Putting a old hound Down

[kennethgreene]

I have a 13 plus year old hound that my wife says i should put down. But i,m haveing a hard time doing so. She doesnt seem to be in a great deal of pain. She has had small tumors on her teets that come and go. She has small tumors on her front legs which are probably skin cancer, but are not getting any larger. But the worst thing is she has diahria that i can,t get rid of. I have heard that this is a sign she might have pancrius cancer. Again she doesn,t seem to be in any pain, she eats ok and sleeps a lot. I have had her since she was about six months old. She has been a great hunting partner, and i want to do the right thing by her. Any advise?

[Wilson Creek Bill]

Thats a life long buddy if you ask me. I couldnt see myself putting her down. Ive got a female, and when she gets like that, she will probably just have to die on her own in my kennel. All the hard work she's given me, and pleasure ive gotten through the years of running her is worth that to me. As long as she isnt suffering.. Id say just let her enjoy life while she still has it.

[TC]

First have you taken her to the vet to find out what is causing the diahreha?
Could be a bacterial infection, can't make her feel to sharp having the runs.
I would also give her a dose of Kaopectate. One ounce of it. She might just have an irritated bowl.

Before I made the hard decision I would talk to my vet.

[Windkist]

I agree, Get her checked out and see if you can get the diarrhea stopped. Maybe some metronidazole? Has she been wormed lately? Other than that just make her comfortable for her remaining days. Putting a dog down is such a personal and hard decision and you'll know when its time. Quality of life I guess should be the key ;-)

best of luck with her,

leah

[Bunny Runner]

Kenneth,

First of all, the "tumors" on her legs are probably just benign fatty tumors. These are very common in older dogs and don't do them any harm. The mammory tumors are (for the most part) benign as well, but there is a chance that they could be cancer. Mammory cancer does happen in senior bitches that are "in tact", but again, it's not so common that all mammory growths should be considered as cancerous.

Her diarrhea could be. as others have said, bacterial but could also be coming from maldigestion or food sensitivities. Not knowing what you have tried, it's hard to give advise, but a trip to the vet should be tops on the list to get it in check. I am not a huge advocate of antibiotics for every condition and will sometimes try unconventional methods first, so I might try "fasting" her for 24 hours to give the gut a chance to rest, then give a bland diet of hamberger (boiled and drained) and well cooked rice. To this, I would add a couple of tablespoons of canned plain pumkin. The pumkin works great to firm up the stool and the dogs seem to love it. I would offer this diet until the stools firms up. If it goes more than another 3 or 4 days, then I would probably get her into the vet. The fasting, though, is important. The GIT gets a bit irritated (which causes the diarrhea) and needs to be cleared out. This resting period allows the irritations to begin to heal and also slows down the movement within the bowel, allowing for the absorbtion of "water" in the large intestine.

I dont' think her time has come at this point, but euthanasia is a very personal decision that should be based on quality of life and suffering. If you don't feel that she is suffering, then I would advise you to allow her more time.

[kennethgreene]

Thanks for all the replys, you guys have given me some ideas to try. As long as she doesn,t look like she is suffering i plan on her liveing out her remaining years in retirement. Thanks again.

[can do kennel]

How much of the kaoppectate should a dog be given?

[Windkist]

How much of the kaoppectate should a dog be given?

I had to look it up because I don't use it http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... cleid=1431

If you have flagyl I think its better for the gut. What is causing the diarrhea?

Leah

[CAINCUTTER]

Check out an article about my fine old hound and his last days..

http://rabbithuntingonline.com/magazine ... er_die.htm

Here is an excert from that article:

When the time comes that they are suffering and are not going to recover, it is then that you must do what must be done. Put them down, put them to sleep or end their suffering. What ever this act of compassion is called it will be the last kind thing that you will get to do for your little four legged friend.

[Windkist]

Check out an article about my fine old hound and his last days..

http://rabbithuntingonline.com/magazine ... ver_die.ht

What a wonderful touching story!! Thanks for sharing it ;-)

Leah

[SilverZuk]

As long as the dog is not in pain, eating, and drinking (making water and making waste). I won't do it.

It is your dog, when you feel she is suffering more than you would want to. You will know the time. Hopefully, she will pass on her own before that point.

[NorWester]

A number of years ago I had an old bitch who was suffering from liver disease. She was in rough shape and there was no question she was suffering some. Both my vet and my wife felt it was time. I didnt. Every other nite I would drain her abdomin of fluid build up with a large syringe to help make her comfortable. She also had a hard time walking up the short stairs to the back door and did what lots of old timers do when the end is drawing near.....slept a lot. The last time I saw my vet with her he asked what I was waiting for. I told him that although she appeared to be in some discomfort, perhaps some pain and even though the end was not in doubt at this point, it was my opinion the dog still wanted to live. Life is full of suffering and pain and what not........even when one is at their peak. When I would say Tippy's name she would look at me and wag her tail so she was still very much aware of her surroundings. I said to my vet, "do you suppose if you went to hit her with a stick she would try to run away?" He smiled and said he thought she probably would. I said that tells me she isnt ready to cash it in just yet and if she's not ......then I'm not. It wasnt too long after that I did put her down. She couldnt walk the stairs at all at this point and on the day in question I carried her out and placed her on the ground and went off to do some chores (she would shuffle along and follow me). That day she didnt, instead stood there wavering slightly. I called her name...twice and she never lifted her head and her tail just hung there moving slightly with her body. For us it was time but I would never tell another when that time will be, thats a decision only you can make.

[Jane]

Very well put.