Have you ever been in a situation where having your Ddog PTS was not a clear cut decison?
I know that it is never an easy decision, but what I mean is have you been in a situation where you are really torn as to what to do, when weighing up quality of life?
My first ever childhood dog was PTS, but in my mind it was always the right decision- she had lukemia and suddenly took a turn for the worse, so we spent one last special day together where she was totally spoilt rotten and then said goodbye with all her family and friends around her. :( As awful as it was I knew even then that it was 100% the right choice for her. (Doesn't stop me crying my eyes out just writing about it now!!)
Ddog1 is 4.5 and has had problems most of his life, although they weren't picked up upon during his first year. He has anterior facet dysplasia in his back and damaged nerves leading to his legs. This was discovered during an MRI scan. He previously blew both cruciate ligaments (which post MRI they said were probably caused by the abnormalities in his back, but they didn't know this in advance).
So to some up, he has had both cruicates done by TTA, one after the other, 2 x 6weeks of crate rest, masses of hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, was still not quite right so referred to MRI by the ortho specialist, which showed the above problem, referred to neurologist, then another neurologist, a European specialist as NDR who operated to try and fix the anterior facet dysplasia and create more room for the damaged squashed nerve in late 2010. 10 weeks of STRICT crate rest followed by controlled lead walks for months. He was never quite right in his movement after but seemed happy enough.
Then over the past 8 months he has started having problems again. Episodes of screaming pain that last a few min, followed by 12-36 hours of him obviously being in a lot of pain, reluctant to get out of bed, squeaking when he moves. Of course during these episodes he is given strong painkillers, but he is very sensitive to opiate based drugs, so we have to use them sensitively. (he drools, is sick, cries and whinges and refuses to get up- i think he feels dizzy)
On a day to day basis he is on metacam, with tramadol when he has an episode. Because of the above he has very limited excercise or he gets sore and lame. He has maybe three short lead walks per week, which he enjoys and manages happily. Anything more than that and he becomes very stiff and sore at best, having a squeaking painful episode at worst.
All of the above sounds awful I am sure, and it is, but the rest of the time, at home, you would barely know there was anything wrong with him. He is loving and happy. He bumbles about the house, following me or the children around. He mooches about the garden, he enjoys playing with the children, he LOVES his food and it is clear he still enjoys his life.
I always said that after the big back op I would not put him thorugh anymore surgery as I didn't feel it was fair on him. He didn't deal with the recovery well- particularly the crate rest and had to be sedated for large chunks of it. I was very lucky in that over 3 years, m+s insurance policy paid out approx 13.5k for his operations, rehab and medications. However, when the policy renewal came in for the 4th time it was £90pcm, which was understandable, but unaffordable, particularly as I already felt it was not fair to put him through anymore surgery if anthing went wrong. So he is no longer insured (well he is, but all of the above is excluded as with a dif company). At one of his recent vet appointments about 3/4 weeks ago, after his worst episode yet, our vet was doing some tests on him and said she felt he now had nerve damage in the leg hind too. The original MRI had shown that it was abnormal but wasn't causing problems then (2010).
Sorry for rambing... but there is quite a lot of history there to get the picture!
I feel so lost as to what to do. On one hand, most of the time, when he is at home, he is a happy, loving, normal dog. Until it goes wrong, like it has again today. I have a doped up boy off his trolley on tramadol. I woke up this morning and he was crying out everytime he tried to get up from his bed. Yesterday he was fine.
If you has asked me 3 years ago what I thoguth about people who have an active working breed like mine and only walk the poor animal a few times a week I would have had some choice words and told you it wasn't fair on the dog. I was asking my vet her opinion and she said it was necessary that PTS was on my radar, but that you had to inidividually assess your dogs needs for quality of life. The way she explained it was that her checklist for QOL was different for each of her dogs. She said she has one that lives for cuddles with her husband, and wouldn't be distressed by a reduced exercise routine, despite being a collie, and so would be happy just to stay and home, so long as she could come to work and sit under his desk, whereas at the other end of the scale she said her other bitch would be desperately unhappy in the same situation and she would therefore think it kindest to PTS.
I really do not know what to do. It is compunded by the fact that we are moving house at the end of the month and I am so worried how he will cope with that too, as he gets so stressy and tense about things and I am sure it will make it worse. I don't know what is best for him. These "episodes" are awful at the time, but aren't all the time. They are getting closer together now tho, about one every 3/4 weeks.
I was just wondering if anyone else had been in a similar situation, where most of the time they are ok- but just ok, and then occasionally awful. How to you make the decision?