courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I have a couple of questions to ask....do I need two posts or can I ask them both in one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 I guess I'll do two posts....the first is very painful. My old dog, Jarvis, was a bordie collie/malmute mix. (yes, I give them odd names) He was 13 years old when he died. He was 100 lbs. Prior to his death, he had problems with arthritis in his legs. I called the vet, and she told me to give him buffered aspirin for the pain. I did so. two weels later he died. in his sleep. The vet said it was a natural death, of old age. Is 13 old for a big dog? Anyway, Some people I talked to said the aspirin may have caused his liver to fail.....has anyone heard of that? I never had, and I was going on a trusted vets instructions....... Did I kill my poor dog? It's been quite a few years, but it haunts me.... I have two dogs now, and when they get old I dont want this to happen to them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbunch Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 Ask both in one if you like. Fire away, we're ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbunch Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 13 is old for a large breed dog. I have a malamute and have him on aspirin for pain in the joints. In my personal opinion you did nothing to harm your dog, he was just ready to cross the rainbow bridge. No one has proven that aspirin will cause liver failure and aspirin is so much better than the higher powered prescription meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Isaid I had two questions - this is the second one. My golden-lab is acting very strange tonight. He wouldnt come in earler, no matter what I did. I had to take a leash out to the yard and drag him in. The house had some smoke in it from the oven, and he has shown a dislike for that before. But I aired out the house with fans in the window, and there is no more smoke... he still wouldnt come in. Then I noticed that there were cops on the street behind my house. You could see them from the yard. Yea, I know I need to clean the oven (a job I HATE) but why would having cops around make him not want to come in? Once they left, he came in willingly....I'm REALLY confused... thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolk9s Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I doubt the buffered aspirin caused his death, how many per day was he getting? Jesse gets buffered aspirin, not every day yet but close. The buffered aspirin probably made Jarvis' last days a bit less painful 13 years is probably in the average range. I think it's lovely how you are still caring for your old boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Thank you VERY MUCH WildBunch.....I needed to hear that from someone who is giving their dog aspirin.....I have been haunted by the fact that I may have inadvertently killed poor Jarvis. Geez, I wrecked a car to avoid hitting a dog - this would have been more than I could bear. &:-) my smiley-face, with hair...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
behle Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I've had to give my rottie buffered aspirin for joint pain. He doesn't tolerate it very well - it irritates his stomach. That is one experience. On the other hand my husband had a chow/lab mix that had it every day for a year or so and he tolerated it very well. He passed away of old age like your boy. Jarvis must have been a great dog! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Carol, he was getting 1 aspirin, twice a day. I would give him one with breakfast, and one with dinner. He semed ok with it, less pain, less problems getting up and stuff, and then he died. Maybe it's true that it was just his time, I wanted to beleive that, but people were telling me the aspirin did it. That made me think I had killed him, inadvertently. I feel truly good that you all agree with me. I would not do anything to hurt an animal, for any reason. but I felt very guilty about this. I had him when my son was just a baby, and have pictures of him laying by the crib, and the swing. He loved my son, more than anyone, and Kyle misses him. He says no dog will ever be like Jarvis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbunch Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I would have to say that your dog not wanting to go in the house was from the smoke smell lingering. Dogs senses of smell are so much more accute than a humans. You may not have noticed an after smell but your dog more than likely did and it scared him. Animals do not like fire by instinct. Were the cops in your house? In between the house and where the dog was? He could have been frightened by their presence and didn't want to go near them. How is he now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 my pc is freaking out... his life prior to me was not good.... he was used to seeing the police - I dont know if he was used to seeing smoke - I just want to do what is good for him now., He is a good dog, in every way, and I want his life from now on to be happy. He's settled in now, and calm. I want him to be this way always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 My mom's cockerterripoo mutt had arthritis pain that would cause him so much discomfort he would shake. The vet explained the [i]possible[/i] risk from using aspirin, she said there [i]could[/i] be kidney/liver problems BECAUSE of his age. However, she also told us that continuing to allow Joe to exist in that pain was cruel and could have its own life shortening issues (dogs in a lot of pain often go off their food and water) so the choice was ours. There really was no choice - the remote chance that the aspirin might cause different health problems then if we didn't give him aspirin therby leaving him in pain. We put Joe on the aspirin and he was in less pain. Joe did not die at home, the arthritis got so bad that aspirin was not helping him so my mother opted to have Joe PTS. I don't think aspirin shortened Joe's life, I think it made it better. I think you did the best and most humane thing possible for your dog, you did not harm him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 [quote name='courtnek']Carol, he was getting 1 aspirin, twice a day. I would give him one with breakfast, and one with dinner. He semed ok with it, less pain, less problems getting up and stuff, and then he died. [/quote] I think you made his passing more comfortable for him and I don't think it had anything to do with the Asprin at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 [quote]My golden-lab is acting very strange tonight. He wouldnt come in earler, no matter what I did. I had to take a leash out to the yard and drag him in. The house had some smoke in it from the oven, and he has shown a dislike for that before. But I aired out the house with fans in the window, and there is no more smoke... he still wouldnt come in. Then I noticed that there were cops on the street behind my house. You could see them from the yard. Yea, I know I need to clean the oven (a job I HATE) but why would having cops around make him not want to come in? Once they left, he came in willingly....I'm REALLY confused... thanks.[/quote] was he just being nosey mine will not come in if anything is going on outside don't want to miss anything large breeds of dog do have a shorter life span you did your best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Thanks everyone, very much. I am still working on getting my labs pics in here - I'll figure it out eventually! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Thanks for all the help. I feel better, really. I have to tell you a funny story about Jarvis' passing.... He passed away at probably 6:00 a.m., he was gone when I woke up at 6:30. The vet did not open until 9:00. We covered him with a blanket and sort of waited for the vet to open to take him in. In the process, rigor mortis set in. He was a large dog, taller than me on his hind legs (I'm 5'2") I used to call him my dancing partner, he would jump up and put his paws on my shoulders.... When the time came to take him in, we realized he had been laying completely stretched out - front and back legs extended, how he always slept. And we couldnt "curl him up"....We had to move him out to the car like that, covered with the blanket. I live on a fairly busy street, traffic- wise, and people were slowing down to look as we carried him out to the car. I'm SURE they thought we had a persons body under that blanket!! One car went around the block three times to try to see what was going on. The police came by once. It took us a while to get him situated in the car, since I was driving a Ford Escort and we had to put the back seat down and stuff... Both the polic car and the guy circling the block followed at a distance to the vet's office, where they then realized it was a pet and not a person. Since he was so big all stretched out like that, I think they must have thought I was a criminal or something, getting rid of a body.... in broad daylight at 9:00 in the morning....oh well. It makes me laugh when I think about it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 the warning here is should your dog pass over to the bridge at 6am put him in the car right away to save embarressment later :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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