Are you looking for pet advice?

It seems more like dragging his limbs than knuckling over. It's hard to tell when I watch him walk. His gait is normal when he jogs or runs. Thanks so much for the response! I'll bring him in for x-rays and an exam.

 

I will start by saying, I am soooo sorry. I know this is a rough time for both you and him. Reading through the post, I feel it is pretty evident that his QOL is poor to say the least. Put yourself in his shoes, would you be enjoying life if you couldn't do the things you enjoyed doing? Of course not, no one would! It sounds like most days are rough ones and the few good ones are getting fewer and fewer. I know it's a tough decision but I feel like you know it's the right one. I would rather euthanize a pet a day early than a day late, why let them suffer when we have the means to prevent it? Unfortunately, in human medicine this isn't an option. At this point, I agree with the likely brain lesion/tumor diagnosis but whatever the case it's not good. Despite the diagnosis his quality of life is poor and I know you will do the right thing for him. Good luck with your decision and I will be praying for both of you.

 

Hey guys. I have a question about a tick I found on my 4yo Shiba a little over a week ago and I'm hoping for some insight. I spotted a tick on his leg and removed it just like others I've found before. This one was attached, although I can't imagine it had been for long since he's always around us and its a spot the tick was easily seen (I spotted it from across the room). After removing it everything seemed fine and quite frankly, still does. My concern is that the spot looks as though he lost fur. I haven't spotted him chewing at it or anything but when you look closely, the bumps of hair appear to have dead skin attached to the bottom. Nothing like this has happened before and given it was a tick, I thought I'd reach out.


Here's and overall picture:


Here's a bit closer. I realize not much can be seen. Figured I would at least ask before terrorizing him with a small shave.



Thanks in advance!!!

 

Thank you for your response J. Miller. You made a good point, as I don't think any human would enjoy life if you had to walk in circles almost all day long. To make matters worse he has been more cuddly than normal today and last night, like he knows something is up. This makes a already tough decision even tougher.

To make matters worse the vet clinic said I will not be able to go in with him due to the Pandemic situation, and that the vet tech will come to my car and take a history and then bring him in. The vet will evaluate him, and then talk to me via telephone. I am thinking since this is a new to us vet that I should write down the history over the last three years just to give him a synapse of what behaviors he has been experiencing etc. The previous vet clinic is sending his records over as well. Do you think writing things down for the vet would be a good idea, or helpful?

Thanks again,

-T

 

Thank you for your kind words, they are appreciated.

 

I don't know how well
you know the vet, but my MIL recently had to euthanize one of her cats. They probably broke some rules, but they let her come after hours and come in for it.
On February 29 we had to put down my favorite dog ever. Found a vet that made house calls. He was referred to by our regular vet.
So sorry for your situation, it sucks always to lose a campion.

 

My heart goes out to you. Keaton is a pretty amazing cat. I agree, the only thing that fits is a progressive brain tumor. And now it has progressed beyond medical treatment to the point of suffering. And you don't want that for such an amazing cat. If it were my cat, I would be making the same decision to euthanize. It's always very difficult to cross that threshold when he has been such a great companion. But trust me, you're making the right decision. If he only gets mild relief from prednisone, that's the end of what current veterinary medicine has to offer. I'm very sorry. But, I've always said that the mental suffering of the owner should not take precedence over the physical suffering of the pet. It's the most humane thing you can do right now.

 

Thank you Kerch for your response. Would you still euthanize if while on prednisone he was still having some good days? He has days where he still lays next to me, and he still begs for food at the dinner table, and still makes it to the window or door to stare at the wildlife. This is the part I am having trouble with.. do I euthanize him when he is still could have some positive days left. I am not really putting my emotions ahead of his needs, but I want to make sure I am not robbing him of what could be enjoyable days left for him. The aggression towards the other cat is not good at all, and I Dom't want her to get hurt either, and that has increased.

This decision was a million times easier with my last cat who developed a saddle thrombus at the age of 12, and it was obvious severe suffering. I am having trouble with this because it's not so cut and dry, and when he has those moments that he walks up to me and acts like a normal cat for a bit, it makes it even harder. Today for the first time in a long time he jumped up on the couch and ask for a petting. He is yanking my my heart out!

-T

 

Heres my take, having put my sweet loving girl to rest on new years day. She was battling some form of bowel cancer, lost her ability to control her bowel movements most of the time, although she would try to warn us. She was also passing some blood in her stool from time to time.

