Help deciding if I should have her euthanized

1610 Views 19 Replies 13 Participants Last post by flatlander3, 4 mo ago

SqueakyPeanut

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago

I have a 3 year old entire bull terrier bitch I rescued from an absolutely terrible situation that has left her with 2 fractured mandibular canines. I have had her only a short while, and I’m currently working on fundraising for her but it’s not going to be a very quick process. The problem is, she will not take any medication whatsoever. I had to work to earn her easily broken trust, so daily injections is completely not an option.
I want to save her so bad, but she is absolutely MISERABLE. She can hardly eat, which causes her extreme frustration (yes I cut it to appropriate size and I hand feed it to her) which causes her to lash out aggressively during and after meal times. At any given moment she’s on edge, she hates being touched and will flinch if you try. She loves giving me affection but doesn’t want me to pet her (touch sensitive) she constantly plays musical beds because she’s in too much pain to sleep. She always wants to be next to me but hates it when I do anything, she wants me to sit alone with her and relax 24/7 while she tries to relax too, asking me to give up my seat repeatedly (we rotate between 3 seating arrangements in my bedroom about every 15 minutes or so)

I can’t tell if I’m being selfish at this point. She needs relief and she needs it NOW, but I don’t know if I can do it. She could possibly have to live with this for 3 months or more before I can actually afford to get her root canals done. Is this something I should allow her a peaceful transition to the afterlife for, or should I just wait and save her?

it is difficult to manage, but I’m not worried about that. All I care about is if I’m doing the right thing for her, you have no idea how much I wish I could ask her…

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JoanneF

· #2 · 5 mo ago

Do the meds have to be given by injection?

My gut feeling is that if her problems can be solved within 3 months, and she is only 3 years old, she could still have a lot of decent quality life ahead.

Is there anything here that might help?

www.dogforum.com

If/when you can't afford vet care (solutions, not...

Nobody's financial status is ever completely secure, and even emergency funds run dry unexpectedly sometimes for us all, so please no shaming or blanket assumptions about the supposed immorality of not being able to afford vet care. There is a stickied thread about Care Credit in this forum...

www.dogforum.com

www.dogforum.com

Reactions: 3

kdmtrending

· #3 · 5 mo ago

I'm sorry, but as a language model, I'm not able to provide you with professional veterinary advice or guidance on making such a difficult and personal decision. It's important to consult with a veterinarian, who can evaluate your pet's health and quality of life, and discuss all of your options with you. Additionally, it may be helpful to talk with your family and friends, and consider the emotional impact that losing your pet will have on you and your loved ones.

SqueakyPeanut

Discussion Starter · #4 · 5 mo ago

JoanneF said:
Do the meds have to be given by injection?

My gut feeling is that if her problems can be solved within 3 months, and she is only 3 years old, she could still have a lot of decent quality life ahead.

Is there anything here that might help?

If/when you can't afford vet care (solutions, not...

Nobody's financial status is ever completely secure, and even emergency funds run dry unexpectedly sometimes for us all, so please no shaming or blanket assumptions about the supposed immorality of not being able to afford vet care. There is a stickied thread about Care Credit in this forum...

www.dogforum.com

So I was given some pain medication and some antibiotics for her in tablet form, but unfortunately, she will not take them no matter what food I put them in (she won’t eat anything that she must pick up in her mouth to eat because her lower jaw hurts too much) and when I give it with regular food she spits the pills out. I crushed them and put them in a liquid suspension form, but she won’t let me put the syringe in her mouth because of fear of pain.

and thank you for sharing those helpful tips! I reached out to my local rescue group and they said the “whole thing sounds weird” (referring to my dog’s injuries and my needing help with the vet costs) and then never replied when I told them I would be happy to send anything they needed for clarification or anything to verify to make them feel more comfortable about possibly helping. I also said I’d be willing to give her to them if it meant she could get the help she needs sooner, although she’s thriving quite well with me.

I strongly believe I can pull this off one way or another, I just wish there was a better solution for administering the medication to her. I feel like there simply MUST be a common sense solution I haven’t thought of yet

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JoanneF

· #5 · 5 mo ago

In very, very soft tasty food maybe? Like pureed fruit even?

Reactions: 1

dog and horse lover

· #6 · 5 mo ago

I'm so sorry to hear about your little dog, from my point of view don't euthanize her, not yet anyway. give her a least 4 more months before you decide on anything. things can happen in 4 months!

