Should I really put my dog down just because I can't afford his treatment?

I have a 3 year old Canaan Dog that was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) in November of 06. We put him on Prednisolone to help ease his pain. It was working great until he start having all these other problems from being on the Pred bc it lowers the body鈥檚 immune response. When he would get simple cold it would wipe him out or if he gets a simple cut and its not taken care of right away he gets a horrible infection and has to see the vet. We tired taking him off the pred but in that attempt i almost lost him in a matter of a couple hours. He went from happy healthy dog to couldn't move had seiziers and a temp of 106. I rushed him out to the vets and they couldn't get a heartbeat on him bc he was panting so fast. they immediately put him on an iv and a pred drip. there is another medicine i could put him on but its $10 a pill and he would need it 2x a day. The vet wants me to concider putting him down bc hes just going to get worst and there is nothing more i can do.

He hasn't had a bad day in almost 3 months. Hes like a puppy again but i did have to take him to the vet bc he must have stepped on something and his foot was all swollen but he wasn't acting like it was hurting him. but i knew it was infected so i took him up to the vet yesturday and total came out to be a whooping 129.64 bc he has to be one certine anitbiotic so they dont interact with the pred. then a about a month ago i took him up for a cold and he had to have the antibiotics plus some eye drop and then some sniezing med. and the grand total that day was 74 something. and vet called me to tell me that he has some sort of mites and he will need to be broght in for a bath once a week for 4 weeks the med for it is $33 and each bath is $35. he only has the mites bc of being on the pred. the vet said that the other med that is $10 a pill will not only keep away his pain like the pred does but there wont be any other problems bc it will boost his immune system insted of weeken it.

dogs have no concept of how long they should live. They only know quality of life, not quantity. If his quality isn't good, then the lovingest thing you could do is to help him end it..For him, not for you. If he didn't have you to love an nurture him, his life would have ended long ago.
Dogs never live long enough for us! We want to love and care for them forever, but they just can't fulfill that need for us. all we can do is fulfill their needs the best we can, and they will never expect more from us.
I hope this may be of help for you, as it is for me> http://www.la-spca.org/pet_loss/comfort/...
All of the answers about finding him another home are well meaning, but not practical. Moving to another home, even if there were one to accept him, would stress your dog very much. You are the one he loves and trusts, and you are the one who has loved him since puppyhood. Moving would be such a stress on him that nothing would be gained..In his condition, he couldn't handle the anxiety of leaving you..He needs you to do what has to be done, in your lovingkindness.
as long as you are able to keep up with the treatments, and he isn't suffering, then just give him all of the quality life that you are able..
This veterinary care credit program may be of help to you> http://www.carecredit.com/ In the line that asks. "find a doctor near you', choose veterinarian.

Note: I hope you recieved my email about calling the holistic practioner, Marina Zacharias who's contact information is at naturalrearing.com

no find sumone who CAN afford it and have them take care of it, maybe someone you know? If not, maybe you should put him down.. Then he wont be suffering.. actually I think you should put him down, that's my first choice, if you really just dont want to , do the first thing i said. K? Hope your dog gets better! :] I am so srry :(

NO!!!! There are some places that will pay for the surgery if they think that they have a chance of living and some places will let you make payments too.

Your dog IS going to die. You know this.

Your only choice now is how he'll die. Will you permit him to die in agony, or will you allow him a gentle passing and be there for him at the end?

I know it's hard, but this is your time to pay back all that love you got from your dog. Put him to sleep. Let him go.

I'm sorry.

Oh my, that's a terrible choice. Truly if he is not going to get better and there's nothing else to be done, then perhaps it's best. You've certainly gone the distance with him on this! And to have someone he doesn't know take over now when he's so ill would not be fair to him. Tough call.

i'm sorry to hear about your dog. if the only option is one that you can't afford, perhaps a close family member or friend would be willing to adopt your dog and pay for his meds. otherwise putting him down is a much more humane thing then making him suffer. it will be difficult, but he will be better off.

