I am so sorry that you are going through this. My family and I had to go through this with our 2 doxie mixes, George and Jerry-Lee, that we found when they were about a year old. They lived a very long happy life. They loved to chase birds, rates, snakes, anything. They were real little hunters!
Jerry-Lee had developed cushings and once he was on medication we noticed that he had also developed severe arthritis in his elbows but the pain from it was covered up by the chemicals from the cushings. He dealt with the cushings fine but the arthritis was slowly getting worse and we were trying everything to help him. His favorite thing to do was eat, oh he loved to eat. He would eat anything, he was a real little porker.
During this time his brother George was diagnosed with oral cancer. The vet put him on pain medication and told us that he wouldn't live for more than a few more weeks. It was a hard blow. Once he was on the pain meds we noticed he was having trouble eating even boiled chicken and soft food. He was always a picky eater but this was more than that and we knew it. Then the seizure started every Monday and we knew that we couldn't let him go on like that so we took him to the vet and stayed with him until he suffered no more. We had brought his brother Jerry-Lee and George left us knowing how much we all loved him.
A couple months later Jerry-Lee was waking up all throughout the night crying because of the pain and his eating had become picky. He was no longer the little hunter he used to be, all he could do was lay on his bed all day in pain. He wasn't eating like he used to and not because of age but because of the pain from the arthritis.
We knew it was time.
Euthanasia is not an easy decision to make and only you can make it. Your girl has had a wonderful long life and if she isn't having fun anymore or doing the things she loved to do best than it is probably the most loving decision you can make right now for her. She knows how much you love her and how hard it is for you to make that kind of a decision but she understands that her little body can no longer work properly. She is lucky to have you looking after her. The best person to turn to on making you decision is her, just watch her eating habits, look into her eyes, you will know when both of you are ready.
I send many prayers and much love to you, your girl and you family at this hard time in your life. It is hard but keep strong for her and listen to her and your heart. |