Could really use some advice (quality of life questions)
Submitted by H82WRK on May 18, 2010 - 4:24pmHi all,
Oliver and I have been a part of this board since 2005, we've always been in the background but never heavy posters.
I am at a point in Oliver's life where I am lost as to what to do and could really use some advice.
He is 7 years old, we got him when he was 16 months old from the breeder.
He was not socialized and was kenneled up until the date we brought him home.
We've had our challenges along the way, obviously house training was a challenge we replaced the carpet in our house twice before we realized that Pergo was the way to go! Oliver was diagnosed with dry eye/slight entropian, 2 cherry eyes and the wonderful staph infections and IDCs that come with owning a bullie.
Oliver currently is overweight by roughly 5 pounds, he receives 3 eye meds at least twice per day plus Refresh drops all day for his eyes. With my and my husband's work schedule we do meds in the AM and PM and refresh as much as possible when we are home. Our recent bout with staph has been overcome, seems that blow drying Ollie after baths has really helped. His ears are are kinda of yeasty right now but we are working on that, his sight is probably gone in one eye and slight in the other. I am afraid his hearing is also going. Oliver sees his regular vet and an opthamologist for his eyes. The vet is experienced with the bulldog breed.
Within the past month Oliver has developed some bad potty habits, he was peeing on his bedding or any other soft item when he slept making for a messy bullie and an even stinkier house! We started watching his water intake and increasing his bathroom habits, even tried taking the bedding away (that did not work he just peed on himself) to no avail.
I scheduled an appt. with the vet for blood work and a urine test so we can see if there is an underlying cause, but what if there is and what if there is not? Seems like I am screwed both ways as I am really questioning Oliver's quality of life. As both my husband and I work full time Oliver is left to lay in his own urine until we get home to wash him and his bedding up. We've tried setting up the laundry room so he is not trapped in a crate and can choose to lay in a different area if he has an accident but he still lays in the pee soaked towels. And I mean SOAKED, not little marking type pees, full out bladder release. We obviously can't leave him out in the house, the mess would not be containable. He can't see and can't hear well we have to herd him with our legs to get him to go outside or go anywhere in the house.
What do I do? I have to work to pay these bills but that means I can't be home to clean him up and how much more can go wrong with him we are stretched to the max. with the eye medication cost and upkeep and this is just really stressing me out, I am worried about him and it seems all I do is clean up pee and wash Oliver. I am so stressed! And I can't stand having Oliver live in the laundry room. I just don't know what to do and am lost. Mentally Oliver is there but physically he is just not that healthy.
I've taken on every challenge with Oliver and always felt that we had a solution, this time I am tapped out, I don't know what to do and I don't know how much more I can take. I spend more time caring for Oliver than I do for myself now a days and it is taking it's toll.
I dunno, if anybody is out there I would love to hear from you.
I have an Oliver too...
There is a reason that he can't hold his urine. I hope your vet can find out what is wrong, it could be a uti or any number of things and there are lots of medications to help. It's always possible that's he's developing diabetes, my son's lab became incontinent when he became diabetic. Hopefully, your vet can find a cause for this. If he's crated, maybe you could get an exercise pen (they have them at Petsmart and Petco) so he would have some room to move away from his soiled bedding while you're not home. I know how frustrating it is, we had a boy on chemo who would have accidents and it's hard to deal with. Keep us posted as to what develops.
well here is my take....
old age is burden if were dogs or humans...sorry i would not throw my grandma away becasue she needs depends.....i have two spina bifida dogs so i know all about washing them every day from pee...or them smelling like pee....or my car or my house smelling like pee.... i know some times i throw my arms up in the air and ask myself why the hell i did this.....then i get a big smooch or i get the wind knocked out of my becasue someone has decided to lay on my chest....
No one can answer your question...no one can ease the work.....me i would do everything i could for my friend....but this is your life...i have never given up on a dog till they would no longer eat then i made my decision....you have a hard one ..... make sure he does not have a bladder or urine infection...get some ppa from the vet that helps tighten the bladder....but you and you alone have to decide where you and oliver go....
My vet told me there is a medication you can give them...
To control peeing, although it isn't cheap. We had a 16 and a 7 year old dachshund who both had bladder control problems (the 7 year old had back surgery). We were fortunate to have hard wood floors and I just had to clean the floors and the bedding very frequently.
