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my husbands dog has now lost over 20 pounds

i posted 2 months ago when scratch first showed signs of dying. he is holding on. he is 15 years old and my husband refuses to put him down.
he hasnt eaten anything in 4 days now and hasnt gotten up for water or to go to the bathroom at all today. he has lost about 20 pounds and is so skinny you can feel his bones. he has tumors all over his body and we are sure he is dying of cancer. the vet cant do anything for him aside from puting him down and i am having the hardest time because my husband works full time and i am basicly providing hospice care for his dog. i love this dog like my child. it is breaking my heart to have to watch him slip away day after day. i know i cant make him better but how can i make it easier on him and our family without making my husband put his baby dog down? please help because we are all suffering through this. how can i make it easier for me and our kids? how can i help my husband?

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cassie_m

Asked by cassie_m at 6:42 PM on Feb. 23, 2010 in Pets

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Answers (6)
  • do they at least have him on pain meds??? I hope so...poor dog :(
    Anonymous

    Answer by Anonymous at 6:48 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

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  • yes he is comfortable, its just so hard on everyone to watch him go through this. we have 5 kids and 4 of them are very attatched to scratch.
    cassie_m

    Answer by cassie_m at 6:51 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

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  • I'm so sorry to hear about this.....I say the best thing to do is put the down to sleep-he is in pain and it's not fair to keep him around to keep your family happy. I say this because 2 weeks ago we had to put down the love of our lives-our Bichon Frise who was 10 yrs old and had diabetes. He was fighting a very bad illness and wasn't getting better even after treatment. I cried and cried and have been down ever since he's been gone, but it's not fair to let them suffer or be in pain. Do the right thing and remember all of the good memories you've had with him. I had to tell my 3 yr old that our dog was now in the sky in heaven. It's painful, but if you know the time has come to let go then let them be free of pain in heaven. So sorry and wish you the best- I know the pain. Prayers...
    MandyT1021

    Answer by MandyT1021 at 7:05 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

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  • My mom's dog was sick like this as well and she cared for him for so long when the rest of the family thought it was 'time'. But in the end, Bear was her dog and it had to be her decision. I finally told her one day that it was time and she knew it was too; I offered to call the vet to make the appointment, drive her there, sit with her and even help bury the dog. In the end she had to be the one to make the decision for herself but it helped her when I offered to do the hardest parts for her and with her. Hope this helps.
    Anonymous

    Answer by Anonymous at 7:45 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

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  • We went through this with DH's dog a few years ago - only his problem was neuro. DH knew it was time to be put down when the dog snapped at him. He hadn't eaten, drank, or gone to the bathroom in days either, DH was just going to pick him up and move him to a more comfortable spot but the dog snapped, snarled, growled...he called the vet and a few hours later was burying the dog at his old house (with permission, of course, as well as blessings). Hopefully for your sake it ends soon or your DH decides it's time to put him down.
    Anonymous

    Answer by Anonymous at 10:02 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

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  • take to the vet and have it put down and tell you husband he died on the way there cause you knew it was going to die soon
    melody77

    Answer by melody77 at 11:07 PM on Feb. 23, 2010

    Credits: 5435 Level 18 1 star Pets 101
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