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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Should I rehome? Put down? Absolutely devasted *please read update before posting MNHQ*

171 replies

wishiwasntpoor · 07/04/2021 11:27

I have a beautiful loved and treasured ddog. When we got her I had a husband a big house and garden. Sadly that's no more and I'm poor. She's 11 and ill. She started yelping and struggling to walk her on Monday. Took her to the vet yesterday who have prescribed loxicom for a week (£120 for emergency consultation and the medicine) they said that if it doesn't work she'll need X-rays and blood tests and long term treatment. She's in so much pain. Can barely stand and is yelping shivering and miserable. I am breaking my heart that if she doesn't get better after the week (and I don't think she will) I cannot afford all of the tests and ongoing treatment. I just don't have the money. I may not be able to afford the mortgage this month now. I phoned a charity for her breed yesterday to ask advice, and they will take her and pay for treatment and re home her but can't help me keep her and help me with the costs. She's 11. She loves us and her companion ddog 2. I can't see that rehoming her would be kind? She'd be in pain, displaced from her home, depressed? So the other option is asking the vet if we should consider putting her down. Which is also awful because she could with investigation and ongoing treatment she could be fine and live happily for another two three years.

I know I know that people shouldn't have pets they can't afford, but it's also impossible to predict the future. I had everything when I bought her. Insured to the hilt, then my husband revealed huge hidden debts and depression and took his own life. I lost the house and lived with my parents for five years before managing to get another. I didn't know this would happen. Perhaps when it all happened I should have rehomed them then? I don't know. I do t know what to do and am so deeply miserable. I can't bear to lose her and it's all so awful

OP posts:
evilharpy · 07/04/2021 23:26

@Coyoacan

How horrible for you, OP. I'm not saying it is the case with your vets, but some vets are unscrupulous and just want to get as much money as possible out of suffering animals. I've had a couple of cats that I had to have put down despite the vets and despite the fact that I could afford more tests, because my pet was suffering and there was no hope of a cure.

Do you feel bad for your animal. You are a kind owner doing your best. I certainly wouldn't rehome a dog at that age.

Surely the same could be said about any profession - there's a tiny tiny minority of wronguns in any industry but without exception every vet we have seen over the years has been great. Our current vet is an angel sent directly from heaven. From encouraging us to phone him with updates (because as soon as we bring our cat in he has to charge us, but he doesn't have to charge for phone calls), to helping us find meds for cheaper online, to greeting every animal he sees like an old friend and being endlessly patient with my daughter's twenty questions. We had one cat that he agreed that treatment would not be in her best interests and helped us make the decision to pts, and another cat with a long term condition that he has helped us pull him back from death's door four years ago and he's still happily ticking along with a cocktail of drugs that the vet makes very little money from. There are far more vets like this than any other kind.

Please don't scaremonger. The OP has enough to cope with.

Original poster
wishiwasntpoor · 07/04/2021 23:51

Veterinari- I really appreciate your input, and the vets I've seen. As a profession, well, it's not one I'd be able to face. It's a vocation. I am a carer for a disabled child, and if I weren't her mother, I couldn't do it. I compare caring / nurses/ and vets - you need to either love the role, love the patients or it be your true calling, to do certain jobs. And yours is one. Thank you again.

OP posts:
Smallonesaremorejuicy · 08/04/2021 01:11

Oh gosh , I feel for you & your darling dog . It’s cruel that the charity for her breed would help with vets fees , but only if she was being rehomed! Down right cruel . As pp have said you can get the prescriptions cheaper online or even at a human pharmacy, same medication. Vets really don’t have to charge so much . Good luck with PDSA , but they are few & far between. It will be sad if you have to pts but you can be with her & tell her how much you have loved her over all those years as she drifts off pain free . ☘️

Veterinari · 08/04/2021 05:23

@wishiwasntpoor

Veterinari- I really appreciate your input, and the vets I've seen. As a profession, well, it's not one I'd be able to face. It's a vocation. I am a carer for a disabled child, and if I weren't her mother, I couldn't do it. I compare caring / nurses/ and vets - you need to either love the role, love the patients or it be your true calling, to do certain jobs. And yours is one. Thank you again.
Thank you for your kind words @wishiwasntpoor

Please do let us know how you get on - thinking of you and your pup

Lifeispassingby · 08/04/2021 05:36

I would you manage to get some help tomorrow OP do keep us updated as we will be thinking about you both xx

EmmaGrundyForPM · 08/04/2021 05:41

OP you have had such a hard time over the last few years. My heart goes out to you.

As others have said, even if you had all the money in the world pts May be the kindest option. We once had a much loved elderly cat pts because he became ill. We were due to go on holiday and had our cats booked into a cattery which they weren't that keen on but tolerated. However I didn't feel it was fair to put him into the cattery when he was unwell and possibly dying. I phoned our vet for advice and she was so lovely and reassuring but said that having him pts would be less distressing for him. I don't regret it.

I'll be thinking of you today. Flowers

GeorgiaGirl52 · 08/04/2021 05:50

@RunningFromInsanity

I agree at 11 years old, long term treatment and rehoming her would be very stressful.

