give2me1lemons
Jan 6, 2010, 01:03 PM
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x232/orangerabbit21/IMG_0139.jpg
(two Christmases ago)
My dog will be 17 on March 1st. She's been given the freedom to run wild around the countryside without a leash or fence and only a collar to mark her as "owned". She's been spoiled all her life, allowed to eat human food (no chocolate!) mixed in with her dog food because she refuses to eat it plain. Up until a few days ago, she would still occasionally run outside and snarl at the neighbor dogs for invading her territory (she used to be a scrapper, and she still fights back when the jerks tease her).
TO THE POINT: For weeks.. maybe months, I lose track.. she has been what I would call senile. She's probably 98 if not 100% deaf, and she paces throughout the house. She stands in random places, seemingly drawn to movement, and she trips over what you would assume are clearly visible objects-if there's no path, she makes one. She has also become scary skinny, even though she eats the way she always did.
Then last night my mom couldn't get her to come inside. She had a hard time standing, and when she did, she just walked away. I went out an hour later to bring her inside, only to find her laying awakwardly on the garage floor and twitching kind of like she was trying to get up... she was laying normally from the waist down, but her front half was facing the wrong way like she fell. My dad carried her inside, she ate normally. SHe was walking last night, and this morning she was walking outside, but she was kind of hunched like she was sniffing the ground but not. I made her come inside, but she leaned on the door for support and her legs didn't seem to agree with her. She's still eating-I think we may be feeding her more than normal now..
Do you think it's just old age and arthritus? Or that she had a stroke? Cancer that's sucking the nutrients from her?
She has an appointment at the vet tomorrow at one, but I don't want to give up on her and put her to sleep if she can come back from this. She still eats and doesn't act like she's in pain. She still tries. And I read somewhere online that animals can make full recovery from strokes, even serious ones..
Also, this vet has known my dog since she was a baby. I'm worried though that they would take her away from us because she's so thin. We feed her, but she can't seem to gain the weight. If she's going to die, it should be with us, not them.
I'm worried about costs. My friend told me it costs a lot to put a dog to sleep. We aren't made of money, and I'm sure they'd put her down for us if we turned her over to them, but again, she should be with us. Then if it is a stroke and she can recover, I'm worried about how much scans and procedures would cost. If she can recover, she should be given that chance, and she shouldn't be euthanized before she's ready.
Sorry it's long. I know what happens tomorrow will happen, but I guess I'm looking for a heads up..
(two Christmases ago)
My dog will be 17 on March 1st. She's been given the freedom to run wild around the countryside without a leash or fence and only a collar to mark her as "owned". She's been spoiled all her life, allowed to eat human food (no chocolate!) mixed in with her dog food because she refuses to eat it plain. Up until a few days ago, she would still occasionally run outside and snarl at the neighbor dogs for invading her territory (she used to be a scrapper, and she still fights back when the jerks tease her).
TO THE POINT: For weeks.. maybe months, I lose track.. she has been what I would call senile. She's probably 98 if not 100% deaf, and she paces throughout the house. She stands in random places, seemingly drawn to movement, and she trips over what you would assume are clearly visible objects-if there's no path, she makes one. She has also become scary skinny, even though she eats the way she always did.
Then last night my mom couldn't get her to come inside. She had a hard time standing, and when she did, she just walked away. I went out an hour later to bring her inside, only to find her laying awakwardly on the garage floor and twitching kind of like she was trying to get up... she was laying normally from the waist down, but her front half was facing the wrong way like she fell. My dad carried her inside, she ate normally. SHe was walking last night, and this morning she was walking outside, but she was kind of hunched like she was sniffing the ground but not. I made her come inside, but she leaned on the door for support and her legs didn't seem to agree with her. She's still eating-I think we may be feeding her more than normal now..
Do you think it's just old age and arthritus? Or that she had a stroke? Cancer that's sucking the nutrients from her?
She has an appointment at the vet tomorrow at one, but I don't want to give up on her and put her to sleep if she can come back from this. She still eats and doesn't act like she's in pain. She still tries. And I read somewhere online that animals can make full recovery from strokes, even serious ones..
Also, this vet has known my dog since she was a baby. I'm worried though that they would take her away from us because she's so thin. We feed her, but she can't seem to gain the weight. If she's going to die, it should be with us, not them.
I'm worried about costs. My friend told me it costs a lot to put a dog to sleep. We aren't made of money, and I'm sure they'd put her down for us if we turned her over to them, but again, she should be with us. Then if it is a stroke and she can recover, I'm worried about how much scans and procedures would cost. If she can recover, she should be given that chance, and she shouldn't be euthanized before she's ready.
Sorry it's long. I know what happens tomorrow will happen, but I guess I'm looking for a heads up..