Hi all, it's been quite some time since I've been here, but I have a decision to make and I'm looking for some input. Last fall my Rottie, Thor, was diagnosed with a degenerative nerve disease in the spine, and given 1 to 2 years to live (I don't know the name of the disease, but the vet said that he'd eventually be completely paralyzed.) The vet put him on Rimadyl, and he was fine until January of this year. At that time, the Rimadyl started ripping up his stomach, so we had him back to the vet. He then noticed a lump on Thor's back left knee, he x-ray'd it and diagnosed it as bone cancer, and gave him one to two months to live. We had him back at the vet two weeks ago, and the vet was surprised how slowly it has progressed, but it has definitely progressed, his left leg is about 3 times the size of his right. We do have the option of amputating his hind leg, and the vet said that could give us a few more months with him, but the cancer had metastisized before it was even diagnosed, so he has cancer in most organs.
I'm told that if we amputate, we can take him off most of the pain killers for now, except what is required for the original terminal disease, but I'm wondering if we'll be putting him through too much with the stay at the vet and the rehab.
Euthanizing him at this point is not even an option, as long as he's got his pain killers he's the happiest dog on earth. Earlier today I had to actually catch him and stop him from running, for fear that he'd end up banging his bad leg on something. (that foot hasn't touched the ground in weeks, but he gets around just fine.)
Anyway, if it gives him a few extra months, and alleviates some of the pain, does he deserve losing the leg? My vet said it will only take him a few days to get his balance back, since he's used to not using the leg, and he just has to get used to not having that 7 or 8 pounds on that side.
This is a whole new situation for me, of all the dogs I've ever had, I've never had one with a terminal disease, it was always just "old age." I know I'm going to lose him sooner or later, i'd prefer it be later, and I want to do all I can for him until then.
On a lighter note, I do have 4 min pins, and they used to beat the crap out of him, ever since he was diagnosed with the first illness, the most any of them do to him is curl up under his chin to sleep with him, they don't even attempt to get him to play, so anyone who thinks dogs are dumb creatures doesn't have a clue, they know a lot more than they should...
I'm told that if we amputate, we can take him off most of the pain killers for now, except what is required for the original terminal disease, but I'm wondering if we'll be putting him through too much with the stay at the vet and the rehab.
Euthanizing him at this point is not even an option, as long as he's got his pain killers he's the happiest dog on earth. Earlier today I had to actually catch him and stop him from running, for fear that he'd end up banging his bad leg on something. (that foot hasn't touched the ground in weeks, but he gets around just fine.)
Anyway, if it gives him a few extra months, and alleviates some of the pain, does he deserve losing the leg? My vet said it will only take him a few days to get his balance back, since he's used to not using the leg, and he just has to get used to not having that 7 or 8 pounds on that side.
This is a whole new situation for me, of all the dogs I've ever had, I've never had one with a terminal disease, it was always just "old age." I know I'm going to lose him sooner or later, i'd prefer it be later, and I want to do all I can for him until then.
On a lighter note, I do have 4 min pins, and they used to beat the crap out of him, ever since he was diagnosed with the first illness, the most any of them do to him is curl up under his chin to sleep with him, they don't even attempt to get him to play, so anyone who thinks dogs are dumb creatures doesn't have a clue, they know a lot more than they should...