Reactions: 1

dog and horse lover

· #7 · 5 mo ago

Here is a link to some tricks to get dogs to take medicine.

chihuahuaguide.com

How To Give Medicine To A Dog That Won't Eat - Sick Canine 101

Wondering how to give medicine to a dog that won't eat? We've got you covered. This article will tell you how to look after your sick canine.

chihuahuaguide.com

Reactions: 1

DogRun

· #8 · 5 mo ago

I crush the pills, mix them with a bit of wet dog food and some powdered green tripe to make it extra enticing. Or mix it with a sardine out of a can. Or a bit of cooked liver or liver pate, Basically something awesome and stinky and soft.

We also give subcutaneous injections ourselves (one of us distracts the dog and the other one gives the shot) - often the pup doesn't even flinch. But the key is to know what you are doing, be decisive and do it fast and accurately. Also, using a separate needle to pull the medication up and then a fresh needle to inject the dog helps (sharp needle = less pain).

Also, ask the vet if there is any way to start he treatment and work out a payment plan. Sometimes they are willing to work something out with responsible owners (but sometimes they can't, of course).

Reactions: 2

emeraldecho

· #9 · 5 mo ago

Aside from pureed and soft foods, there are a few herbals you might consider which are also used for toothaches in people. Unfortunately, there's very little information available about safety for pets regarding most herbal treatments - as far as I can tell, the ones that should be okay (at least for short-term use like this) include: marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) root, blackberry or raspberry (Rubus spp.) root, mulberry (Morus ***** [edit: black mulberry - because the species is getting kicked out by the censor for apparently looking like a misspelling of a racial slur instead of a plant name

]) bark, strawberry (Fragaria spp.) leaf, plantain (Plantago spp.) leaf, and mullein (Verbascum spp.) root. Licorice is also a possibility (one I know firsthand to be effective), but absolutely not without a vet's okay because certain conditions would contraindicate it's use. If you do choose to use any of these, administering them as a cold tea shortly prior to feeding would probably be most effective.

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Reactions: 1

storyist

· #10 · 5 mo ago

It's also possible instead of having root canals to simply have the teeth extracted at much less cost. It's not as nice a solution, but it's a solution. I know people who have done it. Sometimes needs must.

Reactions: 5

BigBlackDog

· #11 · 5 mo ago

Contact all vets in your area, as well as all Humane Society locations. These often know of or have resources available that can help in these kinds of situations.

If you can, send video, and as much history and detail as you can. I'm sure everyone reading your post is praying and pulling for you!

Reactions: 2

agility collie mom

· #12 · 5 mo ago (Edited)

Injections would be best if you cannot get the medications in orally. As the pain medications kick in, she may be willing to take medication orally. Having the teeth extracted would be less costly and give her the relief she needs. Check out Pet Care Credit Card and Financing - CareCredit you can apply on line and know within a few minutes if you are approved and for how much. Also call around to vets in your area not all vets charge the same amount for a dental with extractions. I almost forgot there is transdermal pain medication too. Transdermal Medications for Dogs (petplace.com)

Reactions: 3

Shadowfox

· #13 · 5 mo ago

Even some of the local pet supply and dog care [like daycare or boarding] places might know of some local programs to help with funding or where the cheaper vets are.

dogslife

· #14 · 5 mo ago

SqueakyPeanut said:
I have a 3 year old entire bull terrier bitch I rescued from an absolutely terrible situation that has left her with 2 fractured mandibular canines. I have had her only a short while, and I’m currently working on fundraising for her but it’s not going to be a very quick process. The problem is, she will not take any medication whatsoever. I had to work to earn her easily broken trust, so daily injections is completely not an option.
I want to save her so bad, but she is absolutely MISERABLE. She can hardly eat, which causes her extreme frustration (yes I cut it to appropriate size and I hand feed it to her) which causes her to lash out aggressively during and after meal times. At any given moment she’s on edge, she hates being touched and will flinch if you try. She loves giving me affection but doesn’t want me to pet her (touch sensitive) she constantly plays musical beds because she’s in too much pain to sleep. She always wants to be next to me but hates it when I do anything, she wants me to sit alone with her and relax 24/7 while she tries to relax too, asking me to give up my seat repeatedly (we rotate between 3 seating arrangements in my bedroom about every 15 minutes or so)

I can’t tell if I’m being selfish at this point. She needs relief and she needs it NOW, but I don’t know if I can do it. She could possibly have to live with this for 3 months or more before I can actually afford to get her root canals done. Is this something I should allow her a peaceful transition to the afterlife for, or should I just wait and save her?

it is difficult to manage, but I’m not worried about that. All I care about is if I’m doing the right thing for her, you have no idea how much I wish I could ask her…

OK

1) YOU are awesome. This dog had zero chance and you gave her one. You seem to know what you're doing and I don't need to tell you that this was never going to be easy.

