Between a rock and a hard place

[NH homesteader]

Have you asked your vet for an unofficial guess on whether it could be EPI or something else? If there is nothing in your power you can do to fix this... I would put her down. There is no way she is enjoying life at this point.

 

[TAH]

http://www.allshepherdrescue.com/info/display?PageID=9888
http://www.allivet.com/p-5340-bio-c...KIOLi4UgeXBmalB5GF0q-2AWYHw5fZNA01RoCaRXw_wcB

 

[Baymule]

I have not had a dog with EPI. What I have read about it does not sound good. I am by no means an expert on this disease, but I don't think I could put up with what you are going through right now for very long. Running in the house to pee and poop a liquid goo with the smell of death all over my kids beds would be a deal killer for me. Once, ok, clean it up and go from there. More than that is a pattern of extremely bad behavior and I would not, could not, put up with that.

The EPI is a lifelong commitment with a price tag on it that you have said you cannot afford. If this was a beloved member of the family, with a history of being the perfect dog, I might could see it. But this is a demon dog with all sorts of behavioral issues. Are they linked to EPI or just really bad breeding? From what I can see from the sidelines, pure bred dogs in America are being inbred to the point of destruction. I'm not saying all purebreds are, but the gene pool is only so big and problems occur in almost every breed. Only an ignorant and irresponsible breeder would knowingly produce dogs with these issues.

Did you get her from a breeder? Do they know their dog has these issues? Is yours the only one and a complete surprise or are there others like yours out there, causing pain, misery and financial loss to their owners? A polite phone call would be step 1 in dealing with this, but I would not let it escalate to an online war, that is destructive to both parties and you are not that sort of person. However, if the breeder is not responsive and there is a way to warn other prospective purchasers of what a can of worms they are buying, I am in favor of that. But then you run the risk of litigation, so in the end, is it worth it?

Ok, off my soapbox and back to you and your dog. I don't know your dog, haven't seen her, haven't dealt with her problems and am not faced with what to do about her in an up close manner. This is hard for you, I can tell. We do hate to give up on an animal that we have taken into our family don't we? But sometimes the animal is so disruptive in our family, that we have to get rid of them. Is the animal so disruptive that no one else wants it? I think the answer here would be no. It takes a lot of courage to step up and do what you have to do, rather than foist off a problem animal on someone else because one is so "tenderhearted" or "loves little Foo-Foo too much to put her down" or the other myriad of reasons that people dump animals.

I believe the answer here is clear. Your dog is sick. A lifetime sickness that will cost you money over the years that could be put in other places that would benefit your family. And you have said that you can't afford it, the cold hard facts of life surface to slap us around and make the decision hurt more don't they? Your dog has some horrible behaviors that even a Saint would grow weary of. At 4 years old, most dogs have grown out of puppy chewing destructive behavior and have been corrected and learned not to do that anymore. You say that she continues to get worse. How much more of this can you put up with? Only you know the answer.

No one loves their animals more than my husband and myself. We care for them, love them and enjoy them. It is hard to make the decision to put one down. We recently had to make that decision with tears running down both our faces and it was a terrible thing to have to do. Many others here on BYH have had to do the same thing. So no matter what your decision is, we are here for you with love and support.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I will 2nd that 'Motion'....I have not faced such a situation, but some similar and have 'Dispatched' at least 4 of my own animals for different reasons, but it was the best decision I could make for all concerned....very difficult to decide and do, but it is what being a Responsible animal owner is suppose to be about....just think if it stops being items that are destroyed and starts to be you, your children, or a neighbor....I know I would never give an animal to someone else that had that kind of behavior, no matter 'What' they may say....it only brings 'Peace of Mind' when there has been an end to it, no matter how 'Tough' it might be...it would be a 'Nightmare' to attempt to Move with such an animal....dispatching is cheap, easy, and quiet....very Tough tho....wish ya the Best!!

