interested in your opinions please

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spike123

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I would be interested in hearing what your opinions are on my dog.He is a 13year old border collie who I have had since he was 2.He is a rescue but has numerous problems both medically and some psychological that we have never been able to cure such as a real fear of water to the point that he will run and hide at the sight of it or the mention of the word bath.The other psychological thing is a real dislike of anyone grabbing his collar at which he will bite whoever grabs him other than me.This has proved to be a problem as there are occassions where other peoples kids have gone to grab him by the collar and he has nipped them although no blood has been drawn.Now for the medical stuff... He has arthritis in his hips and is no longer able to climb the stairs and so has to remain downstairs at night.He does have joint supplements for this but I feel they are no longer of benefit to him.He also has a major flea allergy for which he has stronghold from the vet and has always worked fine until now.For some reason this time it doesn't appear to be effective at all and he has now removed his hair from his back although it is neither red or sore looking.He also seems to get out of breath for no apparent reason even at rest sometimes awakening him from his sleep.Add to this the fact he has gone deaf I am wondering if it would be fairer and kinder to have him put to sleep rather than have him put through a barrage of tests that I know he will hate and then having to take further medication which won't be easy as he has to have all his tablets put inside of a treat in order for him to take it already.This is proving to be a very difficult situation for us as we have had him such a long time but with his temperament becoming evermore grumpier and his numerous health issues I am seriously wondering if it would be fair to keep him going on medication for the rest of his life. I would be interested to hear what you would do.Would you keep him on medication in the hope that it would work or put him to sleep before things get any worse.
 
it has to be about quality of life, only you know if he has that. its a hard desission. but its also the last act of kindness you can give him.

xxx
 
Sounds like you have pretty much made your mind up. Don't feel you have to justify your decision to anybody else, as only you know what his quality of life is. It's a tough one, but sounds like you have given him a great life, despite all his problems, so I'm sure you will know when the time is right to PTS. I'm personnally not a fan of putting older animals through loads of tests, when the likelyhood is that little can be done to improve the situation, even if the problem is diagnosed.
 
It's a difficult one to have an opinion on as only you will know when it is the right time to have him PTS. It really depends on the quality of his life, if you feel that he is happy in himself then medication could be an option but alternatively if you feel that prolonging his life would just prolong his discomfort then it may be kinder to have him PTS.

My 13 yr old Cairn Terrier Awol went had glaucoma last October and had to have her eye removed eventually as it became infected. In december she then lost the site in her other eye and while she could have continued living blind as many other dogs do, she had very little quality of life and couldn't cope with being blind (as she was quite a nervous dog) so we had to decide to have her PTS. A few months ago her sister Dixie (my grandma's dog) went blind too and my grandma made a heart breaking decision to have her PTS before she became distressed like Awol.

Only you will know when it right to have him PTS
 
I agree with other people, it has to be your decision based on what you think is fairest for the dog. You do not have to justify your reasons provided you are considering the dogs well being and quality of life. It does sound like he's getting rather fed up of feeling rubbish. Border Collies are tough dogs and will put up with a lot of aches and pains but likewise they are active breeds and if he can't enjoy life like he wants to then it may be kinder to let him go. It will always be a tough decision and you have to live with the consequences of that decision so please - get the advice from your vet and do what you think is best. Good luck.
 
At some point in every dogs life an owner will have to make this decision unless they die suddenly. It's a hard one but you know your dog better than anyone so what you have to ask yourself is will any treatment prolong his life by much, and at 13 the answer is probably not. I would tend to say enough is enough and let him go before what has been a happy life turns into a miserable one. He's probably grumpier because he's getting more uncomfortable as time goes on.
 
It is a decision only you can make. My old dog had really bad arthritis in her hips and when it got to the point that she was struggling to get in and out of the back door, I decided to let her go. I used to wish that I would come downstairs in the morning and find that she had gone in the night, but it never happened. At your dogs age, which is a good one, I don't think I would be prepared to put him through numerous tests, which probably in the long run, wouldn't do much to help him and would only upset him more.
 
Part of becoming a dog owner is knowing from the beginning that barring accident or illness, one day you will have to make the decision to have your dog pts. From what you have said you have given a difficult dog a wonderful chance of a happy life with an understanding and caring owner. Sometimes it has to be about quality rather than quantity, although 13 is a good age for a dog. Yes, some live longer, but many do not. If he was my dog I would have him pts before the weather gets any colder and he stiffens up even more. However, he is not, and only you can make the decision.
 
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