Keep, re home or PTS a dog that bit?

[Puppalicious]

Our dog bit my dh yesterday, punctured the skin and its now infected. It was entirely my DH’s fault - she was lying under a bush, he lifted her to pull her out (she’s increasingly hard to get out from her “den”), she almost went upside down so he had her by the back legs. She has hip dysplasia, it must have been excruciating for her. I don’t know what he was thinking. However, I worry now she’s crossed a rubicon.

The problem is we have 3 small children, the smallest of whom’s face is low enough to get a bite there. The dog is 3 years old but in pain - we thought it might be one bad hip and get a referral to a vet hospital. However, she’s actually got something wrong in all 4 legs (hip dysplasia in back ones, a touch of arthritis and carpal hyperextension in the front). They recommended weight loss, librela and conservative management in the first instance, all of which we’ve done, and then consider surgery. But in all 4 legs? Is it fair to any dog to do that? She’s not improving. She’s terribly slow on walks.

Last night she looked at me and growled for no reason. My littlest just told me that she petted her this morning and she almost bit her (made no contact - I always thought she had good bite inhibition but maybe not following yesterday). I worry that my DH’s idiocy yesterday has made her even more reactive. I worry a dog in pain is maybe not safe with children in any event. She thinks she’s one of them and will often try to lie beside them - especially the little one - but that means its very easy for one of them to knock her.

She has a lovely sweet gentle nature (she was at the groomers last week and they commented on how friendly and good-natured she is) but I just can’t take any chances with my children. They’ve all been warned sternly this morning to take a lot of care. But is it safe? Should we look at rehoming her to somewhere with no children - but who would want a disabled dog who has bit, beautiful and sweet natured though she is? She would also miss us so much. Should we look into surgery, see if that would help - but all 4 legs?! Is that fair on any dog? I can’t really contemplate the last option in my title - but would that be the fairest thing for her, if she’s in pain?

I know the doghouse can be very rough so I’m expecting some abuse here, but at the same time I’m wondering what good dog-lovers would do.

What quality of life does the poor thing have? It seems unkind to keep her in such pain. I’d go for PTS, the poor dog.

PTS.
no question. Protect your children.

Finally someone sane. The way some people are acting on here is ridiculous. Your DH didn't deliberately hurt the dog and doesn't blame her for the bite so I don't know why people are acting like he's some awful abuser.

Also agree that sadly your dog needs to be PTS. Both to protect your family and because it's no life for her to live in pain all the time especially at such a young age. Best of luck with such a hard decision.

Sadly I don't think removing is a viable solution and you can't leave her as she is. I would speak to the vet about the ops to understand timeline, recovery, if insurance will cover all the costs etc. And if it's not viable I'd give her a lovely few days one a lot of painkillers and then sadly let her go.

I would discuss with vet the operation, what the likely outcome is, how long the recovery is and then on balance make a view. If there is high prospect of a good outcome I'd be tempted at surgery in a 3 year old dog... 7 or 8 not so much.

And your DH had a clumsy moment with a wriggly dog, go easy it's hardly on purpose. There are some awful people on here who just assume the worst in everyone.

@Cancermummy everyone's acting like he picked her up and hit her!! She wriggled and then got hurt, it happens. Doesn't make him an awful person and doesn't deserve the comments on here basically saying he should be killed!!

This.
Two serious questions to some of the very judgemental people on this thread:
Firstly, have you ever ever done something that's gone a bit wrong and caused a much bigger issue than you thought it could? If you have, maybe take a step back. If you haven't, good on you and just bloody wait until it happens...
Secondly, do we want this board to be somewhere where dog-lovers can come for advice and support, or fucking Judgement City?

A household with three young DC is going to be stressed and busy. Sometimes things - like getting the dog indoors or into a particular place - need to be done quickly. That's when misjudgments happen.

OP, if your dog is only 3, I would only consider surgery if it had a 90% chance of fixing the issue so that my dog was no longer in pain and had good odds of 5+ years of healthy, active life ahead of her. Only your vet can tell you that, though it might be worth getting a second opinion.

Your husband mistreated her, and now you are already going down the ' oh I'm worried about the children - let's kill her ! ' and trying to get Mumsnetters to agree with you and back you up.

Get her back to the vet, get her treated properly - you admit you have insurance

I hope you are ashamed of your husband !

fucking bully !

can you imagine the uproar if he had treated the dog like that out in public ?!!! people would be threatening to report him to the RSPCA

He picked the dog up ffs he didn't grab her and whirl her round by her back legs!!

Your family should not keep her.

Ask the vet whether she stands a chance of getting better and having a reasonable quality of life if she is re homed to someone willing to take her on.

The pearl clutching on this forum never ceases to amuse.

