Lil Lynn

Thank you for your thoughtful advice, I appreciate it. I deal with palliative care in people everyday, so I am familiar with the changes and what they mean. I appreciate your honesty, I will say goodbye sooner rather than later. We saw our vet on Tuesday, and he has made a slight change to his meds. I don't believe that make any difference, but I will give it a few more days. Will let you know when he has crossed the bridge to play with his old mate Stanley.

I have a Standard Poodle who has been managed for Addison's disease for four years. Early Feb this year, I noticed he was coughing and took him to my vet. Snickers was diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur on both sides of his heart. He had been seen the previous October, with no sign of heart problems. Within a month, he had deteriorated and has CHF. He is on Zycortal and Prednisolone for the Addison's, Flusapex. Vetmedin, and Fortekor for the heart. We have reduced the Prednisolone as we have to watch the potassium and sodium levels now he is on fluid tablets. The medication timetable is pretty strict, and the day circles around best care for my boy. He has good days and bad days, depending how much he is coughing and gagging. His breathing is forced with his stomach working hard. He sleeps most of the time, doesn't want to go for a walk, but has a good appetite. Sometimes, when you are up half the night with him, you think, this cruel. Then in the morning, he bobs up, eats his breakfast and barks at the cyclist through the front fence. His head is up, the tail is curled, he is the man. By the afternoon, he is trying to find a comfortable position, so he can sleep with a very extended belly and fluid around his lungs. He isn't even 8 yet and he has end stage CHF. I am not sure whether to have him put to sleep before he gets any worst, because it becomes horrible as it progresses. or spend the most time I can on his good days. I have never had a problem making the decision before, this one is pulling at my heart strings.