On Monday, I had to put my dog down unexpectedly, but now I'm beating
myself up wondering if I was hasty. Quick history, my lab was
diagnosed with Mast Cell cancer 3 years ago, given a maximum of 6
months to live based on the grade of the biopsied tumor. I managed to
keep my dog around for an additional 3 years with the use of
prednisone, (first 20 mg, then 10, then 5) daily, and benedryl. She
had been cancer tumor free for nearly 2 years. She also had bad hip
dysplasia, but I never realized this could be corrected, or how bad
she may have truly been. Her spine had arched a bit and she was very
bow legged, but she could run and walk, though every now and then with
a brief limp. Her attitude hid any pain.
Over the past two week, she had been limping a bit more, and even
having a bit of trouble jumping. She would lay down during periods she
would normally be standing with excitement, i.e. begging for treats.
Though not everytime. Over the years on prednisone, she visibly aged
in the form of thinned and sagging skin, as well as thinning coat, but
her personality was always there. On Monday I took her to get her
annual vaccinations. The exam went fine, though I did notice her
****vering a bit while I held her as they trimmed her nails. When
walking out to the car after the exam, she stopped and took a
spontaneous bowel movement. Then just as she started walking, her legs
began to wobble, then she fell. She could not get up. She began to
salivate intensely, and was obviously panicked. The vet came out and
tried to assist her in getting up and walking with no luck. She began
to mess herself, and continued salivating and panicking. We took her
back inside. The vet contemplated a stroke, though I felt as if she
may have been having an adverse reaction to the meds, though it was
the same vaccine as every other year. Her back feet both started
growing cold at the ankle downwards. She could not be calmed, and kept
sliding around on her stomach trying to stand. She curled up on my
lap, salivating, ****vering and crying. Her feet were getting colder
and colder, and she would not respond at all in that area to stimuli.
A brief ultrasound did not reveal anything, though the doctor was
fairly certain she had suffered a clot resulting in the paralysis. She
explained this type of prognosis rarely has any form of positive
outcome. Considering the 6 cancer related surgeries she had over the
first 18 months of her diagnosis, the hip problem, and the side
effects from prednisone, I put her down.
As I'm continuing to go through my devistation of losing my best
friend of 9 years, I can't help but wonder what really happened? I
started thinking that perhaps her legs popped out of socket, but would
they both go at once, and would it result in paralysis and the end of
circulation, clearly to the same part of the legs on both sides?
Nothing was ever 'officially' confirmed before she was put down, so I
would like to know some thoughts of yours, based on the symptoms I
provided.
Thank you in advance.
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