So yesterday we started giving my dog iv fluids once a day. We’re supposed to do it everyday for 10 days and then 3x/week because he’s in stage 3 kidney failure. It will flush the toxins out of his body.
The problem is that the initial poke hurts. My husband thinks this is animal cruelty and I think it’s an act of love.
I know there’s a limit to how much we should put him through though. I’m just not ready to lose him! And he still follows me around the house and he still loves to cuddle.
I had a good friend who did this for her cat. It just became a routine and her cat ended up tolerating it well.
I think quality of life (cuddling and carrying on as normal) is a good sign. A needle poke isn’t exactly pleasant but probably not a quality of life issue, especially in the comfort of your dog’s home. Of course only you can be the judge of that.
to be fair im sure every dog and human has been poked with a needle as some point. its not a good feeling but i wouldnt say its cruel as in many cases its a very necessary medical thing. dogs dont understand it so i see how that could be sad but its for their good.
I think you should do whatever you think is best for your dog and if that means giving him iv fluids to keep him alive then so be it but only you can be the judge of that and for how long though as long as he is not suffering and not in any pain I couldn’t stand to see my dog suffer then that would be animal cruelty I had a dog once that was in pain and I decided to not put her down right then cause I loved her so much but I regret my decision to this day that I didn’t put her down so she didn’t suffer and I have to live with that decision I made years ago and felt guilty ever since.
Thanks for your input. For now, I feel like it’s ok. If he stops following me around, or stops asking to go outside, I’ll know it’s time. In the meantime I’ll treat him. I’m going to talk to my husband about it just being one punch a day. I don’t think that’s so terrible, Hopefully my fur baby doesn’t mind too much.
It’s not cruel @anon92321969 but if your dog is moderately to severely suffering on a daily basis and it’s hampering his functionality then I would consider letting him go.
It’s all about quality of life
But you are being a good pet parent.
