My Dog, DiggerDog

[thistrailisntlegal?]

I don't post here very much lately now that my job is keeping me very busy, but I need to post this because I know there are animal lovers on this site and I need to get this out.

My dog (he's around 10 yrs old but I'm not sure because he was a rescue dog and I didn't get any info about his birthdate) has been sick recently, hot spots on his skin where it looks like he has mange. I've been working thru this for the better part of a year and we've managed to keep his skin OK thru a hypo diet, steroids and antibiotics but he still gets really bad if we take him off the steroids.

Last night I went for a 2 hour ride. Previous to me leaving Diggerdog and I wrestled in the lawn for a while and he seemed to be happy but not as energetic as he usually is. When I got back I immediately knew something was wrong. He didn't greet me at the door like he normally does instead he kinda crept out hunching over, I felt his stomach and it was really distended and he yelped. 20 minutes later we were at the 24hour VCA in santa monica and diggerdog was getting x-rays and ultrasounds. The vets kept him overnight, i finally made a visit to them this morning and got the bad news. 99% chance of a malignant tumor in either his kidney or adrenal gland. Recommened solution is surgery and chemo, doctor was very frank in saying that this would probably only delay the inevitable because he thinks that the cancer would probably be very aggressive and come back.

I dont know what to do, I love this dog more than anything and I don't want him to suffer needlessly. Money is not the most important thing but I also don't want to go $8k into debt if i can only extend his life by a couple months. I'm weighing our options and I told the vet that I would let him know my decision on Monday.

Thanks for letting me vent, here's a pic of my best friend relaxing after getting back from the vet. Please keep a space in your heart for my dog, we need good thoughts today.

[dirtvert]

sorry. that's a handsome dog you've got there.

we've had to go through two simlar ordeals/decisions the last 4 years. the first we opted for a quick, controlled ending. the vet actually came to out house to give her the last shot. the second time we went with surgery and extended time in the vet hospital. the ending was the same, but the process was much more traumatic on everyone.

i think your head and heart are in the right place. you have to weigh out the potential suffering against the possible good years digger could have if everything went well. talk to other people and don't be afraid to get a second opinion. but in the end, we almost always outlive our pets, and you will find a lot of comfort in the fact that you gave him a good life in the time that he was with you.

good luck.

[tkblazer]

wow, dunno what to say.. i don't own a dog but i love them.. good luck to you and your family

[CPATCRASH]

A good friend of mine has a 14 year old dog going through the same thing and they chose to do the chemo. So far so good but today he (Josh) is having a tough session and will need to be watched closely. Good luck with ever you decide. Just remember the dicision you need to make is for you not the dog. Big dogs only have a life span of between 10 and 14 years. If it's important that you try and get more then go for it.

[Keith B]

I feel for ya man, thats a very hard situation. Sounds like the poor fella is already in alot of discomfort.
My cat is getting pretty old now at 15. He already has diabetes and requires a shot every day and on top of that had cat-flu when he was abandoned as a kitten so he keeps getting sick. It costs alot to keep him healthy but every pet has their own character that you empathize with. If he had something more serious I'd have to consider age and quality of life.

[BrewMaster]

I love my dog and every dog I have had and it is always a tough call. I've had to put down dogs and each time it was best to keep them from suffering. Knowing this doesn't make it any easier.

[Zippo]

First things first - Dr. Marc Bittan holistic vet website link

Talk to and visit him or someone similar. I strongly strongly recommend Marc Bittan. I have a 10 year old Yello Lab "Pluto" who was diagnosed a year ago with a conjuctiva mast cell tumor in his left eye. The conjuctiva is the membrane of the eye ball socket. The tumor started to swell intermittently, but very aggressively, about once a week and at it's worst it would be the size of a lemon and look like a festering pink gelatinous mass popping out of his eye. It was absolutely hideous, and worrisome!

The immediate diagnosis from 2 different veterinary cancer specialists (mind you I spent over $2k on biopsies, MRIs, X-Rays, blood work, etc) was to enucleate the eye and a few milimeters of the bone around it, followed by a heavy dose of chemo and 2 years of radiotherapy - for a 10 year old dog! Cost aside, I was not happy at all with the prospect of carving up my dog's head, and subjecting Pluto, and my 2 boys, to this.

