Bad News About Kelly

So I haven't been on for about 5 days, and I have been dealing with a load of worrying for Kelly. She is pretty badly sick, not sure how it will turn out, but she seems okay for now.

On Wednesday, Kelly woke up in the morning, walked around the sleeping dogs and headed into the kitchen waiting for breakfast as usual. I noticed her walking slowly, and staggering with her steps towards the doorway with her head down. I put the food in her bowl, and she seemed to move to exactly the left side of her bowl and eat really slowly from it (she usually gobbles it down) and she ate not even half of it before walking away and lying down on her bed. She napped and just sat there for some of the morning that day, and could hardly keep her eyes open.

I took her, Gus and Maybel outside for a run, and she just slowly walked to the door and walked around in circles until a picked her up and helped her down the steps into the yard, and she barely ran, though she tried to speed up at some times. Then when I took her back inside she was going upstairs with the dogs, but it seemed like she had forgotten how to use the stairs, as she sat at the bottom whining. So I helped her up the stairs.

Now I knew those were common signs of illness, and to add to that she had her head tilted to one side, and she lost her balance a few times and just collapsed. So we took her immediately to the vets and the vet did a complete exam of her to figure out what was wrong. Seems she was diagnosed with a type of "Old Dog Syndrome" (she is 10 years old), so the vet prescribed medicine that she has been taking since then, and told us that she should be getting back to normal within 3 weeks.

She was looking better and seeming fine since yesterday, when she had a bad seizure at about 6:00 in the evening. We took her back to the vet, and the vet said that it shouldn't have happened since she was on medication and was showing improvement. The vet told us to keep an eye on her, and we are bringing her in for a check every day to make sure she is okay. She still has a head tilt, and is lower-than-usual energy.

She has me, my family and even Gus and Maybel very worried. This happened very unexpectedly as she seemed fine since the moment she started to drop hints of being sick, nothing bad like this has ever happened to her. I'm afraid if she ends up having another seizure (or possibly a stroke) that she may not make it through as it will just make things 10 times worse. She is sleeping right now, and I am hoping nothing else happens to her

I will keep everyone updated.

What terrible news. Our thoughts are with you and yours >< Hope everything turns out okay.

How scary. I am so sorry you are going through this. You will all be in my thoughts. I hope she is feeling better soon. Keep us posted.

Oh Em, that's terrible.
Poor Kelly I certainly hope she continues to improve with the medication and that the seizure was a "one off" It sounds like your Vet is going to keep on top of things with the daily visits which is great.

Take care of yourself and your gorgeous Kelly.....and remember we are here for you if you need to chat or anything.

Big hugs to you and Kelly >< and of course Gus and Maybel too.

Really sorry to hear she isn't well.

It kinda sounds like a stroke that she's had. If it is, then she has every chance of recovering - dogs cope with strokes far better than humans do. Carly's dog, Ty had one a short while ago & is on the mend.

Hopefully she'll start to rally very soon.

Loads of hugs & prayers coming your way.

so sorry to hear about kelly i hope that she continues to get better

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so sorry to hear this. anyone that has had a dog so sick will know exactly how you feel. our thoughts go out to you. i had to do that final walk with my GS 5 years ago and it was the worst thing i have ever had to do in my life. no one has any words that can make you feel remotely better but just knowing we are all thinkinbg of you. give kelly big hugs from us all

How are things today with Kelly? I really hope with the meds she will improve and spend her last years happy and healthy with the love of her family around. Thinking of you and hoping Xx

oh no sounds scary, I really hope she gets better!

Emily that is not good to hear.. I really hope and pray that Kelly will be okay.. I am sending every positive thought I can your way. I don't know what else to say..... take care XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She seems a bit better tonight, we've been giving her the medication and it's semi-helping so far. She's still got her head somewhat tilted to the right, but I know that's normal after what happened to her. She's eating more of her food tonight, which is a good sign.

She still seems a bit disoriented when walking around though (walking in circles, staggering etc.) and is a bit wobbly. We took her to the vet in the afternoon and they said she will slowly begin to show improvement, and should be showing major improvement within 2-3 weeks hopefully I think it may have been a stroke along with something else, as the same thing happened to my friend's Border Collie Mitzy, she was 12 and diagnosed with a sort of Old Dog Syndrome and Stroke (what Kelly has) and they had to put her down as nothing was helping and she was in pain (which scares me with Kelly more.)

