I'm not sure what to do - My old dog is suffering .

[rwill]

I have a 16 year old Pomchi.  Her vision and hearing are both failing.  She does yap a lot more now.  But not constantly.  She wants to be close to us all the time now.  She sleeps a lot more now though too.  We let her sleep with us.

 

Does your dog stop yapping if you sit with her?

[Polar Bear]

Does it matter if it's pain you can't control or dementia you can't treat? The eventual outcome is the same in either case.

 

There are vets in Bangkok that will euthanize, but they generally keep a low profile about it because it can cause them a lot of problems if word gets around locally. I don't know if they will do it for a dog they don't know or only their regular clients, but if you would like contact info, send me a DM.

 

There are also several temples in Bangkok that cremate animals.

 

As to whether it's time. I will say that whenever I've had an animal put to sleep I've beaten myself up over it as to whether it was too soon, or if there was more I could do. But with hindsight I can say with certainty that I left it too long every time. I am sure I will do the same thing again next time though. It's always such a hard decision. 

[Bill Poster]

12 hours ago, Foek said:

Did you try meloxicam for a painkiller,? You can buy at many Pharmacies over the counter but ensure you get the right dose for your dog. My Lab of 10 year gets half a tablet every 2 days to help him walk better and without pain. You can google the dosage for your dogs weight. 

Hi and thanks , I purchased some meloxicam ( Brand name - Melcam ) from the local pharmacy . ( see latest update )

[Bill Poster]

Well I purchased a pain killer drug that I had not given Poo before ( meloxicam ) and last night I gave Poo that new drug, So last night after being given the meloxicam drug, Poo did not bark at any time during the night or early morning . I was surprised that Poo did not bark at all last night. So currently it seems that changing the pain medication to meloxicam has some how stopped Poo from constantly barking throughout the night  . Weather Poo now not constantly barking ( after taking meloxicam  ) is just a one off occurrence thing , I will not know until I give Poo the meloxicam drug , again tonight and see the outcome.  Poo lives out side in her own kennel and has been a great guard dog . 

 

When Poo was constantly barking and I approach her , she instantly stops barking for a few minutes while I stand there, but then she will start her barking again even if I stand in front of her. 

 

So last night Poo was given Prozac ( to help her sleep ) + meloxicam ( to reduce her pain ) .

 

This morning I place a bowl of her favorite food in front of her ( Liver + Tuna ) and she surprisingly ate it all.

 

So could the root cause of Poo's constant barking actually be due to her feeling pain from her arthritis and may be nothing to do with dog dementia .

 

.

[Bill Poster]

1 hour ago, Polar Bear said:

Does it matter if it's pain you can't control or dementia you can't treat? The eventual outcome is the same in either case.

 

There are vets in Bangkok that will euthanize, but they generally keep a low profile about it because it can cause them a lot of problems if word gets around locally. I don't know if they will do it for a dog they don't know or only their regular clients, but if you would like contact info, send me a DM.

 

There are also several temples in Bangkok that cremate animals.

 

As to whether it's time. I will say that whenever I've had an animal put to sleep I've beaten myself up over it as to whether it was too soon, or if there was more I could do. But with hindsight I can say with certainty that I left it too long every time. I am sure I will do the same thing again next time though. It's always such a hard decision. 

Hi and thanks , you are spot on about '' The eventual outcome is the same in either case '' 

 

.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

So sorry to read about Poo, and hope it is just the arthritis which can be managed to an extent. Huge respect and admiration to you for all that you are trying to do for her; and the love, care, and patience that you are showing her.

 

The decision to euthanise is a heartbreaking and inconsolable one, it still haunts me 20 years later. However, sometimes it is the right decision for the dog, rather than for yourself; and remember, you took her from oblivion and have given her the most fantastic life that any dog could ever hope for. Best of luck.

 

 

[Foek]

1 hour ago, Bill Poster said:

Well I purchased a pain killer drug that I had not given Poo before ( meloxicam ) and last night I gave Poo that new drug, So last night after being given the meloxicam drug, Poo did not bark at any time during the night or early morning . I was surprised that Poo did not bark at all last night. So currently it seems that changing the pain medication to meloxicam has some how stopped Poo from constantly barking throughout the night  . Weather Poo now not constantly barking ( after taking meloxicam  ) is just a one off occurrence thing , I will not know until I give Poo the meloxicam drug , again tonight and see the outcome.  Poo lives out side in her own kennel and has been a great guard dog . 

