Ailsa, if you remember this time last year, it will be friday the 27th to be exact, we had to have my old girl put down. A combination of health problems and she just wasnt enjoying life, she had a seizure in the morning and we knew if we kept her on from this her life would not be the same..her heart would be considerably more damage, and a chance of more significant brain damage..the sort that WOULD change her totally. So we decided to let her go. She was unwell for a long time but, despite many disagreeing with us, life remained normal till the end..long walks [at a considerably slower pace with many long resting intervals] over the fields, still eating far too much etc..cause In my eyes, the show must go on till the very end. She was pts thursday the 27th, about 2 oclock I think..she hadnt eaten or been for a walk that day as was unwell in the morning, ditto for the night before..but before those points, she lived her life as normal as possible.
I think when people change their situation so much when a pet is approaching the end it does worry them, as they sense the change..and the differences.
As for the timing, you will know. I knew a long time before Polly was pts, in truth..it was through selfishness that I couldn't just face letting her go..considering she had been through much and always fought it, in the end that little old soul was just torn in too many pieces. Please don't make the mistake I did of a day too late, it's one that will stick with you forever otherwise.
Take care, drop me a PM if you would like a more personal chat..as I say, this time last year I were in you shoes..and due to Friday being such a significant day, I'm more than happy to talk and help where I can. My thoughts are with you and yours xxx

He isn't having a good day. I'm waiting for the vet to phone me back as I have looked up the ABs he's on on the internet and they can cause depression, lack of appetite, dicky tum etc. My OH took him round the block and he had trouble, then had trouble coming into the house, then he collapsed in the proch and wouldn't/couldn't move. I think there is less mucous, but he is also becomign better at licking it off his nose so its hard to tell. He is either going into an incredibly speedy decline or its the tablets. He doesn't want to move, but i managed to had feed him his brekkie.
Hoping its a side effect of the ABs...its a 3 week course, so I think we will have to consider our options if this is what it is going to do to him.
Of course, he may be reaching a stage where an endoscopy would be pointless and just more stress.
I didn't think on Sunday my week would be panning out like this.

Luke I remember you losing your old girl, hard to believe it was a year ago. Thanks so much for your kind words it is the knowing when that is so hard. I have no idea with this as I don't know for sure whats up and I don't know if the ABs are making him worse...on a plus side, he just got up cos there's a dog barking on the street...I suspect he'll be lying down again in a moment though.

Oh Ailsa Big hug to you! I hope it is just the tablets making Mo feel a bit rubbishy today.

poor Mo, hope it is jus the tablets, He's lucky to have you to care for him.

Just spoken to the vet who dealt with Mo on Monday.
He admitted that his gut reaction is that it is a tumour, becuase of his age, breed, symptoms and involvement of the eye on the smae side (it's got runny in the last 3/4days). He thinks his current symptoms are not likeyl to be because of his ABs. He wants to x ray his head and chest as he feels the lethargy could be attributed to something else...or his nose. He said it could be his heart, but also said he isn't showing signs of a murmur....yet.

So he thinks its a tumour but thinks we should x ray to be sure. He said we could x ray and end up with bad news or with mo dying under the GA that we had to be aware of that risk. He said that before putting him to sleep he would want to know for sure what it was, but that at the same time, thats the type of person he is and that he wouldn't refuse to do it now.

So guys...what do we do???? I just have no idea, only that he can't carry on like this.
I can see us having him knocked out, getting bad news and not waking him up....I'm not sure I want that or could face that.
The other option is waking him up and then putting him to sleep.
Or having him put to sleep with no furthur investigations.
Life is really really s**t sometimes isn't it????

Oh god - what an awful dilemma

You must do what YOU think is right Ailsa - no one can really advise. You know Mo better than anyone else and you also know what you can and cannot cope with.

All I would say is that if he were my dog, I would get the vet to x-ray him and then at least you know. Then if it were the worst case scenario I would let him go to sleep peacefully while he is still under. I think - but it is so hard to know when you aren't in the situation yourself.

I feel for you, I really do

What does your vet think you should do?

Ailsa I have just caught up with this thread. I cannot begin to understand what you are going through but I am sending huge hugs to you and Mo.I sincerely believe that you will make the right decision when the time comes.

Rx

For me i would be at the vets, say my goodbyes before hand, knock him out to see what it is etc and if there is any treatment.
If it was confirmed as a tumor then i would hold him while they allowed him to pass.
I wouldn't allow them to bring him round if theres no hope.
I wouldn't be overly concerned about the heart, if they think it could be heart related then they will have to be more attentive in the drugs, to allow for it but a dog with a weak heart can come through it.

Oh Ailsa I am so sorry to hear this

I think that you yourself will make the right decision based on your knowledge of Mo and what your heart tells you at the time - you know him better than anyone and will be in tune with him.

It is not an easy time for any of you but you are a strong person and will have the courage and empathy to do what you feel is the right thing. Whatever decision you make it will never be an easy one

Wishing you all peace and courage

Lizzie

It's a very hard decision to make, I can't really say anything but am sending you support and kind thoughts Ailsa ...

Wys
xxx