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My dog is dying and in pain Anonymous
I was writing a big post but then my browser crashed, and I'm very tired, so I'm going to try and summarize. My dog, a 15-17 year old Lhasa Poo, has ovarian cancer, that may have metastasized by now. We noticed the tumor a couple years ago, but the biopsy alone cost an outrageous amount of money, let alone removing it and treatment. We simply don't have that kind of money.

She's been fine the past couple years, but the last couple days, it seems like it's finally taken its toll. She's been whining and howling like I've never seen her do before. She wanders around, panting, whining and howling in this miserable tone, scratching at the floor and cushions laying down and moving, obviously trying to get comfortable, but unable to. I haven't really been able to do anything to help her calm down much. She finally fell asleep a little while ago, but only for a couple hours and just now left my room.

I don't know what I'm going to do if this persists. My mom would want to put her to sleep, but the idea of doing that irks me greatly, even if it became her only choice. The thought alone of taking her to the vet and her not knowing what was happening is enough to tear me up. I was hoping by the time it came to this, she'd be so far gone, she wouldn't be eating and barely able to move. But if she can't sleep because she's in so much pain, what alternatives do I have? Is there painkiller treatment, even for a dog so small? Moreover... Is it affordable?
>> Anonymous
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I hate that money is such an issue, but we barely afford to live here. Before anybody accuses us of getting a dog when we didn't have the finances for it, we weren't always this poor. She was one of the two "family" dogs we had growing up, but the family split apart when my parents divorced, and we've been hard on money since. I'd like to think I could give her a more peaceful and dignified death, if there is such a thing, and squeeze some more time for her.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Anybody dealt with this before?
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
Has this happened to me before? Many times. Believe me when I say there is no right time for any emotionally attached pet owner. If you do it while they can still walk and eat, you think "I did it too soon, maybe she/he would have lived." If you do it when they can no longer walk or eat, then you'll think "I should not have waited this long."
You can give her PARACETAMOL, but it won't help a great deal and you need to be careful with the dosage (which I will post later). Do not give her ASPIRIN, since it will thin the blood and cause more bleeding, which I suspect is happening. There is a drug called TRAMAL which is very expensive, but more effective.
Since she is so old already and in such distress, you should have her put down. Until you get to the vet, you can give her a bit of PARACETAMOL. I think a quarter of a tablet is already a massive dose, I will have to check.
I'm sorry about money being an issue, it's tight with me as well and had to put off buying important things at times to have my dogs treated as they neared the end of their lives.
You (and your mom?) obviously looked after her a great deal. It's time to say goodbye. What will a couple of extra days give YOU?
I will post more later.....
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
I just checked and the dosage should be closer to 1/10 of a 500mg tablet of PARACETAMOL twice a day for a 5kg dog.
Please note that this drug is considered TOXIC for dogs, although if you get the dosage right, you can give it for a few days.
Since I am hoping you will make a decisive decision soon, it won't matter if you give her PARACETAMOL until she sees the vet. Just don't give her too much.
>> Jesus H. Christ !!nwi78PCb+iZ
When faced with a decision like this with my pets, i think to myself what it would be like to be ungodly old (for a pet)... If you can do this, it's a lot easier to put her to sleep

Which in this situation is probably the best course of action.
>> Maybelle !Xe0eUYi8yM
It's time to put her down.

I was in a very similar situation before. My cat of thriteeen years, had a lump in her abdomen that a vet found one day during a regular checkup. It wasn't operable, so we just let it be. She was normal for a good time, but in two years it had grow to the point of completely blocking off her intestines, so that she vomited up every meal a day after eating. She was also in a great deal of pain.

It's SO hard to let go, and it's understnadable to want to find a way to keep her around but not be in pain at the same time. I went through it too! You should call around to the different vetrinary offices in your area and see which will do an in-home euthenasia. It is by far the best way to go, because you can hold the animal in your arms, right on your couch, as the vet injects the drug.

I'm really very sorry for you, I know how hard this can be. I really suggest putting her to sleep, and in the mean time give her dog-safe painkillers and spoil her rotten!
>> Anonymous
She's very obviously in discomfort. There should be no doubts, no second thoughts, none, that she should be put to sleep. Do not prolong her suffering. Take her quality of life into consideration and do not make a selfish argument like "but I want to spend more time with her." The time will not be worth anything if she is in constant pain and all you're doing is worrying about it.
>> Anonymous
Give the dog a couple of paracetamol and save the cost of putting your dog down - that's what I've done for my last few dogs.
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
>>248064
Your relatives will one day pull the plug on you to save on medical bills, I'm sure.
Death by toxic doses of medicine is bad, MMKAY?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
if u love your dog you will let her go w/ dignity. i had a 16 year old lhasa-poo myself, and putting her down when the time came was a hard choice to make. but i knew it was the right choice to make and i don't regret it at all time is nothing if the quality of life isn't there. if u love your dog... prove it to her now and do the noble unselfish thing and say good bye, see u over the rainbow bridge
>> Anonymous
>>248074
Agreed. If you just cannot possibly afford the cost of an injection, find some other way of killing it that doesn't cause it to hurt - something that puts it to sleep before it dies, or something that kills it instantly. E.g., shoot it in the head.

