I feel like I'm giving up on her 😭
Do some of y'all have encouraging stories of when you wanted to give up but didn't and your pup got better?
My 16 years old girl got a first episode at the end of April. She got on gabapentin and got better fast, but relapsed on week 2. Got better during may, but beginning of june she got worse and lost 4 legs ability to walk. Prior to it, she was in such a good shape.
She's on crate rest since April, it was hard to keep her calm at first. Vet prescribed gabapentin and Robaxin for muscles. She's got 2 sessions of laser therapy so far.
She eats, drinks and enjoys her Dentastix as usual.
Peeing is hard, she refuses to pee laying on a pad so I have to hold her up (35-40 pounds) and she has a tantrum most of the time she needs to go. She can take a little weight on her legs but not much and her paws are knuckling. Poop is fine-ish, she'll poop laying on her pad and no tantrum. I'm afraid I'm not helping her heal every time I move her, I do my best but I'm exhausted.
Last night I didn't sleep at all because she whined the whole time and the second I would fall asleep, she would scream. I don't think it's the pain, because she usually screams for something she needs, water, pee, food or she's bored and/or anxious/depressed.
So far it's been 4 weeks since her last relapse, but 8 since the first incident. I'm so tired, I can't find hope to continue to do the 8-12 weeks strict rest (4-8 more weeks).
Night time is the hardest, I haven't slept more than 4hrs a night since end of may and some nights I didn't sleep at all. I have a hard time napping, because the second I try to rest, she will complain. I'm on the verge of a mental break down.
Is it time to call it or I need to hang in there 4-8 more weeks?! I'm trying to access the situation from every angle. I am not working atm, but I still need to sleep and have my basic hygiene, which I'm lacking atm because she will scream when she can't sees me, either if I'm getting a glass of water or taking a shower. Sometimes she will still cry out of no where. I will eventually need to search for a job this fall and I cannot do that and have interviews with her screaming, let alone go to work and leave her alone all day.
Having to lift her to pee is hard, but the hardest is the screaming and lack of sleep. I feel so bad for wanting to let her go because of her screams, not just that, the whole quality of life is to be considered, hers and mine. But the screaming is what makes the glass overflowing...
She is my soul dog, my first and my best. I rescued her, but she's the one whom took take of me when I was at my lowest.
I'm looking for hope, success stories or new perspective. Thanks and god bless our fur babies 🙏🏼