[NAGDU] My Fisher

Thu Aug 20 04:14:42 UTC 2020

Hi, Cindy, You're doing such a great job of being there for Fisher!  He's
really a blessed dog!  If you've liked your regular vet all these years and
trust her, at this point when the decisions are going to be hard and you
want to feel you're making the best decisions that you can, I'd try to work
things through with your regular vet. I had to deal with a new vet when my
cat got sick and had to be euthanized, and I had to trust him and it just
caused me more anxiety and grief and if I'd known the vet. It wasn't that
there was anything wrong with him, I just didn't know him. I think it's a
good call about the panting being indication of pain. I'm sure sorry that
the time has come, but you're doing such a great job caring for Fisher. Just
take your time, trust your heart and the signs you see as you know him
better than anybody. It seems like animals know when their time is coming
and staying with them is important, seems like it's part of their loyalty to
us and their way to say good-bye.

I'm sure I speak for everyone on this list when I say we're here for you,
you're in our thoughts and prayers!

Charlene

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 7:03 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: cindyray at gmail.com
Subject: [NAGDU] My Fisher

Hi to all,

Well, the latest episode of my whining about good old Fisher. He turned
fourteen on July 16. He was doing well, as energetic as you would expect,
and quite full of life. Then last Friday came. He fell down a few steps. We
helped him go downstairs. After that, he really couldn't do the stairs
anymore. At first he would stand at the bottom, and once he went up to the
landing (it is a split foyer house with seven steps in each little flight.)
My husband carried him up so he could go out on the deck with us for lunch,
but we didn't stay long because It was hot.

I called my vet to tell her what had happened, and she couldn't work him in.
They suggested that I call a mobile vet, so I called her. They sent over
some anti-inflammatories for him to take. Bob carried him down to the
landing and we went out in the front. He saw the sidewalk and thought we
should go north like we always did on our walks, but I did discourage that.

After dinner, we tried to "rig up the deck" so he would relieve there, but
nothing doing. 

Saturday morning he wasn't eating or drinking, and being a goldador, I was
pretty sure we were in a Hospice situation. I took him to an emergency care
place. 

They determined that his vitals were good, he has arthritis, and he has odd
eye movements, a stygnus.  Vestibular disease is what they call it, and it
is like neuralgia. They say that when there doesn't seem to be a cause
except maybe an underlying one that they would have to test for. They gave
him a shot and some meds for nausea, but I never was sure if that was an
issue.

On Tuesday, we had the mobile vet come here. She looked at him and said he
was in pain and his rear was dropped down some, but he seemed to be in good
health. So I decided I would go back to giving him his regular food. I had
been giving this specialty food that I got at my vet when he was  having
stomach issues and adding a little chicken to it. He also was given some
glucosamine chews. He wouldn't eat his food even though it was a mix of old
and the specialty food, though he did when I added the chicken to it.

Today I gave him his old food twice. He would have no part of it. I then
gave him the specialty food with a little chicken, and he ate it. We have to
watch to make sure he gets water.

So he can't do stairs, and we moved into the family room so we could all be
together. I took him for a short walk today, but he quickly commenced to
pant heavily, so I would say he is in quite a little pain.

The one good thing about it is that he is no longer the dog I knew last
week. I can care for him, but it is different, except that he still shows me
he cares a lot. All this is to say that I think we may have precious little
time left. This wasn't how I imagined losing him, but of course there are so
many ways.

I would sort of like to use the same vet I have been, but I feel as if after
17 years she could find a way to work him in. (That's 17 years all
together.) To be fair, she is a one doctor office, but given the symptoms, I
just couldn't believe they couldn't figure out a way to work him in. If I am
going to have to euthanize him, then I want to do it here. I am not sure she
would do that. It won't be easy, but I feel I am giving him the best comfort
I can in these days of pain. I miss his coming upstairs to follow me around,
but it is all good, because he greets me when he is aware of my returning to
downstairs. We don't want to leave him alone at all now. Maybe that's silly,
but I feel an intense need to remain here with him, or for Bob to. 

So have any of you used a mobile vet? Did you ever use one as your primary
care vet? What do you think are the pros and cons of doing that?

Sorry this is so long. I'm tired of reading it myself.

Take good care.

Cindy Lou Ray

cindyray at gmail.com <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com> 

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