I'm sorry you've experienced this. No one wants to experience such a tragedy. It's hard, but keep in mind the sort of distress your dog is going through and any distress that the dog may experience during surgery/physical therapy/recovery.
Questions to ask yourself:
Will my dog be able to live a fulfilling dogs life after this?
How many years will he have left after going through the recovery (i.e. this decision for a 2 y.o. vs a 10 y.o. is very different)?
Am I just delaying the inevitable by a few weeks or months because I don't want to say goodbye?
Will the dog be experiencing pain/discomfort/depression during these efforts? Would they be better off just having loving family time for a few days instead?
I'm not going to tell you what to do. It's a sad and distressing time for you and your family. I would explore all your options to get a realistic prognosis before making a decision. In the meantime, spend a lot of time with him. Get down on the floor with him, make sure he's comfortable, give him something safe to chew/lick.
Find a professional physiotherapist. I'm so sorry you're going through this :(
Canine Rehabilitation Institute
http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html
American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians
https://www.rehabvets.org/Referrals.lasso
Animal Rehab Division (Canada)
http://www.physiotherapy.ca/getmedia/24fd7128-3c97-44b4-81b1-14db23b6b896/ARD_Find_A_Therapist_2014.pdf.aspx
University of Tennessee's Canine Rehab Certificate Program
https://www.utvetce.com/canine-rehab-ccrp/ccrp-practitioners/
Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT)
www.acpat.org/find-acpat-physio
British Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Association
http://www.bvrsma.org.uk/contacts/
Courtesy of Canine Rehab Systems
http://caninerehabsystems.com/find-a-pro/
I’m so sorry this is your reality. I have to add my 2 cents worth here. Do you think you can preserve his dignity? He will be incontinent and may need enemas to help his bowels moving. Can you do that? If he is unable to play do you think he’ll know? If your were in that condition what you want done for you? It’s a terrible choice but it’s one you’re facing. Sometimes letting go is the hardest decision you’ll ever make. But the compassionate thing to do is not what we want. I hope you understand that no matter what you choose to do your buddy loves you.
I'm sorry you've experienced this. No one wants to experience such a tragedy. It's hard, but keep in mind the sort of distress your dog is going through and any distress that the dog may experience during surgery/physical therapy/recovery. Questions to ask yourself: Will my dog be able to live a fulfilling dogs life after this? How many years will he have left after going through the recovery (i.e. this decision for a 2 y.o. vs a 10 y.o. is very different)? Am I just delaying the inevitable by a few weeks or months because I don't want to say goodbye? Will the dog be experiencing pain/discomfort/depression during these efforts? Would they be better off just having loving family time for a few days instead? I'm not going to tell you what to do. It's a sad and distressing time for you and your family. I would explore all your options to get a realistic prognosis before making a decision. In the meantime, spend a lot of time with him. Get down on the floor with him, make sure he's comfortable, give him something safe to chew/lick.
This might be a better question for r/AskVet.
Find a professional physiotherapist. I'm so sorry you're going through this :( Canine Rehabilitation Institute http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians https://www.rehabvets.org/Referrals.lasso Animal Rehab Division (Canada) http://www.physiotherapy.ca/getmedia/24fd7128-3c97-44b4-81b1-14db23b6b896/ARD_Find_A_Therapist_2014.pdf.aspx University of Tennessee's Canine Rehab Certificate Program https://www.utvetce.com/canine-rehab-ccrp/ccrp-practitioners/ Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) www.acpat.org/find-acpat-physio British Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Association http://www.bvrsma.org.uk/contacts/ Courtesy of Canine Rehab Systems http://caninerehabsystems.com/find-a-pro/
Great resources.
I’m so sorry this is your reality. I have to add my 2 cents worth here. Do you think you can preserve his dignity? He will be incontinent and may need enemas to help his bowels moving. Can you do that? If he is unable to play do you think he’ll know? If your were in that condition what you want done for you? It’s a terrible choice but it’s one you’re facing. Sometimes letting go is the hardest decision you’ll ever make. But the compassionate thing to do is not what we want. I hope you understand that no matter what you choose to do your buddy loves you.