Vet Suggests Euthinizing, Any Other Options Out There?

[deentonyo]

Hi Friends,

I am hoping to find someone out there that may have been in a similar situation or may just know someting that ccan help rase my mind.

RUDY was hit be a car on sunday and rushed to the E.R. I was told he had a broken pelvic bone that should heal over time with strict crate rest. We stayed up all night with him, he was given a fentenol patch for pain and some anti-swelling med.

The problem is, by tuesday He still had not voided Or Had a movement of any kind. This time his vet was open so we brought him right in there. The Vet Advised me to leave him and call back later that day. When I Did she let me know that along with the broken pelvic bone, he also suffered from a broken piece of spine and some type of torn nerve.

She said he would need to spend the next ten days there being periodicaly catherized. And that this would help to repair the nerve.

I asked her what the end result would be and she said my three options were

1) He would totally recover and be able to urinate and poop on his own.Awesome
2) He would semi recover and go around peeing and pooping everywhere. We Could Handle That!
3) He Would not recover and need to be Euthinized. UNACCEPTABLE!!

Isnt There any other options if my dog does not recover? And Has anyone had a dog with problems that do recover or do semi recover?

Very Scared To Lose My baby

Thank You For Your Time
Denise

[Bobbie]

If he doesn't recover you can get him a cart and express urine and possibly stool (if needed, the latter often isn't needed.) Unless he is in intractable pain there is no reason to euthanize him.

[deentonyo]

Recovering The Walking, I don't think, Is an Issue. They have said the bones will heal themselves. She Suggests euthinizing If he Does Not Regain Control over his Urine And Bowels. i will look more into Expressing, is this an Option in all situations?

Thank You So Very Much For Your Reply

[Bobbie]

Sometimes dogs have to be catheterized but you can learn to do that, too. I don't know if it is always an option to express- a pelvic injury is different. The dog can't walk unless the spinal cord heals and if it does the ability to pee and poop will also return. Tell your vet if you are willing to handle the expressing and see if there is some reason you should not be able to do it.

[CarolC]

1) He would totally recover and be able to urinate and poop on his own.Awesome
2) He would semi recover and go around peeing and pooping everywhere. We Could Handle That!
3) He Would not recover and need to be Euthinized. UNACCEPTABLE!!

Hi Denise,

I don't think the third option is going to happen, it will either be the first or the second. I would hope for the first option (totally recover) but plan for the second option. If he lacks bladder control, he is probably going to be easy to express (expressing is a way to squeeze his tummy to make him pee) or will need a male doggy diaper--they're great! Pooping in the house is no problem if you feed him the kind of food that gives him firm poops. I do not think you need to lose your dog, you can take care of him, he is lucky he has someone like you who doesn't mind giving a little extra TLC. I have 2 dogs that do not have control of bladder and bowels, it's not a problem if you handle it right!

[deentonyo]

Thank you so much both Carol and Bobby. Right Now He Is Not Peeing On His Own At All. He Oozes Out Fecal Matter. I Guess The Vet Feels That If He Does Not Regain The Ability To urinate, Then He Should Be Euthinized. I Wonder Why She Never Mentioned Expressing Him. I Guess It Is A Bit Too Early To Jump To The Conclusion That I Will Have To Even Do That. I Am Just So Anxious And Want Answers That she Can't Even Give me Right Now. However, Having Him Put to Sleep, Well, I Just Wish She Never Mentioned That Option. Makes Me Even More On Edge. And She Said It So Matter-Of-Factly.

I Visit Him Every Day And Every Day He Doesn't Urinate Is Harder.

Rudy Is My First Pet And I Am Sure She Needs Permission to Euthinize Him, Right?
I Do Have a Choice, I hope, Because The Way She Said It....

If He Doesn't Recover, Would would HAVE To euthinize Him!!
Just Scares me to Death.

[Bobbie]

Before you agree to euthanasia I would want to see a neurologist. But it could just be that your vet assumes you would not be willing to care for a pet needing help with bodily functions. I do it daily with my paraplegic dog and it is no big deal. Actually pretty convenient! So make sure the vet understands that you are willing to learn to care for him regardless of the extent of recovery.