I found Dr. Bittan through friends. To make a longer story still long, he created a serum from Pluto's blood to enable and strengthen his own body to help fight off the cancer. He is on a daily regimen of herbs and tonics. And the tumor is essentially non-existent today, and when it does swell up I give him two Benadryl tablets and if that doesn't do it then one Prednisone tablet will.

Anyway, I could go on for days, but you get the idea. Holistic medicine can work - it may not cure everything, but it works for me, and now it works for my dog.

[Pain Freak]

Think of the quality of life for your friend.

Don't be selfish, consider the dogs life first.

Good luck and I'm so sorry for both of you.

[wgb]

I agree with Pain Freak. Whatever your decision is, make it in the best interest of your best friend. Don't be selfish. Pets are like members of the family and its always tough.

[DBD]

Sucks when you need to make that decision but ...

Having been a tech for 10+yrs and seeing what animals look like (I worked on a few that should have passed 4/5yrs prior, not good). An animals life at that age and with the treatments needed is crap. Lots of trips to the vet, sometimes in a cage while at the vet if constant supervision is needed and when at home they never look act the same.

Would you not want to remember him as a happy go lucky dog rather then a sick dieing old dog?

Yeah it may be hard to let go but it is best to accept that the end is near and let him be happy as he goes.

The sx is expensive and the treatment is as well. You can have the sx done and then let him be at home for a few days (provided he survives the sx, the anesthesia alone is a huge risk) where he is happy and then finalize it. I know the vets I use to work for would make a house call and do the deed at the home where the animal was the most comfortable.

If he were 4 or 5 I would say give the works a go 'cause I have seen pleanty of animals live long and good life's after the sx but 10+ years is a long life for a dog, he is an old man.

[Chewyeti]

very sad indeed!

i have two goldens and remember when we put our first down... the one i grew up with. Do what is best for your best friend. No other dog can replace him, but know that you did the right thing.

[26'er Zen Master]

I am sorry. There is nothing harder than losing a best friend. My prayers and best wishes for you and your buddy.

[queenwilhelmina]

I totally know what you are going through. Our dog, Eddie, ate a sago palm bulb (on the top 5 list of Deadliest Things Your Pet Could Eat) and he almost died. We had to make the decision to spend money we didn't have just for a 50/50 chance that he would live. We were incredibly lucky that the bill only came out to about $1,500 (we thought it would be worse), and lucky of course that Eddie lived. We were also lucky because our friend Jeff (JSims) bought Jason's Yeti which we sold to pay the vet bill.

The hard part is deciding where you draw the line when it comes to money. But I do know that pretty much everyone I know who has spend thousands of dollars to save a pet, whether it is successful or not, does not regret spending it.

Also, just because your dog is 10 years old, that doesn't mean "it's time." I had a Basset hound who lived to be almost 20, and their life span is said to be around 10-13 years.

Whatever you decide, it won't be an easy decision, but you probably know in your heart what's best. Good luck.

[drclark]

I am very sorry. It is very unfortunate that pets live shorter lifespans than we do. Keep in mind that dogs know nothing but unconditional love for their humans and want to be there for them no matter how sick or how much pain they are in. The hardest thing about being a dog owner is not being selfish and being able to let them go when they are suffering.

Only you can decide how far you are willing to go and spend on medical treatments, but please keep whats best for him in mind. Cost aside, you need to balance the potential benefits of treatment vs the recovery time vs the time (and quality) it will give him. Surgery is tough on older animals and there is always the chance that you might lose him during the procedure. Many times people will go to great lengths and expense to keep their pet alive simply because they cannot let go. I had to go through that process 2 years ago and it was very hard.

No matter what you do, your dog will love you. You will miss him when he is gone but I am sure he will want you to share your life and home with another dog. There are many dogs out there that need good homes and would be lucky to end up with you when you are ready.

Good luck,
drc