Hand hold needed- having to have that talk with vet as soonas they open.

[triballeader]

Clock watching. Waiting for the vets to open. My old girl has stage 4 arthritis. I think it hit end stage. She went down yesterday. I have used every drug and trick the specialist vet hospital pain management clinic provided for her over night. Normally with rest that would help. This time nothing has worked. She cannot stand let alone start to gently mobilise. She is lying in her bed at my feet dosed to the gills with a warming pad to try and combat just a little of the pain in her joints.
Last time she was like this she wanted to follow me. Was able to pee, wanted to play. This time she just does not want to know.

Spent from early this morning crying as I know from previous talks with her vets there is nothing left to try and its not fair to leave her in such awful pain. I really do not want to have to take the humane option but know I will rather than see her make her continue and suffer in awful pain.

My lovely dog - the last living link I have with my family who died out during covid. The worst of it is I am supposed to be completing the sale of my old home today and I would swap it all just to have my dog back dancing round my feet.

Im so sorry you are going through this 😞 i lost my dog last october just before her 15th birthday the heartache is unreal but knowing she is in no more pain is a blsssing xx sending lots of love and hugs to you xx

I’m so sorry about your dog, it’s heartbreaking when it comes to this.

We lost our 14 year old greyhound a couple of years ago, his legs just couldn’t carry him anymore, I know how hard it it, sending you & your lovely dog lots of love x

Lovely lovely vet.

I am so bloody relieved. Pain back under control and she has now managed to pee!

Dog absolutely delighted to see vet as they always make her world a nicer place. Poor old girl has had a very nasty flare up in her one front elbow that she managed to hide untill the pain got too much. Trying to balance on her one fairly good leg stopped her from mobilsing or standing. That is why she went down last night. Vet checked her over carefully and decided she is still very interested in living but could you do something about the elbow. She has severe arthritis but good pain management, physio so she mostly copes well. Its sudden acute severe pain from flare ups that stop her. The not peeing on top wwas really concerning me.

Vet gave her an injection of a small amount of canine opiod. Re-jigged the dose of her breakthrough pain med for flare up days as he calculated current was way too low for her size. No wonder her rescue meds did not help last night. Suggested the canine equivilent of walking sticks and a wheelchair if we can afford them so she can still get out and do gentle old dog things. If she wants to spend her elderly days dozing in the sun, sniffing the flowers and eyeballing squirrals she can. I know she has a progressive condition and she is at stage 4 and there will be a day it seriously tips over but for now, just for now, I am so happy we get some more time together.

Great to hear that!

That’s wonderful , so happy for you both, I know how you feel as I too have an old lady with severe arthritis but still very much interested in the things that give her pleasure….food, cuddles, treats, lying in the sun…..food….food.

Oh gosh, I am looking in The Doghouse tonight for similar situations to mine, poor old DDog is suffering and I've had a tough discussion with DP tonight. He thinks it's nearly time to let him go but I don't think DDog is there yet. Your post has given me hope. Sending e-gravy bones to your precious one.

If your also caring for a older/elderly dog with arthritis I recommend the Canine Arthritis Management website. I also recommend frequent vet check ups to ensure your dogs condition can still be managed to the point they have a reasonable quality to their life. My old girl needs a ‘help me up harness’. Still tries to daft dog things but more slowly and needs a lot longer to rest in between. In brutal honesty her vet bills cost me around £800 per month for routine management. [physio, assorted drugs, monthly well being check] and I have funds to cover out of hours emergency consults [now £500-£800 every six weeks] I work pt from home - could not leave her on her own at this stage. If I had not got the financial wriggle room then sadly PTS would be the kinder option. To make sure I can pay this we have cut back on other spending. My dog is our family’s main luxury spend. A good vet will help you work out what is the kindest option given your dogs needs and family circumstances.

I'd spend my every last penny on my dog if I could - but I am pushing the boundaries of my overdraft every month as it is. I'm annoyed that my insurance doesn't cover arthritis. He was diagnosed when he didn't need treatment and it's been removed from the policy. I wish I knew then what I know now because even if I'd started with low-dose pain relief he would have been covered for life. Anyway, I've emailed my vets tonight asking them to call me tomorrow to discuss options but tbh I don't hold out much hope. My poor darling boy.

Rosalind, my heart goes out to you. That is a heartbreaking situation to be in. I am so sorry your insurance policy refuses to cover treatment. I truly hope the vet can offer compassionate options so you can make the kindest decision for all of you.

I don't normally recommend alternative therapies but I'm coming on here to say that I've found Vince the Vet's Joints www.vincethevet.co.uk/joint-health absolutely amazing for my 13 year olds. One of them has had arthritis for ever and was on the maximum dose of Onsior, which eventually stopped working. The vet recommended a week off before starting different medication so I thought that would be a good time to try it. Within a couple of days she was moving much more fluidly, now she's charging around as if she was half her age. Previously she couldn't get out of bed / up and down stairs without difficulty. It isn't cheap but given she no longer needs as many vet visits it's cost effective for us.