Need some advice regarding our Dog

[LS Tractor Owner]

I lost (euthanized) my little girl pup almost 2 years ago. She 'adopted' me as her personal human. I have had many dogs over the years, but this little cuddle bug captured my heart. She was 14, but acted like 6.

She developed a mass and an abscess on the side of her snoot. Vet tried treating it, including surgery. She had 1 good week, then a week of her 'going nuts' trying to get comfortable..... then she stopped eating. I couldn't stand to see her suffering. The vet came to the house.

She assured me that I was making the right choice. I held her and comforted her until her last breath. It was the hardest thing I ever did. It was the best thing that I could have done for her..... she was suffering. I still cry at random times when I think about her. She took a part of me with her. I miss her every single day.... but I am positive that I made the right choice.

We had an airedale a quite a few years ago. She was only 10 years old. One morning, her eye and her nose had this green puss oozing. Took her to the vet, yep... cancer.
Surprisingly, the puss stopped the next day and she seemed 'normal'. But she lost almost half of her weight over the next 3 weeks. Then one morning, she wouldn't eat. Didn't want to come back into the house. We knew it was time. Vet came to the house. She laid in her bed peacefully with all her people right next to her.

My wife had a dog that had cancer of the mouth / jaw before we even met. She took the dog to the University of Pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine. Went through 3 months of radiation and chemo. She lasted 1 month thereafter. Wifey said it was the worst thing she ever did and would never do it again. Just no quality of life.....

You'll know the answer in your heart. It will never get easier. It's a tough decision.

I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Take care.

 

[bigtiller]

We are on our third Maltese. She just had her 15th birthday and runs around inside the house like a youngster. We think they are the best dogs. I have never seen any of them mad and they have never seen a stranger.

It is increasingly harder every week to watch them when they are sick but I am sure you will get the answers you need to make this tough decision.

Good luck my friend.

 

[MossRoad]

Ha! At least the needles are pretty small!

Yeah, and the dosage was for a 16 pound cat and I weighed 200 at the time, so no effect. My biggest concern was needle went through two layers of cat skin and then into me. I had a strange craving for mouse for about a week.

 

[jyoutz]

I have an Australian shepherd that developed a horrible mass on his nose. Turn out to be cancerous. The vet did surgery to remove the nose and reconstruct the snout. It was no doubt painful during the healing period, but he healed, doesn’t look as bad as it sounds, and he has been a happy and cancer free dog for the past four years.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I don't know how you people can like dang animals so much. Meanwhile I'm in the bed, it's 4 am, a 5 lb teacup Yorkie snuggled up with me...

I wish you the best with your pup

 

[tacticalturnip]

I don't know how you people can like dang animals so much. Meanwhile I'm in the bed, it's 4 am, a 5 lb teacup Yorkie snuggled up with me...

I wish you the best with your pup

My 100lb German Shephard thinks she is your Yorkie.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

My 100lb German Shephard thinks she is your Yorkie.

Somebody else got this dog. It was too much responsibility, so they gave her to me. We have the same birthday even. This is the only small dog I have ever had.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Somebody else got this dog. It was too much responsibility, so they gave her to me. We have the same birthday even. This is the only small dog I have ever had.

That's how I ended up with my Shepard! My wife's cousin got her, only to realize that large dogs don't live well in apartments.

One would think that was common sense, but if it was, I wouldn't have my girl. Lol.

 

[tacticalturnip]

My grandfather's last dog was a little mutt that outlived him; she was the goofiest pup, and just had to be attached to his hip. He'd always had larger dogs, but this little sausage just claimed him lol.

 

[crashz]

Wow - thank you all for the the advice, stories, thoughts and prayers!

Vinny is still doing pretty good. Like I said he's pepped back up with the insulin shots and he's playing with the other dogs and trotting around. Eats and poops well. Still our happy guy.

Some info that I was not aware of until last night, is the blood work does not indicate that the cancer is spreading. And I thank you Peter for the article attached. Makes me feel much better. As some of you have pointed out, we need to get his blood sugar under control first, then deal with the surgery as it comes. And as you all have stated, we need to keep his needs first. When the time comes, we will have the vet come to us and we'll euthanize here at home.

I'm gonna sound pretty mushy here, but you guys really are the best!