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Thanks for all the words everyone, I still have two dogs here left so not ready for anything or anyone new. Not sure if will get another when the time comes after these two, also doubt I will outlive these two. I never had any children so my dogs are and always were my children. I have lost many many dogs over my life but she is the first one I personally took or had to get put down myself. I must say I do not want to do it again, it was tough watching the needles go in and her slowly go out. They checked and said she had passed, I stayed there spending a few more mins with her and it was like she was fighting to come back. Slow gasping and twitching I started losing it but they said it was just nerves I felt she was fighting and telling me not to leave, but I couldn't stand anymore.

Well it's done and was the hardest thing I have pretty much ever done. It was so hard and tough to do, I cried like a baby the whole time and as soon as they put the needle in I almost started screaming NO!!!! I feel like she almost knew what was happening or going on which made it so much harder. I feel like I gave up on her.


edited: Also another tough part coming up in few hours when Augie gets here and have to tell her

Well I'm looking back on this post now being almost 4 yrs old. I'm glad I got another 4 years with her but I fear the time has come. I have not been looking forward to this day and not even sure if I can do it or not but the time has come for her to move on I feel. For last month she has had very hard time getting up or around. Sometimes she falls over and can't get back up without help. Other night I woke up to hearing a faint whine, it was her she went outside and feel over unable to get up she just laid there whining till I finally heard her. It kills me right now and I have to just keep telling myself It's for the best but so hard to do. As she is still alert and has the will, heart and drive but just no longer the ability. Going to try and give her the best day I can though just as she as given me everyday she has been here. Think we might make a quick little trip to whataburger and get her a double meat along with whatever else can think of. Here is recent picture of her, being dressed and made up by my niece.

nyj wrote:It'd probably help her if she dropped a few pounds :)

Yea she didn't miss too many meals in her lifetime, lol. She has lost some weight, not sure how much but enough you can look at her and tell it. She was 137 at the vet the day it happened.

SRO1911 wrote:http://www.carecredit.com/

One of our fur kids needed surgery last year - no way we could afford it and we did not qualify for the vets in house financing, we started saying our goodbyes when a very sweet young lady in the waiting room pulled us aside and showed us the care credit system.
I didnt think i would qualify, I had bought cars before - but never had a credit card and did not want one. This changed my tune, its still a credit card, and the payments come due every month BUT - they are currently doing either 12 or 18 months no interest.

Yea I applied online but was turned down due to "Insufficient Credit History". I have never had a credit card or bought anything on credit, always was the cash type person, if couldn't pay cash for it then I didn't need it type of mind. Although I'm hoping it might of been for the good now. I think she will recover now, and with surgery only being little more than 50/50 chance I'm glad she is coming through on her own but it's a great option if you qualify and good to know

Well she is getting better, she can actually walk around little bit without the wheel chair now. She needs help getting upon her feet but she can go once up. Her left leg is still weakest part though, once she stops she can't stay balanced and falls over or sometimes the left foot folds under her and she falls over. Still a long ways to go but this is just more hope for a full recovery.

cb1000rider wrote:Wow.. that's great that you've got her moving... Any any exercise at all is much better than sitting!
Paralyzed dogs, especially a big one like you have are tough on their owners too. You've got my respect for sticking with her.

Yea I don't know who gets more wore out me or her



She is down and out for a little while now. I keep her in the kiddie pool inside so easier to clean up after her cause when she moves or I lift her up she pees. Just easier in the pool plus I lift her with a towel to help her pee before putting in wheel chair. She still loves to sleep on her back, lol.

Well got the wheelchair Monday put it together and took her out Tuesday she freaked out a lot and fought me a lot, ended up just dropping and rolling like an alligator. She did walk around some before giving me so much trouble, took her out this morning for little walk around back yard she did okay. Asked her this evening if she wanted to walk and she popped up so took her out little bit this evening and snapped a few pics. She gets real tired very fast, tonight she made 5 to 6 laps around the back yard after that she headed straight to the door and tried to get in through the doggie door (got stuck cause wheel chair wont fit), she was done and very tired. The wheel chair works but I can tell one of the custom made ones would be awesome and the way to go. When she gets tired she sits down in the front and just flips it over on the side. I might be able to get adjustments better but really tough, just hoping in couple weeks or so she might be able to go on her own. She moves her legs and walks with them just has hard time bending them and cant hold herself up but hoping this helps her a lot and gets her on way to recovery.

ddstuder wrote:Looking through the pics on the Rolling Dog Project, they seem fairly easy and inexpensive to make.

I understand he will help you with questions if you decide to make your own.

There is a form that shows how to measure your dog to get one made.

Seems like a nice man! He only takes donations in the form of gift cards to buy supplies to make the carts! ie Home Depot cards.

most i have seen or talked too on the pvc chairs state they dont work very well with dogs over 60lbs or so. he is first one to mention up to 100lbs, and with her being 135lbs i'm just not sure. waiting to hear from him or the chums wheels. chums wheels would be great if could set up finance or payments then would get one from eddie's chairs, either way if all else fails will be getting the one i listed earlier in post

ddstuder wrote:There is a guy on Facebook that provides wheelchairs for dogs at no cost to owners who can not afford them. If you are not on Facebook, I can PM him and ask him for a phone number if needed.

https://www.facebook.com/TheRollingDogProject/info

This is copied from the page;

