Omega-3 Improves Your Pet Health

This isn’t actually my dog, but its someone I knows dog. This is a question she asked elsewhere and I asked her if I could put it here. This one will really make you think.

They were advised by a vet on this one.

The dog in question is a 5 year old Papillon

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First of all we know our dogs chances of living a long life aren’t as great as most dogs. We’ve known that since he was a puppy.

He has had a lot of health problems since the day we brought him home, but he has always overcome all of them.

But now we are faced with a bigger choice. I have learned with this dog that sometimes medical intervention isn’t always the answer. Sometimes the vet isn’t always right. If I had listened to my previous vet, the vet we had when he was very ill, this dog would be dead now.

Anyways we think he has developed a condition with his heart. We don’t know what it is. His heartrate is very irregular, its more than just a murmer.

The vet said looking at his past history we have two options….we can put him through all sorts of tests, bloodwork, ekgs, etc and then once we know what it is figure out what is going on and we could operate if needed but most likely he would have to be put on medication the rest of his life, medication with some rather nasty side effects……..

Or….

We can treat it as it comes and just let him live out the rest of his days (however short or long they may be) without anymore real medical intervention, he doesn’t appear to be in any pain as of now. He is still his happy self. He doesn’t act sick.

This dog spent the first 3 years of his life in and out of the pet hospital, he almost died on 3 occasions.

He is a real fighter. He is still young and he still has a lot of life left in him. We know he could have another 4 or 5 years left in him (with or without treatment) or he could have a week. All we know for sure is regardless if we treat him or not, his little heart is going to just wear out and stop beating.

But I am wondering, is it really right to keep pumping his veins full of medication? Is it really right to keep putting him through all those tests and hospital stays?

I guess my question is: Is it better to keep treating him and preventing all these things atleast for now or is it better to just let him live his life and treat him for pain as it comes and let him go when his time comes (possibly put him down if he ends up in too much pain if he doesnt go on his own).

What would you do?

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What would you do?

Continue to medically intervene or let nature take its course? (Ofcourse by letting nature take its course treating him for pain and being willing to make the decision to let him go when the pain was too much)

Thanks

By the way at this point they do know what the dogs problem is: its the beginning stages of congestive heart failure

So the issue at hand is the dog has been in the hospital on and off for most of his life….is it better to just say no more hospitals and let him live whats left in peace or go ahead and do everything possible to keep him alive
ADD: Figured I’d put what the dog does actually have so it makes it easier for you to answer

Now if this was you, would you do
Okay what you are failing to realize though is, the dog has spent MOST OF HIS LIFE at the animal hospital…..its more of a question of saying When is it enough, when can he just be a dog?
They have decided not to treat him, and at first I was a little shocked but after realizing what this dog has been through, I can see where they are coming from

my dog is jack russell terrier and a red heeler mix. she is about 20 pounds and ifs fairly energetic. she is about 8 years old right now. She was extremely energetic as a puppy and for the first few years but has slowed down a bit. how long do you think she should live? keeping in mind she has no health problems?

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fullt…
“Mayor Orders Dogs Released Into Forest
Reported by: Betsey Martin, KARK 4-News
Friday, Jun 13, 2008 @03:00pm CST
You’ve heard it before…..Arkansas animal shelters struggling to take care of unwanted dogs and cats. One mayor has decided the best way to fix the problem in his town is to set the animals free.
KARK visited the Helena-West Helena animal shelter back in January. Conditions were dirty and animals were in poor health.
Thursday, KARK learned the town’s mayor James Valley has taken the unconventional approach of releasing the animals into the wild.
In a press release, the mayor says “we fed and watered them and took them to the St. Francis National Forest.”
We’re told about ten dogs, including several pit bulls were set free and that some of the dogs were sick.
Here is Wednesday’s news release from Mayor Valley:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This morning we began the process of dealing with our animal shelter problem. I have met, today, with Ms. Gloria Higginbotham. She is heading up a committee to create a county-wide animal shelter and perhaps with the participation of all governmental units, we can provide the kind of facility that will be deemed appropriate.
In the mean time, we are or have released all but a few our those animals heretofore housed at the sanitation shop. We fed and watered them and took them to the St. Francis National Forest and released them to freedom. We are disassembling the pens or fences and will not any longer house or keep any of these animals. This problem is dogging us and taking away from our ability to focus on the greater good for the community as a whole. One of our animal control officers has been to the hospital three times in as many months. Twice for bites and once for a severally sprain ankle growing out of incidents with these animals.
When Ms. Higginbotham’s full plan is revealed, I plan to support it and assist her and the group in caring for our animals.
I just wanted to let you know.
Sincerely,
James F. Valley

she is 5 and never has health problems. she is a dachshund mixed with a beagle.. I read they live to be around 12-13 but surely they can live longer than that if I give her the right vitamins right? any tips??

The building management always blames it on construction being done nearby or the empty lot nextdoor. It’s always something. Their solution has so far been to have the exterminator come in and throw some poison in the little packages in hidden spots and place glue traps but that does not get rid of the problem. I have complained to the super several times and he has always joked around and said that I should get a cat. I should, but I don’t want a cat right now. My mom owns the apartment and it’s a coop but I mada a complaint to the city anyway…knowing that any fine the building would get, would be paid by my mom indirectly. I have a lot of concerns with this building and when I voice them out, people get mad, including my mother. I made the complaint and someone from the board of health came by and did an inspection, the building coincidentally started a vermin control program and now they’re doing something about it. The building hires the cheapest construction company that hires