Hi Deanna,
I am so sorry that you are going through this. It's never an easy decision. Though the years I have been their too. I personally will only send one of my babies to the Bridge if they are in pain and nothing can be done for them to stop that pain. That was the only way I was able to make my decisions in the past. It was the only answer for me.
In the end it is really only you and your family that can make that decision. You are the one's who see him everyday and know him. No one else can tell you what to do because they don't know Nuggie the way you do.
Sometimes a pet also has a way of letting you know when it is time to say goodbye. If he prefers to hide and stays away from the pack,including you, then he is behaving the same way a wolf or any wild animal behaves...they know it is time and want to go to sleep peacefully without any one bothering them. In home that's the only way they know how to communicate their feelings to you. If anything, I wouldn't hoover over him for a couple of hours and keep yourself at a distant to see what he does, maybe he will let you know and if he does, he is also telling you that it is all right to let him go.
Also, as far as the seizures in themselves go, some other things that I have heard that can trigger them, are peanut butter, and rubber toys, like the kong toys, if a dog is allergic to them. Some dogs are allergic to duck and rabbit. Perhaps if he calms down a bit for you then you could try a process of elimination by keeping him on only one type of raw food, like just the chicken and nothing else, no snacks either for a couple of days. Then slowly add in a treat for a few days. If no seizures after three days, then add something else to his diet for another three days, and on and on. You will of course have to keep a strict diary of everything.
Have you added anything new within the past couple of days, like toys, or treats, painted inside, sprays, different dog shampoo? The list is endless. I do remember you saying a couple of days ago that you gave a grain and veggie treat. Perhaps that's what could have triggered it. It may have even taken a few days to build up in his system before he showed a reaction to it. Then again it may not be any of those things. Just some of my ideas.
My heart is with you Deanna.
Hugs,
♥ Peggy & The Girls ♥
-----Original Message-----
From: Deanna Corey <
[email protected]>
To: Chihuahuas <
[email protected]>
Sent: Sat, Nov 13, 2010 3:08 am
Subject: [Chihuahuas] Advice with Nugget
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Hi everyone!
I posted this on one of my lists and instead of re-writing it all I am just cutting and Pasting...please be honest with what you think...I need input from CLEAR heads!!!
This is the most frustrating thing ever...just when I think we have made headway things go from bad to worse with Nuggie's seizures! I went with diet change...that seemed to help a lot for a good 6 months...then they started increasing so we have tried the PB and then the KBR route...these past few months have been super hard as sometimes he responds so well to the meds...i think we have it licked and then WHAMO...seizures WAY worse than before meds. This week has been horrible...6 big ones! and then last night 3 more right in a row...in the time span of 2am to 5:30am...so far no more today but I am on pins and needles just waiting for the next one...Last week was a good week with none. Before the meds he never had one more often than every 20 days and they were not that severe as now. I thought maybe when the Dog Park lost 3 that would be a good thing for him but no matter what I can't seem to find the reason...the triggers. Our friends visited yesterday and bam...their little Pap sent him right into a huge one! Last month when they were here everything was fine...so no rhymne or reason that I can see.! We have had 100's of dollars done now in testing and the vets do not know any more than what they told me the day of his very first one. On Monday we took him in again...Dr Verred said maybe we should start thinking about putting him down. He has adjusted his meds 5 times now and he is frustrated too that we are not making any progress...accept causing more damage in my opinion! We see brain damage it seems with every seizure...I do have to say I didn't see that at all until we went with the meds!!! It is almost like we have reached a point of no return...even if somehow we can get the seizures to stop...he is still pretty damaged...doesn't know where he is 1/2 the time...has forgotten all training and now I think he has issues seeing for long periods of time...then it seems to come back! Anyway I am just sick!!! I don't know what to do...I don't want him to suffer...and I don't want to be selfish...but I don't know if I have the strength to actually do it...it is like deciding to have one of my flesh and blood children euthanized! With our lives like they have been...with so much grief...so much "stuff" I honestly don't know if I am seeing things clear enough to make any good decisions!! Something that scares me is not doing anything and then having the experience 2 of my friends did. They didn't have the strength to have their seizure dogs put down...they were on the same roller coaster ride I am on now...so they just kept waiting and trying different things. Both of them had the most horrible thing happen...both dogs...had violent seizures and then died in their arms from heart attacks. These were two seperate families but I have these stories in my head...they both have shared how much pain they thought the dogs experienced in the end. I can't do that!!!! I am so sorry to just dump all this on you guys but I so really need your opinions as I can't see clearly what to do!!! Any advice???Any suggestions?? Any thoughts?? Any one??? I just can't see through the pain what to do!!! Not just the pain from Nugget but just so much loss this year...so much grief...I am kind of sinking I think!
Waggin' Tails in The Dog Park,
Deanna
and
The Dog Park Pack:
Nugget, Shuai-Li, Mouse, Myrtle, Mable, and Caleb and honorary non-dog members of The Dog Park:
Stella-Macaw, Stanley-Amazon, Miles the cat
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