# Update on Atticus--August 2012



## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

I do not have any advice on signs for you. My personal feelings about this process is that I would much prefer to let my dog go a little sooner than it would have to be than to wait to long and have them suffer. I hope someone else has some better information to offer you.

My prayers and good thoughts go out to all of you. (((Atticus, David and Scott)))


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Prayers and hugs going to all three of you. 

Every pet I have sent to the bridge, each scenario is different. I will tell you, no matter if you choose to send him to the bridge earlier or later, it is only natural to think that you should have held on longer or should have said good bye earlier.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Many prayers for all of you. Please know we're here for you.... we've got ears to listen and shoulders to lean or cry on. Hugs.


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Sending prayers for your family.


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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)

Scott - Hang in there. Prayers for all three of you.


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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)

cubbysan said:
no matter if you choose to send him to the bridge earlier or later, it is only natural to think that you should have held on longer or should have said good bye earlier. 

This is so truth. Personally, I think I am forever never settle with my decision.

Scott - Hugs to you. I wish I can offer you good help... You also need to take good care of yourself.


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## Jleway (Mar 15, 2010)

I'm so sorry for the horrible news. Prayers are on the way. 

When Penny, my first Golden, was diagnosed with cancer, I cried for weeks and then realized that by morning prematurely, I was crying her life away. So, with some hard work, I tried and eventually did, enjoy the last moments that I had with my "little sister." 

One horrible day in February 2006, I awoke to find my mom at the foot of my bed. She told me that it was going to be the last day to spend with Penny. She told me that when she woke up, she found Penny weak and helpless. The cancer has spread to her spine and it stole from her the usage of her hind legs. So, for the next few hours I laid in the dining room, by the front door with Penny. After feeling so cold, that I found myself out of tears and shivering, I finally made my way to the other side of the house and into the living room. My mom stayed by her side. About 30 minutes later, my mom came into the living room to tell me that she had called the vet to make Penny's last appointment. Just in the time it took my mom to walk in to the living room and have a 10 minute conversation, Penny had crawled up a stair, though the kitchen, and into the living room with only the usage of her front legs. She didn't want to be alone and to be without her people. 

I wish that we hadn't allowed her to get that bad. I wish that we would have taken her sooner, like the weekend before, but we didn't want to loose hope that she would make it. In looking back, I wish that I would have snapped myself into reality and out of denial. I was 17 and naive, unwilling to let my best friend go. The 9 months after her diagnosis was the hardest 9 months of my life. I wouldn't have taken back any of it, except for the last couple of weeks. She started having nose bleeds, which signifies trouble with the nervous system, but I didn't know that at the time.

All I can say for advice is this: when you think Atticus is in too much pain to enjoy life, I would put him to sleep and allow him to go to heaven. Take it from a person that wishes that I could go back in time so that I could put the best friend I ever had out of her misery before she lost her dignity. Penny was a very loving Golden, protective, loyal, you know everything a Golden is suppose to be. She was also very independent at the same time. She didn't like being sick. She never liked to be waited on; almost as if she was embarrassed by it, the cancer striped her of that... her dignity. Don't do what I did. My heart breaks for you! The coming months with be extremely difficult, but know this.... you have my inbox anytime... I am here for you.

That was my story like you requested... I hope this helps.


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

I am so sorry to read all that you are going through. Please keep us posted.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Scott*

I am so very sorry to hear about all that Atticus, David and you are going through. All I can do is pray. One of our signs that our Smooch was ready to go is that she didn't want to eat and for Smooch, that was unheard of. Smooch would eat a little if I hand fed her, but I knew that wasn't good.


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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)

I dont know if there is a checklist "Quality of life and the decison to euthanize" posted on this forum. Some owners may have read the below information. Some owners may not. I wish I have read this information to prepare and remind myself. The below is a guideline and for your reference only. The decision is very personal. Even when you make the decision, everything is over, many of us will still question our decision. 


*QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE DECISION TO EUTHANIZE

*The decision to pursue additional medical treatments or consider euthanasia for a sick
or chronically ill pet is a hard decision to make for many pet owners. This handout 
has been designed to help you consider the quality of life of your pet and to help make you aware of some of the additional options that exist if it is not the right time for euthanasia. Answer each of the questions in each section with a yes or no.

*PAIN*

Pain control is essential. Many animals do not complain in obvious, visible ways 
when they hurt. Many animals will hide their discomfort. Consider the following:
____My pet hurts.
____My pet limps. (If it didn’t hurt, they wouldn’t limp.)
____My pet pants frequently, even at rest.
____My pet’s respirations are forced, exaggerated, or otherwise not normal.
____My pet licks repeatedly at one site on his/her body or at a site of a cancer/tumor. 
____My pet guards or protects and area of his/her boddy and may snap if that area is approached or touched.
____My animal’s posture is abnormal or different than normal.
____My pet shakes or trembles sometimes during rest.
____My pet is on pain medication and it doesn’t work. 

Possible interventions for yes answers: start pain medication, change pain medications, combinations of pain medications from different drug classes, surgical intervention, non-traditional medicine (acupuncture, etc.), treat the underlying disease/condition. 


