Peaches

12 years old, has at least 2 tumors - one on his neck and one his back. Probably more cancer due to some recent tests but there's nothing we can do so no reason to put him through more extensive tests to find out what kind, where it is, etc,, IMO.

He lost movement in his legs a couple of years ago, then bowel control, but could tell a split second before he had to poop so he usually got off his normal "I'm not eating, so I'll be here" spot, the sofa.

Then a week ago he started losing bladder control. ALL OVER THE PLACE. Not really a biggie if he gets off the sofa though I have been doing a load of towels a day. But he ain't always making it off the sofa.........Because it's suspected he has other cancers, he drinks a lot which means he pees a lot.

So.....I take him to the vet because he's SO skinny (normally 17 pounds and down to just over 13) and I think I'm being selfish keeping him around and I want an objective opinion. His regular vet is out for a month with back surgery of his own and this vet never has impressed me but she does say I'll know when he's ready mainly because he'll stop eating and goodness know, he's still eating like a horse.

I ask her "Baby diapers or Depends?" She says baby diapers because I can go by size and to go by what he weighs. WRONG. But the local foster child group now has 2 big boxes of diapers.

So I get the small Depends. Damn if they aren't TOO big. So I have to safety pin them up on him so they don't fall off. They sag like hell but I'm thinking this is good because it will catch his pee w/o making his fur wet and his poop w/o sticking all on his fur.

If you could see the looks he's giving me..........

The other dogs are laughing at him

wdsguy

post pics

Peaches

Oh that would just be cruel!

OK, let me take some tomorrow - I'll block his access to the board

candyflip

Sounds like it might be his time. It might be a little selfish to keep him going, but you can't beat yourself up for that or for any decision you might have to make.

If you want, I will GLADLY ship one of the two driving me crazy in this room right now, ahh...fuck it you can have both.

At least I'd know they'd be going to a good home.

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Peaches

Well, the joke's on me. I went down to take a picture of him in all his silliness. There they are at the end of the stairs he uses (and in the background you'll see what is now the TV stand which used to be the coffee table which the puppy kindly rounded the edges off for me.....)

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Very cute dog!

tony286

They make dog diapers,they fit better. Im sorry for your dog having a rough time. I still miss CJ so fucking much.

Spunky

Poor old guy..I know it's tough but it's probably time..

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Peaches

Yeah, but they are so freaking expensive. Meg, my 15 year old's mother's owner had her in diapers (Meg's mother, not the owner ) for the last few years of her life. She told me to get the Depends, and then the "coverups" that they have for the dogs. But did I listen? No......actually I tried to listen but our local pet store only has the coverups for female dogs so it wouldn't have covered up his pecker.

So I'll head to Petsmart in the next few days, grab the coverups and see if that will work with the Depends I have now.

I also have a belly band for him where you use a sanitary pad, but he pees so much that he was soaking everything through all day long.

But he's still having a ball. All four of them were out running in the cul de sac the other day and while the 2 and 4 year old were actually RUNNING, RUNNING, the 12 and 15 year old were having a great time hobbling around. He will be the easiest to let go since he was my son's dog so I know he'll be taken care of.

bronco67

Are you kidding? It might be hard, but he needs to go down.

Peaches

Well, neither the vet nor I think so. Meg's mother was incontinent for the last 4 years of her life. He gets around just fine - gets up and down those stairs you see and the all over the yard and the stairs to the yard. Eats like a pig (including poop - don't get me started on that) and still tries to hump the other dogs. I was going to get him some wheels but we tried them and he actually gets around better w/o them because my yard is so hilly. He's always one of the first ones to run up to greet me if I've been gone and is the one who better than any of them knows exactly when it's 8AM in the morning and 5PM in the afternoon.

One of the first things I asked when he was diagnosed was if he was in any pain and was told "no" by 3 different vets including a specialist and he certainly doesn't show any signs of being in pain. The growths on his back and neck are paralyzing him, they aren't painful.

Like the vet said, he'll let me know. I would never in a million years make him suffer. I was worried about the weight loss but she said since he was eating the same and not throwing up or anything, it's muscle loss. He had a full blood workup in June and was 100% OK. Even when he was first diagnosed 2.5 years ago the vet said he'd probably live another 5 years because he was so healthy otherwise.

amateur-skin

I'm actually studying undergrad for vet school. Do the right thing man.

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Fap

atleas the dog is cute

Peaches

Pugs tell you they're sick when they stop eating ;) I know you guys who haven't examined him think he's suffering, but the 3 vets who have examined him think he's doing fine. I gotta go with that and what I see, ya know?

Peaches

Of course he is, he's a pug

Here are some of pictures of him from a couple of weeks ago playing in our freak snow fall:

amateur-skin

Considering he's lost use of his legs, then bladder and eliminating it would seem that (especially with his weight loss and lack of eating) as well as those tumors you might start considering it.