It’s perfectly ok to not want to put an older dog through all of that.

Personally it would be much kinder to let her peacefully drift off whilst surrounded by familiar people.

This makes the most sense. She might or might not be happy in a new home. You would forever feel the guilt and wonder what had happened.
Original poster
wishiwasntpoor · 08/04/2021 11:09

Thank you everyone for the support. Her condition really deteriorated overnight, so in the end, there wasn't really a choice to be made, she was in far too much pain. I managed to get her in the car, but as she screamed so much to be moved the vet did the procedure in the back seat to save her extra pain. I'm grateful to them. It was the right thing to do

OP posts:
Judashascomeintosomemoney · 08/04/2021 11:13

Ah wish, so sorry for your loss. Flowers. It was the last act of love you could do for your beloved girl. Get some rest, cuddle your other dog and look after yourself.

DareIask · 08/04/2021 11:15

I agree with those putting the financial pressures aside and questioning whether it would be kind to continue.

If medication does help and you are able to carry on a while then it's probably loads cheaper to buy medication from the internet. Your vet will still need to prescribe but you'll save a packet.

If your vet has any heart at all they'll prescribe in large enough quantities for you to avoid their prescription fees a little too.

Hugs OP. Awful situation

TwunchOfBats · 08/04/2021 11:16

Ah, I am so sorry to hear that. So often we worry about the right thing to do and, in the end, the dog 'makes the decision' for us anyway.

Flowers for you.

BiteyShark · 08/04/2021 11:17

So sorry Thanks

ShesMadeATwatOfMePam · 08/04/2021 11:17

I'm so sorry for your loss op. Putting a dog to sleep when they're suffering and old is the kindest thing to do.

Aprilshowersandhail · 08/04/2021 11:18

So sorry op.. You can be comforted you did try and pull out all the stops for ddog.

MrsBungle · 08/04/2021 11:18

Flowers bless you. You’ve clearly done your very best for her. She was lucky to be so loved. I hope you’re ok. X

@Veterinari every vet I’ve ever met with my animals has been absolutely amazing. You do a hard and very much appreciated job x

Honeyroar · 08/04/2021 11:20

I’m so sorry. It did sound like things were bad even in the opening post. Huge hugs to you. Try and focus on the wonderful life she had with you and your family and treasure the memories.

BlueJag · 08/04/2021 11:23

There are charities that can help you as you are low income.
I wouldn't keep an 11 year old dog that was in pain. Time to talk about putting her to sleep.

Didicat · 08/04/2021 11:25

Best to be one day too early than a day too late, it is the last act of kindness you can give them is a “good” death.

Be kind to yourself

EvilOnion · 08/04/2021 11:29

@wishiwasntpoor, I came to comment with most others about feeling no guilt and having her PTS but I see your darling girl is gone.

We had to have ours PTS a few years ago and I still get teary at the recollection but we know now it was the kindest thing we could have done for her. Time does make it easier and eventually the memories of her at the end will fade out as the happy times come back to you.

Take care of yourself 💐

Brenna24 · 08/04/2021 11:31

I am so sorry you have lost her, but glad for you that in the end the decision was made for you. For what it is worth my last dog had had arthritis for years and was close to the end when he had something catastrophic happen to him during the night which left him screaming in pain. It was way more extreme than the arthritis, much more like your girl. I suspect a prolapsed disc or similar. My vet did say that she would look to see if she could up the dose of one of his meds to help and while she was looking I decided that it wasn't really going to touch the level of pain he was in and it wasn't in his best interest. When I said that she said it was exactly the decision she would have made if he was her dog. Big hugs, it is hard.

snowcobra · 08/04/2021 11:35

I'm so sorry Flowers It must have been incredibly hard, but you did all you could for her

Frenchfancy · 08/04/2021 11:52

So sorry to hear this, but glad she is no longer suffering Flowers

VettiyaIruken · 08/04/2021 11:54

Flowers I am so sorry iwish, it's just awful to lose such a loved family member but considering her pain you did the best thing for her at great emotional cost to you.

Re vets, I'm sure there are a few, there are a few bad apples in every walk of life but I don't think someone becomes a vet unless they are passionate about animal welfare. Every one I've ever visited has been amazing and demonstrated great love and passion for the animals they treat. In fact, many years ago I had one give me such a huge bollocking, really huge. It was my fault but through ignorance not maliciousness. The vet couldn't have cared less about my money as he gave me the largest and loudest telling off of my life!

evilharpy · 08/04/2021 11:58

Oh love I'm so sorry. I'm glad you didn't really have to make the difficult decision in the end, it sounds like there was only one thing you could do, but it doesn't make it any easier. Also glad you could be with her when she needed you most. You sound like a lovely person and I hope you have someone to be with you and support you. Sending you lots of love. Flowers

Overdueanamechange · 08/04/2021 12:06

As a fellow Vizsla lover Flowers
Please don't consider rehoming, I know how devoted to one owner this breed can be. She wouldn't cope.
In your position either talk to PDSA or PTS. I know you want to do what is best for her, but 11 years isn't a bad age bless her, which is why many insurers won't cover that age.

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