[NAGDU] My Fisher

[Sherri]

Hi Cindy,  I sympathize and empathize with what you are going through.  I
lost my almost 16-year-old dog Bailey in much the same way.  I moved into a
condo with stairs.  She had a couple of falls and as time went on, just got
less and less able to go up the stairs.  I got her on some quite potent pain
medication two days before I lost her.  She was also panting and shedding
tremendously.  IN the morning a couple of days after she started the
stronger medication, she refused to stand up, I called my vet and a vet tech
came and we rode in his car to the vet's office, where she was euthanized.
It was funny, but when they walked into my house, she stood right up, but
they said that was excitement and adrenalin.  She even took treats from the
doctor right up to the end.  She was a lab.  

I had a friend who used a mobile vet and it worked very well for her.  I
have never had experience with a mobile vet, but my doctors are great and I
will probably use them when and if I decide to get another dog.

My heart aches for what you are going through.  You are right to stay with
him and not leave him alone.  These dogs are so special and I know we have a
special place in their hearts as they do in ours.  You are doing the right
thing.  Keep us posted.

Sherri

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 8:03 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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