My dog is ill and very aggressive. Need advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not drag your Ob/Gyn into this. It is obvious that it is not healthy for a pregnant woman and/or small children to be attacked by an aggressive, miserable dog. Duh.

Op's husband is being willfully stupid. That is not o.k.

I disagree.
It is a health issue and the OB is her doctor. They are there to advise you about anything related to your pregnancy, from caffeine intake to exercise to TDAP boosters, and being bit by a dog is a health issue. Period.

You seriously think that anyone in their right mind does not already know that it is a very bad idea for a pregnant woman to be bit by a dog? Just how stupid do you have to be to not realize that?

And I agree with the PP who said that it's weird that the Op's husband and the vet have sided together against the Op. It does sound like something else is going on here...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not drag your Ob/Gyn into this. It is obvious that it is not healthy for a pregnant woman and/or small children to be attacked by an aggressive, miserable dog. Duh.

Op's husband is being willfully stupid. That is not o.k.

I disagree.
It is a health issue and the OB is her doctor. They are there to advise you about anything related to your pregnancy, from caffeine intake to exercise to TDAP boosters, and being bit by a dog is a health issue. Period.

You seriously think that anyone in their right mind does not already know that it is a very bad idea for a pregnant woman to be bit by a dog? Just how stupid do you have to be to not realize that?

And I agree with the PP who said that it's weird that the Op's husband and the vet have sided together against the Op. It does sound like something else is going on here...

Calm down here.
The vet and husband don't see the danger. In this situation, the vet is a provider and "expert", if you will, and the suggestion was merely to have another "expert" weigh in on the dilemma.
The vet's job is to advocate for the dog, and they have done that. The suggestion was merely to have the OB act as an advocate for the OP and baby, for another opinion since the husband went to the vet and got his opinion backed up and validated.
Op may benefit from having a professional in her corner as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not drag your Ob/Gyn into this. It is obvious that it is not healthy for a pregnant woman and/or small children to be attacked by an aggressive, miserable dog. Duh.

Op's husband is being willfully stupid. That is not o.k.

I disagree.
It is a health issue and the OB is her doctor. They are there to advise you about anything related to your pregnancy, from caffeine intake to exercise to TDAP boosters, and being bit by a dog is a health issue. Period.

You seriously think that anyone in their right mind does not already know that it is a very bad idea for a pregnant woman to be bit by a dog? Just how stupid do you have to be to not realize that?

And I agree with the PP who said that it's weird that the Op's husband and the vet have sided together against the Op. It does sound like something else is going on here...

Calm down here.
The vet and husband don't see the danger. In this situation, the vet is a provider and "expert", if you will, and the suggestion was merely to have another "expert" weigh in on the dilemma.
The vet's job is to advocate for the dog, and they have done that. The suggestion was merely to have the OB act as an advocate for the OP and baby, for another opinion since the husband went to the vet and got his opinion backed up and validated.
Op may benefit from having a professional in her corner as well.

Ugh, some people should not get married.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe the ER didn't call animal control. If I knew you, I would be calling DSS. You are allowing a dangerous animal around a defenseless toddler. Insanity.

+1000 The husband, ER and Vet seem clueless.

The OP keeps saying that she has 50% input at this point. Wrong. If she would also advocate for her unborn baby, she would hold the majority vote. Regular 50/50 "votes" are O.K. for typical decision making. However, especially in crisis situations, there will be times when one spouse has to oppose the other one's poor choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe the ER didn't call animal control. If I knew you, I would be calling DSS. You are allowing a dangerous animal around a defenseless toddler. Insanity.

+1000 The husband, ER and Vet seem clueless.

The OP keeps saying that she has 50% input at this point. Wrong. If she would also advocate for her unborn baby, she would hold the majority vote. Regular 50/50 "votes" are O.K. for typical decision making. However, especially in crisis situations, there will be times when one spouse has to oppose the other one's poor choices.

Who has the dog's power of attorney? Does the vet require both the Op and her husband to sign off on a treatment for the dog? Maybe the OB/GYN would be willing to sit down at a conference with the vet, Op and Op's husband...possibly have a representative from animal control on hand to take the dog into custody if the experts all deem that necessary.

Op needs to talk to her husband.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, aren't doctors require to report dog bites?

yes. something does seem off here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I thank everyone for writing in, but my vote is only 50%. I talked to my husband again and he will not consider euthanasia. The vet also agreed with him; it's too early. We get more test results back on Monday. She is going to aggressively wean the dog off the steroid, since he's struggling with the side effects. The vet can't board him due to space and it's needed for more critical dogs. We do have a basket muzzle and a back harness and baby gates that will need to suffice until he's off the steroids.

