[Discussion] Is it time to put my dog down? M[8]

[pcdirectuk]

My dog has a large tumour in his rectum, which means that sometimes when he poos there'll be blood and screaming. Doesn't happen every day, but 2 to 3 times a week he'll have a horrible eposide of non-stop bleeding and straining to defecate, which leads to more bleeding and pain. These episode can last somewhere between 30 mins to 1 hour, the rest of the time he's totally fine: hungry and playful, being himself.

The surgeon said he can remove the part of the intestine on which the tumour is attached; however, the likelihood of it being a cancerous tumour is really high, which would only give him about a year and half left to live. On top of that, removing that part of the intestine means there is 90% chance he will suffer from fecal incontinence.

The cost of the surgery is 4k, without added cost of everything already spent, plus the chance there'll be more control appointments and medicine.

If we don't do the surgery our only other option is to put him down. We've been stretching it by treating him with pain medicine and laxatives, and while this helps, he still continues having episodes and being in pain.

It's hard to think of putting him down because he is still mentally there. He wants food all the time and wants to play, but paying for a surgery that has no guarantees of an improved quality of life (for him and for us), doesn't make much sense to us.

TL;DR: Dog has a tumour and doing a surgery will leave him without the ability to hold his poo, in the best case scenario. In the worst case the tumour is cancerous and he will not live for longer than 1 or 2 years before it spreads everywhere else. Sufery is 4k, and we're considering putting him to sleep, despite him being still playful and wanting to eat (and being his real self). Any toughts, ideas will help!

 

[oldwoodsman]

@pcdirectuk One tool that can be used to help make the decision is the HHHHHMM Quality of Life scale. In your case, I might suggest that you run the numbers three times; once assuming the surgery is successful but he has the fecal incontinence, one for his current situation, one for the surgery if there is no incontinence afterwards and it turns out that it is cancerous.

I will also consider what is the endgame if the tumor ruptures. Some tumors (and I do not know if this is one) can rupture leaving the dog to die an agonizing death over the course of several hours. I had friends put down their dog because this was a strong possibility for their dogs tumor, and they did not want the dog to suffer if the rupture occurred when they were not home.

 

[drogheda]

@pcdirectuk I’m not sure if this can be used, but I wrote a list of all my dog’s favorite things to do and once I crossed off majority of the list I knew his quality of life wasn’t there and it was time. I know this may be a different circumstance but hopefully this can help a little.

 

[pcdirectuk]

@drogheda Thank you! Definitely a different circumstance. My dog likes to sleep all day and eat. He can still do both well, just the little time of suffering is intense..

 

[thecigarlady]

@pcdirectuk My dog had colon cancer. He had blood in his stool and a lot of straining to go to the bathroom. I tried chemotherapy, but dr said he would probably not recover. I put him down before it became worse. I didn't want him to suffer. I still miss Max. Fond memory of him kissing me with a carrot in his mouth.

 

[bronschito]

@thecigarlady I’m really sorry for your loss. You did the kindest thing for Max. I bet he is looking down from doggy heaven knowing you took care of him until the end, and is grateful you saved him from more pain.

 

[thecigarlady]

@bronschito I hope so. We miss him, the silly boy.

 

[bronschito]

@thecigarlady It sounds like he loved you and you gave him the best life you were able to. I hope I can be as strong if my dog is in a similar situation. I can’t imagine the difficulty in making that decision.

 

[thecigarlady]

@bronschito It is difficult, very difficult. But you just have to remember it would be selfish and cruel to keep him alive while he is in pain. Just try to take lots of pictures and give snuggles and let him go I feel your pain!

 

[cmorehouse]

@pcdirectuk If you don’t feel the surgery is right for you, snd he’s screaming multiple times per week- it’s probably time.

It’s hard because you still feel he’s ok, but he really isn’t. It’s ok. It’s hard, but it’s ok

 

[clayjar11]

@pcdirectuk What has he told you? Sounds stupid but your baby will let you know if it’s time. Please just don’t let him suffer. They are part of our world but we are their whole world. You gotta take the emotions out of it and do what’s best him.

