Hi my poor old 13yr old border collie had a stroke on friday.The vet came and said she would recover and prescribed steroids.We treated her for 24hrs but seeing her not moving ,eyes flickering from side to side,not eating or going for her wets,even tho we carried her out was heartbreaking!So we had her put to sleep.I am wracked with pain and guilt cos i had her put down cos i could'nt stand the pain of seeing her like that and was depressed cos even if she got better i would constantly worry!I just want to know honestly how would her life have been had she recovered?Did i rob her of the last few yrs?I can take the truth as its done now but i have another dog and dont want to make same mistake!Was it cruel and unnessecery to put her to sleep? Please help! Kind regards, della.

Our vet says: I am sorry to hear your dog had a stroke. Just like in people these events can vary in severity from one dog to another. Often when this occurs the dog can go on to make a full recovery, but I would be very concerned if a dog was unable to move around for 24 hours or longer.

Personally, I think you did exactly the right thing. Firstly you gave the treatment a chance to work, but when your dog did not respond as we would normally hope, you then made the very brave decision not to let her suffer.

Do not feel guilty; you must have given her years of a good life and then after trying everything possible to save her, you allowed her a peaceful and dignified end.

Remember all the good times you had with her and try not to dwell too much on the difficult decision you had to make at the end. In my opinion you did exactly the right thing and at the right time.

Best wishes

Sam

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Species: dog | Category: other | Submitted: 02-Sep-09 03:36PM | viewed 18718 times

Rose asks about Lucky (dog - not known, F) :

Hi, My dog lucky is a jack russel and is 13 years old. Her stomach in the last few weeks has become very bloated. It's round and is very hard. Last night and today she has become very weak, stumbling about and not taking notice of anything. She isnt eating much, just drinking. I know she is very old but is there anything I can do?

Our vet says: It is important to get Lucky to the vet as soon as possible, she could have something lodged in her intestine or the intestine could be twisted.

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Could my dog be pregnant? She was humped 5 times but did not tie when she was in season. Now 3 weeks on she's tired all the time and more affectionate. Last week she was off her food and threw up. Now her appetite is back.

Our vet says: Yes, your dog could be pregnant, but she could also have other problems. Vets look out for conditions such as false pregnancy and pyometra (uterine infection) in bitches following a season. The only way to find out is to ask your vet to check her for you.

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Darren asks:

I have a 8 year old labrador who was struggling to urinate, after a visit to my vet he thought the problem was his prostate and so he was castrated 10 days ago. Since the operation he has not eaten anything at all, he drinks water, but thats it. Symptoms are as follows, He urinates lots, sometimes with a sign of blood, he has just started vomiting, he has what look like tears coming from his eyes, and he has lost about 40lbs of his body weight. Have tried him with all manners of food, milk, yogurt, rice, chicken, sausages but with no results at all. Oh, and he seems to dribble a lot. Starting to get really worried as he is not himself. Many thanks, Darren

Our vet says: Please let your vet know what is going on. It sounds as if your dog needs attention.

Dogs abroad

Species: dog | Category: other | Submitted: 07-May-09 02:34PM | viewed 49786 times

Rachel asks about Honey (dog - Labrador, F) :

My dog Honey, a 5 year old labrador, was diagnosed by our vet in 2007 with mild insulinoma. After several fits and much concern we took her to the vet, who suggested they test her blood etc. The treatment they recommended, as it was mild, was to feed her 3-4 regular small meals per day to control the condition and give her a steady flow of energy. This has worked extremely well and we haven't had any problems in over a year. My fiance and I recently got engaged, and as he's from the USA, we plan to marry and live together over there. However, I'm not prepared to leave my Honey behind and need to know whether it would be possible to bring her with us. I have tried speaking to my vet about it and he didn't really seem interested in offering advice. He only suggested that maybe, due to her condition, she could have a steroid injection to help her last the 8+ hour flight without food. I have since contacted various pet shipping companies who all say, its no problem for her to travel but have not given me any advice as to her condition. I also believe (but don't know for sure) that she may be developing hip dysplasia - she limps on one of her hind paws occasionally -particularly after exercising or getting up from lying down. We are visiting the vet about this soon, so will get some advise about this as well. So, please advise whether this move to the USA would be possible or whether her health problems would restrict her flying entirely. Thank you!

Our vet says: It is difficult to know how any pet will react to a long flight and obviously Honey has some problems which are cause for concern. If your vet and the travel companies are happy to let her travel then that is a good sign. The main issues for her during a flight are likely to be stress, lack of frequent food and perhaps discomfort from her joints. If your vet suggests a steroid injection prior to the flight this would probably help. You could also use DAP spray in her carrier to help reduce stress. Try to get her used to going in to it before the actual flight. Feed her in it (or around it if she is wary) for a few days or even weeks before the journey so that it becomes a "nice" place to be. Ensure that she has comfortable warm bedding that will absorb any wetness from urine etc. Investigate whether it will be possible and practical to let her travel with an automatic pet feeder (available online). This would allow some timed meals to be given automatically during the flight. I do hope that this helps and it all goes well for you.

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Species: dog | Category: other | Submitted: 07-May-09 04:47AM | viewed 49016 times

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My dog has green offensive nasal discharge. He sounds clogged and snuffly. He is not himself but will take food and drink if we hand feed him. He seems lethargic and can't be bothered.

Our vet says: He needs to be seen by your local vet as soon as possible. He is obviously unwell and home treatment would not be advisable.


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