Need advice on 12 year old english sheepdog
He is now going to be 12 years old in March and his behavior has not changed; he still growls and snaps (unprovoked for those who insist he's defending himself), and his dysplashia has gotten worse even after we had him neutered and had the enlarged gall bladder removed. He still continues to urinate and have bowel movements while laying down (he doesn't even try to get up). The majority of time he remains laying down while barking constantly, and gets up every now and then when it's time to eat. The problem I have is this: is it time to have him put to sleep? I feel guilty just thinking about it, but our electric bill is through the roof ($300 + monthly in the winter time on the budget plan, and $500 + in the summer to make up the difference). This is because I put a 55000 btu heater in the garage for him to keep warm. My husband and I are out of the house most of the day with work and school and can't afford all those things people suggest such as having his legs amputated and putting him on a walker or turning him over constantly. Can anyone give some advice? |
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| this is really difficult. I am sorry I cant help you but I am sure someone will be along to offer advice. Hugs from our family to yours....xx |
| Have you talked to your vet about putting him on any anti-inflammatory and/or pain meds? It sounds like is is in much pain with his bad hips. An Anti-inflammatory med like Rymadyl might help him a lot. I would give it a try before I would consider putting him down. I'm sure more members here can give you more adive on this. |
| It sounds like you've gone above and beyond what many people would do to keep your dog alive and comfortable. Only you know what pain your dog is experiencing and whether to keep trying or to let him go peacefully. If you have not already done so, now would be the time to consult with your vet for guidance.
Unfortunately, most of us have to be realistic about finances. At your dog's age, options like amputation, etc., may not be feasible. Don't feel badly about it. Nobody else knows what you are going through and are not in any position to judge you. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have support here. Many of us have been faced with the same decisions and have found comfort here on the forum. |
| Hi,
I'm sorry you are going through this with your old boy. In truth no one but you can answer the question , "when is it time". Ron wrote a wonderful post on it many years ago and perhaps a search can help you find it. Each one of us has to face that ultimate and heart wrenching decision. At his age , accidents do occur and due to his age he also can't hold it as long as when he was younger. You mentioned you and your husband are often out of the house so perhaps he probably can't hold it as he did in his younger days. At his age his hips are getting worse and so again perhaps its very difficult for him to rise to go to the washroom. Dogs usually avoid soiling themselves at all cost. One of my dogs is very aged and needs to go to the bathroom more frequently and like yours his old age affirmities are apparent...slow to get up...arthritis..ect.. I agree too about the growling and snapping may be pain related..at his age..he doesn't see, hear or walk as well as he did in youth. The startle reflex is very much apparent in old dogs that due to limited hearing and eyesight become startled and may growl when approached. I think a pain med like Medacam may help. Please discuss the options with your vet to see if there's anything that will make him more comfortable. Your vet can also discuss the option of letting him go. Marianne |
| Only you know what quality of life your dog has, and can make the decision.
it may be one of the hardest to make but you will know deep know what is the right decision. My thoughts are with you. |
| I too have a 12 year old sheepie. Tasker is in pretty good shape all things considered but I know the not too distant future will bring the same hard decisions.
It really is true that no one can tell you what to do or when to do it. You sheepie and your heart will tell you when the "time is now". I amn a firm believer is quality of life and it makes me sad to see animals kept alive past the point of their comofort and well being. Unfortunately that point is different for each animal and only those who spend each day with them know when that is. Good luck with your difficult decisions, we are heere for support. |
| This will be one of the most difficult decisions you will make. We had to make this very decision 3 years ago, on our anniversery, to put down one of the few most important " people in our lives ", Jake our black lab. He was/is truely loved and a very important member of our family. We miss him terribly. However, he was sufferring and it was the humane thing to do. He was never an incovience as we would have done anything to have prolonged his life, but his suffering was more than we could stand. I was at home full-time so that made caring for him easy. God bless while you struggle to make this decision.......Kathy |
I don't think I would even consider amputation for a 12 year old, just putting him under for the surgery is risky. I had a boy with synovi sarcoma (soft tissue cancer), diagnosed when he was 6, it was in his front leg. He was on dermaxx for 2 years and although he could never get up by himself he did pretty well. Beau would snap and growl at times but it was from the pain, probably the same with your boy. It is a difficult decision but you will know in your heart when it's time and he will "tell" you as well. I looked at it as the final gift I could give Beau, to release him from his pain and not be selfish. Whatever you decide is the right thing to do and the support you will get from the forum is amazing. 
