Please help, being pressured on euthanasia *Update #11*

[Mom2M]

Ok, my dog is a Golden Retriever who is 13.5 years old. He's had osteoarthritis in his hips for a few years. For the first year or so, glucosamine really helped, then we had to add an anti inflammatory and used previcox.

This year, his right, back leg got really swollen and he had a hard time putting weight on it. An x ray showed questionable areas and our regular vet. practice said t was bone cancer and wanted to amputate immediately. With his hip problem I thought that was a bad idea.
I took him for a second opinion to our old vet who changed practices and he thought it was more arthritic change and we would know in a few months for sure depending on progression. 6 months later we got another x ray that was unchanged so bone cancer was almost completely ruled out.
Off and on he will have bad days where he limps but he also had great days.

This past week has been very bad. He is hopping, not eating, and now the past few days will not take his pills (previcox and tramadol for pain).
He will howl if he can't get upstairs at night to sleep in the bedroom so I made a sling and help him up.
Since he stopped eating well, he got weak and his front legs are shaky, making it harder and he has to just about be carried.
I cooked meat for him and he will eat that, so yesterday his front legs were better.

If I could get him to take his pills I know he would be better and have less pain. Any ideas?
I made a slit in the meat and he spit that piece out! even bread, his favorite food, he spit out and I don't know how he even knew the pill was there under the peanut butter.

The last couple times he was at the vet, he mentioned that I was going to have to think about "when the time comes" and putting him to sleep. I can't stand the thought of that, I want him to live out his full lifespan.

He's such a great dog and will try so hard to go up the steps, he just stands there looking at me and wagging and trying.

Please help with any ideas or thoughts.

[womenswisdom]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with the difficulty of an ill pet. It's hard to see as a loving owner. When I counsel clients about terminal illnesses, I usually ask them to think about the 3-5 things that make their pet's life a quality life. That varies based on the pet, of course, but could be things like taking walks, eating meals, playing in the yard, etc. When they see those things start to be out of reach for their pet due to their health condition, then it's time to start thinking about what to do.

Gently, are you aware that 13.5 is actually fairly old for a Golden? I just don't want you to think you are not allowing him to "live out his full lifespan" if you come to believe that it would be best to euthanize him. I'm not saying that time is now, but most pet owners do have to face this decision at some point, so maybe some of this information will help you.

WRT his medications, have you tried just pushing the pills down his throat? It may seem unkind, but if the meds will help him feel significantly better, I would think it's worth doing. Or hiding them in peanut butter on a spoon or cheese? I hope he is able to feel better or that you are able to feel at peace with whatever decision you feel is best.

[Ola_]

I'm so sorry for what you are going through. One of the suggestions I've heard (though haven't used myself) is to give an antacid like Pepcid before feeding as some medication can upset their tummy. This will help with the discomfort when he's eating and hopefully help him eat more.

Also, for pilling I agree that putting the pill down at the back of the mouth and rubbing their throat to get them to swallow is one option to try. As you said, the medication will help him feel better. This upsets some dogs but others don't mind at all (I have one of each).

I've also had good luck with hummus for hiding pills because it's sticking and gets the dog to keep licking (works better than PB or other stuff for some reason but YMMV). Also maybe try the 3 treat trick? Basically have 2 "clean" treats and one with the pill in it. Give dog empty treat, follow with the pilled one while showing the dog the other empty treat - they usually swallow in anticipation. For this I would use a small cube of cheese with a slit cut in it or a piece of salami or something.

I hope this helps even a little. Hugs! {{{Deb}}}

[Catubodua]

he sounds like such an awesome dog and companion! i'm sure you love him bunches and bunches!

do a search on petco or whatever website for pill pockets. they are little treats with a split to put the pill in and then they enclose the pill so that the dog doesn't get a taste/sense of the pill. i think these may help you.

my opinion on the food? spoil the old man a bit. dry dog food may be harder on his teeth now and let's face it, i'd want to eat real chicken vs that stuff too. don't stop feeding dog food, but give him a bit of chicken / protein and rice with each meal.

as for the "when" question - write down 3 things that he loves, that makes him happy. for example - walks in the park, his ball/favorite toy, etc.

then, keep track of how he does each day with all three. rate them as good or bad. when you get to a time when all 3 things he loves are bad for more than a few days in a row, it might be time.