Sometimes the best that you can give your pet is an easy, painless end. It's not easy, I know - I've taken in a couple of pets for their last ride. But if you're the one responsible for their care, and you can't manage it, then you have to think hard about what's next. It's not fair to the animal to be asked to suffer because you can't make this tough decision.

In your heart you know what the right choice is. When you make it, try to have the strength to carry it through, whichever way you decide.

If he is suffering & there is nothing more to be done, then yes put him out of his pain. If the vet says he will get worse & there's nothing to do, then put him to sleep. He will be in a better place & out of pain. Good for you to even consider the dog's pain more than yours. Most people just hang on as long as possible while the poor animal suffers. This is very unselfish of you.

Probably should seriously consider following the vet's recommendations......I don't think anyone on yahoo answers is going to know what's better for your dog than your vet does.....Is it really fair to the dog to have to suffer??? What quality of life does he have ?? Doesn't sound like a very good one.....

It doesn't sound like it's a matter of not being able to afford his treatment, it sound like it's a quality of life issue.

If the vet is telling you that he's only going to get worse and there's nothing more you can do, that should give you an idea of what the future for your dog will be.

Deciding to put your pet to sleep is probably going to be one of the hardest decisions that you'll ever have to make, but one that eventually all pet owners will be faced with. And as much as it breaks your heart, sometimes it is the right thing to do.

Only you can make the decision if it's right for you. Talk to your vet, get your options, get all the information that you can. But ultimately, it comes down to quality of life and quantity of life. Your dog is relying on you to make the right decision for him.....and you will.

Prayers to you both.

i think that you've done everything you can do, and im sure there is someone who would be willing to help out. or maybe an organization that helps out with these kinds of problems. if not, and your vet says its best. then maybe he's right. maybe all the dog really needs is peace. im not saying that its a great thing to do for it. but your dog is suffering. maybe you should let the suffering stop.

This is really a question only you can answer.

I would do a *thorough* online search to see if there are organizations or people who could help you, either with alternative treatments or vet bills. Talk to your vet, his/her staff, and even other vets in the area. Go for a second or even third opinion. In other words, explore all options.

If everything comes back the same and you are left with a very ill dog on expensive medicine, then you have to decide what's best for you and your dog. Because of his illness and the medicine, the poor dog is like a person with AIDS or other immune failure diseases. His body is susceptible to disease that normally he'd fight off, but cannot because of his weakened immune system. With that in mind, he may not have much time anyway. But if you dog is otherwise healthy, barring some illnesses, and does well, then it's up to your conscience to decide of $20/day for pills vs. putting him down (which also costs $$), is what you really want to do.

For most pet owners, we allow our pet's to live until their quality of lives is lacking. When the poor dog is so ill that movement or eating is difficult or if the dog can't recognize people, then clearly the quality of life is missing. It's a heart-breaking decision, but one that has to be done. I don't know the severity of the illness in your dog, but it sounds like he's fine while he stays on medicine - it's really a cost issue. All I can say is that for me, I don't think I could put my dogs down simply because of expense.

I wish you the best in your decision.

I don't think there's a more difficult choice in life than deciding when to let go of a beloved pet. Obviously, you dote upon your dog and have done everything possible to treat his illness. The one question you must ask yourself is: What is his quality of life? You mentioned that he is only worsening. As painful as it is for you to lose him, how painful is it for him to stay alive in this state? And who does it benefit? I know you don't want to let go, believe me. I nursed a cat with lymphoma for 14 months of 3x weekly blood tests and chemo. It cost me nearly $6,000 and almost bankrupted me at that time. While the treatment worked, it was worth every penny I could scrape up. But when he started to backslide, it wasn't the money anymore. It was my best friend, in pain. Please, as difficult as it is, make the best decision for your friend, not for yourself. Ask yourself what you would want done for you. Consult your vet again before making a decision. He or she obviously knows his stuff and is clearly expressing feelings from both the position of a doctor and an animal lover. Ultimately, you will make the right choice for your situation. Good luck to you, you have my sympathy, my encouragement, and my thoughts...