The thing was, she was happy and seemed to be having a happy life most of the time. That quickly changed in the last month or two of her time. I was so attached and couldnt convince myself enough because there were good days still. I had started to move in the right direction but the holidays made it harder. I had a visit planned to discuss euthanasia the following week. The morning she was laid to rest she passed a lot of blood. Something I told myself I would not allow to happen by getting it done before it got that bad. I dont want to scare or pressure, but for me I wasnt able to see that her good days were some of the time, not 99% or even 90%, maybe 50-60%. This is the hardest thing to do. The problem is you have no real control over when it goes too far, or anyway to clearly know when it will happen. There are tons of signs, but theres no clear line that says "tomorrow is a day to late, act today".

I had to do it on a holiday, on a day where she was happy and relaxed. Then like a switch it all changed.

My point, that I still struggle to make, is that pets do love us and that can make it hard to see when its past that time. They will be your friend until its too late. If I could do it again I would have sooner. I can only imagine it through my mind, I wish she could have had a bucket list day, all the perks, go out on a high note. Part of me feels guilty for not doing it sooner to ensure that was the way it went. Now I make peace knowing I gave her 14 years of unconditional love and friendship and she gave me the same. Even if it ends badly, there was more good than there will ever be bad.

Do it on your time, and not the disease's time. Make it memorable. Its harder if your wait too long, there is more guilt. Hard to fathom, more guilt than what feels like the guiltiest thing you could do. But maybe its not, freeing them from that suffering could be the most selfless thing you could do. Hold on to all the good memories, they all happened, they all remind you that you did do the right things.



I would also recommend that you consider in home euthanasia if you can get it and afford it. Its not much more than at a vet, but I did it and it was the right way. She passed in her home, with her family. No scary car ride or vet. Just laying on her bed surrounded by her family.

Ill attach a picture, she wasnt at a healthy weight but I can still see in her eyes that "she" was still there, still happy. Just got a warm bath and a warm towel right out of the dryer. If they were all like this I would still be waiting for the "right time". For me, the next day was one too many.

I am deeply sorry for what you have to endure.

 

Aww thank you Elduder, and I am also very sorry for the loss of your beloved girl, she was a beautiful pup. Thank you for helping me make some sense of this emotional roller coaster I am currently enduring, it's a mix of guilt and uncertainty because as you said it is so much harder when they have good days, even if they are a few here and there, it just yanks at your heart strings. You are taking away the most precious gift they have ever been given, life. I know I am not taking away a healthy life, he is sick, but it still hurts none the less. Thank you again, and bless your heart, and may your sweet girl rest easy.

I will update everyone when I know more after speaking to the new vet tomorrow.

Thank you to all for your kind words and advice, I truly appreciate it.

-T

 

Yes, I would still euthanize even with good days on pred. The trouble is that his disease will likely become very unpredictable. Can't say when, but it will. Do it while you can still schedule it. You don't want to wait until it's too late to schedule. I realize that this is extremely difficult, and I can't tell you when to euthanize. Just know that I went through the same thing with my Coonhound. In the end, the decision to schedule his euthanasia was the right choice.

 

Thank you again Kerch.

 

My Lab has larengyal paralysis before she passed, caused back legs to drag and worse when it got hot out. We used canna-pet CBD and it seemed to help.

 

this is what happened with my first dog charlie. he could not process any food anymore was blind and deaf. he had a stroke six months prior and could not walk a straight line, always to the left. he was hemophobic he lost a claw and it bleed for days. we got 12 years out of him and it was deffinately beyond his time. i should have done it sooner before his suffering was so bad. i regret that i let it go on for so long.

 

I want to start by thanking everyone who had kind words and advice for me over the past week, especially the vets Kerch and Jaredmiller, and user Eluder who helped me to understand all the mixed emotions I was feeling.

I let my sweet Keaton "Keaty Kat" go over the rainbow bridge, and gain his angel wings yesterday. I already miss him dearly and have been in tears since yesterday, but I know that will get better. I know that his quality of life was just not there anymore, and it was time to let him go. He fought a tough life of circling and other odd symptoms for three years, and that was enough, and this vet agreed with my decision. Thankfully the vet office was kind enough to let us come in so that we could spend some time with him, and so that I could hold him as he peacefully passed in my arms (I would have delayed it or gone elsewhere if this wasn't the case as I would hot let him go without me there). I am blessed to have had him as a cat for the past almost 13 years, he was such a beautiful soul, before he got sick he was such a lovable boy who would sit on your lap so you could pet him for hours, and he would walk up to anyone who came into the house to look for attention. I love you Keaton, Rest In Peace my sweet little boy. (I have attached a picture of him from his healthier days). Bless you all, and I hope they stop cutting up the onions soon. -T

 

Hey guys, I need some help identifying what this is and if it's a tick. Noticed this on my dog. He's been neutered and it's on his scrotum.