[Mom2M]

Thank you so much for writing! I'm going to go try the pill thing so I'll be back later.
I hope it works!

[lonegirl]

Have you asked the vet to check into having the formulation made into a liquid or treat? We use a pharmacy compounding company that can compound nearly any med into a flavoured suspension, treat or transdermal.
Also I have pilled many, many dogs in my years and most of the time the only thing that works is putting the pill in the back of the throat.

[Mom2M]

Wow, it worked. My DH got the tramadol in him and he was definitely improved.
I have 2 other dogs and last thing I do at night for their last time outside is give them bread with peanut butter and their pills. The other two dogs get a vitamin and glucosamine and Max gets previcox and the tramadol and glucosamine.
Anyway, I set them up like normal (minus the tramadol) and he just ate it like no problem and then when I got him up the steps for bed, I put the sling on him but really only had to assist a little. What a difference!

Maybe he just finally pulled through this bad period.

I know he is old but I've heard of Goldens living till 15 or so. I just can't imagine losing him even though obviously he will die.

How do you decide that it is time to put your dog to sleep? It feels like playing God

[Mom2M]

oh yeah, he tried a liquid antui inflammatory but it had bad side effects for him

[Theia]

I had to put down a beloved senior pet about a year ago. It was so hard. Basically it comes down to quality of life over quantity. Can your pet still do things it enjoys relatively pain free? How much pain does he seem to be in during his daily life? A pet will still show us love and affection even when they are suffering, they will still try really hard to please us even when it is hurting them. Look closely at him to see what you believe to be his true level of suffering vs quality life. It's hard to do when we love them so much, but try to do it from a place without emotional involvement. You will know when the time is right because you will feel guilty for keeping him alive for your own comfort.

It sounds like he has lived a full life and been well loved. Do what you can to make his last days,weeks, and months more good than not, and when the tide changes know that you have both done your best and loved well.

[gumby74]

Originally Posted by womenswisdom

I'm so sorry you're dealing with the difficulty of an ill pet. It's hard to see as a loving owner. When I counsel clients about terminal illnesses, I usually ask them to think about the 3-5 things that make their pet's life a quality life. That varies based on the pet, of course, but could be things like taking walks, eating meals, playing in the yard, etc. When they see those things start to be out of reach for their pet due to their health condition, then it's time to start thinking about what to do.

I love this! I wish I would have had this advice when I was trying to figure out whether or not to put our 15 year old Siamese down last November. Thanks for sharing....I will keep this in the back of my head when I am in this situation again.

[Mom2M]

Just wanted to give thanks again for your responses and an update!

He is doing so much better! I got the pills down and only had to force them a few times then he started taking them in the peanut butter/bread again.

I guess the major swelling/pain in his leg was a phase, it is so much better. There will always be some swelling there but now it is back to the old level.

The other night, I was upstairs getting my daughter ready for bed and I heard him coming very slowly up the stairs. Usually I put the baby gate there so he doesn't try to come up without me because he has fallen but I left it off since he couldn't even do one step during this bad time.

I didn't even go out to watch because I was afraid it would break his concentration and he would fall so I just sat there holding my breath, listening to him slowly walking up, one step at a time.

He got to the top and came into the bathroom with his tail wagging like crazy looking so happy!
It was just so sweet.

[lonegirl]

Yay!! I am glad he is in less pain now.

[Ola_]

I'm so glad for the good update. Hope things continue to go well!

[heartmama]

Yep animals in pain refuse meds and food, so I'm glad you learned the pill trick, because it only makes the situation worse if you can't get the meds into them.