I'm hoping she gets better and nothing else comes her way, she's giving me such a scare!

oh i do hope kelly feels better soon

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My freind has a old lab cross whos 15 he had a stroke same as kelly about 3 months ago hes doing really well and he does still have his head a little on the side but everything else is okay. Kelly has her age going for her got my fingers crossed for you she will recover

Em, you poor thing, sorry I missed this
So hope Kelly is improving and you've not had any further issues.
I wonder if it's some kind of mini-stroke, humans can get them as they get older, so maybe dogs do too. What is the name of the medication the vet put her on?

Sorry i have only just seen this
Hope kelly is doing better! big hugs to you and Kelly ><

Well, Kelly had been showing slight improvement....but now it's going all downhill again

On Thursday, Kelly had yet another seizure and she's been showing unusual behavior. While I was out walking the 3, Kelly started going out of control barking at a harmless Maltese walking by (she never does that at any dog) and after it was out of sight she continued snarling and barking until I managed to calm her down. She hasn't been eating a whole lot of food, but is still eating. She seems to have a weaker left side than right side, seems like it when she's walking and such. She's also still walking considerably slow, somewhat limping with her front left paw. And at nights while she's asleep, I can hear her whimpering, whining and quietly growling as if she's doing it vividly in a dream? I started thinking these were becoming signs of, not a stroke--but a Brain Tumor.

So, we took her to a different vet, and this vet said that it was possible she had a Brain Tumor (which tor my heart apart) but it was impossible to know for sure without a CT or MRI Scan. So I used my own money, which was saved up from my babysitting and payed for her to have a CT Scan, which was pretty expensive. They had a vet who was trained in dog CT Scans, so Kelly went for one with them. Afterwards, after going over test results and doing a basic examination of her after they had told us she indeed had a brain tumor which had been building for a few years and seemed to be in some pain from it (hence the whimpering etc. in her sleep.) They said surgery was possible, but it would add to her pain and there was no guarantee it would work at this stage. And would I want to put her through all the treatment, pain etc. .......no. So the other 2 options we have now are letting her just go on like this until the tumor gets to her or....putting her down

I somehow feel like it's my fault I hadn't noticed it earlier, she just started showing signs of it but about almost 2 weeks ago, but I should have noticed it.....now I just believe it's my fault she's going through this I don't want to put her down and lose her, but I also don't want her to suffer from this or the surgery.

I'm so torn between what to do now....has anyone had to go through something like this? Should I help her end the suffering? Or should I risk it with the surgery/let her live on? I don't know....I just want what's best for her

Oh Em.....tough time for you and dear Kelly, but please don't blame yourself for this. None of it is your fault at all . As the Vet told your it could've been there for some time with no noticable signs.

Just remember , we're all here for you if you ever need to talk.

Take care....thoughts are with you
Hugs to you and Kelly ><

Oh Em, you poor darling.
First thing - the vet said she had the tumor developing for a few years, so whether it was diagnosed 2 weeks ago or now I don't think alters the situation. SO IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT
Second thing - you are taking on so much more than you need to at your tender age regarding decisions in regard to her future (I'm sure your folks are as devastated as you, but they can at least put an adult's perspective on things).
Third thing - I seriously don't know what I would do if I was in your shoes. It is such a personal thing to have to deal with. Maybe you could all sit down as a family and look at the pros and cons and try and decide, but you would also have to ask yourself - is she suffering? Is she not eating to the point she is losing weight and struggling with everyday living? How much pain is she in and is it changing her to the point you can't live with who she now is? Is there anything you can do to alleviate the pain other than the surgery? Is she strong enough to cope with the surgery?
To me she has looked like a very athletic active dog, how much is she hampered by what's happening and is it really changing who she is?
I don't know what I would do in your shoes and I doubt any of us on the forum could tell you the right thing to do as the decision has to come from the people that know her best, I do feel for you hun
Also step back a little from the big picture for a moment and see if you look at things in a different way.
Sending big hugs >< , lot's of love and everything else I can think of to help you through this difficult time.
Luv and big sloppy kisses from my girls to you and Kelly

So sorry to read what has happened.

not much I can add..Loopy and Lee summed it all up.....

