Author Topic: Difficult decision  (Read 4489 times)

Offline Carolyn

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Difficult decision
« on: November 08, 2005, 04:53:35 pm »
Chazzy our 9 year old GSD is in pretty bad shape. She has a degeneritive nerve disease on her spine, artritis all over her spine. She was a rescue from a breeder.Anyway all in all she still wants to play & hobbles along as she always has. Till sunday afternoon. I took my horse out for about 1-1/2 hours, I came back & she was dragging her hind quarters on the ground. Our conclusion was that one of the other dogs must have rammed into her & broke her hip. With all her issues we assumed the worst. I brought her to the vet on monday morning to be put to sleep. We all said our goodbyes. I couldnt take off from work & I trust them. I also assumed I would be putting her down. Well Dr. called & said they took an xray, gave her cortizone, & pills for home, she seems able to walk. Ok great I'll pick her up. The bill was only $170, Im not rich but I know what it could have been in an emergency hospital. Well I go into the back with doc to get her. The tech takes her out of the crate, she cant walk & needed to be helped with a towel to hold her rear end up. Well I figure shes stiff, all day in a crate, tile floors, of course she can't walk.
I get home & you can imagine caring for a 90lb dog who cant stand on her own let alone walk.
This was monday night. Tuesday morning I called & spoke to my vet, made arrangements to bring her thursday night to be put to sleep. I don't want her to suffer. She does not appear to be in pain. She has only cried in fustration when she cant get up to go in another room with us. So I have plastic with big towels that I move her from the kitchen to the livingroom then at night in her spot by my bed. She did not budge one inch from how I laid her down in her bed last night. I left her in the kitchen this morning. My husband just called, she was in the livingroom when he got home. He took her out & she stood on her own & walked a bit. I have called off thursday nights appointment at the vets. Please also keep in mind since sunday night Chazzy has pee'd herself several times, Ive done a ton of laundry so now I only but her front end on blanket/towel & hind end on papers. Billy said she didn't do anything today.
I really need to let this all out. The last few years I have learned a lot about loosing beloved pets. I am ok with her going to the bridge, she has friends there.
Thanks,
Carolyn :-[ :-[

Carolyn

Kiahpyr

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2005, 04:58:30 pm »
Carolyn I'm so sorry to hear about Chazzy. Whatever you decide to do you know we're all here for support. It's hard to loose a loved one. Give her a big hug from me and Kiah.

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2005, 05:00:14 pm »
that's a tough decision.  and you're right...you don't want her to suffer.  It's a decision that you will know when to make and be able to see needs to be made.  Unfortunately they can't tell us they are ready. 
Good Luck and best wishes.

Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2005, 05:10:48 pm »
I am really sorry to hear that you are going through this.  I have been there and I understand how much it hurts.  I had a very similar situation when I lost Cabo, and the last couple days of it were just heart-breaking for me.  I have killed myself for over a year now over whether I waited too long, or ended things too soon.  My only consolation was that I did what I thought was best at the time.

I don't really have any advice to offer because I don't think that is what you need right now, nor what you are looking for - you already know how to decide when it is time.  When it is, we will all be here for you, and until then, of course you have our love, support and understanding.
*Founder of the Official Suspicious Chicken Fan Club*

Gypsy Jazmine

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2005, 05:11:57 pm »
((((((((Carolyn)))))))) It is so sad that they can't last as long as we do & that old bodies stop working correctly even though their spirits are young & well...You will know when it is time to let Chazzy go on...I had the same thing happen last spring with our very loved very elderly guinea pig girl...The last morning she graced this earth & our lives she could not walk & was still bit**in' up a storm which was her spunky nature...I took her to the vet & we helped her on her way...Later that day we layed her to rest in our "critter graveyard" & we celebrated the long life she lived with us...Her guinea pig comapnion was out in the yard with us as were our young children...It was a beautiful spring day to lay her to rest...I miss her dearly but it was her time & that day turned out to be beautiful & happy just like she always was...When Chazzy's time comes I wish you a beautiful day of memories to keep with you forever...We are here for you. :)
« Last Edit: November 08, 2005, 10:07:25 pm by Gypsy Jazmine »

Offline hugo~monster

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2005, 07:46:27 pm »
I am so sorry!  this is very hard.  its hard to say goodbye to our babies.  we want them to be young and healthy forever, but they dont stay that way.  look at it this way-God gives them to us for a little while, to brighten our days, to make us laugh, to let us know what its like to have something love us unconditionall y, but then he wants his angels back.  i always like to think of them "on loan from Heaven" :)  good luck with such a hard decision. we had to make that tough call a few years ago.  its never an easy one.  we are here for you!
shellie~
« Last Edit: November 08, 2005, 07:46:50 pm by hugo~monster »
~SHELLIE & HUGO~

