[raff]

Hello again all. I had been posting here last year and since then have had few problems, (only one really), with our dog and have only looked at the forums and not posted for some time now. So I again return to ask you all for your help which had helped us so much in the past.

After a number of visits to the vets weeks and weeks of rest and anti inflamitory tablets the vet has discovered our 15 month old Staffordshire Terrier is not well. We had to push the vet to xray Hassels hind legs and it has shown that he has Hip Dysplasia , both his knee caps keep 'popping out' and he has problems with cruciate ligaments.

The up shot of this is that we have been advised to have him put down. As he is an adored family pet we want to put this off as long as possible, but at the same time we do not want him to suffer. To us (inexperienced owners) he does not appear in much pain. He does limp at times, and his hind looks out of joint at times, but when you take out his lead for a walk he gets really excited and when he gets off the lead he loves to run, does not spell pain to me!

Anyway what I am asking here is am I being cruel? I know thatg eventually this will have to happen, but at what stage do we do it? How can we tell if the pain is too much or should we not wait untill that time.

 

[yungster]

:crybaby: I'm really sorry. If it were me, I think I would wait until he showed some signs of distress. When he appears to be in pain and not really enjoying the things he used to.

I don't know the right answer though... I am just so sorry that you are faced with this.

 

[Bustersmommy]

OMG, I am sooooooo sorry to hear this.What you must be going through I cant even imagine.
You know your dog best,when it is happy ,sad,not feeling well and the same goes with pain.You'll know when it is time.
My heart goes out to you and your family.

 

[attitude]

this is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make. believe me i know i had to make it myself less that 6 months ago.
even tho it doesn't seem like it , your dog is in pain and if he limps, sometimes, it is an indicator of that pain. as hard as it is you need to say your goodbyes and help your friend go to a place where he will feel no pain.
i am so sorry

 

[Family of 5]

That's a tough one but one that your vet knows best. I feel for you, your family and your dog as well. If you want my opinion......your pet will let you know when it's time but you have to decide if you want to wait and let him make the decision for you. It's a tough one and one I'm sure we all have worries about.

Good Luck to you!

 

[augrad]

Your baby will let you know when it's time. Just consider quality of life. When he no longer enjoys doing the things he used to love, then it's time. I'm so sorry.

 

[Pitchic27]

I don't know about your staffy but my Amstaff shows no visable signs of pain or discomfort EVER. So I would probably put her down sooner than later if I had to. By the time she was showing pain - it would be excruciating, I don't think that is signs of a good owner to keep her like that. We had an early-on scare with elbow dysplasia and I can feel it because I went through the whole thought process on what/ when to do it. I would go for sooner that later, for their comfort.

 

[gazar]

it has shown that he has Hip Dysplasia , both his knee caps keep 'popping out' and he has problems with cruciate ligaments.

If it were just the Hip Dysplasia I would say to keep him dosed with asprin or an anti-inflammatory
pain med from your vet but with the knee caps popping out this is going to cause him some very painful problems. With the Dysplasia he would limp or walk slowly until he could not walk but he will not be able to walk at all with knee caps popping out. I do not know of any way to brace them in, if someone else does than this may help. Otherwise, I believe you do need to start making emotional preperations so that he is not in misery. I am sorry this is happening, but I am sure you will know when to make that decision.

 

[Blockhead]

REALLY SORRY. Sounds sad i couldn't imagine losing my current dog.

 

[raff]

Thanks all for taking the time out to post. I have to say even though I try and blind myself to it he obviously is in some discomfort as he limps at times, I just wish there was a way to quantify his pain, I mean he still seems to enjoy his walks but limps during them (as well as runs!). I have noticed him licking at his legs quite a bit recently, which he never really done much and am wondering is this a sign of increasing pain. Keep coming with your thoughts and views as they all help me try to make sense and work out the right thing to do.

 

[Chynasmom]

Yes, licking at his legs may be an indication that they're bothering him. It's particularly hard with bully breeds - they are SOOOO very stoic and will resist giving any indication of pain (especially when there are walkies to be had!). So keep a close eye for anything that seems odd, even if it doesn't seem like "pain".

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's so terribly hard.

 

[gazar]

Even though he wants to go for his walks, they agitate the problem. At this point he needs to stay off the legs as much as possible. If it were me, I would limit his outside time to just using
the potty, unless he can sit down beside you while you are outside, such as sitting in a lawn. chair. Licking his legs does mean they are bothering him and he is trying to comfort them. You must remember that the pain comes when he puts weight onto them. These are bones and joints that cannot hold his weight. If he is laying down most of the time, he will be in less pain.

He also needs to be taking some kind of Glucosamine /Chondroitin tablet for the joints.
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/alttherapies/glucosamine.asp
Can be purchansed over the counter in Walmart or other type stores in the drug area. He also either needs one asprin twice a day or some other kind of pain med from the vet. If you notice that either of these bother his stomach, you may give him an over the counter Zantac 2 hours before the other. I find that giving these meds with and in a spoon full of plain yogurt seems to help, both the digestion and the swallowing. Good luck and give him extra hugs.

 

[raff]

OK today was a BAD day. We took Hassel to the vet and had him put to sleep, :angel5: . It had been something we had been avoiding but after taking a good long honest look as to why we were keeping him about the answer was for our own selfish needs.

It was the most heart breaking thing I have ever had to do, but at least he has no more pain. There were plenty of clues as to how sore he was but we just couldn't/wouldn't see them.

It was all over in seconds and he went without even a wimper, I had to beat a hasty retreat after it was done.

Anyway I would just like to thank ALL of you who had offered advice and support. And as for the time we had Hassel and I had been visiting this forum, especially in the begining, I have learned a hell of a lot about bulldogs and am quite proud I had one (even if it was for a short time). I had believed the media crap about the breed prior to having Hassel and talking with people here.

Once again Go raibh maith agat (Thank you all), and maybe in the future I will again have the chance to own such a special type of dog and talk with you again.

Bye

 

[Erica]

 

[snarky]

 

[Beetle]

I really think you did the right thing. I went through the same thing with my boxer, and he suffered for months with all the stuff we put him through to extend his life a little. Looking back, I wish we would have been strong enough to put him down earlier so he wouldn't have suffered so much.

 

[yungster]

I got a huge lump in my throat as I read this... I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say.

 

[gazar]

One of the hardest things we have to do, is have one of our "family pet members" put to sleep.
I want you to know that as hard as it is you did what was best for him and that is what we have to do and that is what makes you a great pet owner. You will have a grieving period and during this time if you feel the need to talk with us, please do so. Don't feel that you have to leave just when you may need us most. We have people who have stayed until they have added another pup and then they started sharing those stories. Take care and I will say a little prayer for Hassel. Write us in the General column and we will see it. Pat

 

[yungster]

Thinking of you, hope you're coping well.