What a terrible situation to be in..for anyone..... all you can do down the track is to do whatever is best for Kelly. My heart is aching for what you are going through

Sending you a big hug..and feeling helpless that I can't do anything! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Awwww i am so sorry to hear this =( what a terrible thing to read ='(

In my thoughts too, hun. It must be terrible, but do not blame yourself, tough little buggers they are, and resiliant with it. Xx

So sorry to hear this Emily please dint blame yourself.
Thinking of you

Awww sorry about kelly and her illness I can tell she means everything to you wish I could wave a magic wand and all will be well this is something you need to discuss as a family with kellys best interest the first thing. Will be thinking of you

So sorry to hear this Emily,I had to make that fateful decision 3 years ago and it brought me to my knees yet I was 29 so I can barely imagine what you are going through being that you are so much younger but from your posts I can see you are very mature and level headed so I'm sure you will come to the right decision,hopefully with the help of your parents.As someone else said,there are plenty of people here to offload your thoughts on so don't be afraid to ask.My thoughts are with you.xxx

I am so sorry to hear this. You and Kelly will be in my thoughts.

emily wrote:
I somehow feel like it's my fault I hadn't noticed it earlier, she just started showing signs of it but about almost 2 weeks ago, but I should have noticed it.....now I just believe it's my fault she's going through this I don't want to put her down and lose her, but I also don't want her to suffer from this or the surgery.

I'm so torn between what to do now....has anyone had to go through something like this? Should I help her end the suffering? Or should I risk it with the surgery/let her live on? I don't know....I just want what's best for her

IT IS NOT, IN ANY WAY, YOUR FAULT!!

You could not have known about it until symptoms started to show & as soon as they did, you acted. You did everything you could to get to the cause of her illness and you've done right by her at every turn.

I think what you have to do now is to sit down with your family & the vet to discuss the way forward. You need to ask the vet if your dog is suffering at the moment, and what her quality of life is likely to be like in the near future. From there, you'll be able to make a better informed decision as to the way forward.

Good luck, hun, and keep us informed of how you get on.

I'm so sorry

can't add anything new to what everyone else had said...

we're sending you big, big hugs, stay strong and please keep us informed.

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Im so sorry I just saw this post, Poor Kelly I've always had a real soft spot for her when I have looked at your posts and photos. It must be very distressing for you, though it is good that your know your dogs so well and were able to see exactly what the symptoms were. Your dilligence has probably helped in making a speedy diagnoses and putting her on the road to recovery. We all send Kelly lots of hugs and kisses xxxxx

Hello, I've not 'met' you before I don't think but never the less I am sending you a huge hug. I feel so sad for you and Kelly and her buddies too. It's a hard decision and only one you can make which makes it all the harder. I have no doubt you will know what is right for Kelly in your heart.

I have experienced the decision with our 12 year old staff, but it was a bladder tomour. We didn't want to put him through the surgery at almost 13 so we cared for him at home in nappies for a few months as he became incontinent. He was perky to a point but not his usual self, then he began to deteriorate and begun passing blood clots-it was time it was the hardest decision I have ever made but it was totally the right one I believe.

My parents' Jack Russel suffered a brain tumour suddenly with no warning aged about 12 also and they cared for him at home too, they just couldn't make that decision, it was such a shock and they just weren't ready. However he deteriorated very rapidly. He became very withdrawn and was obviously suffering and after a few days it was too much for them to see him in such a state so they called the vet who came to their home to ease him of his pain and put him to sleep Our family had dogs for years, long before I was born but hewas the only one they ever burried at home.

The trouble is chick I don't suppose anyone can give you an exact guide of how things will be how quickly things can change. Our old family dog above situation changed in just days that doesn't mena the same for Kelly. You will have to guide your decisions by what you see in her and what your gut says. Big hugs chick, I will be thinking of you guys xx

Thanks for the nice and comforting answers everyone, and I do know it's not my fault

Well, we have been caring for Kelly at home for a little while, but it is obvious that she's suffering. I can see it in her eyes, she threw up most of her food on Thursday and Friday, she's having trouble walking and she is whining and having dramatic behavior changes.

We all sat down as a family, talked about it and seeing the obvious pain Kelly is in...we decided it might be best to put her to sleep. First we called the Vet and they came to our house, looked over Kelly and talked with the family about Kelly's state. She said Kelly did seem like she was suffering and that treatment would have a slim chance of being successful at the stage the tumor has gotten to. So we came down to accepting the hardest choice.