[CarolC]

Thank you so much both Carol and Bobby. Right Now He Is Not Peeing On His Own At All. He Oozes Out Fecal Matter. This can be corrected with diet, you will put him on a diet that produces firm stools and get him to where he just lays little eggs that have little odor and do not soil the carpet. There is also a method to stimulate them to poop, so it happens at a time and place of your choosing. I have 2 incontinent dogs and I literally can't remember the last time I had to use carpet spray because of any mess they made. My one dogs leaves little eggs all over the family room and I pick them up with a kleenex and have the carpet shampooed every 6 months, and I'm kind of a clean freak, it just isn't an issue. The real reason I need to shampoo the rug is cat hairballs, not anything my 2 incontinent dogs do. Honest. I Guess The Vet Feels That If He Does Not Regain The Ability To urinate, Then He Should Be Euthinized. I Wonder Why She Never Mentioned Expressing Him. I sure as heck wonder, too, because SHE SHOULD HAVE. You have complete rights over your dog if you live in the US. She absolutely cannot put your dog down without your permission. In addition, I feel like dogs are smart and even if they don't understand every word they know "where people are coming from" and all this negativism from your vet is probably not good for your dog. If I were you, I would call around to some other vet clinics, ask whether they are willing to work with you to care for a down dog or whether they just recommend putting them down. I think you can find a vet with a better attitude. I do not see why you should be paying good money to this vet to talk in a negative way, upset you, probably upset your dog, and seemingly not care very much. Sorry, I am not there with you, that is just the way it sounds from what I am reading. You may want to just check your dog out of the clinic, pay the bill, and move your dog to another clinic where they are focused on life, and where they know a dog can have a good life even if it is incontinent. I Guess It Is A Bit Too Early To Jump To The Conclusion That I Will Have To Even Do That. I Am Just So Anxious And Want Answers That she Can't Even Give me Right Now. However, Having Him Put to Sleep, Well, I Just Wish She Never Mentioned That Option. Makes Me Even More On Edge. And She Said It So Matter-Of-Factly. You don't have to put up with this.
I Visit Him Every Day And Every Day He Doesn't Urinate Is Harder.

Rudy Is My First Pet And I Am Sure She Needs Permission to Euthinize Him, Right?
I Do Have a Choice, I hope, Because The Way She Said It....
She can't do anything without your permission if you are in the US.
If He Doesn't Recover, Would would HAVE To euthinize Him!! No, but if the vet is that negative you'll feel better having your dog cared for by someone with a better attitude.
Just Scares me to Death.

[deentonyo]

God Bless You For Caring For The disabled Who Need Us So Much. Your Right about The Vet, Funny thing Is Her Staff have Told Me Rudy Urinated But She Refuses To Agree. I Don't understand It But I Don't Want Him There Anymore So I Will Start Looking. Thank you Carol.

It's weird, For My Wedding Gift I Asked My Folks to Get Me A Dog. I Had Always Wanted To Rescue And Found One In a Foster home In my Area. But my Parent Thought The Vet Bills Would Be Too Much for Me To Handle. So.... They went Out And Spent Crazy Money On a Pure Bred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I Love Him So Much, but Since I've Had Him He Has Been Treated For Ear Mites, Which He Had When We Brought Him Home. Had To Have Surgery To Remove A Stone He Swollowed ($1,200.00) And now He Runs Out Of The House And Into The Path Of A Moving Vehicle.This bill Will Probably End up Over $1,000.00. I've Only Had Him For a Year.

Next Time I Know It Will Be Cheaper And Better To Rescue. Besides I Think They Give You So Much Gratitude And Love.

[Jennifer]

Deentonyo, so sorry about your baby. I'd find another vet ASAP. My dog was injured and paralyzed last July. She is fine now. With confinement, anti-inflammatory rx and pain rx, she was able to walk in a little over a month. Not only can she walk, but she can run now.

The Emergency vet who I had never met before saved her life. She fell down stairs. She could walk right after the fall, but 12 hrs later she was screaming in agony and having difficulty walking. Her legs and tail became completely paralyzed while I was at the ER vet's office and she was unable to stand. The ER vet told me she was suffering from a neck injury and that she would be fine in a few weeks and he was right.

