I may have to put down my dog today

[rfuerst911sc]

We have three daschunds and our youngest Dexter is 11 years old. He's been in pain for the last month or so with a bad back. Took him to the vet three weeks ago and they put him on steroids and pain meds ( robaxin + prednisone ) . The vet said carry him up and down stairs for the next 3 - 4 weeks and lets see how he is doing. He was doing much better up until yesterday morning. Out of the blue he seemed to be in pain again and losing control of his back legs. He woke us this morning at 3:00 with his crying so we took him to an emergency vet office. They say he has intervertebral disc disease and the only way to correct it is with surgery. We texted our vet and my wife just spoke to her and based on the current diagnosis and the exam she performed three weeks ago she agrees with the current diagnosis. So here we are......Dexter is 11 years old and mentally sharp as a tack but he is 11 . The surgery is going to be somewhere in the range of 7 - 8 thousand and like any surgery no guarantees of success. My wife and I are torn.........I don't want to put my buddy down but I do not want him to suffer. He is sitting on the couch right now and I'm on the verge of tears.........I need some advice guys . As of right now Dexter can't walk his rear legs will not function........it is very sad to see .

[tadd]

This is an amazingly tough position. My sweet girl leeloo (standard poodle) had started chewing things when her 'brother' (alpha) puck died. Leeloos sun rose and set on puck.

She got into the carpet one day, it was long, long strings. I got her to the vet, x-ray said they had to go in. $8k on splitting her open. Put her back together and there was just too much damage to the inner lining of the colon. She wasn't holding fluids. She was coughing it up as fast as they could pump it in. Eight hours later I put her to sleep forever.

Hardest thing I have ever had to do.

I have had people tell me I was crazy spending that kinda money, but I am lucky to have it and I have never had kids. I don't regret spending the money, cause we wouldn't know till the surgeon was in there...and I would give my girl whatever chance she could have.

I am a widower also after 19 years, so once you've done something like that money doesn't mean much anymore. All that planning, and saving, and doing the right thing only to not have the person you wanted to share all the savings with kinda does a reset on ones self...

[Chocaholic]

Heartbreaking situation that is the curse of dog ownership. After putting down our 6 year old mastiff ( bone cancer) I've developed a new perspective. We could have amputated her leg and put her and our family through hell, as it doesn't always work (mets). She was perfectly healthy otherwise.

Bottom line, sometimes you have to look at the big picture and decide if your decision is driven by emotion (your benefit) or logic (dogs benefit). You know the rest.

Good luck with your decision.

[Arizona_928]

that sucks. I've put a few dogs down and it's not an easy choice. I usually do it myself so they're not scared. It's rough.

If you're interested, family just had a litter of monster sized puppies "australian Shepard". I think one has not been claimed yet.

[rfuerst911sc]

Thanks guys we are really torn on the decision of what to do . I have been reading online about the surgery and the success rate and after surgery care and with me working full time and my wife working part time not sure if we can pull it off . The vet is going to call us back before 10:00 to see if she could line up a surgeon we can talk to . I love all three of our doxies but Dexter was " my dog " he always sits with me while I surf the net.........he is my buddy . Man I wish I could just crawl into bed and start over .

[recycled sixtie]

If your vet(or the animal surgeon) had any kind of compassion he would not charge so much for the operation. Tough decision on your part.....

[wdfifteen]

I'm sorry you're in this very difficult situation. There is no "correct" answer, you have to go with your instincts and move on. God Bless you for being a good "dad."

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

If your vet(or the animal surgeon) had any kind of compassion he would not charge so much for the operation.

Well, no. Your heart is in the right place though.


Best wishes to OP and Dexter. That's an incredibly tough spot to be in.

[vash]

yikes.

sorry for the troubles.

i think with an 11 year old dog, it would have to be a compelling success rate with the surgery for me to choose that route. like the doc says, "oh, i got this, he will be fine"

but if not, i would make the decision for the dog and tap out. i'm not a rich guy and i have dumped some serious cash at a dog problem. in the end, i had to put the dog to sleep anyways.. like a few weeks later.

[Crowbob]

If I may, I'll offer a potential path to clarity.

By virtue of the title of your thread, I think your decision has already been made. In my opinion, all things considered, it was the correct decision.

Painful as it is, that pain will wane to near zero over time. In addition, over that same time, the knowledge that you did the right thing will comfort you. For his entire lifetime with you Dexter has given you what he could and you have given to him what you could, leaving you no possibility evermore for regret.

[bell]

literally just went through this with our charlotte.....very difficult....

[recycled sixtie]

Watched PBS doc on palliative care patients last night. These patients did not want to suffer. They got their meds and moved on to the pearly gates.

I hate to see animals suffer. I don't like it when they can't control their bodily functions. My last two I had to have put down. I could not be in the same room when the vet euthanized them.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Thanks guys we are really torn on the decision of what to do . I have been reading online about the surgery and the success rate and after surgery care and with me working full time and my wife working part time not sure if we can pull it off . The vet is going to call us back before 10:00 to see if she could line up a surgeon we can talk to . I love all three of our doxies but Dexter was " my dog " he always sits with me while I surf the net.........he is my buddy . Man I wish I could just crawl into bed and start over .

