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13 yr old terrier

20 11:39:35

Question
Hi i have a 13 yrs old terrier girl her name is Gizmo, her breath is very smelly and also she has lumps inside her stomach, i wonder if there is anything that could be done only i'v enquired at the vets and they need to take blood samples i'm rather unsure and i don't feel this is the right thing to do, what would you advise thank you look forward to your reply

Answer
John,

Her breath is probably due to her teeth.  It is recommended that you have their teeth cleaned at least once a year.  Yorkies are noted for having problems with their teeth.  In order to clean her teeth they will need to put her to sleep and that is probably why they want the blood test.  The blood test shows how well the kidneys are working and that tells them if it is safe to put her to sleep.  As far as the lumps inside her stomach that could be cancer or something else that is probably not good.  The decision on what to do is going to be totally up to you.  I never had a Yorkie live past the age of 14 so you will have to base your decision on putting her through all that when she is probably not going to be around much longer.  My biggest concern would be if she is in pain or not.  If you vet feels she is in pain and that doing all of the tests is really not going to extend her life a lot longer you will need to consider putting her down.  I am really sorry I can't give you better news but you really need to think of what's best for her and try not to think of how it will effect you personally.  Too many people let their pets suffer needlessly because they can't bring themselves to do the right thing.  Also, keep in mind that the vet will not tell you if you should put her down.  By law they cannot recommend that.  Their way of letting you know it is time is usually by saying things like; we could do this or that but it probably won't make much difference.  If the only problem is her bad breath and she is not in pain you will have to consider getting her teeth cleaned which without the blood test and her advanced age could be dangerous for her.

Sincerely,

Melinda

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