My regular now EX-vet of 10+ years was hateful w/ me and told me to put my dog to sleep because he said she was unable to urinate and elderly (she was 14 at the time), but she is a very active little terrier. She ran around like a puppy most days before her fall.

My dog urinated on the morning I was supposed to take her in to have her put to sleep. She crawled when she urinated and no one else would have known she was urinating, but me. Unfortunately, vets can't (and don't) monitor each and every dog/cat that they keep for observation. My vet wouldn't have known she was urinating. The night before I was supposed to have her put to sleep, I researched, compared notes w/ other dog owner's online who had paralyzed dogs that could now walk and checked out every alternative possible while I sobbed because I didn't think she needed to be put to sleep despite the fact my vet told me I needed to end her misery and I was right.

Check w/ alternative medicine vets and vets that deal w/ a lot of trauma patients. Acupuncture is helpful, as well. Good luck!

[Jennifer]

The reason I had to involve my regular now EX vet was because I needed rx for her to follow the ER vet's diagnosis which was to confine her for a few weeks and give her pain and anti-inflammatory RX. I was told by my EX-VET's office that I had to bring her in. They examined her for 10 min, said she screamed in agony (No kidding! She had a neck injury), that they couldn't express her urine and decided she needed to be put to sleep. My EX-VET's office was shocked when I told them she had urinated and they filled her RX ASAP.

I do realize it's extremely expensive to take a dog to different vets. That's why I would suggest first contacting (1) a vet who deals w/ trauma injuries or (2) a holistic or alternative medicine veterinarian.

[critters]

My Koi, who was shot in the spine before I got him, is a case of partial recovery, but parts of him are still improving even after all these years. I can't agree more about expressing!! Koi's too ornery to let me do it; nobody had done it until he got here, so he leaks pee. Getting into the groove of doing it early in the recovery will probably make it easier to continue as needed, even long-term.

[rubyraquelita]

I hope my reply is not too late. I bet scenario 2 is the most likely (I hope you get the 1). My cat has that problem. Believe me, it was a nightmare at the beginning for me, but now it is part of my routine to express her and change her diapers It is like having a baby, actually, it is way easier. I had my vet telling me the same: make her sleep because cats are too clean to stand the smell of a dirty diaper. I walked away of course and found another vet and lots of help on this page. My cat is the happiest cat ever. She doesnt like me to express her but after that she is happy again! So, don´t listen to people that want to take the ´easiest´way.

[faerie51]

I've had two paraplegic dogs - the first one was 3 when it happened. Still don't know why but suspect an injury at the dog groomer's. I was heartbroken and at a complete loss . After surgery failed I was left with a "wet noodle dog," and a shrug of the shoulders from both the surgeon and my regular vet as to how to care for him. The only suggestion anyone had was to use diapers. I learned how to care for him on my own and he lived happily until he was seventeen years old. Toward the end of his life I came across a little 3 year old female who had also become paraplegic and I rescued her as a companion for him. She is now 13 and a happy and beloved companion. It takes a lot of effort and time, but to anyone who has a paraplegic dog, don't give up. There are so many products out there from carts to specially made britches to help with incontinence. Learning to express really isn't that hard. After a while it becomes second nature and won't take as much of your time. I've learned to adapt Gerber Training Pants as a much more economical way to provide britches and if you sew, baby clothing can be adapted as well. I've even made suspenders to hold the britches up for the warmer weather, but she loves the onesies I use for the purpose the rest of the year as they help keep her warm. At her age, she's not as active as she once was. If you would like help with any of this, please contact me.

[Shaz]

Hi Deentonyo

You've had so much good advice and really hope you feel confident to care for your Rudy once he gets home, which I am sure he will.

My Vet had the same attitude as you so I found this group and got myself educated and look after my 11 year old paralysed Duchess with ease. Everything I do for her I learnt here, you couldn't be in better hands:)

Odd that the staff have seen Rudy pee? Hmmmm.

Good to meet you.
Sharon