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How long should I deal with Incontinence and continuing infections
I have a 14 1/2 yr old bichon friese. He was originally purchased as a pet for my children and now my children are all grown up. I thought one of my 4 children would want him but no one did. 3 of the 4 of them got their own "new" dog. My dog started his incontinence about a year and a half ago. It is getting progressively worse. He is wet every night, and has to be walked every 2 hours during the day and more often around and after his dinner. He also gets an infection usually about every other month -- UTIs, ear infections, skin infections, anal gland infections. Last May he had big lesions on his abdomen where I spent about $700 to get biopsies and nothing was definitive although the dermatologist said the lesions "could" be paraneoplastic indication of some type of cancer. He gave me a $15 container of prednisone which cleared up the lesions but of course made him thirsty, hungry, and extremely unpleasant. Now when the lesions recur, which is about every other month, I have to give him more prednisone. The dermatologist said I needed to go to an internal medicine doctor to get more information. I have spent about $1500 on medical for him in the last year and a half. Every morning he is wet and I have to give him a bath. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make this easier to deal with?
My dog totally loves my granddaughters. He would love to live with them. They pet him a lot when they come because they both truly love him. He loves to sit on their laps and seems sad when they leave.
Now they're getting their own puppy. A Cockapoo. They're so excited.
Now they're getting their own puppy. A Cockapoo. They're so excited.
You didn't really misread me. As I waver back and forth. I love my dog but I wish he were not incontinent and didn't have so many infections. In fact, I wish he were younger. I appreciate your response and it's good to feel that that is an option, especially if things get a lot worse. of course we all would prefer our dog die a natural death. My last dog died suddenly of Congestive Heart Failure and it was so much easier. She was a 13 1/2 yr old Shih-tzu.
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Also in reading responses I feel like there is hope with the belly band and/or the incontinence meds.
Thanks for clarifying. All of us would hope that our dogs would live a long life with excellent quality right up to the end and that one day we would wake up to find that our very elderly pet had simply passed peacefully in the night. I do think you got some good suggestions from the other posters, and I hope something works to extend your bichon's life and quality of life. Good luck.
We're all pulling for you and your dog - - -
Give us an update on what works. My current dog, a rescue, estimated to be 8 year old, West Highlands White Terrier (similar sized dog, agout 20 pounds with very short legs) doesn't have any old dog problems yet, but he is def and has the usual Westie allergies and other breed specific weaknesses. But he has one great bladder - can sleep from 9 PM to 9 AM and still not be in any hurry to go outside.
Give us an update on what works. My current dog, a rescue, estimated to be 8 year old, West Highlands White Terrier (similar sized dog, agout 20 pounds with very short legs) doesn't have any old dog problems yet, but he is def and has the usual Westie allergies and other breed specific weaknesses. But he has one great bladder - can sleep from 9 PM to 9 AM and still not be in any hurry to go outside.
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I guess we usually decide to put a dog down when it is in pain, that may also be the case. I believe there are dog gyppers (sp?) you may want to consider while you decide what to do.
We had a 12 year old Golden Retriever that had many old age problems and developed "fat pockets" - one was removed and found to have a low active cancer, I'll call it. About a year later the pocket came back and while he was able to get around (he had a stroke about two years before that and had weak rear legs, but he was able to walk and toilet by himself) still the prospect of high cost surgery and radiation treatment led to the decision to put him down. That was long ago, and still hurts as he was a great dog and a good friend. The other input was 12 years is about life expectancy for the breed.