Another sick dog. Is it time?
 

Well our 11 year old Airedale, Buddy, crashed on us last week. He has been acting pretty sluggish lately and went in for his annual exam and shots about 3 weeks ago. All his numbers were good including his blood work with the exception of blood sugar which was a little high at the time. In the next 3 weeks, he lost his appetite, started drinking copious amounts of water, and was having mobility problems. I must point out at this time that he has ben on prednizone for about a year as he also has colitis and he bleeds in his stool without it. I call my vet, who is a good vet, and she says she wants to see him right away. We do another blood test and now his sugar is through the roof, with traces of ketones present. She says he is now diabetic and we need to get him on insulin right away to bring his levels down. This now means I have to catch his piss in a cup 2x daily, check his levels, and administer shots in appropriate amounts. It has been about a week and we have seen little or no improvement. He still will only eat if I put something special on his food, he drinks gallons of water, sleeps, and then pisses himself in his sleep. When he goes out, he makes it to the woods, about 50 ft. from the house, but falls when he tries to poop, and I have to go out and help him up. Once up he is real wobbly and cannot make it up one step into the house without help. The vet had me also stop the Pred, as she feels that is what is causing the shutdown of his pancreas hence the sugar increase. However, now he has started passing blood in his poop again, badly. It's a catch 22. He seems alert but he can only lay around and little else. Even with insulin his levels are still through the roof, so it doesn't look like that is helping. We also put him back on the pred so he can poop.

Now of course we love him and want to help him as much as we can, just as we have done in the past. Today he has an appointment with the vet again and I'm really wondering if we should consider putting him down if he will not respond to treatment.

What do ya'll think? It's hard for me as I'm emotionally involved here.

Honestly, it sounds like you've made the decision already.

But if you're still asking it tells me that he hasn't fully crashed.

Good luck--it's damn tough. Look at this quality of life to make the decision and not yours.

Not advice, Dave, just my heartfelt condolences.

Thanks Paul, it will be a tough road either way. You know, you have met Buddy.

Holt, no I have not made up my mind. If I had, I would not be asking.

Damn I hate the hard choices.

My condolences.

I lost a longtime friend last year, an 11-year old american staffie who was my friend through many cities and stages in life. He crashed on me with cancer and we did everything for him, including surgery and similar drug therapy.

For me, in retrospect, both my wife and I have said we should have let him go when it was his time rather than string him along. In our case he simply laid down during a walk home. The following 6 weeks included organ removals, drug therapy and tests. That experience has in fact crossed over into my own will.

It is a very personal decision, none of which is wrong.

His ashes still sit in a box next to the tv, we've not let go of him yet almost two years later.

I know John, we are still mourning the loss of Big Henry last november. It's hard to lose two in less than a year.

Not to hijack Dave's thread, but I went through the exact scenario with my lab, Earl...who had been my buddy, my wingman on the farm for over 12 years.

Lots of excellent advice, John. Thanks for sharing. Earl's ashes are tastefully in view, I smile everytime.

I think you have to ask yourself if he's living a happy, comfortable, dignified life.

I'm most of the way through "The Art of Racing in the Rain." You might want to at lease read the first chapter. Yeah, it's fiction, but it give you a different perspective on the situation... the dog's.

We had a Samoyed that was in a similar situation - onset of diabetes at about age 11. His only other issue though was arthritis and not colitis. We were able to effectively meter the insulin and got it under control with minor tweaking. He still ate well and was happy. We managed it for about eight or nine months.

Keep in mind that you are seeing the signs that he cannot hide. Dogs are fantastic at hiding pain and discomfort in an effort to please you. You need to quickly come up with a solution that makes him happy and comfortable. And by quickly I mean days, not weeks. Do not let him linger, it is not fair and you will always question your decision.

I would do the insulin all over again IF I knew we would have the same results
- 90% good days where he was happy and his normal self. The hard question to ask the vet is if you stand a a chance controlling both the colitis and the diabetes at his age, if not, then I think you need to be prepared to let him go.

Sorry to hear this Dave, Tough decision. You'll make the right one.

I really hate to even think about it, much less say it, but it sounds like it's time. I'm sure he's got lots of love, but it sounds like his quality of life would be pretty miserable if you managed to keep him around.

Devil's advocate...my daughter kept her diabetic cat alive with insulin & testing for over 5 years...cat seemed to do well, was still enjoying life tho. Plus, she's an RN...injecting and blood testing were not a problem for her. The cat died this year...at age 22.

That's an old cat.

Sure was...16 seems about "the age" for our cats...

I am looking at the picture of my departed best pal right now. I loved that dog more than my Brother. Seriously. We kept him going far longer than we should have because I knew that he would do it for me. With that said, I read your post and I think it might be time. Good luck. It is a hard decision.
Larry

I really hope he responds to treatment....

But if he doesn't and it's time to let him go, please don't let him go without you there. I've been there at the end for all of my dogs and two of my horses. Held their heads in my lap as they left this world.

Tears down the face, snot out of the nose while I was doing it. But hard as it was, I could never let them take that last bit by themselves.

angela

Its time..his quality of life is gone..if he stumbles, falls and can't get up without help he is done. Everything from now on end is a delaying tactic.

Sorry Dave, but if all the poor guy can do is lay around then perhaps it is time. I had to make that choice before and am facing it again soon, I fear, with my current bestest pal.

it's time...
and I am truly sorry..
but think of him, what he brought & gave you..
this is the least you can do now..
it's not about you..
and right now..
it's you, that Buddy is counting on..

Rika