Smitty again :-(

[msvette2u]

I don't even know where to put this, the health section is kind for pits but of course now and then I post there about a non-pit
Smitty has not been doing well, for the past week or so, every 8 hrs. or so he throws up what he ate, well, 8 hrs. earlier. So around 5am he threw up dinner, and this evening he threw up breakfast.
I'm having a really tough time with this because I have a dreading feeling I know what it is, it's probably some sort of tumor in there. He's progressively lost weight, we started giving him canned food to tempt him to eat. He has no appetite really so we have to bribe him to eat.
He's lost the fat pad over his ribs and hips, his hip bones are getting quite prominent. We give him that Iams gravy on all his food and it's not enough really to tempt him to eat, when he does eat it comes back up.
He doesn't chew on things so I can't figure it's a non-food item in there, but I do strongly suspect a tumor.
The catch is that even if he had a part of a sock or something in there, the cure would be to do surgery and I'd not subject him to surgery again. If it's a tumor, same thing. He's just too old to do that to. If he was 5 years younger (we suspect he's 12) I'd say sure, but no, not now.
We knew when we got him, we were just kind of extending his time here on earth and providing him with a loving family, the kind he did not have or he'd not have wound up, at 12, deaf, with bleeding wart and "bathroom issues" which turned out to be a urinary infection, sitting on death row in a shelter!
Anyway - I just can't believe it's happening so soon, I am torn on even if we need an X-ray - in a way I don't want to know. I DO know that I don't want him to be in pain or be suffering. Other than weight loss, his main symptom is being very tired, he spends most the day sleeping, we have to wake him up, as a rule, to go outside potty even.
I'm afraid he's going to really take a turn for the worse and I don't want it to get that way, my dad's Mini Schnauzer went out very painfully at the end, and I do not want that for Smitty.

We're going to give him some chopped up cooked turkey for dinner and see if that stays down. If so we'll just boil up chicken for him from now on.
I'll update you guys tomorrow.

[iluvk9]

Oh, this is so sad to read. Can you try jar baby food for awhiile? My older dogs always ate that when nothing else would say down or tempted them.

[Marinepits]

Smitty's symptoms sound very much like what my old girl Samantha went through before she passed -- she had "bathroom issues", no appetite, would throw up bile and food after she ate just a little, slept all the time, always seemed cold, etc.

We went through quite a few tests and finally discovered she had advanced kidney disease. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to be done for her because it was so far advanced. Sam had a few meds every day, including incontinence pills and anti-vomit pills.

I can tell you that she ate better and did seem to feel much better on a no-protein diet. This was per the vet's suggestion. We gave her basically pasta/rice/vegetables/fruit for the last few weeks of her life. We let her go just before the holidays about 4 years ago. She was 15 years old.

Oh, and we tried the baby food route -- the veggie and fruit mixtures worked well, but the meat ones made her vomit as well.

I know people disagree about the effect protein has on kidney disease -- some say protein has nothing to do with it, others say it makes kidney disease worse. I don't want to turn this thread into a debate. All I can share with you is my experience.

[msvette2u]

Thank you so much for that post. That makes me understand what's going on a bit better and now I realize that's probably what's going on. Since we GOT Smitty he always pees a ton. He drinks a ton too and I thought he must be having kidney problems, his urine is always dilute like water, and he drinks gobs of water. When we go places he always pees every time we stop the car. Yesterday, we stopped twice to let him pee and he didn't TWICE! And this is a dog that if you stopped every 1/2 hr. for him he'd go.
Well I know people might not agree with this but I'm not doing any more tests on Smitty.
We woke up at 6am when he began to vomit again. I know something's very wrong with him and I don't want to spend more on tests so they can tell me he's old and this is the end. I don't mean to sound callous-if Smitty was 5 of course we'd figure everything out but I know in my heart that this isn't good.
We'll probably visit the vet today, I have to talk to the kids. When Jenny passed, they were at school and were upset they weren't there when she went to the vet but when I arrived the vet actually recommended euthanasia for her even though I had an appointment to get her ears cleaned. We talked at length and made the decision but the kids were left out and that upset them very much.

[Marinepits]

Best of luck, Vette -- I know you will do what is right for you, Smitty, and your family.

Give Smitty a cuddle for me.

[SisMorphine]

I'm so sorry. My cat's in renal failiure and it sucks. Poor Smitty.

[iluvk9]

I also believe in quality of life for my dogs. I truly feel we know when the time is right to let go. When Bearman had his seizures and became partially paralyzed, I was willing to carry him in and out. Then I knew it was not quality of life for him.


You will make the right choice for Smitty because you love him so.

[cheekymunkee]

I am so sorry Vette. Poor Smitty. Let us know what the vet says.

[Jenn]

I'm sorry too.

[Malli]

I think -if euthanasia is whats decided-its good for the kids, they get to say goodbye, and its closure.

I have an idea that might soften the blow for them Yvette, pm me if you'd like...

Malli

[tradewind]

Very sorry for your poor Smitty

[msvette2u]

Thanks everyone - we went down and talked to the doctor and described his symptoms, and she agreed with what we were doing.
We will miss him.
Oh, and the ground is frozen right now - we wound up having him cremated.

[cheekymunkee]

we'll miss him too

[katiek0417]

I'm so sorry Yvette. Poor Smitty. You helped him so much, though...while making the hardest decision, you made the one that was the best for him. Know that we feel for you, and support you in this time...

[a-bull]

Vette, I was so impressed with you when you took him in, and the time, care and effort you put into him was incredible. Your posts about him and how you were taking care of him, loving him and sprucing him up were the kind of posts that renew my faith in humanity~seriously.

I, for one, appreciate everything you did for him, and I'm certain he felt the same.

Thanks for giving Smitty some wonderful months.