 

It's a tick

 

Tick

 

I was able to get ahold of a friends wife who works at a vet and confirmed. After speaking with her I was able get it out.

 

Hey there @OV-1794
Is he on any flea and tick preventative? If not, I strongly encourage you to put him on one. Ticks carry diseases that can pose a real threat to your dog. Lyme disease, Ehrliciosis, Anaplasmosis, and tick paralysis to name a few. All can be avoided by using a veterinary prescribed flea/tick preventative.

 

I've had him on it off and on, just not for the last 6 months or so. I'm started him back up today. Is there any medication I should put him on temporarily for the bite he just got?

 

No, I would just monitor the site for excessive swelling or pain. Most of the time you can never tell that they got bit.

 

I just gave our dog her monthly treatment, Advantix-II. Ticks are worse in the Spring, I overlap by one week during high time.

 

Always a great idea

 

I know it's been a month, I don't get on here that often, so sorry about your sweet Keaton. I have a pit bull that we're gonna have to do the same in the not to distant future. He has a dark spot on his lung and the vet said it will be major surgery and might or might not help him. He gets coughing fits every once in a while that's how we found out about the spot. He is on medication and we're gonna keep him as long as he's happy. But my wife and I know that he's gonna have to be put down. I've had him since he was just a handful literally in one hand. He is 12 years old and I don't know if I'll be prepared for when his time comes. Again so sorry about your Keaty Kat.

 

Thank you, I know he is at peace and no longer suffering a miserable existence. I am glad I let him go even though I miss him.

I am very sorry about your pittie being ill, and I totally get what you are going through. It was offered to for Keaton to get an MRI three plus years ago when his symptoms first appeared to show if there was a tumor (it became obvious over time, as his symptoms progressed, that it probably was) and if a tumor showed up on MRI he could have brain surgery to remove it, but may not work and it could have just grown back. Needless to say we didn't have 10K or more for all of that and we didn't want to put him through all of that anyway, so like you we chose the palliative route (prednisone) until that wasn't really working any longer and it was only adding to his misery trying to get him to take the liquid.

I know what you are thinking now, and that is when will it be the right time and how will I know. I had spoken to a close friend at work months ago about the whole situation and kind of not knowing when is the right time, and he told me very firmly "you will know when it is the right time", and he was right. I did come on here just to solidify what I already knew. I came home one Tuesday morning from work almost exactly a month ago and for some reason I just knew it was time and then later in the day he confirmed that when he sat next to me on the couch (which he had been doing very little of) and he looked up at me with his exhausted eyes and told me he was tired. He just somehow communicated that he was ready to go, maybe it was my imagination, but I don't think it was. My point is that give your pupper some extra love and attention, and listen to your heart when it tells you it's time to let him cross the rainbow bridge. Sending my thoughts to you and your pup. Someone is cutting onions again...

-T

 

Hey guys, having an issue with my frenchie. We had him camping down with us and he was running around all good, then the next day he was limping pretty badly and had a small cut between his toes. Couldn't see anything on the cut and it was maybe 1/8 inch. We figured it was a foxtail so we took him to the vet and they looked and agreed they though it was classic foxtail. Put him on Amoxi/Clav and Carprofen for swelling/pain and sent us home. Week goes by he's getting better not limping as much then he plays with another dog and starts limping bad again that night. At this time he's got a small bump on the top of his paw and it feels hard to the touch and if squeezed it doesnt really seem to bother him. Next morning hes not limping anymore but we decide to take him back to have the site cut and hopefully find the foxtail. Vet says this isnt how a foxtail would normally would present itself as the bump is hard and not soft/infected. Give us more of the same meds and send us home. That was about a week ago and while the bump has gotten larger (still hard and not painful) he's been fine - no limping and running around like all is good. Was thinking of going to a different vet for a second opinion on what the bump could be, but wanted to see if you guys had any input? you can see in the pic his paw is swollen from the top view and the red circle is where the bump is. Thanks in advance for your help...

 

I would require radiographs and ultrasound before doing any cutting/exploring. Lot of pretty important anatomical structures there. Might be tendonitis, might be a foreign body ( foxtail). Hard to say. It's good that he is not limping, but imaging should be the next step. Otherwise, it's just a guess.

 

Not sure how I missed this but thank you for getting back!

 

You bet.