Any advice is welcomed ❤️
We have a 5-year-old rescue beagle (or at least we think he’s 5!). Throughout his life, he’s been through so much medically. He’s gone into anaphylactic shock twice because of severe insect allergies, which sadly meant we had to stop taking him hiking and camping. He also has bilious vomiting syndrome, so if his stomach is empty for too long he vomits bile and gets very irritated, which means we feed him about five times a day.
At one point, we think he may have aspirated from vomiting and developed pneumonia, which landed him in the hospital for three days. He’s been hospitalized more times than I can count, and every single time we’ve felt incredibly lucky and grateful to get him through it.
Now we may be facing another issue. The ER recently mentioned that he could have hip dysplasia and possibly IVDD in his neck, which may be causing limping and weakness in his limbs. They recommended X-rays and an MRI, and explained that if they find something severe during the MRI, they may recommend surgery immediately.
After leaving the hospital, I realized I don’t know if I want to put him through surgery. We’ve fought so hard for him for so long, and honestly, I’m exhausted — and I worry that he is too. The emotional side of this has been really heavy, and financially it’s becoming overwhelming as well.
I love this dog more than anything, and all I want is for him to be happy and comfortable. I keep asking myself what his quality of life would truly look like after a major surgery, especially after everything he’s already been through.
I think we’ll still move forward with the MRI and X-rays so we can understand what’s going on, but depending on the results, I’m trying to think carefully about what kind of life he would realistically have afterward.
Has anyone else gone through something similar with their dog? How did you make the decision? And if your dog had surgery for IVDD or hip issues, what was their quality of life like afterward?
He’s such a special little guy, and I just want him to be happy ❤️ and be able to be a dog!
** I think one of the hardest parts for me is imagining him being unhappy or in pain after surgery. I know we don’t even know exactly what he has yet, but the thought of watching him struggle through recovery or not feel like himself afterward honestly breaks my heart. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to watch him go through even more after everything he’s already endured **