Hip dysplasia, When is the right time to put my dog down???

Question

My lab/rott/golden mix has hip dysplasia and I'm noticing that she has more and more pain everyday. She doesn't play anymore and lays around all the time. When she walks you can just see all the muscles tighten up in her thighs to support her weight. I feel so bad. I am a college student and our funds are really tight so I don't have the money to spend on meds that are very expensive each month. What would you guys do?? Is it to drastic to be thinking about putting her down before she is in so much pain that she can't move?? What should I do??

Sorry, I thought that I put her age in here. She's 8 years old. I've only had her for a year and a half.

I am a vet tech student so I know how to treat and I know the meds out there help releive the symptoms. My problem is that she's 8 years old and it's really starting to take a toll on her. I can't give any meds because her liver values are messed up. I wish I could afford to have the heads of her femurs cut off (that's the treatment) but it's just not possible because of the expense $1500. OUCH!! If I gave her to a shelter or to someone else she would most likely go through more stress to end up in the same situation. Having to be put down. Thanks to everyone who actually answered nicely and to the rest of you who aren't giving good advice and thrashing their opinions around who have no clue whats going on should keep your opinions to yourself. Thanks.

Answer 1

Do the humane thing. If her quality of life is degraded so much that she basically lays around and does not move much then it might be time to say goodbye. She is in severe pain, but may not show it as much due to her loyalty to you.
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Answer 2

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I am not a vet, but I don't understand "how" your dog has hip displasia at the age of one year. This usually happens when the dog is much older, so there must me something else going on. I believe the Vet knows what he's talking about. Why don't you wait and see how your dog acts after surgery? My Labrador is 7 years old now and hasn't yet shown the signs of hip problems. I know that about a month or so after your dog has surgery, she will be like a new dog, so please don't consider having her put to rest yet. Or at least if you "do" consider it, adopt her out instead, okay? She'll probably turn out to be the best dog you ever had. When "I'm" in really bad pain and someone tries to touch me or even talk to me, my attitude isn't exactly great. And dogs aren't any different with "their" pain, okay? Give your girl dog a chance..

Answer 3

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tinyurl.im/nppkV

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

This is going to sound harsh but hip dysplasia is a degenerative disease that gets worse but with medication the pain can be managed,owning an animal is a luxury ,if there is any way you can afford to treat your dog treat him.
i have a dog with this condition he was diagnosed when he was a puppy we bought him to breed from,hes been on medication since he was a puppy and he is 7 now its getting worse but the medication does stop the pain he runs around like a puppy.
my boss who treated him advised me i could either put him down or treat him,i decided he was worth saving,
the way i look at it if it was a family member would you say i cant afford it would you treat them,?you would find the money for a family member so why not a dog.
if your dog can have a quality of life on medication treat him,

Answer 5

If she is relatively young, and you can't afford to treat her, try finding her a home that can. Sometimes treatment can give a dog a few more quality years. If she's elderly, euthanasia is a possible consideration. All three of the breeds in her mix are prone to hip problems. As to what I'd do, it's hard to say. I can't see her and try to evaluate her pain level. But if someone could help her, but it meant my giving her up, I'd let her go to where she could be helped.

Answer 6

my dog is a lab/shepard with hip dysplasia , she is 14 years old, sleeps a lot and also is getting to the point where she cant make it outside to pee or poop, she doesn t seem in pain but I am sure she is. she will walk a block or two but not very often. I am torn???

Answer 7

If you can't do anything for her, it is the right thing to have her euthanized. I have kept animals and carried them, bottle fed liquefied food and done too much. Then you look back and remember the animal's suffering. It isn't wrong to let go before the last possible minute. I am sorry your dog has this condition. It has become way too common in even young dogs.

Answer 8

No it's not drastic. If she's laying around, not playing and experiencing a lot of pain then she's lost any quality of life. I know it's hard but it *sounds* to me like if it isn't time now, it's close. Don't let her suffer and know it's the best and only way to help her. If you are uncertain then talk to the vet. He can easily better advise you on his observations. He might not come right out and say, so listen closely. Age doesn't matter, it's her quality of life.

I'm so sorry you are facing this decision. It's heart wrenching, but know it's sometimes best to know when to let go. God bless...

Answer 9

dog toy poodle age 8 on medications but having trouble walking and even eating at times and sleeps alot. Need advice whether to put her down. At times she is alert.

Answer 10

As a professional dog trainer for over 16 years, I have to tell you my strong opinion that you need these group classes for obedience training. http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?H8hb

Other pet warehouses are there to get you to buy their products and hang around their strore. And their trainers are their employees...never forget they have an agenda. Most of the trainers have very little education--if they had actual training and skills they wouldn't be there making just over minimum wage--trust me on this. But even if they did have experience and talent...a group setting is a terrible place for learning to take place. It's distraction training and it is the LAST phase of training not the first. You wouldn't have your child try to do their homework in a toy store, would you? Of course not...the level of distraction would be too high! It's the same with dogs. Having said that, these classes can be an excellent way to socialize dogs...but not to train them. And while they appear to be cheaper than a professional trainer...you have to attend many more sessions to get the same results because of the poor learning environment--so you wind up spending MORE money for less training than you would with a professional. Save your money and go to someone who actually knows how to train dogs. OR, read books and try to train your dog yourself. There is nothing they train at a Petsmart or Petco that you can't do yourself with a couple of hours of reading.