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Things are getting worse

66K views 644 replies 93 participants last post by  Sweet Girl 
#1 ·
Poor Ella is now peeing in her sleep. This is new for her and she looks totally humiliated when she has to be helped up in the morning and she has been lying in her own urine all night. Oh this breaks my heart. Last night it sounded like there was fluid in her lungs so we stayed up all night listening to her breath. Today we made an appointment to see the vet. Our vet is on vacation so we took her in to the person who was substituting for him. What a jerk. My god. First he couldnt take blood from her leg. wanted to try her jugular vein. We stopped him and suggested he try the other leg first. He did and was able to get some blood. He promptly dropped the vials of blood, but was able to save enuf to have tested supposedly. He listened to her lungs, but said he couldnt tell because of the fat around her chest. he heard fluid in the abdomen and wanted to puncture her stomach to try to get the fluiid out. i couldnt let him do it. We got no answers from him. Hopefully she'll last until our vet comes back. I don't want to do anything to stress her or make her more uncomfortable than she already is. She is such a good sport. Even though her legs are so weak she trips and falls and then is stuck where she falls. She looks so shocked when that happpens, it is just heart wrenching. She drinks tons of water, her lymph nodes are huge and it looks like something else neurological happened. Now her tail is drooping and she keeps it curled under her.
 
#2 ·
There must be another vet. Where are you? I'll help you find someone better.

Remember that the most important gift of love that we give our fur people is to let them go before life gets too awful. We accept pain for ourselves to free them from theirs. It is a fair bargain after all that they have given us. This is a familiar path...one that I have traveled more than once. Hold your girl close and celebrate the time that you have left. Then love her enough to let her go. Please.

Hugs and prayers,
Lucy
 
#3 ·
I'm so sorry that Ella is struggling. I understand your concern and frustration. Is there another vet nearby that you could bring her to that could help? I sorry this is so heart wrenching for you. I will keep Ella in my prayers.
 
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#4 ·
I'm so sorry for you all going through this... If you weren't getting a good vibe from the fill-in vet, can you try getting her in somewhere else? Even the emergency clinic? In the meantime, would it work to put doggy diapers on her to try to lessen the trauma of the incontinence? My heart goes out to you....
 
#5 ·
Oh, I'm so sorry. My heart is breaking for you and Ella.

The diapers are a really good idea - at least it will help her from the anxiety of going in the house, and save her from having to lie in the wet. I really hope your vet, or another vet, can help you soon.
 
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#89 ·
Oh, I'm so sorry. My heart is breaking for you and Ella.

The diapers are a really good idea - at least it will help her from the anxiety of going in the house, and save her from having to lie in the wet. I really hope your vet, or another vet, can help you soon.
Yes- diapers are a good idea. It worked for my 14 year old Irish Setter in his last year. I bought human adult diapers and cut a hole out for his tail.
 
#7 ·
happening faster than expected

got another call from the vet with absolutely no bedside manner at all. He said they got more results and she also has leukemia. Cancer in the blood. Diabetes with very high sugar levels. We are going in tomorrow to learn how to give insulin because he is afraid she may go into ketosis and then a diabetic coma. He feels we have maybe a month or so. How could he know something like that? and Why would he say that? But on the other hand, after the outrage has sort of drifted away, i stepped back and really looked at her when i walked in the house. She is not moving, breathing is heavy, when i moved her back end onto the rug i felt her bones and how light she is, how much weight she has suddenly lost. I gave her a piece of steak and she lifted her head and ate it happily and went back to sleep. What am I supposed to do now? What is more humane? Start giving her insulin injections? Or just painkillers. So confused. Maybe insulin and painkillers.
 
#9 ·
As hard as this is to hear--Sometimes, the best thing to do is let them go. In my opinion, when they require pain meds just to stay alive, it's no longer in their best interest. If there was a way to let her actually "live"--meaning, chase the ball, swim in the pond, run up the hills for the next month (or days or weeks or months), then by all means, give her that chance. But if she can no longer enjoy the life she has, I wouldn't let her suffer one more day.

I'm so sorry she is so sick. My heart aches for you all and I will keep you all in my prayers.
 
#10 ·
It might be worth a shot with the insulin. uncontrollable peeing, rapid weight loss and respitory tract infections are clinical symptoms of diabetes. I however would get another vet if you are not happy with this one. It will take a while to get the right dosage and she should have a fructosamine test. But until other tests can be done the insulin should start making her feel much better. Good luck!
 
#12 ·
Jude, I can't begin to tell you how terribly sorry I am to see this. I am trying to figure out, when you said your regular vet is back Tuesday, did you mean today or next week? Did you get a face to face? I agree with Wyatt's mommy, if you are unhappy with the way you are being treated, it would be good to get copies of all her records and find a new vet who will treat you with some compassion. I have to assume that the prognosis of a month or so is being given based on their experience with similiar cases.

You asked about what is humane... I couldn't imagine going through what both you and she have been already for several more weeks. I'm so sorry. Quality of life is everything to me. If you try the insulin and painkillers and she is still not doing anything except sleep, I am one who agrees with previous posters, I would probably not continue to put my dog or myself through such a painful situation. I will be praying for you and your girl.
 