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Peaches

Not sure where you saw he had a lack of eating. He has ZERO issues with eating. He eats all his food, snacks and anything else he can get his teeth onto

The vet said since he's eating and not throwing it up, the weight loss is due to muscle loss, not lack of nutrition.

Ivan Fuckalot

If I were your dog, I would dog officially hates my guts also!

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CDSmith

As trite as it sounds because everyone says it so often... but you'll know when it's time to say goodbye to him.

You know my story and what I went through last fall with my dog. It's amazing what a pet owner is willing to do for a beloved pet who is in their time of need. Mop pee, clean up piles and smudged messes of poo, wipe the goo out of their old milky eyes every morning, whatever it takes to have even one more day with them. And that pet will put up with quite a lot of pain and discomfort as well in order to stick by your side as long as possible.

But one day they let you know it's time, that they can't go on any longer. That day hasn't arrived yet obviously, so I'm with you and your vet on this... keep doing what you're doing. If you keep his best interest first and foremost in your mind at all times (as I know you do) then you can't go far wrong. When the time does come, that is the one thing that will help you get through it.... that being you are doing it for him.


That little set of stairs up to the couch is out of this world cute. Shows just how much you love those dogs too.

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Peaches

Thanks CD, I know it was tough for you

Here's the way I look at it - even though I use beach towels to clean up the pee, I use paper towels for the poop and throw them in with the trash (kept outside, natch). I figure in today's age of people going through your trash to get info for ID theft, they aren't going to be digging through a pile of paperwork covered in poop. Easier than shredding

d-null

pain is the main factor you should look at, if the dog is not in pain and still eating and not suffering, don't put him down..... you are close to him, you can tell

use the same respect for him as you would want for yourself.... when the desire to live leaves then the eating stops or suffering becomes obvious etc... it might happen soon or it might not

can tell by your posts that you love the little guy, you'll do the right thing when you know in your heart it is the right time

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shermo

My older dog is 16 ...Has lost some of her front teeth, hobbles all over the place, has lost most of her hearing and her tear ducts are blocked...Still, she is eating like a maniac, still has control of her bladdar and colon, and when we took her to see if it was time, she bit the vet!

I firmly believe that you know what is best for your dog, and it's good to see such a loving mommy

firecracker

Cute dog, sad to hear how he is doing. Sounds like putting him down might be best both for the loads of laundry you are doing and the dog's various cancers that just keep him dying slowly.

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Peaches

I would do 100 loads of laundry a day for him and since the cancers aren't causing him any pain (they are just suspecting anything besides the tumors that are causing paralysis) then I see no reason for him not to keep having a good time. He doesn't even have any "bad days" - they are all good.Today he was out chasing the puppy around the yard - not exactly time for "The Shot" IMO.

I'm going to Petsmart tonight to see if I can find some coverups for the Depends that can embarrass him even more. He hasn't had an accident since I put them on him and he took them off - maybe he knows I mean business ;)

tranza

That's very sad to hear...

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firecracker

I hope he ends up comfortable then if he has mostly good days, I was only joking about the laundry, Trying to keep things light. I had a mini Schnauzer who died of cancer, so I can feel for you. I once had a white rat that died of breast cancer...both times were sad.

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CherryLipsRosa

Peaches i think you know deep inside what you should do and from what you are saying it shows that neither you or him are ready to depart. Wait a bit longer till you feel he is starting to be in pain then you will have no choice but to make a decision.

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Peaches

Thanks Rosalia! Right now he's still playing like an obnoxious puppy (my SIL asked me when my 2 year old would settle down and I said "You don't see the 12 and 15 year old settled down yet, do you?!!"). Except for when he's decided another dog is on HIS sofa space, he's always in a great mood. I was worried about the weight loss but once the vet explained it, it made sense.

What's funny about those stairs to the sofa is that he'll use them to go up but not down. He was taking these flying leaps off and sliding about 10 feet until I put down a bathmat to keep him from accidentally sliding out the door one day

Peaches

OK, just had to follow up on this to amuse myself.

I was in ATL yesterday so I stopped by PetSmart and got the doggie diapers with the holes in them for the tail. I got Small. I come home, put them on him, got that "I'm going to kill you in your sleep" look again and think all it right with the world. Then after a couple of hours he jumps off the sofa and there's pee everywhere. It seems if he moves JUST RIGHT his pecker comes out of the diapers. Bleh.

So I'm thinking I'll try the Med next time. BUT (or "butt") as he was eating this AM, what comes out the tail door but poop? Yep - the little hole for the tail is just large enough to NOT cover the spot where the poop comes out. So obviously a medium isn't going to solve my problems.

Today or tomorrow I'm going to try larger sized baby diapers (the ability to take them off with the tabs is so much nicer than the pull on with the Depends) and just cut a slit big enough to pull his tail through.

The things we do for our pets.........

AssPirate

that is sad news but then there are really times that you can't help it....

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