Okay I have a boston terrier that is about 16 and he has a really bad skin condition that he has been seeing the vet for and has been on several different medicines and he also has hernias but they say that he cant have surgery because he will not live through it well today I noticed that he has another hernia or tumor not sure and it is swollen and red and he also has a fever, my question is would it be unfair to put him down? .............He is in really high spirits and he acts like it does not bother him and the vet says that there is no reason to put him to sleep.
2007-08-01 06:16:43 · 3 answers · asked by sarah 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
His feet are swollen so he needs help gettting up and down the stairs to go out side and he has sores all over him as well, like I said he seems to be fine but he looks really really bad and I look at him and I am in pain just seeing him this way I have been paying hundred and hundreds of dollars in vet bills and I dont mind because he is worth it to me but it seems like I am doing all of this for nothing...................
2007-08-01 06:48:09 · update #1
I keep dogs...and the criteria I use for "When is a dog ready to be euthanized"
1. Are they eating and enjoying their food
2. Do they still enjoy their walks
3. Are they in pain.
If the answer to more than 2 of the 3 is yes then I seriously consider euthanasia.
If he seems fine then just leave him...you will know when he's had enough!
2007-08-01 06:27:52 · answer #1 · answered by huggz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a tough decision to make. As the other person stated, I normally make this decision based on quality of life for the animal. If he's not in pain and suffering then even though he looks bad I wouldn't put him down yet. If the vet bills are becoming a burden that you can't continue to bear, then that has to play into things, too. The fact that the vet seems to think there's no reason to put him down yet indicates that the hernias aren't life threatening. The skin condition is what I'm wondering about. Are part of the big vet bills because you go there to get a special bath or something for him? If so, maybe you can talk to the vet about the expense of that and have them train you in how to handle the dip/bath stuff and do it yourself at home. Sometimes dogs, like people, get some skin conditions that just don't clear no matter what you do. If that's the case and the treatments are not helping but cost a lot of money then I might try dropping the treatments for awhile to see what happens. Before I did that, though, I'd see if there is a veterinary college nearby and try to get an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist there. If you are in a large city, there may be a local veterinary dermatologist independent of a veterinary college. Your vet will know how to help you get in contact with someone like this.
Like I said, this is a really tough one. You have the dog's well-being to consider, as well as your broken heart and financial considerations. And no matter how much you love the dog, there does come a time where finances realistically come into play. Sometimes people think breeders are just being mean when they say "If you can't spend more then $100 on the dog, what makes you think you can take care of it properly", but this situation is an illustration of why they say that. You are doing the best you can and that's all anyone can ask. Just love your dog for as long as you can keep him and then make the decision that you have to make. And don't let anybody abuse you for that.
2007-08-03 16:45:22 · answer #2 · answered by BT Owner 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes ask the vet to put him down because you feel hes suffereing too much and don't take no for an answer. you can do this and it would be fine for the dog he'd be better off.
2007-08-04 20:13:43 · answer #3 · answered by Tsunami 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