs treatment was free. I'm.not so cynical to think they would have pushed us to the lowest cost option but I'm so confused right now that she was so healthy two days ago and now she's gone with an 'advanced' disease.

Has anyone else been through this. I cannot get it out of my head that I should have took longer to consider the options and assess her chances of recovery.

We had our dog put down after a catastrophic episode of the trots. He could hardly hold his back end up and didn't have the energy to walk.

He had arthritis and was about 13 ish. If he was a younger dog we would have had further tests done. As it was, the best thing to do was to have him put down.

It wasn't fair on the dog and it would have been wrong to 'keep him going'. I've had a few periods over the years thinking 'what if'. But, what if the treatment just worsens quality of life?

At 15 your dogs had a good, long life. You mentioned she had been different over the past few months. If you want someone to talk you through everything, either call or email the vets and ask if someone can talk you through everything. An illness in an older dog will be worse than the same illness in a young dog. Same goes for human illness, don't believe everything on the internet.

Vestibular syndrome can have many causes and whilst many dogs do recover mamy don't and this is often dependant on cause.

Just to confirm this - we had our dog pts last year, aged 13. What looked like two attacks of vestibular syndrome (the second of which she never really recovered from) eventually led to some horrific seizures, most probably the manifestation of a brain tumour. We had her pts the same day that the terrible seizures started and it was traumatic and not the peaceful end that we'd hoped. At 15 a dog is on borrowed time, and I am a great believer in the saying - "better to pts a month too soon than a day too late".

I am very sorry for your loss - I know very well how grief-stricken the loss of a beloved dog can leave you.

She was 14 and your husband was given the option to try the meds. I doubt you have a leg to stand on sorry x

It is odd that the vet suggested she was pts. There is no treatment other than ‘wait and see’ for vestibular disease so it’s not like it would have cost anything.

My vet said on Tuesday that the next few days were crucial, and he would either improve or not. But she said it’s always worth giving them a chance as so many do recover, either fully or mostly and still have a good quality of life.

I would call and question the decision.

That does sound like vestibular disease, from the symptom description.

My partner's rescue dog (14 years old) recently developed it (the weekend at the end of July). He found it difficult to eat and move around for a while; he's only just back to eating normally, and put weight back on. But I'm not even sure I can see a head tilt any more. If so it's very slight. And the other symptoms have disappeared completely (including the nystagmus; eye twitching).

He didn't have steroids. The vet thinks it might have been triggered by an ear infection (but there isn't always an obvious trigger), which he's had medication for.

It does look very serious at the point they develop it, but that doesn't necessarily have much effect on prognosis, i.e. the worst affected dogs aren't always going to be the ones who recover least well. So to call it "advanced" in that situation seems misleading.

From what I've read about it I totally disagree that it was the appropriate action to take at that point. They didn't know how well she would recover (which in the vast majority of cases is completely or almost) then.

I too would be suspicious that they thought (subconsciously at least) "well even if she recovers from this, she's an old dog, and we'll end up having to treat her free for something else later, so let's just put her down now".

Awaiting vet to call. Receptionist confirmed 'Vestibular'.

@ThatchersCold
@rosiejaune

I've just been told this vet is a locum. That hasn't reassured me.

I'm sure she said Vascular Disease and when I Google that it does throw up Vestibular so I think they are one an the same? Vestibular isn't usually fatal and a good recovery can be made

She might have said both. Vestibular disease based on her history and then the sudden downturn in the morning may have been a Vascular Accident/Event which is basically a stroke. Maybe that explains it? If so the vet would have been thinking about likelihood of recovery in a fifteen year old dog and I’m sure that would have informed their decision. Unfortunately I have experience of both these things with our dogs and they’re awfully worrying. So sorry for your loss

I’m so sorry for your loss OP. Our dogs can be part of the family and after 15 years, a huge part.

Last year I had similar with my 15 year old dog. I had him go the vet the week before for his annual check up/injections, as he was having some unusual behaviour (going to the door to the entry hall and crying like he sometimes did if we went out) and seemed startled when I would come from behind him to see what was wrong. We were discussing possible Alzheimer’s (there’s a different name for this for dogs, but best description). I was going to go back the next week to discuss further.

However, we found him one morning making little yelp/ crying sounds, struggling to get up and had soiled his bed. He never,ever did that before so I knew this was very serious. The sounds he made let you know he was in distress. Didn’t go to my vet but straight to animal hospital, calling on the way. They took us straight in - was a stroke. Advised he was in pain. For older dogs, very hard to recover (if at al possible) and very, very likely to suffer (note the word suffer) another stroke soon after. We were advised he be put to sleep. Believe me, I would’ve paid thousands to keep him alive, cost was not an issue.

To me, while sad beyond believe, it was the most humane, caring and loving thing we could do for him.

I’m sure this is why your husband took the advice of the vet who knew your dog and was examining your dog. Reading on the internet is not the same as the vet right there in real life tending to your terribly ill dog. It is very hard to accept. Your husband made the most accurate decision he could given the facts relevant to your dog’s situation - and likely feels horrible for it.

Please do ring your vet if you’re still unsure, do consider your husband’s feelings about his decision (based on facts presented to him).