Do you have the space to attach an ex-pen to his crate and put down some pee pads or newspaper, so he has a place to pee other than his bed.
Good luck!
Agree with Judy 100%
I am in it for the long haul. Until the dog is suffering or in pain.
I agree with the others post but also
Have his thyroid tested and check for cushing as well as kidney and liver. Something medically which can be treated with medication may help with his problem. Do you have pet insurance we didn't and I wish we had. I know it can put a strain on you and your finances. Let us know how you make out. I will keep him in my prayers.
Jo Ann
I agree with the others
he needs a vet check but also, is he taking any medications?
Lynn King CPDT-KA
Hang in there....
I don't have any actual advice to give...the other posters are much more knowledgable on the bulldog breed than I am but I wanted to send some moral support your way. You clearly love your bullie dearly and are such a devoted "mama." I hope the vet can help you make the right decision for your baby.
Thank you,
I do love Oliver even though he probably could care less about me! LOL!
More information
Just so everyone knows Oliver is set up in our laundry room, he has his crate in there as well as his SleepNumber bed. The crate door is left open so he can come out, lay on his bed or lay on the floor or lay in his crate. I was hoping that this would allow him some space to "get away" if he had an accident. Problem is though, he lays in the accident. In addition this is not an otherwise healthy "old" dog. He is almost blind, deaf, has horrible skin flare ups and no longer seems to get any enjoyment out of life, he refuses walks and really all he wants to do is sleep. I have to herd him outside to use the restroom. Not that this is an issue! My 13 year old golden did some of the same things as he aged minus the accidents, that's a part of life. It's just that with the onset of these bladder issues that make me really question is this fair for Ollie? I mean how many more problems can one poor dog have? And maybe I internalize things too much but I think if this was me would I be happy, heck no! I wouldn't want to lay in my own pee all day!
Let me explain a little more about Oliver, he is an odd dog. I think many of his problem stem from the fact that his breeder kept him in a concrete kennel for the first16 months of his life, they did not socialize him to the environment, other people or other animals. Knowing what I know now I would have never purchased from this breeder. This caused a lot of problems that over the last 5 to 6 years we've been able to work with somewhat. Oliver still does not know how to play, has no social skills with other canines and has a tendency to mark his bedding. Those things have been minor issues, clean the bedding, clean Oliver move on. Now the accidents are much more severe in nature and he does not have the common sense to not lay in the mess. It is creating almost like bed sores on his belly which I am treating but it almost feels like a loosing battle.
Oliver is also not the most rewarding dog to take care of, not sure if any of you have had a dog like this but they are just there, not really a part of things, he is fine with that but it makes it hard on the human sometimes because it is not a very rewarding relationship. It also makes it very hard to judge his level of "enjoyment" with life. My golden was very interactive and I knew when he lost interest in the "fun" things that his health was declining. How do you tell on a dog that has never done anything to begin with?
I don't know too many people who would go to the lengths that I have for Oliver, I think that the cost of his eye meds alone would deter most people. I will do anything for my animals even putting aside my own health issues so I don't want people to think that I am just deciding to "not put up with an old dog". That's almost cruel considering the time and devotion I have placed in Oliver to suggest that. But I am entitled to be stressed with this, wouldn't you be knowing that your dog is getting older and no matter what you do you can't seem to stop or fix things anymore? If you aren't god bless you because you are a saint! :) I have to work and unfrotunately have a job with an extremely high stress level, I have went through two major life changing surgeries myself within the past 60 days. I am started to get strapped for money, time and patience. And I am sorry but I don't want to live in a house where everytime I turn around I am stepping in pee, si I have to put him in the laundry room during the day and at night. I think that is just normal, life can be overwhelming. I just don't know what else to do, we are headed to the vet tonight so I hope he can provide some insight. Maybe diapers are an option if there is not sometimg wrong with his health? I almost WISH we find something wrong so there is at least an asnwer and more solutions to try.
