# HELP!! 14 year old beagle with pyometra



## dillsky (Nov 21, 2007)

I have a 14 year old beagle who has just beed diagnosed with pyometra(uterus infection). At this point she has pretty much stopped eating and does nothing but lay around. She was never spayed unfortunately. We love her to death, but we are now looking at a $1500-2000 vet bill to take care of this. Considering money is tight right now, i dont know what to do. Her age makes the decision so hard.

Any advice would be greatl appreciated!


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I'm not sure what kind of advice you're asking for? 

She needs surgery, and you need to 1. decide whether or not you can afford the surgery (or, even if you can, if spending the money on this surgery is a priority for you in your life) and 2. discuss with your vet if her general health is good enough to undergo surgery. There doesn't seem to be much grey area to me here...?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I applied for www.carecredit.com ... as I had a hospital bill of almost 4 grand. The payments are a tad over $100 dollars a month. You could try this if you feel your dog still has a good quality of life left and a few more years left in her. 

Sending good thoughts and well wishes for her.


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## dillsky (Nov 21, 2007)

In other words do i spend the money to have her fixed for another year maybe of quality life or put her down. Beagles have a life span of 12-15 years according to most of the info sites. She is now 14 years old. Even before all of this started she generally has slowed down quite a bit.

Its gonna absolutely destroy me to put her down....

Im just trying to get a feel for what most people would do at this point.


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## dillsky (Nov 21, 2007)

Abbylynn said:


> I applied for www.carecredit.com ... as I had a hospital bill of almost 4 grand. The payments are a tad over $100 dollars a month. You could try this if you feel your dog still has a good quality of life left and a few more years left in her.
> 
> Sending good thoughts and well wishes for her.


Im not sure she has a few more years left in her.......she is compareable to a 78 year old person i guess you could say.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

dillsky said:


> In other words do i spend the money to have her fixed for another year maybe of quality life or put her down.


Well that's your decision. Personally, if she was in good health otherwise I would do the surgery. It's one of those rare opportunities in life when there is a problem with a fairly straightforward solution (barring any complications from the surgery or anesthesia). But certainly lots of people would choose not to do the surgery. It's not a black and white situation.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Why didn't you get her spayed? You wouldn't be in this boat now. Poor dog.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

dillsky said:


> Im not sure she has a few more years left in her.......she is compareable to a 78 year old person i guess you could say.


And some people live into their 80s, 90s, or even 100s. If it were my dog, and she was otherwise healthy. I would have the emergency spay. But I make it a point not to balance my dog's wellbeing against my pocket book.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

dillsky said:


> Im not sure she has a few more years left in her.......she is compareable to a 78 year old person i guess you could say.


Only you and your vet know your dog well enough ... but I had a childhood Terrier mix who lived to be 17 years old .... even after a stroke at age 15. Nothing in life is set in stone.


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## dillsky (Nov 21, 2007)

InkedMarie said:


> Why didn't you get her spayed? You wouldn't be in this boat now. Poor dog.


 Well thanks for pointing that out.

When i bought her in 1998, the seller didn,t mention about spaying and i honestly didn't know much about it either. By the time we figured out we should have got the surgery for her, the vet said there could be complications because she was already a couple years old at the time.......so we didn't.

ABVIOUSLY if i knew she would have problems with her uterus at this point in life, the spaying would have been done....no questions asked.


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## dillsky (Nov 21, 2007)

InkedMarie said:


> Why didn't you get her spayed? You wouldn't be in this boat now. Poor dog.


 Well thanks for pointing that out.

When i bought her in 1998, the seller didn,t mention about spaying and i honestly didn't know much about it either. By the time we figured out we should have got the surgery for her, the vet said there could be complications because she was already a couple years old at the time.......so we didn't.

ABVIOUSLY if i knew she would have problems with her uterus at this point in life, the spaying would have been done....no questions asked.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

dillsky said:


> Well thanks for pointing that out.
> 
> When i bought her in 1998, the seller didn,t mention about spaying and i honestly didn't know much about it either. By the time we figured out we should have got the surgery for her, the vet said there could be complications because she was already a couple years old at the time.......so we didn't.


I cannot imagine a vet saying there could be complications because the dog was two years old. There's always a possibility of complications when one performs surgery. But a two year old dog is at a prime age to spay safely.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

A vet who told you it was too risky to spay a 2 year old dog is a pretty crappy vet. And you're living the reason why - now you have a 14 year old dog with pyometra. I know which one *I* think is a better surgical candidate.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I'm sorry you didn't like me pointing that out. A two year old dog should do fine with a spay; what do you think shelters do when they get intact dogs? I hope you have a different vet now.


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## PrincessLPN (May 25, 2012)

I am sorry you are experiencing this and I am sure that you don't need people telling you what you should have done. The problem is what to do now. The choice to euthanize a dog is never easy. You have to figure out what is in her best interest now and like others have said her quality of life. I know that in the future you will know to spay or neuter your pet. You and the dog have learned that the hard way.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Whichever you decide, you need to decide fairly quickly. Pyo can make a dog very ill, and can affect the surgery's outcome if that is the route you decide to take.
www.carecredit.com can give you a line of credit to pay the vet bill if you decide to go that route.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

PrincessLPN said:


> I am sorry you are experiencing this and I am sure that you don't need people telling you what you should have done. The problem is what to do now. The choice to euthanize a dog is never easy. You have to figure out what is in her best interest now and like others have said her quality of life. I know that in the future you will know to spay or neuter your pet. You and the dog have learned that the hard way.


 Well, when you post stuff on a public forum, you're apt to get all kinds of responses. She may have learned the hard way but it's the dog that will end up paying the price. Sorry, but I'm being as nice as I can but to have someone say they didn't know about spaying and neutering in, what, 1998? I didn't get my first dog til 1987 but even I knew.


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## PrincessLPN (May 25, 2012)

I hope everything works out and again I am sorry you are experiencing this. I hope you make the right decision.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

If my dog was otherwise healthy, and had a pre-operative blood panel and EKG indicating that the dog would likely survive the surgery, I would do the surgery. I also have health insurance on all of my pets, so it makes these sorts of decisions fairly easy, financially.


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