Dog Community

Poor ugly, old lil dog

Posted : 11/13/2006 4:41:26 PM

I manage a hotel that allows "well behaved dogs" and a while back this lil ole lady comes to check in with a "small breed" under her arm (I'm not picking on small breeds, I love em) BUT this lady was proud to announce that her dog was 16 years old! It had...
No hair, scabs all over its body
Full cataracts over its poor lil eyes, she said he is almost 100% blind, only seeing shadows
No teeth, she mashes its wet food with water to make it softer
It cant hear
It cant walk because of arthritis

I'm assuming its hearing cant be to well either since she said since its eyesight went it is wary of strangers and will lash out with its tootheless mouth!

She truly believes she is doing this dog a favor. In my humble opinion it would break my heart to see my girl in that condition. Especially since my favorite thought of her is hauling doggy butt across a open feild all wide eyed and happy. I think it is selfish to keep a dog going on that condition, no?
I can almost guarantee if that dog could talk he would say "shoot me now"!

brookcove

Posted : 11/13/2006 4:52:32 PM

Blind, no teeth wouldn't bother me. A LITTLE arthritis wouldn't bother me. But the chronically infected skin and the lack of mobility would sound a death knell for me. Dogs don't understand blindness and adjust perfectly with our love and care to give them safety and freedom. Blind dogs can run around just as well as seeing dogs, in spaces they are familiar with. But it frightens a dog to be unable to move freely even with our help. And constant discomfort is depressing to an animal. I agree, such a dog would choose the end that is a new beginning, were he able.

marty_ga

Posted : 11/13/2006 4:56:47 PM

That is sad...and this is only an assumption, but it probably hasn't had medical attention either. Some of those problems could be managed. But the price might be prohibitive for a lil ole lady who doesn't want to lose her best friend. Sounds like family or friends should intervene.

greg petry

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:10:02 PM

It si said and I mean I could put up with any problem if the dog was happy just still being around, though it seems this dog has lost verything a dog needs to have fun and even just have a descent life. =(

rwbeagles

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:13:50 PM

I dunno...if the dog NEVER walked much or even at all, when it was young...as many tiny toys do not....that part wouldn't bother me.

I think hmm...
a)enjoyment of things that it used to like...be that being stroked by its owner or chasing a ball...ability to do those things.
b)ability to eliminate without help, without pain, and without results that cause problems like urine scalding or infections of the skin due to fecal matter
c)ditto for eating
d)ability to rest comfortably and sleep without pain awakening them or preventing a comfortable sleeping position.

Medications to achieve all these wouldn't bother me either really, if they got results and caused no problems in and of themselves.

SO..if this dogs issues are being managed with meds...it is not yelping in pain with simple tasks....can pee and poop on it's own and without pain...enjoys it's owner and being around them...eats and drinks...

Wow...that's really tough!

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:15:48 PM

So with that said, what would it take to put your baby down?
It infuriates me when I hear of people putting a dog down because "they just couldnt afford the surgery" that is regarding a procedure that would work well for example when my sister's dog had hip surgery it cost 3k! A friend of her's commented that she could never see herself paying that much! I couldnt comment on that or I would ahve hurt her feelings, you cant instill responsibility in some people.
I mean I cant imagine how much all of Talus's health bills cost (god bless his mommy) but I know I'd work my butt off to do what I could. At what point do we call it quits? Thankfully my Rory is not even teo years, I dont want to think about it but isnt our jobs to give the dogs the best life we can provide, assuming all owners could provide a quality life?

rwbeagles

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:15:54 PM

BTW is the dog on any meds?

Scabs and growths and hairloss actually just happen in some dogs as they age...skin tags and tumors they scratch that bleed then scab over, darkening of the skin or liver spots etc...

Be hard to say without knowing what the vet knows.

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:25:09 PM

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

BTW is the dog on any meds?

Scabs and growths and hairloss actually just happen in some dogs as they age...skin tags and tumors they scratch that bleed then scab over, darkening of the skin or liver spots etc...

Be hard to say without knowing what the vet knows.

Thats exactly how it seemed, it was a toy poodle. Arnt they known for hair and skin probs?
He just kinda hung there staring into space it was so sad. I dont know about the pottying part but I cant assume its good.
Not to mention if Rory ever got that bad I couldnt very well carry her around, ha ha! My uncle had a older dog who had gone senile, he had arthritis but no otehr impending health problems, he just didnt like to be messed with soooo he had his own closet off of the family room where he would retreat to when kids came over or he just wanted his own space. If I could provide my dog with a haven liek that and he wastn a threat in his old age then that would be ideal. He decided to put him down when he became extremely senile, peeing on himself and not even making a move to get up even though he very well could. He had snapped at my aunt lost sight and ran into walls at night.

rwbeagles

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:29:06 PM

Yeah senility is a toughie. My Mom's Akita Jade's just mind broke when she moved from Cali to Texas with my Mom.

It ws so sad...she just stopped caring about anything and would walk in circles and get lost in the corner of a room and cry so pitifully to be 'found' and guided back to her bed. She trembled all the time, and then the incontinence came...and just...

When you have a breed like the Akita that is SO very aware of their dignity and that is so important to them, almost to the exception of anything else...it makes the decision easier almost. Jade was 12 then and PTS later that year.

cairnterriers

Posted : 11/13/2006 5:54:58 PM

Hmmm.....

Well, I would probably put the dog down if he were mine. We ARE supossed to give dogs the best life possible, right? I wouldn't want him to be in any pain.