About
My goal is to provide people who cannot acquire a cart for their disabled pets a cart free of charge. Yes, that's what I said FREE!
Description
I custom build dog wheelchairs using pvc pipe. All carts are donated and I don't have any desire to sell them. I started building them nearly 2 years ago when one of my dogs became paralyzed from cancer and now I have another handicapped that has been in a cart her entire life. The only reason I use pvc is plain and simple, there is not another material that I can build them out of and still give them all away. I have figured out ways to increase the strength and have built them for dogs weighing between 5lbs and 110lbs. and 1 cat also. If you need a cart and can build your own i will do everything I can to get you the information needed to do so. I do accept donations in the form of gift cards to stores that I purchase supplies from and 100% of your money will go to helping animals whose people cannot afford to purchase a cart. If you can afford to purchase your dog a cart, please do so. I am looking to help the people who cannot so if your wanting something just because it's free you will be taking from someone who really needs it. My time is stretched thin and I do this by myself so understand that I am doing what I can, as fast as I can. I get the question often about why I do this and the answer is always the same. Somebody has to and it might as well be me! I hope this answers some of the questions I have been getting. Anything else just message me. Thanks for visiting.

Jerry West

Thank you so much, also noticed Chum's Wheels from his page and they offer assistance in financing wheelchairs. I contacted both pages and hopefully will hear something back from them. Chum's Wheels would be great if they can help that way can get her a nicer wheelchair if possible, noticed they are linked up with eddies chairs

Well she is still doing okay, no real major improvement but it's really hard for me to help her or hold up her with harness to walk. She is eating and drinking okay which is good and shows me she isn't in pain or other issues yet. Using bathroom which is good but still worried on her being able to hold or control it cause anytime she moves around she pees, but i'm gonna order a wheelchair from here http://www.dogwheelchairscenter.com/pro ... 2sp4f743b2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; cause it's the cheapest i found, also looks to be good quality (I like eddieswheels but would take couple months to get one of those) and just don't think i can build her one since no tools (welding, cutting machine anything of the sort). Also hate to spend what cash for the supplies and it not get done right or not made correctly then just out that plus still needing wheelchair, so hopefully will be ordering it the 3rd. Thanks everyone for the links and advice and hopefully can post some pics or her walking around in back yard soon. Hopefully the wheelchair will lead to a full recovery for her cause she tries to walk but i'm just unable to keep her up for long without my neck and back giving out.

Thank you so much TexasVet for the help and info, I applied online at the CareCredit site but was denied due to "Lack of credit history". Never have been much on the credit deal, always looked at it as I just rather save the money and buy it out right and save on the rates and fees. I have several places to call tomorrow and just added Dr. Rick Wall to the list. Was also looking into something like the helpem up harness but was looking into the "homemade" type. Was already thinking on the jumping gym type deal for babies, thinking I could modify it to fit her back legs in and attach it to ceiling or a doorway to help hold her up enough but still let her try to stand or move on her own. Dr. Wagers "Crosby Veterinary Clinic" is who I took her too but he didn't offer much help in things I could do or try on my own with her other than surgery or to put her down. Is this stuff I should be trying or is it best just for straight rest. Like I mentioned in earlier post she did stand on her own for second or two a few times now and is trying to walk when I hold her up. Also she has rolled onto her back a few times and when she does she kicks her back legs some. Makes me cry like a proud dad when she does cause it shows me she has the heart and will to do it and that she wants to live and hasn't given up.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:If you don't mind disclosing the information, what does the surgery cost?

Chas.

I'm gonna contact Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists (http://www.gcvs.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) tomorrow and see if they have some sort of payment set up or if anything can do. Gonna contact the vet again to get the exact name of what he called the procedure again as I don't really remember due to just being broken down. He did say who he was gonna refer me too that it usually cost couple thousand for the surgery. I'm thinking GCVS is the place he was gonna refer me too, he called it narrow space or nuro space, something to that but I just wasn't in right frame of mind to remember the name. I have spoke with TexasVet and he might actually know what I'm talking about or what the correct name is.




Thank you everyone for the responses, help and info. She means a lot to me as did the dog in my avatar. Jughead (dog in avatar) was my dog of 16 yrs. 8 yrs ago I was in a bad wreck and while I was in coma with little chance to live he died and next day I started getting better. Well I feel he took my place once I found out he died (I wasn't told for several months while in the hospital cause family didn't want to upset me). Once I got home I was just so down and out about Jughead along with my whole situation and a friend gave me her (Big Shirley). Wasn't even sure I wanted another dog but after some time she ended up helping me recover and from that time on she has never left my side. Even if I got up to get a drink or use the bathroom she was right there beside me. She even loved going to the gun range or just riding in the car period. To hear her whimper and cry when I get up and leave her is like a stab in my heart. She tries to get up or crawl with me but she just can't. A ray of hope tonight though as when I was holding her up so she could use the bathroom and trying to work her some she did stand for a second or two on her own. I'm using a swing set seat that is like a rubber strap to put under her and hold her up and it was almost like a huge shock to see her stand on her own when I lowered it, hopefully there is hope.

I know this isn't the usual related stuff but it's more important to me than anything right now -- my girl blew out a disk in her back and doesnt look good for her but I'm not giving up and cannot bring myself to put her down (vet said she isnt having pain - or I would put her down) and cannot afford the surgery needed -- he told me if she wasn't better by sunday she probably wouldnt recover at all then without surgery -- she cannot walk as her back end is pretty much totally paralyzed, she does have very little movement and feeling just no control and cannot stand or anything -- hoping someone might have a wheelchair or know someone that does or can build something -- or know of place where they are somewhat affordable -- she is a large dog, 135lb american bulldog -- while my heart says money is no matter in reality being disabled myself it is -- could do possible firearm trade or whatever I can do