She's Dying Slowly, what can I Do?

[Konotashi]

I'm in a predicament. My boyfriend's 73 year old uncle's dog Sally is about 14 years old and her time is up. She has a rampant ear infection that appears to have spread to her eye. She has lost a significant amount of weight, and she's just lying in the yard suffering now.

The problem is, his uncle wants to let nature take its course and let her pass away on her own. My boyfriend and I both know that she's suffering, but (as much as I love him), he's a stubborn old man and there is no reasoning with him sometimes, so there's nothing we can do.

I'm not willing to call the Humane Society on him for personal reasons.

Does anyone have any advice for what we could possibly do?

[Franksmom]

I'm not an expert but I think this is what I would do.
I would stay with her as much as possible, and do what ever you can to make her physically comfortable, if you can get ear/eye drops for her then I would do that, and if not then maybe cleaning her ears and eyes with a warm wet cloth might help.
If you think she's in pain would he let a vet give you something to give her for pain?
Any kind of food she would eat, when you reach that age it doesn't really matter if it's healthy just that she'll eat it.
Make sure everything is in her reach water etc.
I hope everything resolves quickly for her sake.

[1sttimeforgsd]

What Franksmom said sounded like an excellent suggestion. Poor baby after all those years it is not right to let one suffer if the pain can be eased or to be put down so that she can go on to the Rainbow Bridge and run free. Sad.

[Anja1Blue]

This sort of thing always floors me, and makes me mad. People who wouldn't put up with this kind of thing for one minute if it were happening to them will allow their companion animals to suffer - right up to the end. And while we don't advocate putting people to sleep, we do try to make them as comfortable and pain free as possible, so if he were my uncle I'd be giving him a very hard time for what he is doing to his dog. Your BF needs to take control of the situation and see that she receives the appropriate medical care, even if it means a showdown. You can't force him to euthanize her, but at the very least she should be receiving medication for her ears, which have to be VERY VERY painful. Ask this insensitive person what he thinks it would be like to have ears and eyes in that condition, be dying, and not be getting any help.

In the meantime, the above advice is good, though she may not want you touching her ears, and she may not want to eat. (If you use a warm cloth be careful not to get a lot of moisture in her ears - water on top of an infection would not be a good thing.) Try the tastiest food you can find (not kibble, something moist, maybe a little cooked chicken or hamburger, or a good quality canned dog food) and don't force it if she doesn't want anything, water is more important at this point. If she is outside, (she shouldn't be, she should be inside and out of the elements) make sure she is in a protected area and has something comfortable to lay on. Spend as much time with her as you can - but with or without his permission you need to get something from the vet for the pain. Thank you for caring about her!
________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

If he can get permission to take her to the vet - she can get some pain management. Pain management in the form of a narcotic like tramadol (which they might not give to you) can really help.

IF she is suffering and in pain - something absolutely has to be done because it's simply cruel. Hospice is done in humans - his idea of letting nature take its course has a model (because we are legally bound to stay alive) and in that model is significant help for pain and discomfort, palliative care.

May be time to take a stand on behalf of this poor animal. A veterinarian could help to assess her condition beyond what you are seeing. It is possible her laying around is simply what she wants to do, and by ridding her of the ear and eye issues she might actually have good quality of life for a while. But it would take a vet to help you figure that out.

[Jelpy]

Does the uncle leave the house at all? My underhanded advice would be to wait until he'll be gone for awhile and get a vet to come out and euthanize her. You'd have to find a vet to do it (Or take the dog in while he's gone) and then let him discover she has 'passed' on his own.

Jelpy and the mesquite mafia

[crackem]

This is what pisses me off. It is NOT any of your dogs. Mind your own busniness once and a while.

I wouldn't make a dog suffer like this, but it is NOT my dog, nor MY decision to make. It's not your's either.

Seriously, wait till he's gone and have a vet come out and kill the man's dog?

[kiya]

Do you know of a vet that could come to his house to examine her? I am going thru this with my horse. I just had the vet come again yesterday to
examine him. He does't feel he's suffering but agrees with me that I need to make arrangements soon. We agreed to double his bute (pain med) until then. So maybe hearing from a vet would make him have a heart.

[Zeusismydog]

If you cant get any pain meds for the poor girl try some MSM. I agree she should be out of the weather. You might also try flavoring the water with a little broth (chicken or beef). Be careful how she reacts when you try and clean her ears. I am sure they are painful. Also try and give her a soft bed of something. If nothing else go and get some straw for her to lay on (I would prefer a real bed but if that is all you can do it is better than nothing). Thank you for trying to help her.

[WarrantsWifey]

Poor girl, you probably have, but do you think if you talk to him again and try to explain to him the extent of her suffering and what the PUP would want. Suffering isn't right.... However I don't think the vet will do anything for you....