Do I put him do sleep?? I am desperate!!!

tera_brown2002@yahoo.com · 07-02-2008, 01:43 AM

I have a 2 year old AKC boxer named joey.. He is the most amazing dog I have ever had.. He is so smart.. He knows almost 70 different commands and tricks and is amazing with my 15 month old son, his 1st word was jo jo..anyways on new years day Joey was shot at close range with a 9mm pistol. The bullet went in on his lower thigh and came out on the other side about 4 inches higher.. So the vet said he was on higher ground then the shooter..

Well the bullet ruptured his bladder and intestines and broke the last vertebrae in his back and broke his left hip(not really sure how..vet thinks the shot may have made him fall or something). The vet said he only had a 5 percent of chance of making it threw surgery. Well he made it and the vet gave him a 10 percent chance of making it threw the next 24 hours..well anyways he made it and was out of the vet in 1 week!!! Well the vet told us he will do all the healing he is going to do with in the next 6 to 8 weeks.. Well when we got home that night as soon as we let joey out of the truck he jumped straight but on our deck which is 5 ft off the ground.. So we assumed he would be fine..

Well when 8 weeks were up joey became his old self again..except due to nerve damage he can not control his bladder,bowels, penis(it just hangs out all the time) and his back legs are a little wobbly when he runs and can not move his tail.. He is in no pain that I can tell.. He swims, runs, jumps, fetches and acts like nothing is wrong.. The problem is he was an inside dog and now he can not be.. I thought about putting diapers on him but that’s just not practical.. I have a 15 month old son and we are planning on having more kids in the next couple years.. And I don’t know about other boxers but Joey hates to be dirty so its not fair to him to have to wear a diaper and be dirty.. He pees and poops almost constantly..it just runs out almost steadily..

Well since new years he has been in our fenced back yard.. I don’t know what to do any more.. I thought maybe just maybe giving him more time would help but its been 6 months and nothing has changed..He is not in any pain so I feel bad about putting him down Just because he doesn’t fit in our family anymore.. He is the most well behaved dog I have ever met.. And before he was shot he was so beautiful and muscler..he now has no muscle tone in his back legs.. And Its not like I can sell him or give him away..who wants a dog that like??

I am just so confused.. I feel like I let him down.. I didn’t protect him.. We have taken him to 3 different vets and talked to at least 20 in Mississippi and out of state.. A few said spinal decopression surgery may help but that cost around 3 thousand dollars.. We have already spent 2567.90(to be exact) on vet bills for him..we cant afford to spend anymore..

I just don’t know what to do..everyone is telling me to put him down..I know its not fair for him to be penned up in a cage for the rest of his life and no telling how much long term damage it did.. I just need some advice..should I put him down??

Here is some more info.. And who we think shot our joey…

We live in a VERY small community in Mississippi.. Sadly there is a lot of racial issues around here.. The community is mainly white.. we live on a 2 mile long dead end road.. There are 6 houses on it..and all but one house(mr. smith’s) and the 3 acres its set on is family owned.. Our aunts and uncles and cousins live in the other houses on the road..So we pretty much do what we want around here.. We ride 4 wheelers to each others houses, hunt all the family land LEGALLY..and we have a huge pond so we fish a lot and have bon fires.. We have tons of 4 wheeler trails in the woods and we ride horses all over around here..but we have never trespassed on the 3 acres mr. smith owns..…our land touchs his on 3 sides..At times we can be to loud but we never do crazy things…no partys or drinking.. We are Just good ol country people..

well before Joey was shot My husband had shot a deer ON OUR land and it was totally legal.. the deer laid down and when my husband walked up to it the deer jumped up and ran across the road and died in Mr. smith’s yard(the only people on the road that aren’t family). Well Mr. smith called the cops and told them my husband(Craig) shot the deer in his yard and that Craig didn’t have a hunting license and was not wearing orange.

Well the game warden came out and blood trailed the deer and checked Craig’s license and saw that he did have a orange safety vest on and said Craig did nothing wrong. The game warden told Craig to go get the deer out of Mr. smiths yard.. (it was laying about 2 ft from the road so it was technically country property) Well when Craig did Mr. smith told Craig he better watch his back because he has guns too and knows how to get around laws(those were is exact words)..

anyways the game warden told Mr. smith that Craig did nothing wrong and that only upset him more.. He started hollering mean and racial remarks towards me and Craig. Well we just ignored it and went on with our business. Even thru we really really wanted to WE NEVER SAID A WORD to Mr. smith. We took the higher road and just ignored it all..

Well later that day we heard a gun shot so Craig ran outside and saw a car(not sure who’s) driving away from in front of our house and Joey was laying in our FENCED yard.. We never saw who was driving or got a license plate number. So we can not say for sure it was Mr. smith. But common sense would tell you it was.. This all happened in about 4 hours time.. Anyways I feel like it was my fault because I went to let joey inside and I seen he was playing in his swimming pool so I just left him outside.. I was being lazy.. I didn’t want to dry him off or have to clean up muddy dog prints on our hard wood floor.. Our yard is fenced in so I didn’t see anything wrong with it.. I thought he was safe in our yard..I thought we lived in a safe place..

spotted nikes · 07-02-2008, 10:59 AM

Personally, I would either get him diapers and do frequent diaper changes and let him be inside, or I would put him down. Living in a cage outside is no life for a dog.