Anyone who knows anything about dogs knows you don’t pick up a dog that doesn’t want to be. Particularly a dog who has dysplasia and was hiding. It’s like rule 1 of dog ownership (perhaps only usurped by don’t let kids tug on dogs fur).

Even if he hadn’t hurt her; what he did was uncalled for and shows a fundamental lack of understanding over dog behaviour. Such a man shouldn’t be around animals.

Sorry I did not mean that the way it sounds. Your family shouid not keep her because her health means that living with little children could be very difficult for her, and not necessarily safe for them if she feels threatened or in pain.

Rehome the poor dog, and your husband

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone I'm sure the husband regrets what was a MISTAKE! Unless you've never made a mistake ever, you can't judge him.

If you’re not happy to put her through surgery then I don’t see why you should expect someone else to. You need to go back to your vets and ask about the risks and the possibilities of the surgery being successful, especially as you won’t have as much of a financial burden with it being covered via your insurance. You noted she’s on librela, has this been kept up to date or is it due soon hence the tenderness and snapping at DH? Honestly, I don’t blame her for being miserable and moody. While it may be accidental your DH has likely accentuated her pain by pulling her from her hips and she’s probably sore and is showing guarded behaviour to ensure her boundaries aren’t being crossed again, which if followed should prevent anymore “I’m in pain ouch” bites.

I think while it’s incredibly difficult to decide if you’re not going to put her through further treatment the best scenario would be to PTS for her quality of life, a rescue space wouldn’t have the insurance backing that your family do to cover surgery and treatments and a space can take months to free up, and then you have the guilt of your dog has to wait for a home to come available that is willing to take her on with her medical issues. And while there is a few poor souls who will be willing to, the rising in costs with everything that isn’t as likely as it was a few years ago. I wouldn’t deem her a “biter” or a bite risk on a whole though because she bit while she was in pain and being grabbed from a safe place. While I appreciate it is an issue for you with young children it’s not exactly like she’s bitten out of nowhere, she likely exhibited warning signs and as a result of her pain bit DH as that’s the only way she could voice that hurt her. I would explain to DC and DH that if she does go to hide away to leave her be, it’s likely she will settle herself and she is probably just taking herself away to somewhere she finds comfortable. But you definitely need to be going back to the vets and discussing that conservative treatment isn’t working for her, and think about the next steps with her best interests/quality of life at hand, especially as she’s so young. For me personally, if my dog was young enough to recover from the surgery and be managed to potentially have a good life once recovered then I would absolutely do it especially as you said it’s covered by insurance, but ultimately that’s a discussion for you, your veterinarian and to do what’s best by her.

People who smugly come up with the “pearl clutching” cliche are a source of an amusement too. I have even seen it picked up on in a newspaper article about mumsnet.

Yes I can. I’ve never picked up a dog that was in pain and hiding. And I’ve certainly never lied about causing an animal pain.

He’s a grown man. He knew better. THEN he tried to hide it. He lied about it. He lied about causing the dog pain and only admitted it when questioned.

He shouldn’t be around animals.

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone he made a mistake. Yoire all overreacting to try and seem like the best dog owners ever

Get a grip.

I agree with @EdithStourton on this. Your husband made a shitty judgement call and caused the dog distress and got bitten. That's done. He knows not to do it again and you all know how much discomfort the dog must be in.

I would be paying for a consultation with a referred specialist - use that insurance money to understand what the dog's expectations of a reasonable quality of life might be and how much it might take (of the dog's life, happiness, of your time and money) to achieve that and make a decision, as a couple on whether or not to proceed.

A double hip replacement (if that's what it takes) is already a huge untertaking for everyone - not least the dog. You then have to consider what the front legs may need and/or what difference they will make to the recovery from back leg surgery.

I would not rehome this dog - too much risk of a life of pain if someone does not do right by them. It'd break my heart but I would accept the lifetime of guilt I would feel by having them PTS instead - IF there is not a reasonable chance at a brighter future.

Well given I've never forcibly picked up a dog and caused it pain then lied about it…I’m certainly better than OPs DH.

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone congratulations, I hope you never make a mistake in your life ever again

Another vote for PTS, I'm sorry but at only 3 with those health issues she really is not going to have a good quality of life. Our responsibility as pet lovers is to do the best for the pet, even if it causes us heartache. Your husband didn't mean to hurt the dig, your kids might not mean to but supposing one falls on her?
I had to have my 15 year old boy PTS last year. He was getting very grouchy, slow, not able to manage stairs anymore. I felt like a complete monster. I kept thinking I should have given him a bit longer, but, then when would the right time be?
You can't rehome her with those health issues, and unless some miraculous surgery cures it forever, then really you have no choice.

Exactly some people are insane suggesting he deliberately hurt the dog.