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Species: Dog Breed: Weimaraner Age: More than 15 ye
Hello.
I'm going through a really hard time right now, trying to make a decision about my dog. He's about 15.5 years old, and according to his last labwork checkup, he has the bloodwork of a two year old dog. But, he has really really bad arthritis. They said he has some spinal nerve damage, when he was able to walk, his paws curled under or they crossed, one in front of the other. He's on two pain meds, which control his pain pretty well.
She put him on Prednisone, which helped for about a month, but he's stopped walking again, about two weeks ago.
The question I have for you, is, when do I know it's right to put him down? I've had him since six weeks, and although he can't walk (we take him outside to go potty, he barks when he has to go), his pain is under control and he looks alert.
I feel it should be sooner rather than later, when we can't control his pain anymore... but should we wait until it comes to the point that the pain is MAKING us have to put him down? Please help, he's my best friend, a child... this is a very difficult decision. He's very well loved, cuddled and spoiled....
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Dr. Marie replied:
I'm so sorry to hear of your situation. Unfortunately this is a type of case that I see very commonly and I can understand how difficult it is to make the decision for euthanasia.
Dogs have such a strong survival drive that they are going to do all they can to try to act happy and this makes that decision so hard.
From what you have described, if Baloo is not able to walk, then in my mind the time is very near, if not now. If Baloo is unable to walk, there is a good chance that that is because of pain. (The exception would be if he had a paralysis issue - sometimes those are not painful). But, if he can't walk because of arthritis then this means that there is significant pain. And again, dogs just don't show us exactly how much pain they have.
With all of that being said, I usually do find that most of my clients just seem to know when it is time for euthanasia.
With my animals, my philosophy is that if my pets have a condition that I know they are not going to recover from then I would much rather make the decision too early than too late. The whole goal is to reduce the amount of discomfort that Baloo has.
I'm so sorry for these hard decisions. Arthritis in dogs can be so difficult.
Please let me know if you have more questions.
Dr. Marie
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Veterinarian, Dr. Marie created this site to be able to provide quick, accurate veterinary advice online. She would love to help with your pet's problem!
Dr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.
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