There seems to be a huge leap forward in the recent diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases which now mirror human medicine. I care for my Labrador dearly and would seek and be prepared to pay for the best treatment available, including hip replacement surgery However, due to their limited lifespan and intellect I would draw the line under such procedures as chemo/radio therapy and amputations involving a prosthesis such as peg leg and ball. What are your views and where would you draw the line ?
What a loaded question I think its always down to the individual owner , the age of the dog and the general health of the dog . I also think that none of us know how we would react in certain circumstances , until they happen of course and then, maybe ideals that we had held on to might fly out of the window . I have lost a dog to cancer of the liver and one to a brain tumour , both within a few months of one another , nothing could be done for either of them apart from drugs to prolong the inevitable, which I thought was not a fair thing to do . One thing I am pretty certain about , is that I would not have wheels fitted to the back end of either of my dogs . As I said, its a loaded question and one that we all have our own thoughts on , for me quality of life should always come before quantity , just my view .
Oh wow! I don't know how far I would go for Juno, dealing with Elbow Dysplasia has been bad enough. Depending upon the situation I would not necessarily rule out chemo/radio therapy where the prognosis for quality of life is good. I guess that is also true then for a prosthesis as well based upon the same requirement for quality of life. In my heart of hearts any or all treatment would have to be for the benefit of Juno, not just to prolong life because I couldn't part with her - now I'm going for a cry at the thought of losing her at some point in the future
That's a tough one! As Kate said the answer strongly depends on the actual situation. I'd say i'd do anything no matter how much it costs as far as there is a real chance for either full recovery or at least a few more painfree and happy years for my dog. I guess i won't do anything that simply delays the inevitable(like its sadly done in human medicine) just to let the dog meander along a few more days without feeling comfy or happy and with no chance to be his actual self.
I am very much a believer in Quality of Life trumps Quantity. And I am afraid that goes for humans as well as animals. That may be a bit of a bald statement, but means each individual case needs to be taken on merit. If push came to shove, would that still apply if things became very personal? I think so, but thankfully that hasn't been tested. I would weigh up the pros and cons, look at the research, talk to experts, balance risks, then go with my gut feeling (why change the habits of a lifetime......)
I've spent a fair amount of time in dog hospitals, dog rehab centres and at orthopedic vets - and pretty much seen it all (or quite a lot, anyway). What I think is I won't judge. I've spoken to a lot of owners, with dogs undergoing all sorts of procedures. They are often anguished and agonise over the decisions they have to make. I was once stupid enough to pass comment on a dog going through chemo - along the lines of "is it worth it?". The vet, quite rightly, calmly and politely told me I had no idea about that dog, those owners, and the process they went through to make their decisions. I just thank goodness I haven't had those decisions to make and wish all those owners peace and what happy days they can manage.
A neighbour has a 6 year old Doberman, that required an operation on his back. Since then, he has developed a paralysis of his back legs, and drags himself around the house, and has developed sores on the tops of his back paws. The owner has treated the sores, and exercises him with a strap around his middle, to keep his back end up. The dog needs to have water therapy, but cannot until his paws are healed - he also has a catheter. Many of us fellow morning dog walkers thought he would have had him put to sleep, but he is persevering, and the dog is responding, with some leg movement. He is certainly putting a lot of effort into his beloved dog.
I'd have to consider the likely benefit of the medical intervention and my dog's quality of life afterwards. Age and the degree of pain/discomfort to the dog from the illness versus the treatment, and their ability to handle the treatment would all very much come into it. If a treatment gave my dog only 6 more months and he spent much of that time recovering from the treatment (surgery, chemo) then it'd be a no. It'd depend entirely on the impact and likely benefit to my dog.
Oh good grief,you know how any topic about losing your dog gets me.....straight to the tissue box! Very interesting and emotive topic although I can't even bear to think about it.I know that I will research and investigate any treatment that may help with something that ailed Dexter but then as I sit and write this I hope I would weigh up all the factors ie his age,effect on him,recovery time,prognosis after treatment ....The very most important thing that I will always keep in mind is that I will never keep him going because I can't face letting him go......I'm blubbing away writing this! Anyway Dexter is going to go to forever sleep In his bed dreaming of chasing oryx after a long ,healthy life.......so I can stick my head in the desert sand and not ponder on this too deeply. Xxx
It's very, very difficult to say how you would feel if the time came along, isn't it? I wouldn't rule out anything at this point, simply because you have no idea what the precise circumstances would be. I certainly don't think it's unlikely I would agree to radio- or chemotherapy in the earlier part of a dog's life. It would be terrible for a while, but the dog could then live a full life afterwards. Friends were offered it for their 20-year old dog and they decided not to go ahead. Very wisely, I think. We all hope we can make the best decisions for the dog as circumstances arrive, but it must be terribly hard not to be influenced by your own emotions. For example - putting "wheels" on a dog. Living here, there would be no point, because they simply wouldn't be able to get around. However, if it happened early enough in the dog's life and the dog could learn to be happy with them, I think the best option for the dog would probably be to go ahead - if it was possible to have the dog adopted by someone who lived somewhere suitable. Alternatively, move myself somewhere flat. It would mean either being prepared to give up the dog I love to go and live a full life with someone else, or give up my current lifestyle in order to offer the same thing. Both terribly hard decisions but, in the right situation, I believe far better for the dog than being PTS simply because the walking trails are too narrow and lumpy here for wheels. Until the worst happens, who knows? I just hope I have the strength to put my needs and wishes aside and focus solely on what is best for my beloved dog.
As Julie said, I hope that I won't judge others.... But for myself, I hope I'd make the decision that feels right for my dog. And I think one key factor is that a dog, unlike a human, can't understand that pain and discomfort might be necessary for recovery. I think that a human might be able to cope with the misery of chemotherapy because they know the reason and they know it won't last. Would I want my pup to go through that, when he won't understand and won't be able to think about the future? I'm not sure. We just all have to hope we never have to make the decision.