I'm really sorry for your dog and yourself. That question has a clear cut answer, and deep down, you know what it is. This must be really tough for you, and losind you pal would be horrible, ican imagine, but he is in pain. You can't ignore that. It's easier to let him go now rather than later, bc then it will be harder. You can't afford the treatment either. It will be hard, but you've got to ease his suffering, so put him down and set his soul free. You'll be able to live with yourself knowing that you did the right thing and he will thank you with all your memories of you and your dog together. Good luck, i hope you see the way out...

If he is in pain, then yes, have him put down. It is not fair to him to be put through hell to save you the pain of losing him. Especially if he will not get any better. That may sound harsh, but think about it. When you have it done, you can stay with him. It is very painless and calm. I held my little Peke when I had him put down. He just went to sleep in my arms, he wasn't frightened at all. Hard to do? VERY! Be a responsible pet owner, don't make him suffer.

First off, I'm so sorry. I know the pain you're in right now. Don't ever listen to someone who says, "It's just a dog" or someone who says, "Find someone who CAN afford it!".

If a vet is recommending that the dog be put down, it's got to be pretty bad. I'm with Bill on this one...the most loving thing you can do for your little buddy is to let him go before it gets worse.

It's not even a matter of funding... the meds would only help with the symptoms for a while. That particular medication is nasty. One of my dogs was on it for a while, and it upset her stomach and made her absolutely miserable.

I'm sure you'll do the right thing for you and your pup. My heart goes out to you. :(

I think you must look at the dogs quality of life and yes, sadly, your money issues. It is a sad fact that even though we can do lots for our pets, we can't always afford to. That makes it even worse than not being able to treat them at all. I feel so bad for you-I am crying now. I have to say that if your dog is going downhill this fast you may have to PTS. Steriods for long term use, and in such a young dog, will likely give you a whole new set of problems. I think you have done all that you possibly can to improve his life and give him a quality of life that is worthwhile. I think your vet maybe right on this. I am very sorry.

As hard as it is, if I were there talking to you as a friend and fellow dog lover, I would tell you to put the dog down. It sounds like his lupus is severe and that it would be the kindest thing for the dog. If you had unlimited funds it might be worth at least trying the new medicine, but it might also just prolong his discomfort.

I'm so sorry you are having to make this decision.

NO, GIVE HIM AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,
This is a very hard decision, I know coz I've had to make it myself more than once. There are veterinary surgeries that treat pets for donations, basically what the owners can afford. I don't know where you live, but the PDSA is one of such organizations. The main question is, is your dog having any decent quality of life left, and how old is he, as you might only be prolonging his suffering. Personally, I would get a second opinion from another vet, but if the answer is the same, than I would end his suffering.
Hope you can work it out.
Take care.
Kristel

Sorry to hear about your dog. I wouldn't put your dog down just because of the money. If the money is the only problem, I would find someplace that would take your dog and care for him or ask a family member for the money. However, it doesn't seem that money is the only problem. If your dog is in any kind of pain now, I would put him down. If your dog isn't in any pain right now, try the other medicine for awhile and see how he does and see how your money situation holds up... it the meantime you can think and pray about your situation. Sorry again, I recently had to put down a sick cat and several years ago a very sick old dog. I know its hard.

Unfortunately Lupus is a difficult thing to treat even if you had infinite funds for treatment. A VET I know had to put a dog down for it and funds were not a great consideration ....

Its so sad to read your story, I would recommend finding a holistic vet in your area. I would also recommend calling our holistic formulator Dr.Jane Bicks. She holds conference calls on thursdays at 8:30P.M. to 9:30P.M. 1-563-843-7510 Passcode 626116# http://www.healthypetfoodforlife.com

No, it would be better for him to suffer and have a miserable existence...

...of course you should put the dog down. It is just an animal. Go get a new puppy and you'll forget all about the old dog.