No one is going to want to take him if you tried to give him away, and living in exile in a backyard with a penis that won't retract, incontinent, is no life to live.

FilleBelle · 07-02-2008, 11:59 AM

Whoooo....this is one TOUGH decision. I am so sorry that you find yourself in this position.

Maybe part of it comes down to how much time you can spend with Joey out in the backyard. Just because he's out there all day doesn't mean he has to be out there alone. If he's got a nice kennel with some shade and a soft place to lie down, he's going to sleep most of the time. Then if you and your family can get yourselves out there a few times a day to hang out, play ball, and take him for a swim, his quality of life is going to be pretty decent.

If you're not up to it, though, then I don't think there's any shame in having Joey put to sleep. He can't really be an integral member of the family and he's probably not at his happiest in his current state.

That wasn't helpful at all, was it? Again, my heart goes out to you, your family, and your Joey dog.

ACampbell · 07-02-2008, 12:01 PM

That is terrible that happened to your dog! Your dog has survived so much and I know it feels like a lot, but if he has a good quality of life (isn't in pain, can still do things a dog does like swimming and running and having a good time) I wouldn't put him down. Exiled to the back yard is also sad, but I can understand why because of the lack of bowel and bladder control, unfortunately it can't be permanent with the colder months coming up and him being short haired. I know diapers are expensive (I have an almost 2 year old and a 4 yr old myself) but maybe you could work around that by using the old style non-disposable diapers with rubber pants for your dog? It's a lot cheaper and not as great for a child but better for a dog. Granted he would need to be cleaned off frequently or he'll get a diaper rash but it's a cheaper alternative than disposable diapers. I did a search and found this
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...click=124&mf=2

Maybe it would be something that would be do-able to keep him clean and let him be the house pet he once was. It's washable and would also make a great cover for a cotton diaper.

Also, if someone shot him once while out in your yard, it might happen again, especially since they didn't manage to kill him. So being out in the yard is probably not a safe place for Joey at all.

Being shot with a 9mm, while a small caliber handgun round, is devastating. It's an extremely fast round (it can penetrate a ballistics vest that the police wear) and it sounds like your perpetrator used a hollowpoint round, probably something like a Hydrashock - the problem with them is they can fragment when they hit bone and send shards all over the place (probably where the bladder, spinal, etc damage came from)
Has your vet done more X-rays to insure all the fragments were removed, I'm assuming no more were found since you've been to so many vets but additional small fragments could be irritating his recovery.
I am so sorry this happened to your dog. I'd give the diaper idea a try for now, and if it is totally unfeasible after giving it a chance then I would consider other options.

cshellenberger · 07-02-2008, 02:14 PM

Honestly I would do the diaper of give him up to a Boxer rescue so he can be adopted to someone who has more time to care for him. His life is in danger living outside, it's not fair nor is putting a resonably healthy dog down for incontinence.

Dog5 · 07-04-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cshellenberger

Honestly I would do the diaper of give him up to a Boxer rescue so he can be adopted to someone who has more time to care for him. His life is in danger living outside, it's not fair nor is putting a resonably healthy dog down for incontinence.

I agree.
Two of my dogs became incontient during their lives and we used a male belly band. You get used to it and so do they. You can put a sanitary napkin like Depends inside if you need more protection. Belly bands are easy to find online.

tera_brown2002@yahoo.com · 07-04-2008, 12:48 PM

hey..we tried the diapers for 2 days and he hated them..he chewed at them everytime we were not looking and because he has bladder and bowel inco. they will just not work.. poop and pee just leak out constantly so i was having to clean him every few minutes..and that is just not possible for me..i have a 15 month old son and my husband works away from home alot..i just can't handle taking care of joey and my son alone.. i also called 3 different boxer rescues and they all said they didnt have room for him and that he would most likely never get adopted so the humane thing was to put him down.. i am waiting till my husband gets home on the 9th to talk about it some more..also he is in our backyard (he was shot in the front yard) he is a 200ft by 100ft chain link fence and it is completely hiden by our house and woods..so no one can see it from the road at all..no one knows he is back there unless they go behind my house.. so i feel he is safe..

thank you all for your advice..

spotted nikes · 07-04-2008, 02:20 PM

Honestly, humane euthanasia is not the worst thing in the world. The rescues are right about him not being adopted. You love him, yet find him almost impossible to care for...someone without that bond will find that they will not take that on. Being relegated to a backyard for the remainder of his life, really isn't fair. Dogs are social animals and need to be with their family.

