Moviedust
Well-known member
I'm not sure where to put a post like this. My parents lab/shepherd mix named Faith is not well. She's almost 13 years old, and we got her from a shelter when she was just a puppy. She has issues associated with old age for a few years now: cataracts, arthritis, and hearing loss. Earlier this year, we noticed a tumor growing outside her anus under her tail. After talking to the vet who said that surgery to remove the tumor would not really be feasible (it would most likely mess up her muscle control of her anus) and at her age and health, my mother decided to give Faith the fall. The vet said that the winter would be very hard for her. She didn't seem to be bothered by the tumor, and she was still getting around, getting into trouble, and has a decent qualify of life for an elderly dog.
Anyway, this morning I found an email from my mom. Over the fall, the tumor had grown quite large. This morning, she noticed that it was bleeding. My mom called the vet, and he said the fluid is probably building up so much pressure, it is perforating the skin. I assume this must be very painful for Faith, but Mom said she wasn't whining or licking. If it is painful, it isn't so much that she's not handling it. So my mom had my brother hold Faith's head while she wiped the tumor and tried to relieve the pressure. Apparently, the tumor released a great deal of fluid, and it shrank in size considerably. They put antibiotics on the tumor, and are waiting to see what happens.
It's a tough call with what to do. Despite all of her problems, Faith is still engaged and active. She eats and drinks normally, and begs for treats and food. She's slow, but she can still get up and down and move around. The tumor doesn't seem to cause her extra pain. No one wants her to suffer, but we can't tell if she is. No one wants to end her life too early, of course, and just the idea of saying goodbye makes us cry. Still, we don't want our feelings to cause her suffering to last. It's all terribly difficult.
I guess I'm just needing to talk to people who understand the emotional pain of the process that comes with a beloved dog's end of life. I'm sure other people may have done other medical intervention and other people would have put her down right away. I don't make the decisions over Faith's care, so I'm not really looking for medical advice. I just .... I need help figuring out how to say goodbye.
Anyway, this morning I found an email from my mom. Over the fall, the tumor had grown quite large. This morning, she noticed that it was bleeding. My mom called the vet, and he said the fluid is probably building up so much pressure, it is perforating the skin. I assume this must be very painful for Faith, but Mom said she wasn't whining or licking. If it is painful, it isn't so much that she's not handling it. So my mom had my brother hold Faith's head while she wiped the tumor and tried to relieve the pressure. Apparently, the tumor released a great deal of fluid, and it shrank in size considerably. They put antibiotics on the tumor, and are waiting to see what happens.
It's a tough call with what to do. Despite all of her problems, Faith is still engaged and active. She eats and drinks normally, and begs for treats and food. She's slow, but she can still get up and down and move around. The tumor doesn't seem to cause her extra pain. No one wants her to suffer, but we can't tell if she is. No one wants to end her life too early, of course, and just the idea of saying goodbye makes us cry. Still, we don't want our feelings to cause her suffering to last. It's all terribly difficult.
I guess I'm just needing to talk to people who understand the emotional pain of the process that comes with a beloved dog's end of life. I'm sure other people may have done other medical intervention and other people would have put her down right away. I don't make the decisions over Faith's care, so I'm not really looking for medical advice. I just .... I need help figuring out how to say goodbye.