Wheaten terrier with PLN near the end

Have the vet give valium FIRST.  *then* the euth drug.  If the vet will put in a catheter when you are *not* there ... THEN the valium and euthe drug are easy.

When they are dehydrated it's hard to tap a vein.  But with a catheter it's very easy and with the valium it's painless and completely stress free for the animal AND the human. 

 If you give only the euth drug they do sometimes struggle and vocalize as the drug hits the heart.  With valium there is no trauma whatsoever.  I will never ever do this again without a catheter and valium *first*.

If she's refusing water that's usually the "i'm done" sign. 

I'm feeling very anti-texty this morning ... PLN?  I've never heard renal failure referred to that way?  Words please?

I second the valium. It makes the experience.... as pleasant as it can be. When it was time for my Teenie to go, I gave her a big dose of valium pills, before I took her (I have them because my other dog is epileptic and takes one, on occasion). Teenie had big fear issues. She relaxed, totally, in my lap, on the way to the vet's office. She felt better than she'd felt in a while, and she was happy. She was wagging her tail, and giving kisses (not with a healthy energy, but she was doing it). It was very, very easy on her. 

 Thank you so much for the advise.

PLN stands for Protein-Losing Nephropathy. PLN is unfortunately a common wheaten terrier disease (along with PLE). I guess I don't really understand if it's renal or not. My first sign anything was wrong with her was weight loss. Dr. Littman is doing national research to hopefully figure out what is going on. The following is from the SCWTA website...

• Clinical Signs of PLE
  PLE is usually caused by inflammatory bowel disease or lymphangitis/lymphangiectasia. In affected Wheatens there is a stimulation of the immune system in the bowel wall. Some of the common signs and symptoms are:
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Weight loss
  • Ascites, edema, pleural effusion

• Clinical Signs of PLN
  PLN is difficult to diagnose. The initial stages of the disease may be mistaken for liver, glandular or other enteric or kidney diseases. Wheatens with PLN may have serious thromboembolic events before renal failure starts, even before there is increased serum creatinine or BUN. An abnormality of the glomeruli usually causes PLN. Some of the common signs and symptoms are:
  • Listlessness/depression
  • Decreased appetite, vomiting, weight loss
  • Ascites, edema, pleural effusion
  • Increased water consumption, increased urination (less common)
  • Thromboembolic phenomena & hypertension (less common)

 That's really sad. I didn't know that was a problem in Wheatons. They're such great dogs!

It helped me a lot, when Teenie was ready, that I had a supportive friend with me. This friend had never met Teenie, so she was much, much stronger than I was about it. I was able to be calm and tell Teenie what a great dog she was, instead of falling apart. Falling apart would have been the worst possible thing to do. 

I am so sorry for you and Amber.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 Thank you... Amber is still up and about today. She ate a tiny bit of hamburger this morning. I just hope I know when it's time. People have told me that she will "tell" me.

Sounds a lot like an auto-immune disease a friend's daughter has.  *sigh* 

She will tell you ... but the way I always think of it is as if they could 'talk'.  what would she say to ME now .... "Hey -- the important thing to me is __________________ ... and as long as I can do that or enjoy that ... I'm fine. "

With some dogs it's simply eat, drink or sleep.  With my Muffin it was pet therapy -- even long after he couldn't eat any more (he was a mega chow hound before, but food just wasn't as important as his cancer kids) he was doing pet therapy.  With my sheltie mix, Foxy -- he just plain told me he was too 'tired'.  Too tired to try to stand and pee, too tired to take water ... just plain too tired.  It was like he said "I'm done now" in my head. 

With some it's just plain putting an end to their pain.  some of them would stay around forever no matter what JUST to be with us ...

All I can tell you is that you won't make the wrong decision.  You just plain won't.  Because what's deep inside the dog will touch deep inside you ... so don't doubt yourself when you do make the decision.  it will be the right one.

 Thank you so much for that calliescritturs... Amber is still hanging in there... still eating a tiny bit every day and drinking water. She's still up and about, even running up and down the fence in the backyard with the neighbor dogs over the weekend. It's odd how physically draining it's been on me to have a terminally ill dog (I feel a 3-day migraine coming on)... but I will do anything to help her last one more - quality - day. As they say, every day is a gift.

 Amber is bouncing back. Okay, I think she might just be giving her mommy false hope... but this is what's going on... last weekend, just all of sudden, she decided she wanted to eat her brother's dry dog food. She has not touched dry dog food in weeks - maybe months. Well, she threw up the first stuff a few hours after eating it... but oddly, she wanted to try again the next day... so I gave her some more... and that did not stay down either. Well, I had some of her old special IAMS dry food for dogs with renal failure... gave her a bit - and that stayed down. I was more shocked that she ate it. It's like she really wants to eat now. So, now, for the last four days she has eaten her special dry food - and I'm adding Freshpet Select - and she loves it. And this is really sad, but i was so excited this morning when I saw she had a solid poop! She has had liquid poop for weeks... so I hope this more consistent food will get her digestive system back on track. Now, if I can just get her weight back up - and try to get her to eat egg whites.

  Hooray for Amber; sounds like she's not ready to give up yet. Keep eating Amber; sending lots of eating vibes.

I am glad that Amber has bounced back and is doing somewhat better.  Remember to cherish each minute and all of the special moments with little Amber.  We rejoice with you the progress Amber is experiencing and the gift of each other that you both have received.

I hadn't read this before and as I was reading at the top I thought maybe the update wouldn't be good.  I was so, SO, happy to read that Amber is bouncing back!  I'm sure she's a great girl.  My brother is also really taken with the breed and hopes to get a puppy sometime soon. 

We hope she keeps improving for you!

Good luck!

Lori