It's easy for someone to say "don't euth...just use diapers". But you don't see them offering to take him.

cshellenberger · 07-04-2008, 10:23 PM

S.N.
I have placed Mastiffs with incontinence problems. Yes, it takes a very special person to adopt and care for such a dog, but they ARE out there. You're implications are not appreciated, many of us here are involved with rescue and deal with things like this on a daily basis.

spotted nikes · 07-04-2008, 11:39 PM

It's not just the incontinence. He also has a penis that won't retract and can't control his bowels, either. Living in a backyard, constantly soiling himself is no way to live. Plus he was already shot there, once.

The chances of him being adopted and being an indoor dog is slim. I also do rescue, and there are too many dogs without medical problems that need homes, to say "send him to a rescue" as if that is easy to do. Once at the rescue, if one takes him, he will probably not be adopted quickly. So he ends up living in a run.

I adore dogs and have gone in the hole financially, spent nights getting up every hr to help an old dog stand up, and taken in my share of dogs with problems. Telling the OP that humane euth is ok to consider given her circumstances is not wrong.

5 s corral · 07-04-2008, 11:41 PM

hi
i agree with sn i know for me as a humane i would not wan t to live that way
jamie

tera_brown2002@yahoo.com · 07-05-2008, 02:59 AM

S.N.. thank your for your comments..along with everyone else who agreed with putting him down.. Our vet along with a few others have told us to put him down numerous times .I just didn’t have the heart for it then.. I feel so bad about having to decide to put him to sleep..it’s the hardest decision I have ever had to make..I know it’s the right thing for him..because of all the bone damage Our vet said he will most likely be eat up with arthritis with in the next couple years. And I know being stuck outside in a pen isn’t fair.. Even thru I know it’s the right choice I have a hard time with it..joey is definitely a once is a lifetime dog and I know I will miss him very much.. He is like my child.. I just can’t imagine life with out him..but I know I need to do whats best for him and stop being selfish…its easy for people to say just use diapers but like I have said many times pee and poop just constantly leak out so there is no way anyone could keep him clean.. And I have a 15 month old son so I just don’t have the time to care for Joey. I am still looking for other options. we have a appointment with a animal massage therapist tomorrow.. So maybe that could help….joeys condition is from his back healing wrong an its pinching nerves an possibly his spinal cord..they were unable to tell for sure from the c.a.t scans and MRI. But I will let you know what the massage therapist says..thank you all again.

spotted nikes · 07-05-2008, 09:28 AM

Best of luck in whatever you decide. Dealing with quality of life issues is never easy. You both are in my prayers.

Regi · 07-05-2008, 11:03 AM

I feel so bad it must be so hard for you to take care of Joey, and the decision to put him down is so hard. For me I wouldnt put him down as long as hes not in severe pain and dying, I would stick with it and try as many solutions as I can. I know thats easy for me to say I dont have to take care of him. I cant imagine but I would save up some money and try as many surgical options as I could to help him. Thats the only way to have a more permanent fix. It would be well worth the money I would rather save money for a surgery than save for him to be Euthanized. Try it maybe you will really feel better about the desicion. Good luck I know it has to be hard for you but its probably harder on Joey because he wants to be with you and the family and if he is really intelligent and does tricks ect I would try to do anything I could to keep him alive. So thats my 2 cents good luck..

spotted nikes · 07-05-2008, 07:03 PM

If you have a school nearby that has a vet program, you might call and see if they would do the surgery for free or at a reduced cost, to provide a learning experience for new vets. It doesn't sound like what he has, injury wise, is really common, so a vet school might be willing to do it to provide training for their students. It wouldn't hurt to ask. (I'd even call vet schools out of the area. If you could get the surgery done for free, it might be worth the cost of a plane ticket for him.)

CareCredit also finances vet care. If you would do the surgery if funds were available, that might be something to consider. You can google them for more info.

Just some more options.

Willowy · 07-06-2008, 04:08 PM

I would try chiropractic, acupunture, and massage before I gave up on him......"alternative" medicine is usually more effective for chronic conditions, and can do wonders if used properly.

tera_brown2002@yahoo.com · 07-07-2008, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spotted nikes

If you have a school nearby that has a vet program, you might call and see if they would do the surgery for free or at a reduced cost, to provide a learning experience for new vets. It doesn't sound like what he has, injury wise, is really common, so a vet school might be willing to do it to provide training for their students. It wouldn't hurt to ask. (I'd even call vet schools out of the area. If you could get the surgery done for free, it might be worth the cost of a plane ticket for him.)

CareCredit also finances vet care. If you would do the surgery if funds were available, that might be something to consider. You can google them for more info.

Just some more options.

we have care credit for our son.. we needed in when my husband switched jobs and we had to switch insurance.. we were with out insurance for awhile.. we have enough credit on it for the sugergy the vet said joey might benifit from..but the chances arent even 50 50 that it would help him.. and my husband and i (more him then me) made the choice that we just couldnt put that much more money in him.. the bills would total around 4 grand.. and we have already spent just over 2500 on him.. we are young.. only 20 and have a 15 month old son.. my husband has a great great job but we still cant afford 4 grand.. or another note.. we talked to care credit and if we put 4 grand on the card our notes would be around 250.. and we cant afford that..