Oliver eats Nutro Natural, has always done well on it, my frenchie eats Orijen I have thought to switch him to that formula although I don't see that fixing the peeing! He currently gets the following supps; zinc, melotonin, vit e, fish oil, flaxseed oil, eye meds are as follows; cyclosporine, tacro ointment, neo-poly dex drops, refresh. We were using Maleseb for his skin (staph issues) and that really kept things under control but with that off the market we having been trying different things haven't really found a strong replacement.
Thanks for the kind words to those who replied. Hopefully this extra information helps everyone understand a little more where I am coming from.
It kind of sounds as though
You've made your decision and are now looking for justification? I had an old blind deaf incontinent dog that I found, so I can relate (somewhat) to what you've been going thru. Bottom line - it's your decision to make. None of us live your life or care for Oliver.
One step at a time. You've already decided to go to the vet with this latest issue. Because of the abdominal sores, I would suggest looking into those rubber mats for the tub or kitchen floor with drainage holes. Maybe Oliver could lay on those in his crate (you may have to double or triple the mats to keep him out of the wet).
I also wouldn't feel too badly about "caging" him in a crate. Dogs are den animals.
Good luck with this difficult situation.
Olivia
Thank you Rotti girl
I know of the pads that you are talking about they actually sell them here at Harbor Freight, that is an excellent idea for keeping him cleaner throughout the day/night!
i dont judge people and i dont judge you ...but.....
i cannot be a part of your decision....i will not say yes oliver is old blind deaf difficult so off he goes!!!!! sorry that will not happen i have had several old rescues come to my home because of the resons your talking about.....i own my own business and can be away from the house for 10 or more hrs....i am on feet (as a groomer) all day i hired a sittier to go once or twice to my home if the dogs were not able to take the stress of coming to my shop.....
and when i got home...eye meds quick clean ups......the bottom line is if your not happy neither is oliver....if you cant give him a couple more years well thats up to you.....
no one here is going to agree with euth for oliver to many of us have rescued .. or have an older dog we did everything we could possibly do....
live with your decsion.....you know the right one....
Please get him to a vet or to a rescue
Please take him to a vet and find out what is wrong. If you can't do that please just don't give up on him. Please take him to a Bulldog Rescue. It's nice that you have other healthy dogs. But Oliver needs you to do the best thing for him and putting him to sleep becasue he has all these issuse is not fair to him. I understand this is a lot for you right now.
I'm sure you can ask on this board and someone may be able to help you with a Rescue group.
Jo Ann
Oh my gosh
I am just frustrated because I don't understand him and can't tell if this is a good life for him or not. He is going to the vet tonight, maybe people have missed that in my posts, I thought I tried to include as much information as possible but it seems that only certain portions are being read and my entire message is not getting across well. Oliver goes every 6 months to the vet unless we have an issue that requires an earlier visit. My thought tonight was to have blood work done and his urine tested as well.
I don't need advice about putting him to sleep more so looking for advice as to if this is a quality of life that is OK and trying to figure out a solution to keep him as comfortable as possible and help me keep me sane in the meantime. I would not give him to rescue why would I do that? Because we are going through a tough time? That seems a little drastic as well as putting him to sleep.
I am not sure where I said my other dogs were healthy, I just lost my 13 year old golden in October to cancer, we battled all sorts of issues through his life including a $3000 er bloat surgery. My frenchie is currently battling a staph infection not to mention all the issues I had to straighten out from getting her from rescue. I don't expect and don't have perfect dogs, I've handled Oliver's issues for almost 6 years now, why would you think that I would give up on him at this point? I am just lost as to how to best take care of him anymore because it just seems that no matter what I do something else goes wrong.
I misunderstood your post too..
it's really easy to misunderstand what someone is saying in a post. Don't take offense. After I read your post, I thought about suggesting that you consider rehoming him too. What you are asking for isn't really clear. When you ask about "quality of life" it sounds like you are thinking of putting him down.
Message boards aren't the best place to discuss a problem like this because people read into what you are saying and misunderstand. I sure got the wrong impression.
I like the saying, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you got." Maybe you should try taking him to another vet in a different office. A new set of eyes may suggest a plan of action you have not tried. 7 is very young to have all those problems.
Me too
I apologize. Keeping you in my thoughts.