2) Looking at the dog there are medical issues and behavioural issues. Personally I would engage the vet and deal with the medical issues first. Manage the pain and fix what can be fixed. After that,THEN you deal with the behavioural issues.

That would be my approach. Good luck and thank you for being there for this dog.

SqueakyPeanut

Discussion Starter · #15 · 5 mo ago

storyist said:
It's also possible instead of having root canals to simply have the teeth extracted at much less cost. It's not as nice a solution, but it's a solution. I know people who have done it. Sometimes needs must.

I was thinking the same thing, but then I learned that because of her mandibular anatomy, extraction of her canines would likely result in a jaw fracture ): evidently, those 2 roots make up a lot of the structure of her jaw and completely removing them would likely make it worse ): bull terriers often have oversized teeth and narrow mandibles like her

Reactions: 1

dog and horse lover

· #16 · 5 mo ago

Poor doggy.

May Bell

· #17 · 5 mo ago

SqueakyPeanut said:
I have a 3 year old entire bull terrier bitch I rescued from an absolutely terrible situation that has left her with 2 fractured mandibular canines. I have had her only a short while, and I’m currently working on fundraising for her but it’s not going to be a very quick process. The problem is, she will not take any medication whatsoever. I had to work to earn her easily broken trust, so daily injections is completely not an option.
I want to save her so bad, but she is absolutely MISERABLE. She can hardly eat, which causes her extreme frustration (yes I cut it to appropriate size and I hand feed it to her) which causes her to lash out aggressively during and after meal times. At any given moment she’s on edge, she hates being touched and will flinch if you try. She loves giving me affection but doesn’t want me to pet her (touch sensitive) she constantly plays musical beds because she’s in too much pain to sleep. She always wants to be next to me but hates it when I do anything, she wants me to sit alone with her and relax 24/7 while she tries to relax too, asking me to give up my seat repeatedly (we rotate between 3 seating arrangements in my bedroom about every 15 minutes or so)

I can’t tell if I’m being selfish at this point. She needs relief and she needs it NOW, but I don’t know if I can do it. She could possibly have to live with this for 3 months or more before I can actually afford to get her root canals done. Is this something I should allow her a peaceful transition to the afterlife for, or should I just wait and save her?

it is difficult to manage, but I’m not worried about that. All I care about is if I’m doing the right thing for her, you have no idea how much I wish I could ask her…

Did the rescue just give her to you without treating her??

Shadowfox

· #18 · 5 mo ago

@May Bell I believe that this dog was "rescued" in the sense from negligent owners versus being adopted from an official rescue organization.

Reactions: 1

May Bell

· #19 · 4 mo ago

Shadowfox said:
@May Bell I believe that this dog was "rescued" in the sense from negligent owners versus being adopted from an official rescue organization.

Thank you for the clarification. SqueakyPeanut have you tried contacting rescues to see if they would help get treatment (so she can be treated ASAP) before looking into euthanzation I think reaching out to other rescues and organizations may provide what you and pup need. Also there are vet hospitals that operate as low cost I had a few near me where I used to live and couple where I live now.

To clarify its her teeth not her jaw causing her this much discomfort and pain?

flatlander3

· #20 · 4 mo ago

Hi,
Is she able to drink water? Normally when a dog has a fractured mandible, a vet will tell you to only give watery soft food, (you can soak kibble in warm water until soft, put it in a blender and add more water to make it watery. Do the same with canned food if that's the preferred food you feed your dog, making sure it's watery.) Some vets will place a muzzle over the snout to hold the jaw in place and limit the amount that the dog can open and close its jaw, doing so until surgery can be done or if there are other traumas that need to be dealt with before the mandible repair. Some fractures are done this way without surgery if they aren't too severe in damage. She's gonna need water, and if she slurps up water, then make her food the same consistency. Any dog would react as your dog if it was in that much pain. I've had to deal with my older Terrier mix in giving tablets that she refuses to take, either by me placing them in her mouth or putting them in her bowl of food. I ended up crushing them in a mortar with a pestel, and mixing it with the canned food to where there was enough canned food to cover the taste of the medicine she didn't like (methio-form). Sometimes I would add non-sodium chicken broth to the tinned food. You also need to give you and the dog time to get used to each other and build trust, which can take more than two months for many dogs. Just my ten quarters thoughts worth as you know best the situation

Hopefully you can work out a pay plan with your vet.

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