New and confused

[joeys mom]

Hi my 16 year old sweet beagle , Joey, was diagnosed with bladder cancer 2 months ago. Our biggest concern was waiting for the day he would become incontinent and unsure of how to care for him. Unexpectedly, Joey started losing control of his hind legs over the span of a week. It started with him slowing down on his walks, then not being able to climb the stairs , to wobbling after taking a few steps and now, he can not walk at all on his hind legs. We thought that it was related to the tumor in his bladder but we took him to the vet and they didn't think it was. There is no way to be sure what happened without doing an MRI and he is too old to subject him to that.
They suspect that he threw a blod clot in his spine and that blocked the arteries to his hind legs. The vet did a thorough exam of his hind legs and found that they are still responding to reflexes, which is a 'good' sign.

We bought the rear leash and that worked well for the past week. He was skeptical at first but then seemed eager to go a lil further each day. I decided to order him a wheelchair but that won't be done for anohter 4 days.

Over the span of a week, his energy level dropped and I noticed his breathing has become very shallow when he sleeps or is resting. I just don't know what to do at this point. He has so many things against him but the hardest part is that he still loves to be pet and fed. Am I being delusional? I feel so bad
that he can't do the things he used to. Sometimes he seems frustrated that he can't walk so I will life his hind legs and he'll walk around the house a bit. It's so cute but soo sad too.

I can't tell if he's suffering, maybe I am seeing what I want to see and am basing too much on the fact that he still LOVES to eat. I'm waiting for some sign to tell me it's time to let him go. Now he isn't even able to go to the bathroom on his own. Over the past 2 days, he's been constipated. He doesn't even try really. I blamed it on the painkillers and our vet said to give him some metamucil. We did this and he did manage to go number 2, but it was inside the house.

I now have doggie diapers on him. They say you'll know when it's time. But I just don't know if I will allow myself to see the signs. He has bladder cancer, He can't walk and he can't go to the bathroom. Tonight we left him alone for the first time in a week since he lost control of his hind legs. When I got home, he had dragged himself to the top of the stairs to wait for me. Is that a will to live? Am I just fooling myself?

So sad and confused.

[Bendy Kitty]

our rule has always been taht if they aren't suffering, we keep on going. remember that animals don't feel teh way people do about being disabled. they just keep trying, they don't ask "why me." If you focus on being positive with him, he will reflect that back. it is a lot of extra work on your part and you have to decide what you can and can't do. Sounds like so far you are doing a good job.

I would worry about the heart, tho. Throwing clots is a sign of heart disease, which could also make him lethargic and affect his breathing.

They can do a number of fairly simple things to check his heart.
listen to it (for heart rate, murmurs),
take a chest x-ray - will show if the heart is enlarged
a chest echo is a littl emore expensive (about twice the cost of an x-ray) but they can watch the heart function and see how the valves are working, they can see if the walls are thickened.

heart disease is very treatable, we have had several cats with heart disease. the meds make a huge difference.

so, i'd definitly get that checked!


Joey appreciates all the care and love you give him. When he gets to teh point of not being able to reflect that back, and/or when you completely out of options of how to make his life workable, then it is time to start thinking about goodbyes, in my opinion. but as long as they are happy to see us and we can manage whatever disability they are living with, we will keep on trying and trying and trying.

many purrrrrrs to you, the board is al ittle slow right now because of the holiday but people will be by!

You might want to post on the incontinence board, too!

headbinks and purrrs

bendy