GR8DAME

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2005, 10:12:15 pm »
Carolyn
I am so sorry to hear about Chazzy's condition. I can only say I'm sure that this desicion will be made with the same love and concern for her as I'm sure every decision you have ever made for her. The unfortunet truth is that the last decision we make for them is always the most difficult and heartbreaking. You are in my thoughts during this difficult time.
Stella

Offline DixieSugarBear

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2005, 08:28:19 am »
Carolyn I'm so very sorry to hear about Chazzy.  Please know we are here and thinking of you.
Lisa, owned by the following:
Sugar Bear - Great Pyrenees 4.5 yr.
Dixie Darlin - Great Pyrenees 4 yr.
Penny Lane - Great Pyrenees 2.5 yr.
Beauman - Great Pyrenees 14 months
Izzy - Great Pyrenees 14 month
Rosie - Great Pyrenees (at the bridge)

Offline Scootergirl

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2005, 01:22:10 pm »
I don't want to give you any false hope, but it almost sounds like Chazzy is struggling to find a way to hang in there with you. Have you looked into getting her a wheelchair? If getting around is her only infirmity then this may keep her in your family for a while. You can get one that will support her whole back end. She will be able to go to the bathroom on her own with it, run and play and act like the dog you're used to.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline cheyenne

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2005, 03:26:05 pm »
I haven't written like this before but I have to let you know letting go is the hardest thing to do.  I adopted an ex-racer greyt hound the day after Thanksgiving in 1995.  I have thanked God I did every day since.  She was with me  for two weeks shy of 10 years and she was almost 14 years old.  The last year wasn't fun for either my best friend or myself.  She had liver cancer, wasn't in pain, was playful at times but in one year went from a beautiful muscular 72 lb dog to a 55 lb dog then in one week she stopped eating and lost 10 pounds.  It was then I knew eventhough it would be the hardest thing I've had to do in my long life she would have to go to the meadow at the base of the rainbow bridge and wait for me.  She's still with me in my heart and mind and a beautiful marble box.  It was best for her, and we will meet again. Barbara

Offline waffles717

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2005, 04:08:47 pm »
We are so sorry!!mollyaggie&Maggie!!
This Beethoven, he went to vet yesterday, he is 36 pound and only 9 weeks old!

Offline WhiteShepherdDog

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very sorry-very sad
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2005, 04:41:36 pm »
I feel for you- I just went through this in July with my12 yr old GSD- I kept wondering if I was putting her to sleep too soon....
I struggled-cancelled appts, then had the vet come to the house....
I now know I made the right decision - even though it was hard and I cried and felt guilty at first.
yes, she could have hung on longer---she would have lived longer--but it was about her quality of life....the signs were all there: lameness, peeing, etc.
I'm glad my memory is of her before she was so far gone...

I swore after I kept a lab alive til 15 yrs old on Rimadyl and using all sorts of extraordinary means I would *not* ever keep a dog living just cuz *I* wasn't able to say goodbye...or just because the vets could keep her alive.
Remember the joy and goodtimes!
We buried her on our land....Jasper sniffed her and said goodbye, too.
Regards,
Martha in Texas

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2005, 08:43:31 pm »
I'm so sorry to hear about Chazzy and his condition.   I feel lucky that I have not had to make this kind of decision for my own pets yet.  I can only imagine the turmoil you must be going thru.  Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

MommyOfSchnauzers

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2005, 09:34:19 pm »
I am so sorry.  I pray that you have peace as you make decisions within the next days, weeks, or months ahead.

Offline shi_ni_ke

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Re: Difficult decision
« Reply #14 on: November 24, 2005, 11:04:30 pm »
I pray that you will know when the time is right.

We have a 17 year old siberian husky. She is pretty much incontinent, thanks to her previous owners letting her go through repeat bladder infections without treatment. We adopted her at age 12, at thirteen we had bladder stones removed, but she still has difficulty making it outside all the time. We have all wood or tile floors.  If I lay out a towel, she will use it. Thankfully we still have 3 teens in the house to help with bathing her once or twice a week. She is on a specialized barf diet. She has minor arthritis and is going deaf, but she still has a twinkle in her eye and I know the time is not yet. I know one of these days we will be saying "see you soon",as we escort her to the Rainbow Bridge, so I understand how difficult a decision this is for you. May you have peace when it is time.
Nike