 

[Bossroo]

Quote by Baymule "Are they linked to EPI or just really bad breeding? From what I can see from the sidelines, pure bred dogs in America are being inbred to the point of destruction. I'm not saying all purebreds are, but the gene pool is only so big and problems occur in almost every breed. Only an ignorant and irresponsible breeder would knowingly produce dogs with these issues".
The above statement is not exactly so. True, there are some purebred breeders that don't have ethics and will breed on issues. But the vast majority of purebred breeders are very responsible in what they produce. Their reputation in the breed as well as the dog registry is at stake afterall. The breeders have their breeding stock tested for genetic problems and if they show that they have affected genes, they are spayed or neutered and either sold or given away as pets only with full disclosure of their genetic issue. Those dogs that are sold as potential breeding stock have very specific contracts as to genetic testing and if they are found to be carriers of a defect, the only time that they can be bred is to a NON carrier. I would be MUCH MORE CONSERNED with the mutt dogs out there as they more often then not are NOT tested . The
producers of the so called " designer dogs" are in it for the money with no regard as to what genetic faults that they may have. Crossing purebred dog breeds does NOT guarantee a healthier animal but the opposite may be true as the offspring could carry faulty genes from each breed. The mutt dogs bred by puppy mills are breeding them with NO testing so what undesirable genes for health issues do they actually have that the buyer is stuck in paying huge Vet. bills for. The rescues charge adoption fees for these types of dogs as well as street dogs that they import from other countries too. What genetic and/ or diseases do they bring in to the buyer to eventually deal with and pay the resulting costs ?

 

[AClark]

She is from a good breeder, my mom has her full sister and she's a nice healthy weight and doesn't tear up anything. It is still debateable whether EPI is strictly inherited, so I don't blame the breeder. Dogs that may pass it on may not show signs at reasonable reproductive ages.
http://www.ufaw.org.uk/dogs/german-shepherd-exocrine-pancreatic-insufficiency

That link has some info on it with citations. Median age of diagnosis being around 36 months, and she barely turned 4 a couple of weeks ago.

Basically, the only thing that has saved her so far is that she is mellow with the kids. I think I am probably going to put her down, I noticed over the weekend she's showing weakness in the back end and was wobbling around - probably not likely due to hip dysplasia since neither of her parents have HD, though it's possible since even 2 dogs with good hips can produce a dog with HD.

http://www.enzymediane.com/coststomanageepi.htm

This link breaks down the cost of maintenance for a dog with EPI.

It might be something else, as I'm no vet, but I can't imagine how a dog that eats that much that isn't parasite ridden can keep losing weight.

I asked here because I knew it wasn't going to be judgy like a lot of dog forums. Some of those people are completely nuts and will flame you for not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars on a sick animal. I don't have that mentality, as sick farm animals end up put down.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's a hard decision either way. It does look like the decision you're leaning toward may be the best for all concerned.

 

[TAH]

 

[farmerjan]

Put her down, cry your tears, be thankful that the dog your mom has is normal. Then talk to the breeder and let them know that you in no way blame them, but this is what has happened, that you have worked with your vet on all possible REASONABLE solutions and this is what you finally decided. Maybe they will work with you to maybe replace her, maybe you just need to stick with some LGD's for now, or see if there is a dog at the pound that came from a family that had to move or someone died and no one in the family could take the dog or maybe your vet knows of a situation where there is a dog that is in desperate need of a home. Maybe better to not get a shepard so that you will not be reminded.
You have to be practical, and also sounds like the dog mostly cannot help herself and she can't be happy like that. Sorry, but we are their caretakers, and have to make decisions that are best for everyone. Even if you went the expensive care route, you will start to resent her and the costs and the care and what if she doesn't get any better????

I think you have already gone above and beyond. Sorry for you and sorry for her, give her some peace and stop the guilt on your part.

 

[norseofcourse]

I've never heard of EPI, sounds like a terrible thing to deal with, and rough on the dog as well. Only you can look at her quality of life, and the cost (not only financial but time and emotional as well), and make the decision that is right for you, your family, and her.