I understand exactly what you are struggling with
as far as questioning the quality of life for Oliver. We just recently had to make that decision for one of our old gals. She was 13 yrs old and it had been difficult for her to move comfortably for a while. She too lost interest in normal everyday things and only wanted to sleep. One day while I was at the hospital with my daughter, (who just had a baby she was bringing back to our house), my husband called and said that the dog had fallen out of the chair and could NOT get back up again. He would lift her and she would just collapse back on the floor, her eyes were rolling she was vomiting, legs flailing, it was SO horrible to see. The ER vet said it was probably this condition, I can't remember now the name of it, that is was possibly treatable, but she would need help moving for a few months while she was recovering, if she ever did. She was a 70 pound lab mix, how was I supposed to carry her around? She couldn't even lift her head! The thought of her just lying in her own pee, helpless to move unless someone carried her, was just too much. What kind of life is that for her? She was such a sweet dog, how could I ask her to lie helpless like that for my sake?
It must be SO very hard for you since Oliver doesn't respond and interact with you, I can imagine trying to tell if he's miserable or not would be challenging. A dog should be able to get excited about something in it's day, be happy and not spend his day miserable. I hope the vet is able to give you some answers as to why he's wetting so much now. And I think that you'll 'know' when his quality of life has deteriorated to the point where it's time to let go.
Cathy and Audrey
It sounds to me like you have
It sounds to me like you have done an extraordinary job of loving and caring for this sweet senior boy. It also sounds like his deteriorating health has decreased his quality of life. I would not blame any loving owner for considering euthanasia in such a situation. You and Oliver are in my thoughts and prayers.
sometimes things here are misunderstood
you are doing all you can......what more can anyone ask.
older bullies do sleep a lot anyway. What he thinks of life is something only you can decide.
We don't know your dog, but we can listen and let you know that there are people here who understand.
Hopefully there is a new uti or something the vet will find that is fixable.
Cicero went blind suddenly, and did not like going for walks at first. He would walk touching my leg at all times.
perhaps losing his eyesite is still confusing him. He will get used to that though. It just takes a little longer with some.
Let us know what the vet says. you can use my email if you want. I think that function is still on here
at the risk of causing a riot.......
i feel oliver is worth it and i am going to speak for him. here's what it sounds like to me.....you are expending loads of energy and expense and are not getting much out of it since oliver doesnt really respond to you. my first question is why? youve had him for quite a few years, i would think you would have bonded by now. if not then maybe seek the advice of a trainer to help promote bonding. it sounds like he's just a big pain in the butt at this point and you are frazzled.
my harlow ran up bills upwards to 12,000 dollars in the first 14 months. she's had so many surgeries/procedures i'd have to sit and count. two leg surgeries were 8000 alone then came rehab. all this before she was 18 months old. you name it she's had it. i worried all the time about how long i would have her/how much she could go through. she has gone through hell and back and she is now pretty healthy we walk 3 miles a day she plays tetherball and gives the best darn kisses ever.
she is also the other half of my heart. i would do ANYTHING for her. have you heard of diapers???? lots of people with older bullies find them extremely helpful. what about a belly band??? why dont you do some googling and research what your option REALLY are. they are alot of them. there is also homopathic remedies that can help and are not that expensive.
in my opinion olivers quality of life is what YOU make of it. there are lots of ways to ease the burdens you're experiencing. you just have to have the wherewithall to make it happen.
i'm sorry if i offended anyone but i needed to speak my truth and i feel that a bullies life is at stake here.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
Well said I think I caused a roit the other day on this post
I would go to the ends of the earth for my dogs. I did with Rocky and we lost him recently. But aleast I know I gave him all the medical attention he needed and yes it was expensive $7000 in four days in emergency care. I would do it all over again if I had to. I loved him so much and he took a big part of my heart with him. I know one day I will get another bully when the time is right.
I gald you said what you did.
Jo Ann
so sorry
i am so sorry you lost your boy. i cant imagine.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
Oliver's worth was never in question
And what makes you think you can speak on behalf of an animal you know absouletly nothing about? Do you know what he's thinking? How he's feeling? What he looks forward to? What he enjoys? His mental and emotional state? How does he feel about being unable to control his bladder and lying in his own waste?