 

When Poo was constantly barking and I approach her , she instantly stops barking for a few minutes while I stand there, but then she will start her barking again even if I stand in front of her. 

 

So last night Poo was given Prozac ( to help her sleep ) + meloxicam ( to reduce her pain ) .

 

This morning I place a bowl of her favorite food in front of her ( Liver + Tuna ) and she surprisingly ate it all.

 

So could the root cause of Poo's constant barking actually be due to her feeling pain from her arthritis and may be nothing to do with dog dementia .

 

.

 

Make sure she not get to much. My 50kg Labrador gets half a tablet every other day. Less is always better.

 

https://www.goodrx.com/pet-health/dog/meloxicam-for-dogs

[Ben Zioner]

17 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Gray wolf.

 

Meredith got married?

[G Rex]

This is a sad time for You, your family and for Poo.

Your video shows how distressed Poo is. 

Many old dogs will bark for no apparent reason - and dementia is very common. Does Poo still have her hearing?  Many dogs vocalise like this, due to the dementia, but are unaware that they are making noise! 

Be careful with Meloxicam.  It is a great drug - but should not be given on an empty stomach, or it will cause gut problems. If her stools are black, or very dark - stop the medication immediately.

As others have said, euthanasia is the best option here. She may not be 'suffering' , but she has no dignity like this - and her quality of life  is very low.    After 15 years together, this is not the way you want to remember her.

[Bill Poster]

First many thanks to every one for your comments , its much appreciated. 

 

So I thought I would update our situation about Poo , its been 19 days since I last outlined Poo's condition and in those 19 days Poo's condition has sadly deteriorated to a point now where she has lost a considerable amount of weight , due to not wanting to eat any type of food , just drink water. As for the constant night time barking and panting , after giving Poo a range of drugs and cannabis oil , the night time barking started to become less and less, to a point where we as a family could finally get some sleep. The effect of giving Poo a mixture of drugs and cannabis oil , slowly wore off and Poo's night time barking sessions returned. Apart from the weight loss , due to Poo not wanting to eat , I noticed for the first time a lump on Poo's body , that lump under the skin was the size of a golf ball and felt soft to the touch. So on finding that soft lump on Poo's body I took Poo back to the local vet , where I explained to the vet about Poo not eating along with her weight loss and now finding the lump . The vet seemed to think the lump on Poo's body was possibly a benign fatty growth under the skin , but to make sure a biopsy needed to be carried out , which the local vet could not do. 

 

Outlining Poo's now deteriorating condition to the vet ( age / dementia / weight loss / lump / refusing to eat /  difficulty in standing up or walking / constant barking at night time  ) I asked the vet about the possibility of euthanizing Poo , so she would no longer be suffering from constant pain or the debilitating effects of dog dementia . The vet seemed to side step the subject of euthanizing Poo , and said in so many words , let nature take its course . 

 

Once back home I asked my Thai wife to telephone several city based vets and explained the situation about Poo and inquire if they would be willing to euthanize our Poo . None of those city vets seemed to be in favor of carrying out the practice of euthanizing Poo.

 

So currently Poo is refusing to eat any thing and loosing weight , the lump under her skin seems to be growing in size and she cannot easily stand up or walk very far , she has returned to constantly barking at night time and now in the day time as well. She just lays on the tiled floor , constantly barking and panting . I am still giving Poo the range of drugs ( crush the drugs and mix with water and then use a syringe placed in her mouth ) . 

 

Its breaking my heart to see our Poo in such obvious pain and destress along with having a personal feeling of helplessness .

 

I'm hoping to locate a vet who would be willing to put our beloved Poo to sleep .

 

 

 

As I type this , in the back ground I can hear Poo barking and panting , it sounds like she is asking to be put out of her misery

 

I'm sure that if I owned a gun I would have pulled the trigger by now .

 

 

.