Please help me, when do you know when it's time??

[dani1015]

My husband and I are big dog lovers and we currently have 5 dogs.  I am posting in regards to our 11 year old boxer Julius.  Our good old boy has not been feeling well for some time and we just don't know how or when you decide it's time to let them go.  A little background on Julius...he has Cushing’s and unfortunately did not respond to the medications they used to treat him.  He also has seizures and a possible brain tumor.  A few months ago, he started having horrible diarrhea that had a little bit of blood in it.  The vet treated him with several different medications but to no avail.  Yesterday I came home from work, and if I didn't know any better, I would think something or someone was murdered in my home.  There was so much blood it was unreal.  There was some diarrhea with it so I know it came from him. He also recently has become aggressive to our other animals and it is completely unprovoked.  He appears happy most times but if you try and touch his stomach or back legs he growls as I believe he must be hurting.  The vet would like to do more tests but we are at a crossroad because the vet can't even pick him up without him snapping (again due to what I think is pain related because he was NEVER this way before).  The vet said he would have to be sedated for any type of tests including just blood work and that's a concern to the vet too because when he is sleeping he has severe seizures.  Please give me some advice on what you would do.  The vet just called me back and said he would like to try him on another medication that is very expensive.  It's not that I don't want to spend the money, but we have spent so much and nothing seems to be helping him.  We know he is sick, we know he is bleeding inside, we know he is probably hurting but when you look at him he still wags his tail, he still looks pretty, and to anyone else he does not appear sick.  Do I keep pushing for more or are we only making him suffer?  Please help us!

[lindapalm]

Isn't it amazing how you would swear that you can hear your dog barking to greet you when you come home, even though you know that shes not there anymore? I agree with you, I think my dog also had Cushings way before she was diagnosed.  Given the obvious signs, I can't understand why it takes vets so long to diagnose Cushings.

[KateTia]

Sorry!
Bottom line, don’t let them suffer.  They can’t talk and may not show signes of pain.  If you had the symptoms wouldn’t it hurt?  It is very hard to face the end.  I’m soory you are going through this.
I first wrote about Tia, my 7 ½ year old Black Lab on Dec 29, 2011.
Some details are on that date on this blog.  She had Cushing’s, poor liver, and low Thyroid, I found that out at the end of 2011.  After researching and a lot of thoughts I decided to NOT follow through with anymore tests and to not use any medicine for the Cushing’s.  Medicine is not always the right answer; it does not mean your being abusive to your animal.  
I realize she had Cushing’s for years before I found out.  I’m glad I didn’t know about it.  Tia had to be put down April 26.  She had a bad infection on her elbow that antibiotics were not curing due to her destroyed immune system.  She never showed any signs of pain, I even asked my friends to tell me if they thought she was hurting.  I was afraid I would be in denial and not recognize her pain.  Do Not let your dog suffer.  In the end she started throwing up horribly and it wouldn’t stop, that was the deciding factor.
Tia was fun and wonderful to the very end of her life.  She even went on a road trip the weekend before and she was very happy.   Enjoy and love your pet!  It hurts like hell and my brain is constantly reliving daily thoughts of Tia.  When I’m out I get powerful urges that tell me to “go home to Tia, she needs you”.  I wake up and she is not next to my bed, there for me to pet.  She is not bugging me to eat at 5pm.  She is not behind the door when I enter the house……It has been 2 weeks and it goes on all day.  I have had a lot of support from friends and family, and have gone on 2 small trips to get away from the house.  I miss my dog.  
It’s very hard to go through but I will get another dog someday.  Don’t let a miserable end destroy another great relationship you could have.  

[dani1015]

Thank you for your reply. You are right, if we could get the bleeding and diarrhea under control I think things would be better. The vet has tried him on numerous antibiotics for possible GI infections and they did not work. He has been tested for parastites and worms as well and everything is negative. We also tried resting his gut as its called and no results from that either.  Based on his history and symptoms the vet truly feels it is a tumor of some sort in his colon or intestines. However we did talk to him again today and although very costly, we are going to try and treat him for possible colitis. The vet has told us before that we really need to think about what we want to do. We haven't been ready to let go. We are going to try this one last treatment and hope for the best. Thanks again for your replies!!!

[ginger899]

I really feel for you from the bottom of my heart. You would give everything to help him, and so far nothing seems to be helping. It really does seem like it may be time to let him go....
But....
What exactly did the vet say is causing this terrible bloody diarrhea? I have a feeling if this was gone, you could cope with the rest?? Am I right? I think the dreadful upset gut is worrying you more than the other symptoms.
Cushing's can lay the immune system open to catching infections, so I'm wondering if he has a GI infection going on? Or could it be a reaction to any medication he is taking?
Have you tried the usual home treatment for bad diarrhea? Fasting 24 hours with just water, to allow the GI tract to completely rest, and any broken blood vessels to heal, then plain boiled rice, gradually introducing something very plain and easily digestible such as boiled chicken or white fish. This mght just help the gut lining to heal.

I know your boy has big health issues going on, but it is possible this simple approach might just help this particular symptom.....

I can understand his aggressiveness. I can't blame him. He feels rough and doesn't want to be poked, prodded, lifted, needles stuck in him. The vet's is a pretty negative scary experience for many dogs, and many are pushed to their limits there.
He won't like it.....you may feel you are making him feel worse -adding insult to injury - but he could wear a soft muzzle while the vet takes bloods or runs tests. And make sure there are always three people to restrain him. Although it sounds mean, especially as he isn't well, and you don't want to hurt or upset him more....I find that very often, once a scared dog at the vet's is held quite firmly like that, and it realizes there IS no fighting back or squirming away, it very often relaxes and gives up the fight. Mine is lke that. I always make sure there are 3 of us to hold her still. She's not a "snapper" but a dreadful wriggler. While she can wriggle, she panics herself. Once she can't wriggle, she relaxes.

But if the diarrhea and bleeding could be brought under control, it might be worth trying the new treatment. Okay, it might not work, but it's maybe worth a shot at it. That is, if you can cope with the extra expense.

But I would say the first thing to deal with is the bleeding and diarrhea if at all possible.

[Chreey]

I have 3 dogs myself. Last june i had 4 until my husky my first dog passed away. Its hard to lose a pet. i have had one dog put to sleep she had a shunt in her liver and every time she ate it would cause seizures. She had lost function of her back leg. There was nothing we could do the surgery was thousands of dollars. but if i had it i would surely paid for it. Even with our family calling us crazy. If you can afford it try another medication. If you have a good vet and trust them they would tell you when its time to put him down when theres nothing more that can be done. The only way i would ever put an animal down again is if they couldn't be themselves anymore walk eat play act like a puppy. Im sure then aggresivness is from the pain. Do they have him on pain meds if so maybe try a different one to give some comfort. Im not familair with cushings.