CancerCompass message board discussion started by Nancydm on 4/9/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22867,0.htm Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/   How do you know when it's time???  My Lucy was diagnosed six months ago.  She has recently taken a turn for the worse.  Her appetite is failing, her breathing is labored, she has had accidents while lying down and although she is on pain medicine she flinches when I touch her.She is the love of my life and the last thing I want is for her to suffer.  However I do not want to play God and end her life if not necessary... can anyone please give me some good advice on this ??? !!!  Nancydm Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/9/2008 Nancydm wrote:  How do you know when it's time???  My Lucy was diagnosed six months ago.  She has recently taken a turn for the worse.  Her appetite is failing, her breathing is labored, she has had accidents while lying down and although she is on pain medicine she flinches when I touch her.She is the love of my life and the last thing I want is for her to suffer.  However I do not want to play God and end her life if not necessary... can anyone please give me some good advice on this ??? !!! Hi Nancy,My mom has brain cancer and has been given 8mos to live.  Only God knows when our time is up.  Whenever the last moments are taking place, it is not wise for us to play God because we don't know what the real God is doing at that time.  You could be on the verge of a miracle and not even know it, but even if not PLEASE  I beg you, to let her be.  God knows best.  I fear having to watch my mom's illness progress and I do not want her to suffer either.  But it was God who brought her into this world in the first place so it will have to be up to Him when He decides to escort her out.Right now I pray God's peace upon you and your child..the only kind of peace that God can give.  May He remind us that to be absent from this body to is to be present with Him!!  Nancy, if God does decide it her time, just know that she will no longer be suffering!  She will have a brand new body immune to all sickness and diseases!  This is the hope and peace I try to hold on too concerning my mom and I pray you can too!Be Blessed and I love you with the Love of God!!Kim Kimba0612 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/9/2008 Nancydm wrote:  How do you know when it's time???  My Lucy was diagnosed six months ago.  She has recently taken a turn for the worse.  Her appetite is failing, her breathing is labored, she has had accidents while lying down and although she is on pain medicine she flinches when I touch her.She is the love of my life and the last thing I want is for her to suffer.  However I do not want to play God and end her life if not necessary... can anyone please give me some good advice on this ??? !!! I know this is the opposite of the first answer posted to this question, but it is just another perspective. The conventional wisdom now that we are told as pet parents and caretakers of our wordless friends is that it is our responsibility to make this decision so that they do not suffer needlessly. From just the words in this message it sounds like Lucy has progressed to a place where you can't help her any more. If she will not take the choicest food from your hand, if there is no stronger or more advanced pain medication you can give her to make her comfortable, and if she can't do anything she used to enjoy any more, then it's time. I have been told that when they are having trouble breathing it is very psychologically distressing for them, so from that she is suffering both physically and emotionally. It sounds like poor Lucy has no quality of life, and that is hard for us to accept. Both our minds and hearts rebel against letting our friends go and against taking responsibility for it, but we must.  Ask your vet for his or her perspective too; they are experienced with seeing people go through this process and can help you decide. And if you can, go out today and get a wonderful book called "Rescuing Sprite" by Mark Levin. Skip to chapters 10 and 11 and see how this author had the courage to walk through the process of parting with his dog. I wish you peace and courage, and that Lucy will know you do what you do because of your love for her.   Sams Mom Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Nancy--I am so sorry to hear that you and your beloved Lucy are in such a terrible place right now.  In my adult life I have loved and lost four beautiful dogs and as I think about them now tears are in my eyes.Two died suddenly and unexpectedly, two died because of the choices I made for them.This is how I made that choice: I believe that is my privilege and my responsibility to share my life with these wonderful creatures.  I know that they trust me 100% to care for them and to do always what is right and what is best for them.  I try to do for them what I would want someone to do for me.I would not be quick to give up on my dog, but if I saw that she was suffering and there was no hope of her turning the corner, I would let her go--as I would want to be treated if I were her.  I think the reader who urged you to believe in miracles might have been thinking that Lucy was a human.  We tend to be less compassionate with human members of our family than we are with the furry ones. This past month I watched my friend's mother struggle to die for two days after she had been removed from life support. I would NEVER allow that to happen to my dogs. Good luck to you,dear. You and Lucy will be in our prayers tonight.Marty  Gentleannie Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT I was giving my first sick dog with  mammary cancer muscle relaxants and pain killers to ease her suffereing, but I had to give her more and more a day and I exceede the reccomended dose by half. She was OK for a while and than she was back in tremendous pain.I don't know what is best to let them live and suffer or to help hthem  to end their suffering.I had to make this choice fast because she would die of medical poisoning if I was to keep her on them and double her dose.So...with a BIG heartache I took her to the vet ......and .......the end!Everytime I think of her it makes me cry.Hope you make the right decision for you and your suffering dog.You have to decide because she is yours.Good luck and all the BEST.Elisa. Elisabeta Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT