I realized several years ago that eventually, I would have to face this situation with our dog, Lady. She is getting older, a little slower, and I've know that eventually we would have to face the fact that she is dying.
I just never really prepared myself to actually face that fact.
Lady is a lab chow mix- and the smartest dog I have ever seen. She pretends to sleep when we ask her to get down off a bed or a couch. She climbs trees to get out of our yard. She responds to words- no matter the emotion you use.
I don't care what anyone says- Lady has and shows emotions. She smiles when she is happy and her eyes light up when she is excited. I don't even have to look at her tail- her face tells me when she scared or sad. Her tail being tucked doesn"t hurt either.
This wonderful dog won't be with us much longer. A tumor broke open in her mouth in March, and we had it surgically removed. The vte had it tested and told us that it was cancerous. He explained that it would eventually come back, but that he couldn't predict if would be a few months or five years.
Turns out, it was two months. Lady has been slowing down a little, and sleeping more. Andy felt a lump in her throat the other day, which is a symptom that the cancer had reached her lymph system. When Andy came last night he looked in her mouth and saw the tumor again. As he rubbed her belly, he felt even more lumps.
The cancer has spread quickly.
Andy took her to the vet today, and essentially, she only has a few months at most. The vet explained that Lady can take medication to control the swelling in her mouth, and to fight other infections, but there is not much that can be done for Lady. The medication will help her have a better quality of life, but the length of her life is still short. And, the vet said we can make the decision to put her to sleep whenever we feel she is done.
How do we know? How are we supposed to know when our dog is done? If she was lying around all day looking miserable, it would be a simple answer- but she isn't. She still greets me at my door when I get home. She still wags her tail and wants to play. When we go to the park, she runs around. Sure, she is a little slower and doesn't last as long as she used to, but she still plays.
How do I know what to do and when? Do I put her to sleep? Do I just let her go on her own?
I pray that she doesn't suffer, and that I am guided to do the right thing for her.
It makes me sad. I know she is a dog, and I know that there are far more painful things that happen to people every day- but I am sad.
2 comments:
A similar thing happend with our little dog last year. He was probably already sick when we got him from the shelter, because he hadn't even been with our family a year. However, we were blessed that his little body was able to compensate until the day he was done; he went to the furthest corner of our yard, and refused to move. We hadn't even known he was sick until it was too late, and he was ready to go. It was shocking and very sad, but I think it was a little easier that way. Your Lady will let you know when she is ready to go. You already know her thoughts and emotions so well; it won't be hard for you to see, and it will be when you both know it's right.
:( oh hun, I am so sorry. Do you remember Kirby? My parents Doberman? We went through 14 almost 15 wonderful years with her. But a similar story played out in my parents home about 2 years ago. Kirby developed cancer...it was a hard road to walk with her, and it truly broke my heart (not to mention my dads). Eventually though, you could see that it was more than she could bear. My Dad put her down himself- he didn't want the last thing she saw, to be a stranger. I will keep you, and Lady in my prayers. It's never easy to face the loss of a family member- especially the fuzzy ones!
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