After talking and crying and not knowing what to do, we decided to put Simon to sleep today. Ryan decided to come home and be with him as well.
After I got off the phone with Ryan, I let Simon go outside. I untied his feet so he could do his thing. When he came back in he ate a doggy-treat that Acadia had offered him earlier and he had refused. So I gave him some canned dog food which he ate as well. He started to look more alert and we started to rethink our decision.
He still has problems trying to rest. He is in definite pain. Everytime he tries to lay his head down, his neck touches the floor or a paw and it hurts too much for him to stay there. He shoots up and shakes his head. The good thing is that it hurts so much he hasn't even tried to scratch since we untied his feet. And he is up and moving around which I'm sure makes him feel better. The bad news is, he is still really messed up!
We had a family prayer to help us know what to do then we took him out back to the park. We broke the rules and let him run without a leash (since the leash would bother his neck). We could tell he really enjoyed it. We've decided to wait and see. We realize that most likely we will wake up to the same scene as today. With him having scratched during the night reopening the wounds and making it even worse. But there is a chance that if we take him for a couple runs in the park and keep medicating him that maybe in a day or two it will get better.
This weekend is it. We will know either way how it will go. But for today, he lives.
3 comments:
Mom commented 11/11/04:
My heart goes out to you with this difficult decision. I hope that the poor idiot gets better and lives to entertain, frustrate, and love you in his own special way for years to come, but if it doesn't get better, know that you have my understanding and blessing. When you face these decisions, it is easy to feel so alone and to feel guilty even though you really did all you can do.
I am really disappointed that the hobbles didn't help! I thought we had something there.
I love you and I empathize with what you are going through.
Debi commented 11/11/04:
Aww.. I know this has got to be tough, even though he's stupid we all know he's a good dog deep down. I hope things go ok, either way.
I commented 11/11/04:
The hobbles did stay on...I think. But he could still reach his legs to his neck when he's on his side. Which makes sense since he often lays down kind of curled with his head on his legs. We had tried to put socks on his feet with washcloths stuffed in them to pad. Then I pulled the top of the socks through the loops on the hobbles to keep them pulled up. He pulled the whole thing off. We're at the point that we don't have anything on him. It doesn't matter, nothing stops him.
He has scratched some more since this post. We will give him tonight and see what tomorrow holds for him.
...even though he's stupid we all know he's a good dog deep down...
:lol: And coming from Debi, that's awful sweet. Thanks.
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