Did I do enough for my dog with a severe slipped disc and paralysis?

Question

Today I had to out my dog down. My vet said my dog had a slip disc and his front half was paralyzed... He couldn't stand and had no front leg movement... She said unless we were rich, we should put him down.... I just want to make sure we couldn't have done more for him because I am absolutely gutted because this was completely unexpected. Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Pinscher | Male | neutered

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

I'm so incredibly sorry to hear about this. Sometimes in emergent situations when the pets are painful, the explanations get shortened- but I believe you and your vet came to the best solution for Joey. Typically, when the spinal cord compresses enough to cause paralysis, the surgery needs to be done within 24 hours to be effective, and the surgery alone generally runs 8,000-10,000 dollars, not including a lot of aftercare and physical therapy. There's also a risk of the surgery not working because the damage is too extensive already. In these situations, the pets are in an extreme amount of pain and very confused as to why they can't move. In situations where perhaps only one leg was affected or he was in back pain without being paralyzed, surgery would likely be more successful and your vet may have pushed you to pursue it more. I believe based on what you're telling me, that Joey's spinal problem had a poor outlook for surgery and your vet didn't want you to spend the money on something that wouldn't cure him or end his pain in the long run. I believe you made the most ethical and kind decision for Joey. It's heartbreaking to have to make these decisions for our pets, but you made a painful decision on your behalf to end Joey's physical pain when he had no other option. You made a beautiful sacrifice for his quality of life. Please seek counseling or grieving avenues with your loved ones during this hard time. I know unexpected loss can be so, so tragic. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

Did I do enough for my dog with a severe slipped disc and paralysis?

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