Not everyone lives in an idyllic fantasy world where every dog overcomes all the obstacles of it's early years and lives happily ever after. Dogs' personalities and temperaments are as different and diverse as people's are. Oliver has been given a very loving home for 7 years, and his way of responding to his family is making it very difficult for his owner to assess wether or not he's truly happy. Wether it's from spending the first 16 months of his life in basic isolation or his personality or a combination of both, Oliver is not a 'typical' dog. It is naive and unrealistic to assume that all dogs can bond with their owners. A bond can not be forced or willed, and perhaps Oliver is one of those dogs that isn't Disney material because he doesn't have it in him to be all wishy washy over a human. Perhaps he is indifferent to people. He is STILL loved and cared for. Now THAT'S genuine love for Oliver.
Just because someone spends the equivalent of their kid's college fund on their dog doesn't mean they love them more than someone who can not or will not. Some people claim they will do anything for their dog but in reality what they are really doing is going to whatever length they can to spare themselevs the pain of losing their dog. That is the utmost in human selfisheness.
To say that quality of life is what YOU make of it is again so naive and unrealsitic. There comes a point in EVERY dogs' life where you look at your dog and reality hits you full in the face. The point where you can no longer ignore that your dog is aging. That your dog is not enjoying things much anymore. That your dog is in pain. Uncomfortable. It is a horrible sorrow filled moment, and Oliver's owner was obvioulsy awash in that unpleasant reality when she came on here and posted and asked for some advice. She did not say she was going to euthanzie Oliver. She said she was concerned about his quality of life. That he was a challenging dog in many ways to own and care for and love. Why some people pounce on her frustration and hopelessness and ignore her sorrow and anguish is beyond me.
Oliver deserves to have his quality of life considered, just like all dogs do. No dog lives forever. We are not discussing a puppy with it's whole life ahead of him, we are discussing a dog nearing the closing of his and just how much he should be asked to endure. No one said his life should end right now, but the question of just what kind of life does he really have right now is very valid and very important.
Cathy and Audrey
i dont know who you think you
i dont know who you think you are speaking to but you need to back off.
what makes you think you can speak for him? i certainly didnt insult anyone including you. you on the other hand are throwing them out left and right. my opinion is just as important as yours. i'm sorry you cant get your point across without insulting me. believe me i do not live in some wacko fantasy world. sometimes i wish i did. i've experienced the same pain in pet ownership as most. i simply would do things differently. you know nothing about me so dont assume that you do. you might want to work on your anger issues. insulting people is not the way to go about getting your point across.
i find quite a few things odd about her postings including the fact the dog shows no emotion. that is just bizarre. i also havent heard one positive thing about him which is even more bizarre. however those are my opinions and in the end mean nothing.
do not try to read between my lines. we were NOT speaking about a dog that is in pain. i've lived through that and its ignorant of you to act like you know what my life experiences are.
in the end my concern for oliver is just as real as everyone elses who havent met him. i hope and pray whatever is decided is done with knowledge, compassion and love.
peace.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
so what did you take as a personal insult?
I am very intrigued by that, I re-read and still do not see what was a direct, personal insult against you?
You are telling ME not to read between the lines? I have anger issues? Really? You seriously need to read what YOU wrote.
you think open sores and long term eye probelms are not painful? That urine on an open sore is not painful?
And where in the world are you getting all these presumed assumtions about you? What ARE you talking about?
Cathy and Audrey
i really have no desire to
i really have no desire to get into a "my dog is bigger then your dog" contest with you. when someone says i'm living in a fantasy world, am naive and unrealistic, and they have NO idea who i am i take it as an insult. i'm sure you are a good person with strong opinions as am i.
i went back and reread all of oliver's moms post. nowhere did it say he had open sores. as far as long term eye problems, bullys are prone to eye issues we all know that. she mentioned dry and and two cherry eyes. i'm assuming that the cherries are taken care of and he is on the eye meds as stated. i dont believe that speaks to a deteriorating quality of life.
as i said before i heard nothing about how much she loves him, just how hard it is to get close to. that mentality to me speaks volumes. i believe your tolerance is completely different with a dog you are bonded with and have a good relationship with. i'm sure many of us here would agree we have no problem at all telling if our dogs are happy or not.
as jo ann stated i believe its all of our hopes that oliver is taken care of in the best way possible and has good quality of life. that cant be answered by us, only his owners and vet with hands on can truly make that decision.
