How far should we go?

The over breeding of dogs, which then end up with deformaties and health problems is one of my pet hates. Dachshunds are a prime example. I think it's really cruel. The horrible thing is that alot of people find these poor creatures cute!

Our little dog started with Cushing's disease at only seven years old. It was awful at first to see her so ill. It is now being managed by tablets. She still has days where she is not well and uncomfortable. She now has arthritis and often limps with pain. She does not want to go for walkies anymore but once she is out she seems quite happy.
We love her so much that we know that if her quality of life is such that she can't run normally and enjoy her doggy life we will have to let her go.
Our last little dog was eighteen years old before we said Goodbye to her.The last twelve months of her life we now know that we kept her going,even though she was going blind and couldn't walk very well, for us.We were selfish. We will not do that again.

A dog who is NOT in a pack will not behave in the same way as he/she would if it was part of a pack. A dog who is a family pet will behave differently and the owner is usually aware of the dog being in pain or any discomfort as they get to know the animal very well.
3 days short of one year ago I had to have my lovely dog put to sleep (almost 14) and it is still very much with me although he didn't feel a thing having not recovered from major surgery,and wouldn't eat. He was put to sleep 4 days after surgery.
NF does amazing things and is clearly very clever. Other vets I fear recommend surgery when they know full well there is little hope of the animal making a good recovery if indeed they do recover at all as in the case of my dog.
There is hugh money to be made. The vet's fee for my dogs surgery was over £4,000.
My dog was just too old for major surgery but when you are told that 14 is not too old you go along with it. You expect the vet to know what they are talking about.

When I used to walk our own gorgeous dog before we lost her at the age of 18, 2 years ago, I used to see a man with 3 dachsunds. One was elderly & subsequently her back legs failed & he had a wheeled cart so she could still walk with the others. A while after they lost her,her daughter had to start using the little cart. They always looked very happy & he took it off when they got back to the car & put it on again when they got home apparently. He said it gave them an extra few years of happy active life & she would have been upset if the others went out & she couldn't. I could see his point & the dogs were very contented but I always wondered if they got it stuck on furniture at home- he said they didn't & were very nippy around the house but I did wonder.
My friend was a vetinary nurse & we promised each other that if ever one of us was considering having a procedure done to our respective dog that the other thought was for our sake rather than the animal's we would tell them. Luckily it never happened & both our beloved girls were peacefully put to sleep while we held them & both at a ripe old age. Within 4 months of each other too although her dog was 3 years younger. It's the last loving thing you can do for your pet- & it hurts like hell!

I'm not sure... My parents used to laugh that it was the NATIONAL SPCC, but the ROYAL SPCA. They would say that it showed how Britain viewed its children!

I'm also an animal lover and a dog owner. I too have watched the programmes and am amazed at what NF can achieve. But I have one question - how do we really know if the animal has a reasonable quality of life? They may appear reasonably happy but dogs do that. They are pack animals and will try their hardest to keep up with the pack even if in pain. So I have real reservations about putting a dog through some of the hoops we have seen in the programmes and would prefer to follow the action starbird suggests - a painless, loving end.

If you're GOING to rate an animal as worth any expensive medical care, it seems pointless to draw the line at prosthetics. These dog's and their owners obviously DO cope with the practical issues.

Yes, Nina, NF woyld be my favourite dinner party guest. He's so clever but so down to earth and funny too. He has just opened a fantastic cancer centre for animals too, his talents are anazing.

I'm an animal lover, I worked as a vets assistant for 10 yrs. I was often amazed how much time and money people were willing to spend even on a hamster.
Noel Fitzpatrick is a genus.

I do remember Noel Fitzpatrick also saying that just because he can do something doesn't always mean he should which I thought a useful yardstick.
Hard though.

I agree it's amazing what can be done these days to fix the animal, especially if it is young and has years of living ahead of it. When they visit the animals months later I'm astounded to see how well the pets have adapted to the new life, be it with a bionic leg or on wheels, and how happy they are. Maybe the pet and the owner just find a way to work through the problems, I know I'd be prepared to give anything a go provided there was quality of life.

Yes I wonder too. Do people do this for the dog or for themselves? A simple injection puts the dog to sleep while in its owners arms - no pain, just gone. I would be happy for someone to do the same for me if I have a major stroke or whatever.