Putting 17 year old dog through surgery

[joanwinifred]

My friend has a 17 year old dog who has been sick for a long time.

The dog cannot walk, soils herself regularly, howls constantly and has no quality of life as far as I'm concerned.

However, my friend - and even more shocking - the vet put the dog through a massive surgery today.

The dog has made it through, and is recovering but the vet says they don't expect they'll make it through the night.

My friend is refusing to have her dog put to sleep and give it some dignity.

I've had dogs all my life. I believe they let you know when it's their time, and I believe that it's the kindest thing you can do.

I'm angry with my friend, but don't want to say anything as I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable.

Am I? Or would any of you do this too?

The dog cannot walk, soils herself regularly, howls constantly

For those defending/excusing the friends actions. This is a dog in pain and distress. Keeping her alive is incredibly cruel.

Prolonging their suffering to delay our own is absolutely acceptable

I am be beyond angry tell her and the vet exactly what you think and insist this poor dog is allowed to go to sleep.I would report the vet to their governing body they are just doing this for money.disgraceful.

Dog is still clinging on. I had to help my friend pick the dog up from the vet as she couldn't drive. Sitting in friends house now trying to comfort her, but I'm so angry. Watching this dog suffer, and the fact that the vet allowed the dog to leave his surgery like this. I feel helpless. She's howling and won't let anyone near her. How does my friend think this is the best option?

@KarmaStar

I am be beyond angry tell her and the vet exactly what you think and insist this poor dog is allowed to go to sleep.I would report the vet to their governing body they are just doing this for money.disgraceful.

Vet nurse here , the vet may not have been given a clear , true picture of what the dog is like at home , it is quite normal to see different behaviour from its normal self when a dog is in the surgery . Only the vet knows what was said in the consult , if the dog was not technically ' suffering' he may have been pressured by the extremely selfish owner expecting her 'needs' to take precedence over the dogs needs. Yes we can step in and humanely euthanize against the owners choice or in the case of an ill or badly injured stray but this is quite rare. It is very annoying when yet again the veterinary profession gets accused of money grabbing, of course there is the odd rogue in the trade , and fees vary a lot , but as a consumer you can shop around . I have worked in this field for a very long time and with many different vets , my experience is that they are the type of people who go out of their way time and time again , selfless , kind and caring , as it should be. It is very difficult when we have to deal with awful , selfish people who love their dog soooooooo much that they refuse to do the right thing!

Aw, I think that’s a really interesting point tsmain “ Vet nurse here , the vet may not have been given a clear , true picture of what the dog is like at home”

if this dog were their sick child, with cancer, would they really not fight with their last breath to save that child?

If you were 95, with failing health would you be likely to consent for a major surgical procedure you probably wouldn't survive, is perhaps a more appropriate question.

I feel helpless. She's howling and won't let anyone near her.

I'm sorry, that must be very distressing to witness. I feel angry reading about the situation. This is not about love, it's about cowardice and a desire to delay grief. I hope the poor dog can settle.

Do people realise that most vets are salaried, so by encouraging an owner into letting them do major surgery just means they have to do more work with a shorter lunch break for the same amount of money.

Really hard to say without knowing the specific details. Is the dog in actual pain? Old age isn’t an illness in itself.

Surely the vet wouldn’t have carried out the surgery if it was that bad?

The quality of life thing is opinion based. I know an elderly Jack Russell who can barely walk and who is blind. She still enjoys her food, her bed and cuddles with her owner.

I do hope your friend’s dog recovers and will cross my fingers for them 💐

The vet should have declined

Anyone saying that the owner is finding it hard needs to ask themselves, who exactly is the owner keeping this dog alive for? It certainly isn’t for the dog’s benefit.

Unfortunately the vet can’t make the owner have the dog put to sleep any more than a vet can refuse to put a healthy dog to sleep if the owner insists they don’t want it any more...

When you take on an animal you do so in the knowledge that you are going to have to say goodbye to it one day.

I have had to agree to have a retired guide dog put to sleep this year, vet said they could have given a few more weeks but PTS would be kindest. Equally my partner had to have a working guide dog put to sleep, seemingly healthy the night before, in collapse with a rupture from a malignant tumour the next day. They could have bought him a few more months too, but who is that for? Really who would that have been for? If you can’t answer “for the dog,” then you have no right hanging on...

Poor dog, I really feel sorry that the humans in his/her life are not more compassionate.

@blackkitty1234

Really hard to say without knowing the specific details. Is the dog in actual pain? Old age isn’t an illness in itself.

Surely the vet wouldn’t have carried out the surgery if it was that bad?

The quality of life thing is opinion based. I know an elderly Jack Russell who can barely walk and who is blind. She still enjoys her food, her bed and cuddles with her owner.

I do hope your friend’s dog recovers and will cross my fingers for them 💐

Yes, dog is in pain. Both owner and vet have acknowledged this.
I was a vet nurse up until 2017, but now work in a different field. Many vets I worked with refused to give unnecessary treatment to animals if the best option was to have them put to sleep.
Of course, I know some owners would get a second opinion, but most would come back and make the right decision.
I will stay overnight, and tomorrow my dogs vet will help her cross over to rainbow bridge, if she makes it through the night.
I'm angry, but I'm also desperately sad for this poor dog who deserved a lot better at the end of her life.
I'll do my best to make sure if my friend decides to get another dog again in the future that this won't happen again. I'm emotionally drained.

@tsmainsqueeze former vet nurse here too, and the vet has been seeing this dog for many years, and is more than aware of how ill she is.
I don't know if I'm able to report the vet, as it isn't my dog. But I will do research, and if I am able to do so I will be.
The more I hear from him, the more I believe he shouldn't be practising veterinary medicine.

She is very selfish. You have to let them go before they get into that state. It’s not about us it’s doing what’s right for them. And the vet was wrong to put the poor dog through it aswell

@joanwinifred any update on your friends poor dog? I keep thinking about him

We put our 6 year old dog through surgery and it was hell. The crate rest afterwards was like torture for him and I can't forgive myself for how frightened he must have been to have his trusted, loving owners suddenly lock him up and ignore him, whilst he was in pain.
We had to have him put to sleep anyway because the surgery didn't work. Before that we also put him through the stress and confusion of acupuncture (encouraged to do so by the vet) which made him so frightened he soiled himself. I will never again put a dog through very invasive surgery (that has a high likelihood of failing) and treatment, no matter their age. Doing so that one time is my greatest regret.

I’d never do it. Poor dog.
When our last dog was old and evidently getting near the end of the road, our vet did offer the option of sending her to see some specialist many miles away.

I asked what he’d do if it were his own dog.
He said he wouldn’t, but some people feel the need to do something, anything, to keep their pet going.

Quite apart from the fact that it probably wouldn’t have made much difference, if any, our dog was never really happy in the car, so no way was I putting her through a long journey on top of more treatment, when she just wanted to be left in peace.