Holly |
| Hello all,
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. My husband and I did all we could to prolong our friends life. We took him to the vet yesterday, and upon describing the condition/situation to him, and of course his looking at the dog, without hesitation he recommended the worst option we could think of. Cooler is no longer with us, and I miss him a great deal. Again, thank you for your support.  |
| I am so sorry for your loss. |
| I am so sorry .....I know what you are going through. You did the right thing and we are all here for you. |
| I am very sorry (((HUGS))) |
I'm so sorry you are going through this  Hugs and kisses |
| I am so sorry you had to make that difficult choice. Big hugs to you and your family. |
| Our hearts go out to you. Most of us have been faced with decision and it's never easy. Take comfort in the fact you did all you could and set your boy free from his pain.
Nita, Nelson & Sassy |
| Sorry! Hugs to all of you! |
| I am so sorry for all you have been through. I know it was a very difficult decision. |
| I'm very sorry. |
| So sorry you lost your darling dog. But rest assured your baby is now running free at Rainbow Bridge with all our sheepie friends who have gone before us. No more pain, no more suffering. Our dogs are always with us they leave paw prints on our hearts. Hugs to you and all your family in this sad time. xx |
| Your post brought tears to my eyes.I'm sorry for your loss but rest assured that your dog is out of pain. |
| You are all so very kind. My husband and I, along with our other pets, St. Bernard and 2 cats are going through some tough times these past couple of days, and it's good to know there are people who understand our pain.
-Wanda |
| i feel your pain .. i am so sorry for your lloss |
| I had to make that exact same decision for the exact same reasons a while back with my boy Noodles. I discussed all of the things you are asking and could never come to a conclusion. My wife finally made the decision and I couldn't argue with her anymore. Not much of a real life was left for him when he was constantly covered in his urine and unable to get up or out on his own. He had a clear mind, excellent hearing and vision along with a constant expression of warmth about him to the end. That made the decision even harder, there was no sign in his eyes that he had given up, but his body had.
When I look back, I hope I won't wait as long as I did with Noodles if the situation happens again. It's been a year and a half and my heart still breaks when I think of him but I should have helped him along sooner than we did. I believe that it's better for your friend to be earlier rather than later for their behalf. They struggle so hard and with pain to do the things that they have done their whole life and to do the things of what they think you expect them to do, but that they no longer can. I think with OES, too many of us have had to make this decision because of their genetics. I don't believe that anyone of us has been very good at it and hasn't questioned themselves for years after the decision was made. In the end it comes down to choice using your head as well as your heart. I'm sure you'll make the right choice for both of you. None of us can really help you with that. Zach |
| I missed the post on letting Cooler go. I am so sorry for your loss. My heart tells me you made the right choice but my hearts breaks with yours. I pray Cooler and Noodles are out of pain and running free again.
Roland |
| I can't help but wonder if the 55,000 btu heater was causing some carbon monoxide issues in the garage. |
| Cooler is now hunting with the hounds and swimming with the retrievers. I am sorry for the loss of your boy. You gave him a warm loving home . |
Ron wrote: I can't help but wonder if the 55,000 btu heater was causing some carbon monoxide issues in the garage.
No, the heater is an electric heater. The same exact heater I use in my greenhouse. As far as I know, electric heaters do not produce carbon monoxide. Besides, the service door to the garage was always left open so that he could get in and out whenever he pleased. So there was always fresh air, and he was never confined to the space. And just in case you're concerned about the temperature, it rarely got below 40 degrees and when it did we promptly brought him indoors. |
| 55,000 btu electric heater? Wow!!!! That's almost 70 amps @ 240V. That's huge! That would cost about $2.50 per hour to run at 15 cents per KWh. I have a 30 amp heater in my garage that I just finally got around to installing; I could use a big one like that!
No of course electric heaters don't give off carbon monoxide. Only burning creates that gas. I wasn't pointing fingers, just wondering if there was a possibility. Chronic minor CO poisoning might cause some weird medical issues that might be very difficult to diagnose in a dog. |
Ron wrote: 55,000 btu electric heater? Wow!!!! That's almost 70 amps @ 240V. That's huge! That would cost about $2.50 per hour to run at 15 cents per KWh. I have a 30 amp heater in my garage that I just finally got around to installing; I could use a big one like that!