 

[emeline]

@pcdirectuk I would say as long go as your dog still enjoys things like usual it is not his time. Would you be able to manage the fecal incontinence using diapers? I would also get a second opinion regarding the biopsy.

 

[aliyaaii]

@pcdirectuk i think a lot of the time we keep them around longer for ourselves more than for themselves. 8 seems young but that sounds really horrible it's a tough decision to make for sure but if he's in awful pain it is the kinder choice.

 

[kim75]

@pcdirectuk Can't they biopsy the tumor and then make a determination? And it's ok to see another vet for their opinion.

Sounds like you're managing it ok and that your dog is happy for now, but ultimately it's your decision. If it's cancerous, well, then you know. But then you know theres a clock ticking, and their condition will worsen over time. You will have to decide how far downhill they will go before it's time.

Wishing you the best

 

[pcdirectuk]

@kim75 According to surgeon biopsy is not always the better option. Seems like often times the biopsy says is benign until they operate and see it isn’t.
For sure clock is ticking

 

[scott731]

@pcdirectuk I'm agreeing with another commenter that a second opinion on a biopsy would be a good idea. From everything I've read (and I did a lot of reading when my vet thought my dog had lymphoma from a biopsy last year, but the lab came back clear), even the least accurate biopsies (the lower-invasive needle ones) have a very low false positive/negative rate. Doing a surgical biopsy is much more accurate. Granted, that possibility IS still there, your vet is right that sometimes the biopsy can say the tumor is benign when it's cancerous, but it's not "often".

 

[archaicnyc]

@pcdirectuk How old is your dog? I have a 7y German Shepherd who has had 2 abdominal surgeries, one removing 9cm of his small intestine/into colon - I have him on a gastrointestinal diet with added vitamins & minerals, and he gets probiotics daily.
So - if surgery is financially feasible, there are ways of prolonging his life for perhaps a few years.
But, is it worth putting him through it for perhaps less than that amount of time after? If he is young and resilient, surgery could be a good option; if he’s older or not in great health right now, it begs you to reconsider.
Ultimately if you (and your vet) don’t think it’s possible to give him a few more good years without long-term health problems, then ending his suffering now is the best gift you can give him.
I am so sorry you guys are going through this, I know it’s one of the hardest things a person must do. Best of luck to you both.

 

[bwilson2]

@pcdirectuk I agree with one of the posters above: when your friend can’t do most of what he likes, it’s probably close to time.

It’s also time to consider not just the cost of surgery, but lifestyle changes caused by his changing needs after such a surgery. It is never easy to let go of our friends. But when they don’t have a good quality of life and are actively suffering with little to no relief in sight, it is time to let them cross the bridge.

 

[aybuqui]

@pcdirectuk I'm sorry, this is an awful decision to have to make. Dogs are really good at hiding pain and discomfort, odds are if he's screaming two or three times a week it's still unpleasant the rest of the time. He seems ok a lot of the time and it feels wrong to have him put to sleep when he's still enjoying a lot of life but it sounds like the bad is enough to make you doubt his current quality of life.

4k for a taxing procedure that might buy him a year or so but leave him incontinent (which will require all sorts of accommodations like frequent bathing and diapering which many dogs are very resistant to and don't enjoy at all, not to mention significant dietary changes) isn't a good option. It's easy to get caught up in doing the most and lose sight of what's best for the dog.

You can ask your vet for their honest opinion on whether this is the right time or not, but better a day too soon than a day too late.

Edit: minor tweaks

 

[pcdirectuk]

@aybuqui I think you spoke my feelings here. We get swept away by not doing more like raising funds or other alternatives (which we’ve tried), and forget how hard post surgery life would be for us all. Honestly you’ve helped us a lot with this comment. Appreciate you and blessings