Extreme Medical Measures

[F, Calla & Luca]

I just heard about a dog who is on dialysis and it made me think about the ethical , financial and other issues involved. I think that medications, special diets, health restoring surgery and other interventions that allow dogs to live pain free and comfortable lives are unquestionably reasonable. Is it reasonable to subject a dog to dialysis, which I think must be very frightening to the dog. There is no hope for cure in chronic kidney failure, but I can see the use of this kind of procedure for acute renal failure, e.g. from ingestion of a toxin or medication, which might just allow the dog to return to good health. I also wonder what sacrifices many families would have to make to afford the time and money involved in such treatment.

[Kathy Wilson]

I lost my beloved Benny the tonkinese cat to kidney failure at 11 years of age. I wouldn't dream of putting him through dialysis. It was tough enough on him to be in the hospital for 7 days and I hate myself to this day for doing that to him. I have no problem doing whatever I can to get the vet to make them well, but if it's just maintenance that causes them even more pain and fear, then I'm going to make the tough decision to let them go.....for their sake, not mine. My 19 year old spent the day at the vet's yesterday getting a check up and his kidneys are not so good. Normal is 36, in May the test was 46 and now it's 106.....not good, so he must go for fluids every other day rather than twice a week. Good thing is he still has an appetite, still fights us when we medicate him and still demands our laps loudly. When the sad day arrives that his life is painful, I will sob buckets of tears and hold him while he drifts off to the rainbow bridge. Makes me tear up just thinking about it and selfishly I hope it's not soon. Sorry, alot of words to give my two cents.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Sorry to hear about your 19 year old but it sound like you're doing all you can to maintain him comfortably.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Maggie, our Bearded Collie, was diagnosed at a year of age with Addison's Disease. That was 20 years ago. We were able to keep her healthy with only a handful of Addisonian episodes over 12 years. At the age of 13, I knew something was wrong. Of course it was a weekend. I took her to the ER hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ. It cost me $1500 back then and there was never a second thought about if I would spend it. Of course I did. They kept her over the weekend and ran a bunch of tests which showed she was bleeding into her belly. They wanted to do exploratory surgery to find out from where but I would not allow that! Until that weekend she was a happy phenominal dog and I refused to put her through an exploratory procedure. At her age, her recovery from the surgery would have been very difficult and that was just not fair to her. If they could have told me that there was a good chance they could save her and she would recover I would have done it but they couldn't. They gave me a choice but they couldn't give me hope.
I would have loved to have had her with me for longer but that was for me, not Maggie.I brought her home on Sunday and we had a lovely evening. I don't think I slept much - I just layed with Maggie and soaked in her love for me . I know she knew just how much I loved her!
Monday morning I took her to the vet. I stayed with her as she went to sleep in my arms - loved until the end. The vet told me that she would have not survived another day and she would have been in alot of pain.
That was 8 years ago and as I write this the tears are streaming down my cheeks. Losing a loved one - whether human or furry - is devasting and I believe that anyone who allows their dog to live in pain is not doing for the dog, they are doing it for themself.

[Denice Caouette]

My Mariah (German Shepherd) was 16 when she passed over the Rainbow Bridge. She was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia when she was about 11 or 12 and the doctor put her on Rimadyl when she was about 14. At the same time we did xrays of her hips and found that she had NO hip sockets...at all...but was still walking fine, other than a little stiffness. The doctor said that surgery really was not an option, no guarantees, but assured me that she was not in pain and that " she would let me know when she was in pain and could not go on!" 2 years later when she was 16 I woke up to find her laying next to my bed crying because she could not walk to go out to potty. She had still been using the doggy door the day before, never had an accident. I had to carry her outside and hold her bottom so she could go.. Just as the vet had said, she told me that it was time. The look in her eyes was one of pure love and trust and I had to let her go, for her sake. I held her as she closed her eyes and took her last breath.That was 6 years ago and I too am sitting here with tears running down my face remembering the love and happiness that we shared. I think that we can and should do anything we can to help our beloved pets to an extent..but to keep them alive and in pain through artificial means is, I believe, very irresponsible and selfish,

[Adina P]

I work in a dialysis clinic...it's not something I would ever put a dog through long term. I suppose if it were a temporary one time thing...sure. But humans have a hard enough time with it and they understand it...wouldn't do it to a dog. Special diet, limited fluid intake...not way.

As to other measures...I think I would take most reasonable measures that I could afford. But it all depends on what the prognosis was.

Our 14 y.o. border collie was diagnosed with bone cancer a year ago. Average life expectancy is 3 months from diagnosis. Since she's still alive and going strong the diagnosis was retracted. But when we thought she only had a brief time there was the option of amputating the whole leg and/or chemo/radiation. She would have gone wayy downhill as her front paws had the supposed cancer and her back legs are arthritic and weak. She would not have been able to hold herself up...not to mention the side effects of chemo on a senior. So we chose nothing. Thank goodness as she's FINE. But every situation is different.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Did she have a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis? I don't think they could be sure without that. Rex, the standard poodle, had a bone biopsy. I was totally unprepared for how debilitating it was. He jumped into the car when I went to get him totally startling the vet tech, who clearly did not think he'd be able to but he just wanted to get away. Then when I managed to get him home he laid on the front lawn and would/could not come up the few steps into the house. Only after I pleaded with him--it was cold and snowy out--did he manage , with help--to will himself inside. The next 2 days were awful. I slept on the couch next to him to pet him when he cried and we both were exhausted. I was very upset that it seemed to be a significantly more difficult procedure than for people and wished I had been better informed. Also, had I known beforehand, which I could not have, that the bone metastases showed an untreatable cancer, I would never have put Rex through the biopsy. Although I thought the vet was competent, I take the doodles to another vet, unfortunately further away, who relates better and answers questions readily and will give honest opinions.

[Adina P]

No biopsy...merely xrays. Basically she had a hard lump one one foot and then the other. Xrays showed abnormal bone growth and we didn't really want to take her to some major vet place hours away for 2nd opinion because we weren't going to treat--too poor a prognosis either way. If treatment had been something worth considering then a 2nd opinion or biopsy would have made sense. But a few months into it I really truly didn't believe the dx.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Why did I not see these new topics on the front page???? I hate that I missed all this.

I have to agree that I would not keep my dog alive at all costs...including cost to her quality of life. Heck I wish euthansia was legal for humans. There are so many rotten diseases that are inhumane, terrible suffering, and then people die. Most vets would implore you to let the dog go. But not us humans - we have to suffer (another debate altogether, I know.) I would draw the line with my pets on a "no hope" basis. If they can go without suffering this is a good thing in my opinion.

[F, Calla & Luca]

sorry you missed this but better late than never. It doesn't seem like there was much debate though. Everyone is in agreement!