Hello Reddit! I have an elderly dog and would really appreciate some advice.
Background: I adopted a rescue dog 5-years ago. At the time they told me he was 14, and was in pretty rough shape. I couldn’t bring myself to leave him there, so $25 later we were on our way! After a visit to the vet and groomer, I found he was actually much younger than the shelter had stated. My vet guessed somewhere in the realm of 8-11.
Recent History: My boy has reached a point in his life where his health is failing. He has advanced kidney disease, which my vet advised there was no treatment for. (I was told to ensure he has plenty of water available to him, and to expect accidents.) Recently he has also developed a heart murmur and low red blood cell counts – the latter my vet believes to be related to the kidney disease since his abdomen scans for a tumor came back clear. Over the past week in particular, he has begun fainting. Can’t really describe how scary that is it see. If he gets to excited – me coming home from work as an example – or exercises too much, he will faint. (No more stairs or long walks!) I’ve taken him to 2 different vets and have spent an incredible amount of money getting these diagnoses and I’m truly at a loss of what to do next.
Dilemma: Both vets indicated that I really only have 2 options.
1.) I seek aggressive treatment with the assistance of a cardiologist to see if we can stabilize his heart and stop the fainting. This won’t cure the underlying issue, but will give him more time.
2.) We say goodbye.
I am well and truly torn. I hate the idea of putting him through aggressive treatment to extend his life by maybe a couple of months – with no guarantees that he won’t begin to suffer. (He does not appear to be in pain now.) On the other hand, it’s hard for me to say “yes – kill him.” The thought is just heart wrenching, especially when he’s trying to snuggle and play … he acts like a normal dog when he’s not experiencing a fainting spell.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/b86bwd/advice_requested_elderly_dog_and_care_decisions/
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