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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I may soon have to make a difficult decision about my dog?

15 replies

Chipshopninja · 25/09/2018 22:34

He is 9 years old and absolutely wonderful.

For the last 2 and a half months he has been vomiting several times a day.

He has lost 7 kg in weight (started at 32kg)

The vets have tried medication, special food, anti sickness injections (which work for 3 or 4 days and then he starts again)

He has had full body x rays and a camera down - no blockages or tumours found.

Vets have admitted they have no idea what is wrong with him at this point, and the next step is to open him up and take biopsies of all the organs they can access.

We are up to around £2000 in vets bills and although he is insured I don't yet know of they will honour the claim.

I'm nor sure I can put him through the next operation knowing they may well find nothing again.

I don't know how much longer I can go on watching him retch, vomit, not eat and get thinner and thinner before I have to accept it's time to say goodbye.

What do I do?

OP posts:

Warpdrive · 25/09/2018 22:36

A second opinion from another vet? Allergy testing?

Heartbreaking. I feel for you.

Jupiter15 · 25/09/2018 22:51

If he’s suffering then the kindest thing is to let him go. So sorry for you

aManForAllReasons · 25/09/2018 22:53

Sorry to hear this OP. I've been through it several times and it doesn't get easier.

One thing is looking at quality of life - list 5 things your dog loves and if they can no longer do/enjoy 3 of them then it may be time.

Better a month too soon than a day too late.

Good luck

Aquamarine1029 · 25/09/2018 22:59

This sounds almost exactly what happened with my sweet dog. Even though nothing specific could be found, my vet was very confident it was some form of cancer. Due to her age and suffering, we had her put to sleep. It's gut wrenching and so sad, but it was the best thing for her. I'm very sorry.

Aquamarine1029 · 25/09/2018 23:00

Your beloved friend is suffering. It's time to let him go.

SpikyCactus · 25/09/2018 23:02

This happened to my dog at about the same age and it was stomach cancer.

Lynne1Cat · 25/09/2018 23:03

The poor thing. He must feel ill and miserable, and that's no life for your lovely dog. Sorry to say, but it would be kinder to let him be pts. Sad, but it is probably for the best. xx

Pissedoffdotcom · 25/09/2018 23:04

My 9 year old staff suffered this, altho her issue was a cyst on her liver - it grew from 4cm to the size of a melon stupidly quickly. She lost 7kg in a week despite eating regularly because she was vomiting constantly.

I had the choice you have; put her through an op to explore options, leave her to it or have her PTS. I had her PTS for two reasons, one being i didn't think she would handle the anaesthetic (she was a rescue in poor shape generally) and the second being that she was just existing, not living. I would have been keeping her alive - and suffering - purely for the selfish reason of not wanting to lose her.

From your OP & from watching my beautiful girl wilt, I would PTS. At some point we have to admit that the options available are purely for our benefit, not our pet's.

Original poster

Chipshopninja · 26/09/2018 07:17

Thank you for your responses and sorry for others who have had to go through this.

My vet had not mentioned the option of PTS they just want to keep investigating. I'm going to feel like the worst dog 9wner ever if I ask them to do it when we don't know what's wrong

OP posts:

Imamouseduh · 26/09/2018 07:39

I’d get a second opinion. No matter how good your vet is it’s always valuable to have a fresh approach. Especially before doing anything so final.

AdamHi · 26/09/2018 07:43

We lost our first dog two months ago at the age of eight. I can only say that I was not prepared for the level of grief that we felt.

When we have our cat put to sleep 6 years ago, I felt quite dreadful about the decision, however it was the right thing to do at the time.

I truly hope that your dog recovers and leads a long healthy and happy family life.

EmmalinaC · 26/09/2018 07:53

I'm so sorry to hear this.

We have been through something similar with our old boy, although in his case it was unexplained chronic diarrhoea.

He lost so much weight (from 35kg to 22kg) and was utterly miserable. The Vet wanted to biopsies. We decided we didn't want him to go through that.

I did lots of internet research and learned that lots of dogs are intolerant to certain proteins, especially chicken, as well as grains etc. Based on research I devised a home-cooked food for him incorporating rice, sweet potato, sardines, mackerel and pollock. The results were astonishing.

Over a year later he's still with us - he's 14.

I know it's not exactly the same situation but it's worth looking at diet - out Vet advised me it wouldn't make much difference but has been forced to eat her words.

I hope you find some way to help your dog. It's heartbreaking to see them suffer

wintersdawn · 26/09/2018 07:54

I'm in the same position at the moment. We've had scans and tests and they don't know why he's gone downhill. They suspect he is bleeding internally somewhere but don't know where.
He's 10 and has been on steroids most of his life for a skin condition so we never expected a long life but they want to keep testing and to open him up to see.
I've refused. His current antibiotics ran out yesterday and if he goes downhill again we're asking for him to be pts. The vet just wants to keep testing and I'm not putting him through it anymore.
It's not an easy decision and I'm dreading the kids reactions (yet along mine) but he's had a good life and I don't want him in pain.

Laiste · 26/09/2018 07:54

I had to make a difficult decision about one of our cats last year. Not vomiting, but same in that his life was miserable and vet didn't know what was wrong, kept throwing more and more unlikely scenarios and £££ suggestions at us. We were getting no where and a very stressful house move was looming nearer and nearer which would have exacerbated the whole situation for him. In the end we made the hardest decision and it was awful awful awful. The vets did as we asked but i felt they thought we could have gone on. It's not them having to live with it and see the animal suffering day in day out though. He was only 7 :( More

Pissedoffdotcom · 26/09/2018 09:23

I'm going to feel like the worst dog owner ever if i ask them to do it when we don't know what's wrong

Believe me when i say your vet will have seen people have their pets PTS for far lesser reasons. If you make the decision to PTS based on your OP you are doing it for your dog. I've seen people have their dogs PTS because they can't be bothered, or haven't thought it through when getting a dog so can't afford treatment the dog needs etc. You are far from the worst dog owner ever

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