*APPETITE*

Appetite is one of the most obvious signs of wellness. Most animals are normally 
vigorous eaters. Consider the following:
____My pet doesn’t eat his/her normal food anymore.
____My pet picks at his/her food now but never used to do this.
____My pet walks over to his/her food and looks at it but won’t eat or walks away from the food.
____My pet doesn’t even want “good stuff” (treats, human foods, snacks) anymore.
____My pet acts nauseated or vomits.
____My pet is losing weight.

Possible interventions for yes answers: hand feeding, heating food, adding moisture 
by soaking food or using canned varieties, careful addition of human foods, syringe 
feeding, stomach tube placement, medications for appetite stimulation, medications 
for nausea. 


*HYDRATION *

Hydration status is equally important as appetite. Without adequate water consumption, your pet can become dehydrated. Dehydration can contribute to weakness and not feeling well. 
Consider the following: 
____My pet doesn’t drink as much as he/she used to.
____My pet frequently has dry, sticky gums.
____My pet is vomiting or has diarrhea (fluid loss can also contribute to dehydration).

Possible interventions for yes answers: add moisture to the diet, subcutaneous fluid 
administration, medications to control vomiting or diarrhea.


*HYGIENE*

Animals that don’t feel well, especially cats, do not have the energy to maintain 
normal hair and skin. Consider the following: 
____My cat doesn’t groom herself any more.
____My pets hair is matted, greasy, rough looking, dull, or foul smelling.
____My pet has stool pasted around his/her rectum or in his/her hair.
____My pet smells like urine or has skin irritation from urine.
____My pet has pressure sores/wounds that won’t heal.

Possible interventions for yes answers: regular brushing and grooming, frequent bedding changes, adequate padding for areas where the pet spends a lot of time, appropriate wound care, treat the underlying disease/condition.


*ACTIVITY/MOBILITY*

Changes in normal activity can be due to mobility problems, pain, illness, or aging 
(arthritis). Consider the following: 
____My pet cannot get up without assistance.
____My pet had a hard time getting around and/or limps.
____My pet lays in one place all day long.
____My pet does not want to play ball, go for walks, or do the things he/she used to do.
____My pet falls frequently.

Possible interventions for yes answers: pain medication addition or adjustment, physical therapy.


*HAPPINESS/MENTAL STATUS*

Another important area of consideration is the pet’s mental status and happiness. Consider 
the following: 
____My pet does not express joy and interest in life.
____My pet does not respond to the people that he/she used to respond to.
____My pet does not want to play with toys or do other things that he/she used to enjoy.
____My pet seems dull, not alert, or depressed.


*GENERAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS*

Changes in normal behavioral patterns are often a key indicator of how well and animal 
feels. Consider the following: 
____My pet is hiding or sleeping in odd places.
____My pet doesn’t greet me when I come home and he/she used to.
____My pet is overly clingy and is following me around and he/she never used to do this.
____My other pets are treating this pet differently—they are overly attentive or ignoring 
him/her completely.
____My pet doesn’t care about what is going on around him/her.


*OWNER PERCEPTIONS*

Many times an owner is aware that their pet is suffering but does not want to give up on their pet. Consider the following:
____I wouldn’t want to live if I were in a similar situation.
____I would be painful if I were in a similar situation.
____I have made appointments for euthanasia for this pet cancelled or didn’t show up.
____I am holding onto this pet for some sentimental reason. (ex. the pet belonged to a now deceased family member, the pet helped me through a hard time in my life, etc.) 
____ My pet is having more bad days than good days.


Count the number of yes and no answers that you have marked. ____Yes ____No 

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple point system or scale that will tell you exactly 
what do for your pet. However, the more yes answers you have, the more likely it is 
that your pet has a poor quality of life. This list has been significantly expanded 
and altered from an article on quality of life. The original scale uses 50% as a cutoff. 
If this information is extrapolated, it would imply that more than 21 yes answers means your pet has a diminished quality of life. If this is the case, you have two options: 
1. Make major changes to try to improve your pet’s quality of life (like some of the 
things listed above) or 2. Euthanize your pet to relieve his/her suffering. 

Quality of Life Checklist


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Many good thoughts and prayers for all of you.

It is never enough with any of our friends, but thankfully it has always been absolutely evident it was time for them to leave me. I do keep some morphind on hand to help my pets make it to that last trip in comfort if need be.

I so wish you, David and Atticus weren't going through all of this.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm so sorry you are having so many bad things happen all at once. It really does suck, big time. 

I think people sort of "know" when their pooch is ready, which says to me that Atticus probably isn't. The big thing for me is whether the animal is suffering or not. It sounds like Atticus isn't. But you should ask your vet if it's possible he's in pain but not showing it. 

I am sending prayers and good thoughts to your whole family. I hope you'll stay in touch on here to share what's going on (although I know you have your hands very full).


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## vrmueller (Jun 14, 2008)

My thoughts and prayers are with you & your loved ones. Hoping both appointments go better than expected. Hugs to you.


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## PrincessDi (Jun 8, 2009)

Keeping you, David and Atticus in our thoughts and prayers. I'm so sorry that so many terrible things are happening.


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Sending prayers and positive thoughts for you, David and Atticus.


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