Hi everyone.

Anybody who read my thread from last Thursday will remember that I had to have my 13 year old dog put to sleep.

She suddenly lost the ability to stand or walk, her eyes were moving about rapidly and she had been vomiting a lot. She fell over several times. Her co-ordination was gone too, I called her name and she looked in the wrong direction.


Last Thursday when the vet came out, he told me it was vestibular disease (He had only been in the house about 2 minutes) He said something like "and obviously you'd be having to help her in and out all the time which wouldn't be easy because of her size" I was completely out of it I wasn't taking it in at all, I was just sat on the sofa stroking her nodding, he said "Yeh, I think it's time too......." I was crying and said "I know" so that was it, he put her to sleep.

Today I have googled Vestibular disease and have found several websites that say Vestibular disease does not mean you should put your dog to sleep, and infact with a bit of help most old dogs fully recover from this.

Is this for real? Is it right? Did I have my friend put to sleep for nothing?

Whats more is that it says it can be brought on by an ear problem, she had had a bad ear for about a month, I kept on bathing it out for her but she didn't seem to bothered, apart from the odd scratch.

Has anybody here had experience with vestibular disease? I have this awful feeling that she could have still been here if I have known what I know now!

I should have asked that vet more questions but I didn't I just sat there overwhelmed accepted her fate! She didn't have to die by the looks of it, I am absolutely gutted!!!!!

Some of the links I have seen today about vestibular:

http://www.squidoo.com/stroke-in-dog...isease-in-dogs

http://ottawadogblog.ca/2008/02/vest...d-to-recovery/

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvett...e#.T8YfGFtgo4s


I want to scream right now!

Having watched my MIL try to cope with a dog suffering much the same symptoms as you described I can only say we wish she had done as the vet advised on the first day he saw her and had poor old trixie dog PTS. Not only did Trixie suffer great indignity in her last few weeks but the suffering my MIL went through when she finally gave up was pitiful to see.

I think you did the right thing and it's not good looking at it any other way.

Had to reply ASAP, might be spelling mistakes as I'm at work and meant to be doing accounts!!

Your dog had what my dog had.

Went to work one day and my dog was fine, got home at 6 pm and my dad said she had been helping him do the gardening and all of a sudden she just fell over.

My poor girl was trying her best to get up but her back legs just seemed to be out of control, It was heartbreaking to see. After sitting crying and stroking her I noticed her eyes were looking wrong, within an hour there were moving rapidly from side to side. I got her in the car and drove to the emergency vet, where an ear infection was diagnosed.

We took her back to our normal vet after the weekend and he did some tests with her legs, bending her paw under, if she straightened it herself then it wasent neurological. Sometimes she straightend and sometimes she didnt!

I'm sure the vet mentioned vestibular disease, or I may have come to that conclusion myself by researching.

My dog was 14 so round about the same as yours. I want you to know you did the right thing by having her PTS. Once this vestibular thing has a hold in older dogs there is no coming back from it. My girl ended up with dementia, we found her one night staring at a bush in the garden - we had to take a torch outside to bring her in. My dad went out for the day and by the time he got back 9 hours later, she had forgotton who he was.

I'm pretty sure she was also having mini strokes, as her head would make weird movements and she would wee a little bit. I could go on with the horrors but I hope you will see my point.

I wish we had let my girl go earlier. Your girl didnt suffer much at all and for that you need to be really thankful.

Sending you hugs
xxx

I had to have our 15 yrs old dog put to sleep. Mine had canine dementia. She was always my dog coudnt move with out her. Then she started going for me not in a bad way jusst snapping only at me !.Then I noticed she was walking in the same direction all the time going around in circles things like that . Forgetting to go to the back door for the loo. I told the family it was time . They refused to see she was getting old. In the end In said watch her for longer than the 10 mins they normally did. I made the appointment at the vets I wasnt going to let her suffer any longer.

From what you said I think your dog had had enough. If she was being sick and at 13 a good age it was for the best. If she could talk Im sure she would thank you.

My old dog , over 18 month ago, all of a sudden was sick all over the place and kept falling down, his legs gave way and such. We taken him to the vets (he was 13 1/2 yrs old then) and the vet put him on tablets which stopped the sickness. We were told he had a bit like sea sickness (to do with ears) and therefore walked unsteady and fell over lots. But after about a week he seemed to steady, and we still have him, age 15 now.
I am really sorry for your loss.

Thank you. You're right I know it's easy to look back and think about the if onlys, but honestly if I knew then what I know now I would have held on for another day or 2 to see if she improved. I'm sorry to hear about your dog too!!


Thank you JJ75, I just read your post out to my mum on the phone and it has made us both feel a bit better to hear someone who has been in a similar position says we did the right thing. I am thankful that she didn't suffer for any longer that she had too, I'm just not convinced that she couldn't have improved! Maybe she wouldn't have, but that's something we won't know!


Thank you, it is really hard to accept when a pooch is ageing! And good for you for doing the right thing, I hope your right that she would say thank you if she could. The thing is, I don't think she knew she was going to die, she was on the sofa with her head on my lap, she watched as the vet shaved a patch from her leg, and watched as he began to inject her. She let out this massive relaxed sigh, and she was gone. She died peacefully I have a lot to be thankful for. It's just this thought that she might have had more time.

It's good to hear your pooch is doing well, and 15 is a great age!!

Did your vet mention anything about vestibular at the time?

The Vet did mention it and also that the illness is quite common in older dogs.
I suppose we were lucky to still have him, did think at the time we might lose him.
We are grateful for the extra time we have him, but we also know we have to make a decision soon, because now he is suffering from Arthritis and has problems.
So I suppose you know your dog did not suffer anymore.

Please don't upset yourself you did the right thing, I am so sorry for the loss of your dog, your dog was very much loved and cared for right to the end and that is what matters.

I do feel for you, we lost our cat Charlie last July aged four from heart failure, he was only diagnosed with problems last April and I have spent so many hours thinking what if we had spotted something earlier but prior to that he was a happy healthy cat, but I know like you that we love our pets they are more than pets they are part of our family and as such we give them all the love care and attention they need and in return they give us their unconditional love back.