13yr old mongrel

monty_python

hi guys.

when i was a kid my perants got a dog for the family from the pound. that was 13 years ago. 2 years ago he got cancer and had to have 1 eye removed. (his nickname is now 1ie lol) but now when he is lying in the house on a couch or bed or whatever he starts too snor loudly even when he is not asleep. he get regular walks and is well looked after.. my perants say that the vet said that is because he is on the way out. but i refuse to belive that there is nothing that can be done for him. i want him to live for another 13 or 130 years.

what can be done when a vet says a dog is simply "on the way out"

if a doctor said that about a person there would be big trouble..

peasant

Unfortunately our best friends don't have a very long lifespan. Depending on breed/size, 13 years could already be considered long, very few dogs get to live beyond 15.

So, sad as it is, your vet is probably right.

If you really love your dog, the best you can do for him now is to prepare yourself for the inevitable ...whether it comes tomorrow or in another year or two.

Let him have a nice and easy life up to then, let him go with dignity and do not prolong his life (and possibly have him suffer while doing so) just because you don't want to lose him yet.

He will have to go sooner or later, make sure that he does so with a minimum of suffering.

By all means see if there is anything to be done to make his life easier and more comfortable, but don't artificially prolong it just for your sake ...you owe him that much.

cowzerp

sounds like old age! no panic, could live like that for years yet!
once its not in pain, 13 is not a bad age for a dog, especially a big dog..enjoy him now while you can-:)

monty_python

you have a very good point there mate but he still likes his walks and still runs to the door the the bell rings so thats why i think he has another 2-3 years left in him

cowzerp

just remember that operations in old age are harder to get over..so even if there was a problem, the risks would outweigh the benefits..

arybvtcw0eolkf

peasant wrote: »

If you really love your dog, the best you can do for him now is to prepare yourself for the inevitable ...whether it comes tomorrow or in another year or two.

Let him have a nice and easy life up to then, let him go with dignity and do not prolong his life (and possibly have him suffer while doing so) just because you don't want to lose him yet.

Oh, I think we're all guilty of doing this.

I've done it twice, once with a Collie we had for 17yrs. He was run over, broken pelvis and other injuries, the Vet recommended we put him down but we wouldn't hear of it. In the end she died in agony and with very little dignity.

And you know what?... I done the same with Tigger, run over by a neighbour. I wouldn't let him go, instead threw heaps of money at trying to make him better (over €2k) but like Cindy, he died.

It was extremly selfish of me, I realise that now and I hope I can let Sam and Jericho go when their time here is up.



OP, if you don't like your Vets manners or approach to your Dog's illness I'd say change Vet, some are a lot more sympathetic to your feelings and your pets illness than other.

But whatever you choose, don't be selfish like I've been.

hadook

monty_python wrote: »

you have a very good point there mate but he still likes his walks and still runs to the door the the bell rings so thats why i think he has another 2-3 years left in him

If your dog is still able to do his favourite things then don't worry yet - just enjoy the time you have with him. No one can accurately predict how long an animal will live - the important thing is to make sure that you don't let your dog suffer when there's no quality of life.

My Loki was given 3 months last September (he has an auto immune arthritis) but we're taking it one day at a time. He's still able for his walks (they might not be the 5 hour treks he used to do but they're still long walks), loves herding the cats, munching pigs ears and is generally a happy little soul.

My vet said that when Loki isn't able for 2 of his 3 favourite things then we'll know it's time. I think that's sound advice.