Friday, October 8, 2010

My 13 yr old black lab has lung cancer and is retianing water

My 13 yr old black lab has lung cancer and is retianing water?
He was doing well on lasix and had perked up, but the last three days he's been pretty listless, he wont eat his own food but will eat table food if hand fed. My vet says it might be time for him to be put down. My problem is if I can still get him to eat and he still lifts his head and wags his tail when i call him and he is not incontinent Should I wait to put him down? I want to wait but do not want him to suffer.
Dogs - 5 Answers
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1 :
if you know your dog, you should be able to make a general judgment call, I have had a black lab for about the same amount of time, his throat is slowly closing up, it all depends on their qualitiy of life, he seems perfectly content with his fatty tumors and just coughing, just try to get a general idea, if they cant walk and cant get up the stairs by themselves, well maybe it is time to let go, but it also might be time to just go ask a vet for some pain medicine for your pup
2 :
I believe that you mean RETAINING? It's time to let the poor dog go in peace.
3 :
He is suffering. It would be a loving gift to have him euthanized. I know it is hard but sometimes it is the best thing we can do for them. So sorry. He has been with you a long time. Let him go in peace.
4 :
It's up to you. You know your dog best and only you can make that decision. However, if his condition has gotten so bad that it is causing him to be that lethargic then I assure you he is certainly very uncomfortable if not actually in pain. You don't want to wait until your dog can't even lift his head. And most dogs will wag their tails for their loved ones even if they themselves are in a lot of pain. And incontinence shouldn't even enter into the equation...incontinence is inconvenient for the human caretaker, but generally not painful for a dog. A dog can be in excruciating pain and not be incontinent.
5 :
My last Lab lasted 13 1/2 years and at that time I put her down. I have had many dogs in my 64 years and I have put all of them down at the time I determined that their life was not their life anymore. When a dog cannot be a dog anymore then it is time. A dog will do anything for you and can not make the call; you must toughen your spirit and give back some of that love by letting go. Our Government should do the same for us but that will probably not happen in my lifetime. When the dog you love cannot do the things that make him or her a dog; such as walk, play, go out to relieve themselves; or eat on their own them it is time. Of course it hurts but you cannot know how much pain they are suffering without complaint just for you and so you have to play God for a bit just because you can.

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