How do I know if he is suffering.?

[bearsmomma]

Bear hasn't eaten anything since last night.  He has only eaten 2 x in 5 days.  He is still getting up and going to the bathroom, but he wont come in the house.  He keeps going out of the garage and going outside and laying in the snow.  So I guess he has gotten a little worse since my last post earlier.  I can't stand seeing him starve.  How long can he go like this?  How do I know if he is suffering?  He is till very affectionate and wagging his tail.

[Misfits4Me]

I'm SOOOOO sorry for your loss...I'm praying for you and your family......Sincerely, Karla

[bearsmomma]

Thanks everyone and you're right about knowing when it's time.  I think it's time.  We're not even going to wait for the bloodwork results.  It's only going to show us what we already know.  

What a change in Bear even from yesterday.  He is having a hard time walking now.  My husband just had to carry his beloved best friend outside because Bear couldn't make it on his own.  He stood up and walked to the door I'm sure because he had to go pee, but couldn't make the step down and almost fell.  Now that he is out there he can't even stand up long enough.  He's not drinking very much water at all now.

Why does it have to be Sunday?  I have a call into the vet and I am waiting for a reply.  I'm going to tell him we've made  the decision to let him go now.  The ve


Just as I was typing this my husband came in to get a coat and went back out to be with Bear and he was having some sort of attack and then just quit and went limp.  He's gone...I can't believe our Bear is gone.  We weren't even out there with him.  My husband feels so guilty, but he thinks Bear was waiting for him to leave.  Thats probably why he wanted outside... he knew it was time.  

Yesterday it seemed like he would be okay till we got the bloodwork back and then we would know what to do.  Then today...what a drastic change.  It was so fast.  He was just in here 20 minutes ago and could still wag his tail at me  now he is gone.

I can't believe he is gone!  We live way out of town and I have always felt safe with Bear here.  Who is going to chase the bears out of the yard and the deer out of the garden?  No one was allowed to walk into our yard or up our driveway.  They could drive up the driveway and then he would decide if he would let you out or not.  I'll never forget the time the pizza guy came to the front door.  Bear new that anyone that knew us used the garage door.  I heard Bear barking and the pizza guy screeming "Help!  He is going to eat me!" lol  that was so funny.

I have two smaller dogs and two cats still and I cannot bear the thought of going through this again.  After their gone I'm never getting any more animals.  I just can't take this.  My heart is breaking.  I feel like I'm going to throw up.

Bear was mostly my husbands dog and Bear loved him like crazy.  I've seen my husband cry 3 times and we've been together since the 7th grade. (We're now 38).  Once when his grandma died, once when his mother died, and now with Bear.

I'm glad Bear went on his own, but in a way I feel like we waited too long.  He didn't seem like he was suffering yesterday.  I just feel so quilty because he must of been today.  Yesterday seemed too soon and today was too late.  

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for Bear.

[katew888]

He sounds sweet :)  You'll know when it's time.  You know your dog well enough to know  when the suffering is too much.  Daisy's oncologist told me that "dogs are put here to to shower us with affection, and when it's too much for them to do that, it's time to let them go."  As soon as it becomes too much of an effort for him to please you, then it's time.

Daisy had adenocarcinoma, a very fast acting and ravenous cancer; we believe she probably began developing it 90+ days before she got sick.  One day she wouldn't eat breakfast, so I rushed her to the vet where it took a week to diagnose.  She went downhill very rapidly after that and 3 weeks later we let her go.  I'm glad I didn't know about it until the end.  And she didn't go in vain; as a result, we've since rescued and adopted 3 more dogs :)

Please let us know the results of the bloodwork.  My fingers are crossed.

[bearsmomma]

I know he senses that I'm sad but I think he was trying to make me feel better because the 2 times that he has eaten something was when I was crying and asking him to please eat it.  I just keep hoping he'll get better.  I don't want to make a decision if there is any hope.  I don't want to have to make a decision for him I just want him to go peacefully in his sleep.  His bloodwork results wont be back till Tue.  I keep thinking maybe the results will give us some hope and maybe its not as bad I fear.  But Tuesday seems so far away especially if Bear wont eat anything.

Katew888...Sorry to hear about your lab.  Bear is lab/rot mix.  Did she die from the cancer or something else as a result of the cancer?

[katew888]

I made this decision this exact day last year with my 3 yr old lab who had cancer.  She probably had another "ok" month left, but I opted to let her go while she still had a little spark in her eye; the thought of ever seeing her without it killed me.  

My only regret is being so open with my sadness and crying around her so much.  She sensed what I was about to do and I will never make that mistake again.  No matter how hard it is, stay positive and cheery around your dog until the last second.  Never let them go while they can sense your fright and sadness.

Good luck.  It is very difficult and you are in my thoughts.

[peekawho]

We had a situation a few years ago, with our dog dying from heart failure.  I wanted him to be put down (it was irreversible and advanced) and my husband didn't.  This was his dog, his decision.
I watched our beloved dog drown in his own lung fluids.  It took a week for him to die a slow and agonizing death, minute by minute, drowning and starved for oxygen.  

When you look at him with more sorrow that he is alive, than if he passed away gently and kindly, its time.