tzvia
06-14-2012, 10:58 AM
I feel like I've been dragged under a truck...
Our lab, Kelev, has been declining steadily over the last 5 months. He lost 20 lbs of muscle in back and slowly got slower and less steady on his feet. As a flight of stairs is the only way to the street from my two story home, it became more and more difficult to even take him for a walk. Still, we helped him down, and back up the stairs and walked slowly with him when he was strong enough to go. He was 14.
Last night, he slipped and landed on his butt with his legs straight out in front of him, unable to get back up. His cries woke me and I got him back up. This has happened in the past, but he was ok after being picked up. This time, he fell again a short while later, and then several more times through the night. By morning, I realized he was drastically worse and was wobbly on his front legs as well. Thankfully my brother came over and together we took him to the vet he had been seeing since he was 6 months old. No arthritis, which I suspected was causing pain as the vet had mentioned years ago was a possibility. There was no pain. It was spinal degeneration, and he had almost no feeling in back. Cortisone shots once a week could help a little, but he was given maybe 6 months at best. He had declined so rapidly... We decided instead to say goodbye with dignity. Hardest thing I ever did; I held him and told him I loved him, told him he was going to the park in Heaven... he put his head on my chest as he always did when I scratched behind his ears, and closed his eyes. Been expecting this; he was 14, but he had tried to remain active for the last several months and we had been walking down those stairs and helping him up. But last night was horrible and the thought of him going out the dogie door and falling outside in the hot sun and getting heat stroke while I was at work was too much to bear.
This house is so empty now. I almost got up just now to make his warm steamed carrot snack (ground steamed carrots + a spoonful of canned food) that I gave him in the evenings or afternoons when I was off work. He had cataracts and I thought it would help. Gosh I miss him.
Our lab, Kelev, has been declining steadily over the last 5 months. He lost 20 lbs of muscle in back and slowly got slower and less steady on his feet. As a flight of stairs is the only way to the street from my two story home, it became more and more difficult to even take him for a walk. Still, we helped him down, and back up the stairs and walked slowly with him when he was strong enough to go. He was 14.
Last night, he slipped and landed on his butt with his legs straight out in front of him, unable to get back up. His cries woke me and I got him back up. This has happened in the past, but he was ok after being picked up. This time, he fell again a short while later, and then several more times through the night. By morning, I realized he was drastically worse and was wobbly on his front legs as well. Thankfully my brother came over and together we took him to the vet he had been seeing since he was 6 months old. No arthritis, which I suspected was causing pain as the vet had mentioned years ago was a possibility. There was no pain. It was spinal degeneration, and he had almost no feeling in back. Cortisone shots once a week could help a little, but he was given maybe 6 months at best. He had declined so rapidly... We decided instead to say goodbye with dignity. Hardest thing I ever did; I held him and told him I loved him, told him he was going to the park in Heaven... he put his head on my chest as he always did when I scratched behind his ears, and closed his eyes. Been expecting this; he was 14, but he had tried to remain active for the last several months and we had been walking down those stairs and helping him up. But last night was horrible and the thought of him going out the dogie door and falling outside in the hot sun and getting heat stroke while I was at work was too much to bear.
This house is so empty now. I almost got up just now to make his warm steamed carrot snack (ground steamed carrots + a spoonful of canned food) that I gave him in the evenings or afternoons when I was off work. He had cataracts and I thought it would help. Gosh I miss him.