#13 ·
I am so sorry. I know you have so much on your mind right now, choices to make. The first time i had to make a choice, i held onto my Irish setter to long, let him suffer to long becaue I could not bring myself to let him go. one thing--the vet was treating him for a spinal infetion and wa sure "the next antibiotic or combo" would be the one that fixhim. All these years later I believe red had more than a spinal infection.

I vowed tonever, ever let another linget in tha condition, and 12 1/2 yrs later many years later I had to make that seam decision with my 2ed Irirsh Sette who was diagnosed with bone cancer a few months after he turned 12. My heart said do anything, but my brain and common sense said no, enjoy time with him, specail time. I did and I let him go as soon as we knew it had spread to his shoulder. i hav never regretted it.

oh, he had taken to peeing in his sleep and me vet game him some pills and it stopped. this was about 1 1/2 years before he got the bone cancer in that rear leg.

just remember this--we keep them for ourselves, we let them go tfor them. It has been 4 years since I had to make that decsion for my 8 yr 9 month old golden girl following cancer surgery. So hard to do and I i still miss her as I do all the dogs I have lost over the lat 55 years!

Bless your sweet girl.
 
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#14 ·
I am so very sorry. Personally, I would get her on insulin immediately.... even if it meant going to the ER tonight. If her sugars are that high, time is of the essence. Then I'd reassess her condition once her sugars have come down. Uncontrolled diabetes alone can make her feel awful, cause the lethargy, and be the cause of her peeing uncontrollably. I'd at least give her a shot to see if controlling the diabetes ( giving the insulin is no big deal really) gives her a quality of life.
 
#15 ·
I am so very sorry. Personally, I would get her on insulin immediately.... even if it meant going to the ER tonight. If her sugars are that high, time is of the essence. Then I'd reassess her condition once her sugars have come down. Uncontrolled diabetes alone can make her feel awful, cause the lethargy, and be the cause of her peeing uncontrollably. I'd at least give her a shot to see if controlling the diabetes ( giving the insulin is no big deal really) gives her a quality of life.
I can feel your hearbreak in your messages. I just wanted agree with Penny&Maggie's Mom, please get her started on insulin, it may help tremendously.
 
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#16 ·
The only advice I can give is that you should see if you can get her in to see another vet or go to an emergency vet for the care she needs. Taking that fluid out of her abdomen will make her feels loads better (it will come back, but it may give you the time you need). Also some pain medication may make her feel better. I will be thinking of you. So sorry you are going through this.
 
#17 ·
I am very sorry. Sending my prayers.
 
#18 ·
my regular vet is coming back a week from today and i have an appointment with him the day he comes back. i have been going to my regular vet for 20 years and like him very much. i am going to try to wait it out with the pain meds. i am praying that my vet will have some common sense answers to give me. thanks for your support and kind words. it means alot to me.
 
#20 ·
Your dog sounds very sick... I understand loyalty, but do not wait for one more week for treatment...
 
#21 ·
I'm very sorry that you and Ella are having to go thru this terrible time. Please do try to get her into see an ER vet or another vet. I understand what a scary time this is. We went thru something very similar with our Golda and congestive heart failure. He became incontinent (the last week we had him in diapers) and he had severe muscle wasting particularly in the rear legs. I can't imagine how much worse it made it to have such lousy vet in your regular vet's abscence. Keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers.
 
#22 ·
My heart just aches for you and for Ella. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this.

Remember that a diabetic without insulin is basically starving to death because food can't be used by the body. That's why sudden weight loss is such a dramatic indicator of diabetes. If you are going to wait for your vet, I hope you will give your girl insulin, even if you have to take her to the vet for the injections.

Holding Ella and you in my thoughts and prayers,
Lucy
 
#25 ·
I am so sad to read of about what you and your girl are going through. : ( I agree though. I would not wait a week, there are many other great vets out there, and I would urge you to go to a emergency vet right away. Then next week still go see your other vet, but she needs a vet now.

My thoughts go out to you.
 
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#26 ·
I'm so sorry to hear about the diagnoses. But at least for the diabetes, there is something that you can do right now to help her feel better. I hope you will reconsider and get her on the insulin right away. As a few people have said here, it could help her to feel immensely better NOW. Your fill-in vet may be a bit of a jerk to you, but he can help you help Ella. Ultimately, it may be worth it for her.

My heart goes out to you and sweet Ella.
 
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#27 ·
going today for insulin

going today for insulin and painkillers. will reassess next week when vet comes back into town. hopefully he will come out to the house to see her. last nite was awful again. she got off her bed by herself and tried to crawl out to the livingroom. she made it halfway and collapsed. yesterday she had a nice day though. she sat outside and rolled in the grass with her stuffed animal while my husband played music for her. she loves when he plays the guitar for her. My sweet ella. so gentle, so smart, so sweet. if i can figure out how to post pictures i will so you all can see my beautiful baby.
 
#48 ·
going today for insulin and painkillers. will reassess next week when vet comes back into town. hopefully he will come out to the house to see her. last nite was awful again. she got off her bed by herself and tried to crawl out to the livingroom. she made it halfway and collapsed. yesterday she had a nice day though. she sat outside and rolled in the grass with her stuffed animal while my husband played music for her. she loves when he plays the guitar for her. My sweet ella. so gentle, so smart, so sweet. if i can figure out how to post pictures i will so you all can see my beautiful baby.
Ahhh, that sounds lovely how your husband played the guitar for your beloved Ella!
 
#28 ·
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