i wont be posting on this topic again. i hope things go well for them and you to.
peace
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
i dont know who you think you
i dont know who you think you are speaking to but you need to back off.
what makes you think you can speak for him? i certainly didnt insult anyone including you. you on the other hand are throwing them out left and right. my opinion is just as important as yours. i'm sorry you cant get your point across without insulting me. believe me i do not live in some wacko fantasy world. sometimes i wish i did. i've experienced the same pain in pet ownership as most. i simply would do things differently. you know nothing about me so dont assume that you do. you might want to work on your anger issues. insulting people is not the way to go about getting your point across.
i find quite a few things odd about her postings including the fact the dog shows no emotion. that is just bizarre. i also havent heard one positive thing about him which is even more bizarre. however those are my opinions and in the end mean nothing.
do not try to read between my lines. we were NOT speaking about a dog that is in pain. i've lived through that and its ignorant of you to act like you know what my life experiences are.
in the end my concern for oliver is just as real as everyone elses who havent met him. i hope and pray whatever is decided is done with knowledge, compassion and love.
peace.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
at the risk of causing a riot.......
i feel oliver is worth it and i am going to speak for him. here's what it sounds like to me.....you are expending loads of energy and expense and are not getting much out of it since oliver doesnt really respond to you. my first question is why? youve had him for quite a few years, i would think you would have bonded by now. if not then maybe seek the advice of a trainer to help promote bonding. it sounds like he's just a big pain in the butt at this point and you are frazzled.
my harlow ran up bills upwards to 12,000 dollars in the first 14 months. she's had so many surgeries/procedures i'd have to sit and count. two leg surgeries were 8000 alone then came rehab. all this before she was 18 months old. you name it she's had it. i worried all the time about how long i would have her/how much she could go through. she has gone through hell and back and she is now pretty healthy we walk 3 miles a day she plays tetherball and gives the best darn kisses ever.
she is also the other half of my heart. i would do ANYTHING for her. have you heard of diapers???? lots of people with older bullies find them extremely helpful. what about a belly band??? why dont you do some googling and research what your option REALLY are. they are alot of them. there is also homopathic remedies that can help and are not that expensive.
in my opinion olivers quality of life is what YOU make of it. there are lots of ways to ease the burdens you're experiencing. you just have to have the wherewithall to make it happen.
i'm sorry if i offended anyone but i needed to speak my truth and i feel that a bullies life is at stake here.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
not sure why it dp'ed
sorry not sure why it double posted. could a mod please delete one.
thanks
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
Oliver - quality of life
Personally I think that not being housebroken is a good reason for euthanasia (and I'm not talking puppy-pee, or accidents, but not being able to hold it during a reasonable time). Some dogs don't care, others will do anything not to lay in their dirt.
Even if you are healthy yourself it is a hell of a job to keep him nice and clean, and it takes a saint not to let it know to the dog that you are angry/tired or sad that you have to clean it again.....
Going to the vet for advice is the first step. Do you have the possibility of daycare in some sort (may be a neighbour wants some company? Or a small pension is able to have him during the day?). It will take a lot of adjustment for Oliver, but it might be an option.
I think, that if I were in your shoes, I would really think about putting him to sleep. You have done so much, but sometimes it just isn't enought. I wish you lots and lots and lots of strenght making this decision.
Ineke and Zorro
Ineke
?????
are you serious???? that is the most absurd thing i've heard. putting your dog to sleep for not being housebroken???? that is an owner issue not the dogs. it takes time patience and training to housebreak a dog. would you put your grandmother to sleep if she was incontinent? there are all sorts of options other then euthanasia.
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
yes she is very serious
and what's absurd is trying to compare what happens to people at the end of their lives and what happens to dogs. It is also blatantly obvious that Ineke was talking about incontinence and not simple, human controlled housebreaking issues. There is a vast difference between the two.
How much time have you spent with elderly people forced to wear diapers and soil themselves like an infant? Have you seen their misery? Their shame and disgust that they are forced to live that way? It is horrible.