No of course electric heaters don't give off carbon monoxide. Only burning creates that gas. I wasn't pointing fingers, just wondering if there was a possibility. Chronic minor CO poisoning might cause some weird medical issues that might be very difficult to diagnose in a dog. Sorry, I was mistaken with the amount of BTU's. I just checked online at the place where I bought the heater, and it's a Dayton heater that produces 19,110 BTUs. It's 5600 watts. I got the numbers all mixed up. Anyway, it does a decent job of keeping the garage warm even with the service door propped open. If you're interested in purchasing one, here's the link. It's not very expensive: http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accesso ... ers3.shtml On the subject of Cooler, I picked up his ashes yesterday from the vet's office, and my husband and I decided to wait until Spring to scatter them in the garden under the swing which was his favorite spot to shelter from the sun, and at Squaw Rock, where he loved to walk across the creek and swim in the deepest spot. |
| Joan and I scattered some of our first guy's ashes in various places he loved to visit and keep the rest at home in a prominent spot.
We still miss him quite a bit and I remember how sad we were when we collected his ashes. I'm sending a big hug your way. |
| I am so sorry for your loss. Most of us understand the difficulty of making such a decision. I just helped my 14 y/o cross the bridge a few weeks ago. It was without a doubt the most heartwrenching choice I've ever had to make. I spent several weeks worrying and wondering how/when I would know if the time was right, but Missy all but told me when it was time. It was a terrible, tearfilled Sunday, four days after Christmas, when we made that final trip to the emergency vet. She was in so much pain that even hourly pain meds were having no effect on her, and the look in her eyes told me that it was time. I am sure your Cooper is with Missy and all the other fur angels who are now free from pain and whole once more. Our loss is Heaven's gain. |
Missysmom wrote: Our loss is Heaven's gain.
That is so true. 
Antoinette |
| Whenever I have had a dog cross the Bridge, I take great comfort in imagining what they are doing on the other side. I have an image that makes me tear up every time, but makes my heart so full of relief and comfort that the tears are well worthwhile....
Both of my fiance's Grandfathers have crossed quite some years ago. I think of the two men sitting together at a small table under a tree somewhere warm and sunny. They are drinking tea, eating tea buns and playing cards. Both the toy poodle from my childhood (Brandy) and the rescue dog we had but for a few mere weeks last summer (Ginger) are chasing each other around the two men, who keep feeding them cheese, so much cheese! They run around and around, then each one sleeps by the feet of the Grandfathers, who smile at the feeling of the warm dogs upon their feet. The four of them are buddies and keep each other extremely happy. They will be there, happy and warm, until we join them in many, many years. It wasn't until I could imagine this scene for myself that I felt the burden of Ginger's passing lift a little last summer. Even if it is just a fabrication in my mind, it helps immensely and to this day it fills my heart to think of it. I am extremely sorry for your loss, and I hope you, too can find some way to take a little bit of comfort in where she may now be. |
| I just happened to see the post about the 12 year old sheepdog who is having problems with his hips and snapping. I haven't don't know what they decided to do but I'll put in my opinion anyway.
I am in a very similar situation. My Sheepie is 15 years old and has arthritis in his hips. Acutally he is starting to develope arthritis in other parts of his body such as his back and neck. We have been fighting this for about two years now. He has been on Cosequin and Rimidyl in the past. Both drugs seemed to help for a little while but then we couldn't tell any difference. Remo is now on prevocox once a day and an injection of Adequan im once a week. I give him the injections myself because it is not a controlled drug. The Adequan is kind of a anti-inflamitoy drug but also seems to help with the pain. Remo has a difficult time getting up a lot of the time unless he is really motivated. I try to let him get up on his own as much as I can. He also messes on himself but it's really easy to clean up. He is a house dog and always has been. He can't go upstairs anymore so I've made him a bed downstairs in the den. I have to do his laudry at least once a day so my water and electric bill has also gone up. I also know about expense because his medication around $120 a month. I have been wrestling with the same decision. Do I put him down or hold on as long as possible? One day I'll look and him and think "I can't do this to him anymore" then the next day he seems to have a good day and I think I'll hold on. The saddest thing about these dogs getting arthritis or hip dysplasia and getting down it that other wise they are healthy. It makes the decision that much harder. I've already been there once several years ago when I had to put down my 17 year old sheepie. As long as Remo doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain (which he doesn't at this point) I'll hold on a little longer. You and your dog will have to make that decision. Remo snaps also but I'm quicker than he is so I don't get too upset about it. I have to add one thing. I can't believe someone would suggest you have his legs amputated. What a horrible thing. I would have him put to sleep before I would do that. I want to leave my dog with some dignity. I could go on about that because that made me really mad but I'll stop there. I hope this helps you or someone else to know you are not alone. I wish you all the best in whatever decision you will or have already made. |
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