We had our dog cremated and let the vet know we planned to scatter his ashes at his favourite swimming place. They arrive in a sealed large box, inside the ashes are in a shaker container. It was very healing for all of us when we went together as a family and each scattered some ashes. Had I known about it at the time, I would’ve retained some to have a special piece of jewelry made that I have subsequently seen on Etsy that holds a small amount of their ashes.

Deepest sympathies to you OP and to your family. It’s a big hole.

So sorry for your loss.

It can happen fast. A few years ago our dog was fine one week, next week she put on a bit of weight around her tummy.
Took her to the vets. Ultrasound showed big lump that looked like cancer. Vet drained fluid from her tummy and sent off some tests, said we might have a week or two left with her. The next morning we had to take her back to vets as the fluid had returned and PTS. The tests hadn't even come back yet.
We were heartbroken.
When we went to to collect her ashes a week later, DH asked the vet and he confirmed the tests came back advanced cancer.

No I can imagine. I would be livid if I were you, at no point did my vet make any suggestion that he should be pts at that point, in fact she said completely the opposite. Less than 48 hours later my dog is able to go for short walks, and his eye movements have stopped. I’m so sorry this happened to you, you must be devastated.

I've just been told this vet is a locum. That hasn't reassured me.

I really wouldn't let that worry you. Doesn't mean they're any less a good vet.

She had her womb removed after an infection just one year ago and made a full recovery. Vets were surprised at her age last time we took her in. I truly hope age didn't come in to play here because she was still very able bodied. Why wouldn't we have been encouraged to assess her over a period of time.

Everything happened so fast and it seemed that PTS was the option the vet was encouraging us to take so I believe the prognosis was bad, but now I'm not so sure

We buried stupid (as we nicknamed him - he really was, bless him) in the little patch of the garden where he always sat. We have a little cat painted rock there and I often go and have a chat.

Personally I think the opinion of a qualified vet (not sure what being a locum has to do with it though!) is worth far, far more than google.
Hope you get some comfort from speaking with them.

I think some posters on here are being very unkind. The OP's husband made the best judgement that he could for a very old dog's comfort. None of you were there, presumably you're not vets, and you don't even know what the vet's diagnosis was.

Just popping in to say that I'm so very sorry for your loss.💐
You've had a nasty shock, I hope your chat with the vet answers any questions you have.

I'm sorry about your girl.

My 15 year old miniature schnauzer had a heart murmur he had his whole life. One night I woke up and he was fitting and struggling to breathe. I took him straight to emergency Blue Cross - charity also. They helped him recover and gave us medication to control his heart disease and he lived for another 8 months. There was no stone left unturned in helping him even though his treatment was heavily subsidised - I always try to pay what they ask though. I've never felt that we were dismissed or less was done for my dogs because they are treated through blue cross, if anything the reverse. When it was the end, they were pretty firm about it and deep down I knew it was right. I just wanted to tell you that to reassure you. I think if they could have done something they would have. I'm sorry again, it's very hard, we have these boys and girls for huge portions of our lives and it's so hard to let them go

Spoke to vet. Possible Vascular Episode and Sever Vestibular. She was collapsed and unable to breathe which is what the vet has focused on, her being in distress. Vet confident we made the right decision.

big hugs

As painful as it is, it does indeed sound like the right decision was made. Be kind and gentle with yourselves.

Do you feel reassured now? I hope so.

I am so sorry you have lost your family dog, it must leave a terrible hole in your hearts and in your home.

But she was an old dog, who had already demonstrated some distressing symptoms. Very often animals manage to hide their pain and distress from their owners until the very end so she could have been much sicker than you realised.

I am not a vet, or a dog owner but have had cats for over forty
years, and after a terrible realisation that I had made a decision too late some years ago I vowed that I would never let an animal of mine have its life protracted if it was unlikely that that life would continue in an active and distress free manner . I have never regretted that decision although it has been painful to make . I would rather a much loved animal, who has trusted me and enriched my life for many years , had its life cut short by a few weeks or months than make those last few weeks and months a slow possibly painful deterioration made distressful by unwanted medication and visits to the vet.

big hugs. Your husband made the kindest most compassionate decision. The biggest gift he could have ever given your girl was to not see her suffering in pain at the end and letting her go with dignity.
Love to you both

AfternoonTeaIsLovely Aww - you really did do the right thing. Can you think of something lovely to do for her in the coming weeks? I bought a rose bush to plant next to my dog's favourite spot and dug it up to take with us when we moved.
Pets bring such joy and it's awful when they go.

So sorry for your loss, OP.

We had the same thing happen to our beloved cat just a few weeks ago -- went from fine to gone in the space of a few hours. Like you, when we looked back we saw things that added up to signs and even though we'd taken her to the vet for those things, it was diagnosed differently.

While there were stories of full recoveries being made, those were in much younger animals and with intense therapies and we had to make the decision on the spot, much like you did. The only reassurance we had in all of it is the speed of it all had spared us from seeing a slow decline, and that she was truly enjoying life and happy right until the very end.

for you & your family, I hope speaking to your vet has helped.