Cathy and Audrey
so am i
with all due respect, i dont believe its absurd at all. i have taken care of both my mom and my aunt in the last stages of cancer, i know what its like. and you're right its HORRIBLE. one of the worst times of my life. when you love someone you do whatever is necessary, i NEVER once thought gee i wish they would die so I dont have to change a diaper, or get into the shower with them to clean them.
what was stated in the first post wasnt about oliver's quality of life it was about hers. oliver could care less if he pees wherever, or sits in it. my boy pees on his feet all the time since he squats and doesnt hike his leg. i HAPPILY clean him. maybe she has been lucky and oliver hasnt had many health issues. my girl had horrible health issues the first 18 months and i was constantly afraid i would lose her. i would do anything for her, and that includes changing a diaper. i also have friends who spend thousands on radiation/chemo for their dogs to just prolong their life a year or two. the dogs were happy and in good spirits.
it is still my humble opinion that i would look into other options i.e., diapers, belly band, holistics etc. before i would put MY baby to sleep. i would happily change her diapers as long as she was pain free and in good spirits. GLADLY. that is my opinion and for the record, i know quite a few bully owners who have taken in fosters/rescues in just that condition to save them from they're owners not wanting to deal with it anymore.
there are people who have vastly different beliefs on this topic and i stand behind what i believe. in the end she is going to do what works for her. i would not be asking this question on a forum i would be seriously talking to my vet.
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“A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn't care if you're not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector.”
A dog will quickly turn you into a fool, but who cares? Better your dog than your boss. I'm a fool for my dog and proud of it.
It would be SO appreciated if the people who are posting take
the TIME to read, ALL of my posts. Not just pick out areas to comment on. I took a LOT of time to post up all my feelings at the current point in Oliver's life expecting that people would take the same amout of TIME and care to read my posts and my responses before drawing their own conclusions. A good starting point for you might be my 2nd response titled more information or perhaps my 3rd titled misunderstanding, in this post you will read that I am NOT putting Oliver to sleep, I am NOT sending him to rescue and I have stated 3 times that he had a vet appointment that very night! Seriously I take the time to phrase items as close as I can to my true feelings when it came to this and instead my posts get picked apart and taken out of context so others can prove whatever point it is they need to that they are pefect owners. Great, we are proud of you, now instead of spending all that time bragging about how much $ you spent take the time, really take the time to read what I am saying. I do not care to add up my expenses for the care of all my animals, that is trivial. We are here to provide our pets with the best care we can, feed them the best food we can and love them no matter how challenging they can be, we also by taking on the responsibility of these animals owe to them the decision to end their life if it becomes a life of suffering. I am an animal lover, I am an experienced pet owner, I foster for rescue, I am not some uneducated person making willy nilly decisions (again I think that if ALL my posts would have been read this is clear) I have not been a part of this board for as long as to just dispose of my pet because times are challenging. However I am also a realist and I wanted some advice as to how others in similiar situations have handled these challenges. Laying in urine can cause health problems beyond discomfort and again Oliver is a senior bulldog with other issues beyond the incontienance.
THANK YOU to all who has responded and read my posts and took the time to offer some positive words and solutions. You don't know how much that meant to me and how truly helpful and uplifting it was to read your comments. Oliver's vet visit went well we are working to track down the source. Hopefully I will have some good news to report "fingers crossed" and can help others out in the future.
So how is Oliver now?
Did the vet have any short term help until the cause can be figured out?
I too am baffled by people's complete refusal to actually READ what was written. Or they do read but only pull a fraction out of it and ignore the rest.Or maybe they will read it but refuse to acknowledge quality of life is a valid consideration.
Cathy and Audrey
You mentioned quality of life again????
I just went through the quality of life decission. It was made with professionals my vets and my self and my husband I didn't put it out there for all to give me input. When you have a sick dog take it to a vet. What was described here was something a vet should be consulted about not talked about in a way that gave many reason to question that the right think would be done for the dog.
I think we all read really well and when things are said that raises red flags when it comes to an animals wefare we react to what is presented to us to read.
I'm sorry you are still having trouble understanding that when you put something out like the poster did about Oliver you will get many different responses. You are intitled to beleive what you read to be correct for you. Others read it another way.
The main issue here is that Oliver finally went to the vet so he no longer has to put up with laying in his urine and the poster may be able to find some relief in this situation. I hope this puts this topic to rest. It would be nice to hear updates on Oliver progress. if the poster felt they wished to do that.
Jo Ann