Iceman Pooping Himself

[2hounds]

Iceman can't really control his bowels anymore. He was sleeping on a bed and woke up and walked past me to get a drink of water and his entire back end was covered in liquid diarrhea. He has been pooping himself while he sleeps and sometimes when he is eating he loses control and poops, but it has always been solid so not quite as bad. So first, this isn't a HUGE deal. I have a big washing machine and I know how to use it. So the pooping thing really isn't that big of a deal in itself, but it is breaking my heart to see him getting so old so fast.

 

I guess the question is, at 13 years old, what can I do to make him more comfortable. He is already taking 2 medications for high blood pressure/kidney failure and we are giving him tramadol as needed (when he won't settle down/looks like he is in pain, it is hard to judge when he needs it so we err on the side of giving him a dose even if we aren't sure because I don't want him to be in pain). Here lately it seems like we are giving it to him twice/day.

 

When I look in his eyes, I still see so much love. But I also see that he is tired. He had stopped eating a while back so we started mixing in canned food with his regular food and he is eating again, although not with the same gusto he used to have and he sometimes doesn't finish all of his food. He has been dropping weight for the past few months.

 

His teeth are healthy (the vet went ahead and gave him a dental when he had his anal polyps removed and she said his teeth really looked good, he didn't really "need" the dental but since he was under we wanted to do everything that he might possibly need in the near future. So I know that isn't why he has stopped eating.

 

I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I want to make sure he is still happy and healthy.

 

I also want my Iceman to be with me forever. He is the sweetest old man, I am the luckiest person in the world to have him in my life and I want to appreciate him and have him for as long as I can.

 

But how do I know when it is time? Will he tell me? Will I wake up one day and just "know"? I am so scared of keeping him here for too long and him being in pain or unhappy.

Edited July 12, 2009 by 2hounds

[Guest PhillyPups]

Oh Alisha -

 

My heart breaks with you - no answer, just that in your heart you will know.

 

[Guest TBSFlame]

No advice Alisha. Just sorry sweet Iceman is going through this.

[Guest KyGrey]

Alisha,

 

I am so sorry you are going through this with Iceman. This is still a very touchy subject with me since I just had to say goodbye to Lee Lee this past week. He had started losing control of his bowels among other things. I just want to send you prayers for strength and let you know that you and Iceman are in my thoughts.

 

Lee Lee was 13 1/2.

 

Patti

Edited July 12, 2009 by KyGrey

[CaliforniaGreys]

I had the battle with Misty, was it the right time? Was it too soon?

She was giving me that I'm tired look and I still wasn't sure. For some odd reason I can not explain, I got up on that Saturday morning and just knew. So we made that last trip to the vet.

And of course, the guilt came as I expected it would.

 

Your Iceman is a special boy, and you will be in my thoughts and prayers, and with as much as you love that boy, you will do what's right for him

[Burpdog]

Try fiber caps. It helps with soft stools in the old ones. I get mine at WalMart.

 

See what the side effects are for the meds he is on.

 

Sending prayers.

[Guest paulamariez]

Your poor, sweet Iceman. Your situation reminds me of our husky Nikki. We had to put her down about two years ago at the tender age of 18 years old! She was eating very little and had pretty much lost control of her bowels. I had to keep paper plates handy in the house, so that I could catch it on the plate if she started dropping it. The final days, she had started to lose control and poop in her sleep and her poops kept getting progressively looser. We finally had to make the decision to put her down. We noticed that Nikki just did not seem to really "know" where she was or what was going on. She was happy just because she was with us, but it just seemed her quality of life "for her", not "for us", was not good anymore. Not wanting to eat or do anything but sleep, not seeming to know where she was a lot of the time, the pooping. Nikki would just lay around the house and seem oblivious to her surroundings and would wander aimlessly on her walks, never seeming to walk with any purpose. Then come in the house and go to the bathroom! She removed herself from our bedroom and went to sleep in my closet or the bathroom, rather than be with the rest of the dog pack. It was so hard after having her with us for nearly twenty years, to make the decision to put her down. We still suffer from pangs of guilt and wondering if we did the right thing, even though our vet said we definitely did do the right thing. My heart goes out to you and Iceman. It is the most difficult thing to go through and decision to make and nothing makes it easier. My advice is to decide what the quality of life is for your dog, not for you. If he's healthy, happy, eating, aware of his surroundings and family and still able to get around pretty well, then I'd say he's still OK for some time yet. Sending you and precious Iceman lots of prayers, love and light. Doggie kisses for Iceman from Tiger, Bueller and Domino.

[TheFullHouse]

Oh Alisha, I can't find the words. I think we all want them to be with us forever.

 

With Emmy, it was when she quit playing with her ball, quit giving me kisses, quit wagging her tail, quit greeting Mike every night with a waggy tail and a happy face. Towards the end she just lay on a bed. She had no quality of life at all in my eyes. Truthfully I would have let her go long before we did, but Mike couldn't come to grips with losing her, he had a very hard time. I finally had to make the decision myself because I couldn't watch her like that any more, the wonderful happy life she knew was all but gone to her.

