my 171/2 year old lab had blood work done this past saturday.?

Question

i got the results this morning his liver enzymes are elevated, he was on remadyl for 3 weeks and is currently on deramaxx. he started deramaxx 6 weeks ago. my vet told me to give him 50 mg every other day instead of daily.the vet told me i would have to make some desions. what am i supposed to decide my dog doesnt soil his bed he has a excellant appetite. he does need help with the 5 steps that lead to the yard i usually carry him down, i use treats when he goes out to keep him motivated and i can get him to hobble around the yard sometimes he will sit in the sun for a little bit.sometimes he will let me know by barking if he needs to go out or help getting water.i dont know what the vet meant my dog is still very alive.

Answer 1

I had to make the decision to put my 14 1/2 year old dog down at the end of May. I had known it was getting closer ever since January. However, with the help of Deramax and other medications she continued to enjoy her life, although she had slowed down a lot. One morning toward the end of May, I just saw in her eyes that she was just going through the motions. She looked so very tired. Where there had been joy and enjoyment in her eyes, there was a weariness. Believe me, you'll know when your dog needs your help. It will be difficult, but you'll do it because you love him.

Answer 2

You have a labrador retriever that is alive at 17? That's like a person living well over 100!

Did you know most labs don't live much beyond 10-12 years, even with excellent care and health?

We had to put down our lab in the summer of 2005, and it was just plain hell. She had a cancer that spread very quickly and there was nothing we could do. The vet told us to enjoy her, but watch her closely for signs of suffering.

Our beloved Maddie didn't want us to know she was in pain. She hid a lot of her discomfort to make us feel better. By day, with pain medicine, she seemed more or less like herself.

But at night, when she turned and turned and couldn't get comfortable, when she couldn't lay down for long because even laying down hurt, we realized that keeping her here for us meant prolonging her suffering.

I do hear what you said at the end about your dog being very much alive--the day we had Maddie put down, she ran and played in the back yard. She even jumped over a lawn chair.
But we loved her so much we couldn't bear to think about pain she was feeling, hiding, not understanding.

Loss of a pet is powerful. The grief is intense, real as any grief.
There is healing, and there will be joys to come as the sorrows slowly fade. I'm tearing up thinking about Maddie, but I know we did the right thing. I miss her tons. And outside the door, whining to come in, is a puppy, who Maddie never met. We adopted him from an animal shelter, and he's a total love. He's not the same, no dog can be, but he is special in his own right.

Letting go is sooooo hard. I really feel for you, but I encourage you to think about your lab first, and your own feelings second.
If he really is eating and eliminating ok, if you see that tail wagging, if there's still some spark in his eyes, cherish it. Take pictures. But prepare yourself--if your dog is a purebred labrador retriever and 17 years old, he is living on majorly borrowed time.
This is going to be hard, but you are not alone. Talk to your family and friends. Be brave. Love takes courage.

Answer 3

It's never an easy time when it comes to determining quality of life. I just put my 15 year old downt his year because of failing health. He still seemed so happy and was eating and drinking normally. He just refused to take his Rimadyl, Amantadine, or the other two drugs he was on that enabled him to walk.

I struggled and went back and forth. My vet eventually said, Kristen, it's steroids. That's our only option now. He said that Maverick would continue to tease me with good days and that the good days would stay in my head more clearly then the bad days. He also told me (as did my family and friends) that Maverick would hold on as long as I let him. That he knew I wasn't ready for him to go.

It was the hardest decision of my life as well as the worst night of my life. My vet came to the house though as I did not want Maverick dying in a place that he hated (the vet). He went peacefully in my lap.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but 17 1/2 is an impressive age for a Lab. Keep in mind that he has had 17 long years in your loving care.

Please make the decision that's best for your friend. Believe me, they won't show you how much pain they're in (if any).

I'm sorry to have to give you an answer like this. I'm only speaking from my recent experience.

Answer 4

Your vet was simply asking you to prepare yourself for the inevitable. That's an old dog you have there and it sounds like you've formed an incurable bond together.

Just get yourself mentally prepared to let the dog go should the time come for you to say goodbye. Perhaps the vet knows that your dog is going to be leaving you soon and he didn't want you to be scared or surprised by the inevitble.

Enjoy your time with your dog, but when the time comes to say goodbye, allow your dog the dignity to go without holding on for selfish reasons.

Good luck it sounds like you are a wonderful companion.

Answer 5

I agree- sounds like your vet is just trying to ease you into the reality that your dog will not live forever.. Putting my dog down last winter was the hardest thing I have ever done.. but he was in the same boat. He couldnt walk up/down stairs.. he had non-cancerous tumors all over his abdomen and legs.. and he was going blind. Sometimes he was happy, sometimes he was in pain. I know we did the right thing, but it doesnt make it hurt any less. You need to do whats best for you and him. Its obvious you love him very much, and you will knwo what to do when the time comes!