I don't know much about dogs but this doesn't sound right

[Hurr1cane]

My friend, who lives in America if that makes any difference,messaged me yesterday distraught because she said she told her dad to watch her dog didn't chase her car as she left, but it did, apparently it chased her all the way to the road and her dad didn't say anything. She also didn't stop.

When she got back she said her dog was in pain lay in the garden and had a gash on it's side and couldn't walk.

Apparently she waited till the vets opened this morning and they said to her that it probably had internal bleeding but they didn't know how bad and she could pay for an operation but they said it would just be throwing money away and to just make it as comfortable as possible.

This dog is now not eating or drinking and she is apparently using a turkey Baster to get cows milk into it.

Now I've only ever owned cats, but I've never heard of a vet being so dismissive, never waited that long for a vets after a serious accident and never fed them cows milk, although they have stolen it on occasion.

Does this situation sound right to you? If not would you say anything? We are very close regardless of the distance. But I can't help feeling very uncomfortable about this whole situation.

Dog is 12 years old.

Oh sorry also the vets apparently said that it looked like she had been in a car accident

Dogs are intolerant to lactose so cows milk is a big no no straight away.

It's possible I guess that it's injuries are inoperable, at 12 he could be quite frail so maybe the vet think he wouldn't withstand the anaesthetic and stress of surgery.

JustMe, would they say it would be throwing money away though? I know the dog is old but it's very active still and usually healthy if that makes any difference.

I said about the cows milk thing carefully but she just said it's fine so I didn't push it.

I just feel terrible for the dog in pain on it's own while she's at her parents house having Sunday lunch. Maybe I'm just over sensitive to these things because I'm over protective of my cats

Why would it have internal bleeding from running? Was it hit by a car?

Short answer is vet sounds crap but your friend may be paraphrasing, milk is generally not great for dogs or cats and your friend seems pretty lax in getting appropriate car for her pet.

Reading between the lines if she waiting for it to die then she should really just take it to the vet to be PTS as if it is bleeding internally and injured then it's likely to be in some pain.

Yes they think hit by a car sorry I posted an additional reply I forgot that in the OP.

Would you say anything? How would you phrase it? Or should I just butt out?

It's tricky because of the distance I think. If you saw the dog for yourself then that sort of conversation is easier.

I'd maybe go down the route of asking if the dog's in pain and what the likelihood of recovery is. Then depending on the answers I'd perhaps try and steer her towards being PTS sleep being the kindest thing she could do for her old friend.

Thanks. I'll talk to her when she messages later then. It just reminds me so much of my old cat who had an accident when she was old and I just remember driving miles to an emergency vet and not caring how much thing costed (and I certainly wasn't flush) and hand feeding her kitten formula from a syringe to keep her strength up.

I did suggest puppy formula or at least lactose free milk but she just said normal milk was fine.

Good luck op.

Your friend may have been slightly economical with the truth about what the vet said. They perhaps said an operation would be pointless/carry it's own risks BUT if the dog was in pain and likely I die I expect that would also have recommended that your friend had her dog euthanised. I'm not suggesting your friend is being deliberately cruel in any way as the vet has probably given her options and she's chosen to bring her pet home and not to have to make such a hard decision.