Notice we're both in Atlanta. It may be worth a call to UGA. They've seen it all and their cost isn't typically as high as private practices, especially in Atlanta proper.

Our St. Bernard recently had orthopedic surgery (she's 1 yr old) and we took her to Birmingham. Auburn Ortho professor did the procedure and cost was half of what we were quoted in Atlanta. FYI.

[Rikao4]

if there is a chance...
I would take it..
the logistics can be handled...
to do the other because of same..
would not be what one does for his bud in time of need..
and bring you many a sleepless night..

lost my SAM a while back..
swear I heard my heart break when he took his last breath..
it's taken me months to smile instead of tears when I walk the others..
sadly I didn't even have your option or choice...

Rika

[Craig T]

Nobody loves their dogs more then me, and nobody's heart is broken more than mine when they go, but you have to keep things in perspective. A veterinary practice is a business. They make good incomes doing surgeries, not euthanizing. They will always present the upside to surgery and exaggerate the chances of success,

$7k-$8K will be $9K quickly with post-op meds and therapy (and maybe lost time at work). Spinal surgery is traumatic and will require round the clock care for months. I payed similar money for a TPO pelvic surgery for my mastiff FiFi when she was 2.5 years old. She spent her next 3 years on pain meds and anti-inflammatories and only lived to 6. There has to be a line drawn, and to put an 11 year-old dog through that kind of trauma just to have him uncomfortable for a couple years maybe??? I'm sorry, I'd have to say goodbye.

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

If your vet(or the animal surgeon) had any kind of compassion he would not charge so much for the operation. Tough decision on your part.....

Anything is easy if you don't have to do it. This type of neurosurgery is done only by boarded surgeon DVMs, by referral, not by GP types.

I guess the guy at the Porsche racing shop shouldn't have charged me $9k for the rebuild on my 915, either?

If your dog already has NO hind leg function, then surgery has to be done RIGHT NOW to have any hope of success success. If he just has neuro deficits, then cage rest and HIGH prednisone doses, and in hospital support may return to function. I referred hundreds of dogs for this type of surgery over the years. Everyone who had it done was glad that they had it done.

Best wishes for your buddy.

[Justin@Athens]

I spent 6k last year on my dog's knees. My dog is now 7 years old. UGA is a great hospital, brand new facility. I live 1 mile away, and many of the students/staff live in my neighborhood. There are a ton of great, very caring people who work to make sure your animal has the best care.

That being said, my analysis of the situation says that you need to do what is right for Dexter first. The quality of life he has for for the next 5 years, even with optimal results from the surgery is something you need to consider. I'd talk with a surgeon about what the best case scenario looks like, and decide if that path looks navigable.
UGA : About Us | Neurology and Neurosurgery
Reported IVDD surgical costs

[rfuerst911sc]

UPDATE: After I posted on here earlier we had several calls to our vet, the office she works at does not perform this type of surgery. But she referred us to someone she knows and trusts in Roswell. We took Dexter over there expecting the worst. We met the surgeon and talked with her a good 20 minutes or so BEFORE she examined Dexter. My wife and I just wanted to get a feel for what kind of office/facility this was. After the exam the vet confirmed what we already knew but was very reassuring that we caught it early enough to correct. We discussed different options and we decided to go ahead with the surgery. This office was several THOUSAND less than the place we went to this morning. Dexter was very alert through all of this and the looks he gave my wife and I during the last round of exams told us he's not ready to cross that bridge. The vet stated there is a 95 % success rate and Dexter " should " return to normal fairly quickly ( 2 months or so ) . She stated he will be walking quite regularly in just a few days. On Doxies and other breeds that are prone to this when they go in and " fix " what's broke they also clean out ( my term ) discs on either side to hopefully eliminate future occurrences. We are just waiting on the call from the vet that he made it through the surgery that should be in the next few hours. They will also give us a call tonight around 9:00 for another update. If all goes as planned we can pick him up tomorrow !
I am 58 years old and have owned dogs all my life so I have been through the worst of times with many of them. But I gotta tell you Dexter just was not ready it was very eery the vibe he was sending us. Even the vet and the assistants made comments on how alert he was. Or maybe my wife and I are just nuts ! I have spent SO MUCH money on Porsche's , boats, RV's etc. that are just material things this is the least I can do for my loving buddy. Fingers crossed all goes well as we know there are no guarantees in life. Thanks for the support guys it means a lot .

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

UPDATE: I am 58 years old and have owned dogs all my life so I have been through the worst of times with many of them. But I gotta tell you Dexter just was not ready it was very eery the vibe he was sending us. Even the vet and the assistants made comments on how alert he was. Or maybe my wife and I are just nuts ! I have spent SO MUCH money on Porsche's , boats, RV's etc. that are just material things this is the least I can do for my loving buddy. Fingers crossed all goes well as we know there are no guarantees in life. Thanks for the support guys it means a lot .

Beautiful.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

UPDATE:

I have spent SO MUCH money on Porsche's , boats, RV's etc. that are just material things this is the least I can do for my loving buddy.

Now THAT puts it in perspective. You're absolutely right. Good man.