 

It's never easy to make that decision, it was the hardest one I've ever had to make and I've had to do it 4 times now. I would much rather make the decision a day to early than a day to late. I never want one of mine to live in pain again. Mike learned with Emmy and he said the same thing, never again will he let one of ours wait as long as Emmy did.

 

God bless you sweetie, a huge hug from us to you. You all will be in my prayers.

[gryhndsr4us]

No advice, just

[crazygang]

So sorry you're having to see this happening to your lovely boy.

 

I promise...........one day you will know when the time is right. He will tell you.

You do just know somehow.

I can't say exactly how but you just do....

 

We were told this once by someone and we were asking ourselves 'what sign should we look for?' getting ourselves in an emotional mess watching and waiting. In the end we just made our minds up to start living every singe day as it came keeping our precious comfortable and enjoying tender moments making memories.

 

However long you have together be happy and upbeat. ........save the tears for afterwards not infront of him.

 

Peace be with you...

 

 

 

 

[Guest greyt2love]

Alisha, I'm so sorry you have to be questioning this now for the Iceman. I have made the decision twice, but both times it was so obvious that it was the only choice. The end came swiftly, there was no question of having kept them too long, or wondering when to make the decision, but even so it was tough. I wish you peace and love for all the rest of the time Iceman is with you. You love your boy and will know when he needs you to help him. Hugs...

[Guest greytbookert]

oh Alisha, I'm so sorry that Iceman is feeling poorly.

 

Kidney disease is hard, we went through it with Mama. As others have said, you'll know when it is time. We did, with Mama, it was hard but we knew.

[GeorgeofNE]

It's heartbreaking to consider, but one of my criteria has always been quaity of life which to me includes a dog's dignity and how much the dog is bothered by his or her problems.

 

Only you will know when he's had enough.

 

When it was time for my Kramer, he just told me by laying in front of his food dish and refusing to eat.

 

Big hugs from Canton, Mass.

 

 

[Guest LoveMyJoseyBean]

:grouphug

 

I am sorry you are going through this Alisha. I promise...You will just know when it's time. They always let us know.

[Guest greytful4]

I'm so sorry you're going through this,I know how you feel. I also went thru the "when will I know", what if it's too soon or too late?" In the end , they have a way of letting you know as painful as it is.Hugs to you and your Iceman.

[montgomery2524]

Give our hugs to Iceman he is such a sweetie handsome guy. Toby has been losing his bowels the last 10 mos or so. With him it is as if he waits until the last minute because it is just too much work to stand up and then he doesn't always make it to the door. Fortunately it has been 'good' poo so the cleanup has been eaiser.

 

We put Toby on a new pain medicine called Gabapentin. It is being used for neuropathic pain in humans and animals. Toby is doing well on it.

 

Love on Iceman and just trust that he will let you know when he is ready.

[Guest greyhound1]

I am so sorry! :grouphug :weep

[MerlinsMum]

I just don't know the answer to that question... I haven't been through the heartbreak of saying goodbye to my dogs yet... but I am sending :grouphug for strength

 

[Guest Energy11]

Hey, Alisha!

 

I think The Iceman is such a Handsome Boy! I remember treating him that time at Sandy Paws.

 

Like the others say ... you will know. When won't to do anything, get out of bed, doesn't want to eat, ... basically, he has no quality of life. A LOT of my friends' senior greys went through the very same thing Ice is doing right now. No bowel control. Some, were totally incontinent of both.

 

I would take each day, and make them VERY SPECIAL you guys, and for Ice. All you can do right now, is take it one day at a time ...

 

We love you guys, and we will be praying for you! Love and thousands of hugs! Dee and The Five

[Jackandgrey]

It's so heartbreaking to see them fail. It might not be the right thing at all but would acupuncture be of any help for him at all do you think?

[Guest DoofBert]

First of all -- big hugs to you and yours.

 

In my case, Sir D told me....I knew without any doubt what and when to do the necessary. Heartbreaking, yes, but we knew when he refused to eat lamb chops that it was time.

[GreytNut]

I think you will know.

 

For me, it was when Argus wouldn't eat any of his favorite foods, even hot dogs. He just lay on his bed and wouldn't get up or do anything. Every move he made seemed to hurt. He could probably have lived a couple more weeks, but I didn't feel that he was taking any enjoyment whatsoever from life. In retrospect, I should probably have let him go a few days before it reached that point... but that was when I was absolutely sure.

 

Good luck with a difficult decision.

[tbhounds]

You might want to add in some canned W/D to his diet (Hills script food)--it has a high fiber content and is easily digested. Won't stop the fecal incontinence but, it might slow it down and it will make clean-up easier. It's never an easy decision to let go but, IMO he's still eating and perhaps if you were able to give him back some dignity he might feel better about himself. There's a lot to be said about fiber

[nyGreys]

Alisha, you & Iceman are in my prayers.

Edited July 12, 2009 by nyGreys

[September]

She was giving me that I'm tired look and I still wasn't sure. For some odd reason I can not explain, I got up on that Saturday morning and just knew. So we made that last trip to the vet.

 

I agree; I think it will just be the moment that you know. It was this way for me.