But what the christ, paracetamol? That causes /slow/ liver failure, doesn't it?
>> Anonymous
I guess I'm either going to take her to a vet tonight or tomorrow. I'm not sure what to do in the meantime. My mom told me that she gets like this when she's in heat. I thought she was too old, and I don't really remember the last time she was, but apparently dogs don't go through menopause or anything of the sort. I'm sure the vet will know the difference though. She wanted in my room last night when I was going to bed, probably because my room is the coldest in the house in addition to the attention. I picked her up to let her sleep in my bed last night, and had a bowl of water by the nightstand, and I've been in and out of sleep trying to keep her comfortable, or seemingly anyway. I didn't hear any whimpering or moaning, but she's panting like crazy. Just really heavy panting almost non-stop and she'll lay her head down for a few seconds and have some labored sounding breathing that sounds kinda congested and pick her head back up to pant again and repeat. She falls asleep occasionally but not for any significant amount of time. Couple hours at most. I'm at my computer now, and she's still in bed, doesn't seem terribly distressed thankfully, but maybe she's just too tired to complain. I really want to believe this is just a fluke, and she still has some time left, but that's probably wishful thinking. I'll see what the vet has to say about her condition. Just wish there was something I could do to make her feel better until then. If she has to be put down though, I'll find a way to have it done proper. I absolutely don't want her to be mutilated in the process or feel any misery. I'm no chemist or anesthesiologist. The thought of her still being conscious to some degree to feel her heart stopping and organs failing is too much to bear.
>> Anonymous
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My beloved border collie of 13 years developed cancer in her liver that spread to her lymph nodes and blocked off her breathing.

My attitude towards euthanasia of my animals has always been to let them keep going as long as they want to, as long as they're feeling happy and mobile and enjoy eating and drinking.

Then when they aren't and it becomes apparent they can't die of their own accord, that's when you, as the responsible owner, HAVE to step in and help them reach their goal.

We had a vet come to our home where my dog had lived her entire life. They came in, heard her laboured raspy breathing, and just quietly slipped a needle into her leg and pushed on a syringe.

I held her head looking into her eyes while my family stood around her. Awareness and sight left her face within 3 seconds.

Trust me, your dog won't feel anything, and it's the best thing you can do FOR HER to make her happy.
>> Anonymous
This thread is very depressing.
>> Anonymous
Why do we own pets even if we know we'll be faced with the tough decision of putting them down later in life?
>> Anonymous
>>248634
Because we think it's worth more to be with them while they're alive, than it hurts us to deal with them as they die.
>> Anonymous
My cat had a stroke.

We went out one day and came back to find her paralyzed from the lower body down, she had shat herself and was crawling on the floor, mewling.

We had her put down....

Never, Ever, let your pets get overweight, they will develop the same problems as humans do.

.................
>> Anonymous
I just took her outside and gave her some food, which she devoured like always. She came back in whining like she was last night and eventually wanted in my room, even though I wasn't in there. She tried to get comfortable on top of a pile of clothes but kept whining. She settles down if I sit by her and rub her stomach. I'm really hungry, but there's really nothing here to eat and I can't afford delivery, I'll have to get carryout real cheap somewhere, but I'd hate to leave her alone. She's calmed down some even though I stopped petting her, but I think she'd wig out if I left the room. But I ordered carryout and will probably be leaving soon to get it, it's only down the road, but still. I really want to do something for her now, but yesterday she had some terribly bloody stool. If she's having stomach issues and bleeding in her stomach, I'm sure painkillers of any variety will only make that worse, even if I had any available to me. It's so conflicting to see her be inbetween her normal self and miserable at the same time. She wags her tail, and will eat like a pig if you let her like always and still licks me, but... Her breathing is weird and she moans and howls and frantically paces around trying to lay down like she's in discomfort and can't stand it and then comes to me like I can do something about it; it's agonizing. I'm hoping we can get her seen sooner than tomorrow. I don't want either of us to have to deal with another night of this. I'm also hoping my mom will come see her for some time beforehand. She loves my mother to death, but doesn't get to see her much anymore. I really don't want that to be the only time she spends with her before the end...
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
>>248604
Hmmm. Firstly - this shit does not happen when a dog is in heat. Males can get terribly distressed when they can't get to a "hot" female. And yes; to some extent females too - but never like this. It sounds like your dog is in terrible pain and I'm starting to lose respect for your mother - she seems oblivious to your doggie's bad state.
Also - why was the dog not desexed once you two found out she had ovarian cancer? After all - you had 2 years to save enough money. She's hasn't exactly been young enough to be a breeding dog for quite some time either.
Operations on old dogs are risky, so from that perspective I might understand! But now that she's dying of the cancer that could have been cut out long ago, you need to talk to a vet about her state and options YESTERDAY.
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
>>248646
I just read this and am starting to think you're a "rare case" or just a sad, successful troll.
In case you're for real - out of curiosity, which one of you two is the indecisive one? There was enough time to get a normal, cheaper vet appointment. Maybe it is not even the cancer killing her - maybe she ate rat poison or something sharp. Get off your ass, bud and take some initiative.
>> Anonymous
You're an irresponsible pet owner. The cost of the operation to fix your fucking dog is cheaper than it will cost for the vet to take her away forever.
Euthanize the poor animal instead of letting it die a slow lingering death from cancer. My dad died of bone cancer and was in constant pain for months as he wasted away. I wouldn't wish that on another human, much less a dog.
>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
>>248688"The cost of the operation to fix your fucking dog is cheaper than it will cost for the vet to take her away forever."
Not quite:
Desexing can get up to $400-$500 for an older female. Death needle is only $15-$45
Sorry about your dad. :(
>> Anonymous
i dont want to diminish your pain in any way...

it truly sucks but this is what happens when you don't fix your animals. Dogs and cats aren't supposed to live as long as they do in domesticity so if you keep an animal intact theres an almost 90% chance that thier reproductive parts (testes and ovaries) will turn into cancer.
>> Anonymous
I'm really sorry. I know how it feels.


If it makes you feel any better, be happy you got to spend so much time with her. My cat was barely out of kittenhood when somebody stole him. Losing a pet is hard.