My poor Odie

Ever since we rescued him he's had ear trouble, he had an ulcerated ear infection in one ear and it keeps getting infected. I just brought him to the vet because his ear is all p-u-s-s-y (I can't believe they thought I was referring to something else!) and gross after I just cleaned them Monday :(

They want to put him under and really drain his ears tomorrow, also they keep bringing up doing a surgery that will essentially make him deaf but get rid of the problem of ear infections.

How could I do that to him!?

He would never trust me again! Being made deaf against his will, he wouldn't understand what was going on or why he couldn't hear anymore :( I hope the draining and cleaning works so they don't keep talking about that aggressive surgery.

Right now he can't eat anything because he's being put under tomorrow and he keeps licking the floor and looking at me like "why did you take my food away"?
It's making me very sad

Message edited 2/2/2011 11:27:10 PM.

Re: My poor Odie

Aw, I'm sorry, that sounds really rough for both of you. And I agree with you, that surgery should be a last resort. I imagine it would be very difficult if the dog was deaf, it's quality of life would be really changed, so hold off on that and get a second opinion from another vet (or two) to see if they agree with something so drastic. Hopefully the procedure will go smoothly tomorrow and it will correct itself and he won't need to be subjected to anything else.

Just remember - you're doing this for his sake, he may look sad now but he'll feel much better once his ears are cleaned out tomorrow. Hang in there!!

Re: My poor Odie

I can;t imagine how hard it must be on you. I hope everything works out and he wouldn't need surgery.
for Odie.

Re: My poor Odie

That's so sad. I guess have them clean his ears out but I would not do the surgery without a few opinions. I can imagine how bad you feel for your baby.

Message edited 2/3/2011 10:05:51 AM.

Re: My poor Odie

Awww I feel for you!!! My dog, Irwin, is prone to ear infections, too. We try to clean his ears once a week (though he HATES it) and take him to the vet for a thorough cleaning every few months. Since we've adopted this routine, he's been feeling a lot better. I hope your pup is okay after getting his ears drained!

Re: My poor Odie

I really would get a second opinion, it can't hurt. We have a dog that is prone to ear infections and we've changed her food, treats and clean and dry her ears every 2 weeks now. If there are other things you can try before doing the surgery, I'd find out what those were.

If you must go through the surgery, try not to think of Odie like a person that is going to resent you. They just don't have the capacity for that, so don't blame yourself.

Dogs are so much more resilient than we give them credit for. You would have to make changes to things like a vibrating collar to get his attention, and re-teaching commands with hand signals but you know what? This will be much harder on your emotions than his. Dogs actually learn faster with hand signals too. Don't worry, he is extremely capable of bouncing back as long as you let him.

Re: My poor Odie

I am probably waaaaay over thinking this BUT:

I just think of it as, let's say you were taken to China and you were taken in by this awesome family who took really good care of you. Then one day you're not feeling well and although you can't communicate with them they figure it out and take you to the Dr. Now since you can't speak the language, you've given them the authority to speak on your behalf. The Drs talk to them and they listen and based on what the Dr says they make what they feel is the best decision. You, trusting them go with the Dr. They put you under and you wake up not being able to hear. Wouldn't you freak the hell out?
My dog is already a stress case, I think this would send him over the edge.

Of course, he's my only child right now so I *MAY* be over reacting a little
(ok maybe a lot)

With all that said, we have to clean out his ears 2xs a day for now, and give him drops and pills. Wish me luck that this works!!

And here is my boy :)
"the dude"

Message edited 2/3/2011 10:36:29 PM.

Re: My poor Odie

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Message edited 2/3/2011 10:40:14 PM.

Re: My poor Odie

Keeping my fingers crossed for you with the cleaning. You're drying his ears after you clean them?

Yes, I do think you're really overthinking and your dog is probably feeding off of your emotion. If you you want him to be less stressed, you should work on being less stressed too. A dog looks to it's owners for guidance on how to act. Be calm and confident, and he will follow suit.

Re: My poor Odie

Posted by greenfreak

Keeping my fingers crossed for you with the cleaning. You're drying his ears after you clean them?

Yes, I do think you're really overthinking and your dog is probably feeding off of your emotion. If you you want him to be less stressed, you should work on being less stressed too. A dog looks to it's owners for guidance on how to act. Be calm and confident, and he will follow suit.