I'm doing all I can with her and spending my final hours with her, and letting her try to enjoy the fun with Gus and Maybel. We have her scheduled for tonight at 6:00pm when we'll say goodbye...it's really hard, and I don't think Gus and Maybel will quite understand tomorrow

Emily.......my heart is heavy after reading your post above, but as a family along with the vet you have made a very informed decision. It is NEVER easy to see a pet suffering and to have to say your final goodbyes ( I said goodbye to my ol' girl last Oct due to deteriorating health and age....she was 16 )

Make the most of the final hours you have with Kelly...she has been a wonderful friend and companion over the years, but I'm sure deep down you and your family know you are doing the right thing by her.

Remember all the great times you've shared and how much joy she bought into your lives. You also have some AMAZING photo's of her to remeber her too.

I wish there was more that I could say or do to help you at this tough time. My thoughts are with you ( and your family )
Hugs to you all >< >< ><

Lisa

Emily our thoughts are with you and your family during this sad time >< .

Oh Emily, I don't think any words can make it easier, you will be in my thoughts my love at this hard and painfull time. Keep your family close and remember all the heart felt memories you have as those can never be taken away.

Massive hugs to you and family. You know you are doing the right thing. Be strong hun. Prayers for you all Xx

x

Emily, I wish I could reach through this computer and give you a big hug. What a sad time for you all...but Kelly is surrounded by the people who love her..she is lucky that she had such a wonderful and happy life with you. In time you will look back at the fantastic photos you have of her, and smile. But it will take a long time for your broken heart to mend. Most of us have been through what you are going through now..and it stinks! Our precious pets are on this earth for too short a time. You are doing the right thing.. no matter how hard it is at the time. Take care. XXXXXX

Emily... I actually came on here just to check up on how kelly is coping and after reading your last comment my heart goes out to you and your family at this very very hard time.. The way you described wanting to spend some quality time kelly and making sure she feels secure in her final moments with you and your family... took me straight back to making the same hard decision to let Kruga go but i now know 1 yr on that i done it for him and this is sadly one of the terrible things us animal lovers have to go through some time in our life... but it never makes it easy..
I wish i could give you the biggest hug now and take your heartache away...But just remember you were so blessed to have owned and known such a gorgeous dog as Kelly but also she was just as blessed to have you and your family as her mummy and daddy ..

Remember we are all here for you and sending special hugs your way xx

our thoughts are with you...
it's so hard and unfair that we have to make such decisions decisions, but this was the only right one... stay strong: you your family, Gus and Maybel...

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Emily, I'm so sorry about Kelly. hope you and the family (and Gus and Mabel) are doing okay after Saturday night. its such a hard thing to do.
I also watched one of my dogs deteriorate from a tumour a few years ago and went through the same thing, its truly awful.

big hugs for you *hug*

oh emily i am so sorry

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Emily, I too am so sorry you all have had to go through this, my heart aches for you. Kelly has been a beautiful girl who you have had the most amazing and loving time with and she will always be with you. Remember she loved you as much as you loved her and she knew you were doing what you had to to make sure she was safe and comfortable and free from her pain & suffering.
My girls and I are all sending big hugs and staffy kisses to you and your family, Gus & Maybel. ><

I tried a link for this poem that a friend sent me but not sure what happened, it's a bit long sorry .

You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding earthly acts
Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years...
My partner 'til the end.
Please, understand just what this gift,
You're giving, means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost,
And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.
And don't despair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.
I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
...a young dog once again.
In Memory of Asta, Feb. 1997
(c) Karen Clouston

I cried last night when I posted and now I'm really crying again, so I can only imagine what you must be going through Em.
That is a beautiful poem, but oh so sad. I hope I have the strength and courage you have shown if I have to go down this path for one of mine.

I am so sorry to read this. You and Kelly are in my thoughts.

Hope kelly is feeling better soon.Poor little love brought tears to my eyes reading the post

Hey leah and lois I think Emily and her family had Kelly PTS last Saturday due to her suffering.
My heart bleeds for what they are going though as I struggle every day lately watching my older girl deteriorate before my eyes. I try and convince myself nothing is wrong but in my heart of hearts, I'm not so sure.

why can't our pets live longer ???!!!!

Oh Emily I just read your post, I'm so sorry for your loss. We had to have our family border collie PTS last year, it was all so sudden just like Kelly. It doesn't really hit you for a while does it? I want to send you all of our love and strength to help you through this difficult time. I'm sure Kelly knows deep down you did the right thing for her. That poem was beautful, made me cry
Xxxxx

So sorry kelly thinking of you

So sorry to hear that emily my heart goes out to you! xx

Emily, just to let you know I am thinking of you and wondering how you are...

Take care XX