This sucks. I'm tired of persuading my husband to kill the dog we both love. It's hard enough.

OP, if the dog can't be boarded then take your toddler and "board" him elsewhere. With you at a hotel, or at Grandma's or wherever.
N't b

[Anonymous]

OP here again. Sorry I couldn't responD earlier. The vet isn't insane, she just knows this isn't a fatal illness and doesn't want her patient to be put down. I showed her my wounds and she took me seriously. She's Weaning the dog off the steroid as fast as medically possible, even before the blood test results are in. The vet was concerned about my toddler and asked what precautions we were taking.

As for my husband.....I'm not going to kidnap the dog and put him down behind his back. It's just not happening. Anyone suggesting that my vote counts more is wrong. In my marriage we are equals. I agree he's being hard-headed and won't see the writing on the wall, but I don't agree he's controlling. His argument is the dog will get better; my argument is that it's going to take too long.

I don't have family in the area and my vet is one of the better medical boarding facilities near me. Our compromise is that husband does all the walking and interacting with the dog. We both keep the toddler away. It still puts my husband in danger, but it's temporary until the test results come back tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm hoping that will tell us ,ore about his condition and how long it'll last and if we can expect relapses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. Sorry I couldn't responD earlier. The vet isn't insane, she just knows this isn't a fatal illness and doesn't want her patient to be put down. I showed her my wounds and she took me seriously. She's Weaning the dog off the steroid as fast as medically possible, even before the blood test results are in. The vet was concerned about my toddler and asked what precautions we were taking.

As for my husband.....I'm not going to kidnap the dog and put him down behind his back. It's just not happening. Anyone suggesting that my vote counts more is wrong. In my marriage we are equals. I agree he's being hard-headed and won't see the writing on the wall, but I don't agree he's controlling. His argument is the dog will get better; my argument is that it's going to take too long.

I don't have family in the area and my vet is one of the better medical boarding facilities near me. Our compromise is that husband does all the walking and interacting with the dog. We both keep the toddler away. It still puts my husband in danger, but it's temporary until the test results come back tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm hoping that will tell us ,ore about his condition and how long it'll last and if we can expect relapses.

OK, then. You win the "equals soapbox" award. That dog bit or ripped the sh*t out of you while you are eight months pregnant and sent you to the emergency room. But never mind that since you must maintain your equals status.

[Anonymous]

Op, I have followed this thread and with all respect and sincerity I think you are both being very naive and cavalier about this dog around your toddler. I know you think you have him gated off and that will be fine, but this dog is simply not safe to be in your home.

[Anonymous]

Oh, Op my heart just breaks for you. What a sad situation you are in. I was faced with a very similar situation and ultimately decided to put my dog down just a year ago. My dog was my life and very much a part of the family. He started to show small signs of aggression based on fear and anxiety that he had toward new people. My husband and I worked with trainers speciallized in aggressive dog behavior, walked him five miles a day and did daily mental exercises to try to help him. We changed our lives to focus on rehabiliting our dog. We saw three different vets and animal behaviorist always hoping that we would get a diagnosis that our dog could be cured. We were on thr wait list for 4 months for thr leading behaviorist who had been studying animal behavior for 20+ years. When we finally saw her, we were told we had the most serious case she had ever seen. the answer was always the same - that the only way to keep him from seriously harming someone was to put him down. At this point, he was on a daily dose of Prozac and given Xanax any time he would have to be in close proximity to a new person (which was rare as it was easier to avoid everyone then to have an episode).

We were fortunate that nothing ever happened, but worked hard every damn day to make sure of it too by crossing the street when walking, not having people over to our house, and keeping him contained to just our family. He was such a good dog with us that it was confusing to think that the people he trusted the most and considered his pack ultimately had to end his life. I was three months pregnant when we made the decision and by far the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with.

You cannot, for thr sake of you and your children, keep your dog in the house any longer. If the vet truly believes that the medication is causing his aggression, please please please have him/her take your dog and ween off the medication. The pup will probably need to go through training as well to help acclimate him back into your lives. I am all for saving a dog that can be saved, but your current situation won't allow it. You also need to think of your dogs quality of life as others mentioned. If the medication is helping to keep him alive, but causing him to lose his mind, that's no way to live. And if he can be weened off the medication and get his personality back but then is so sick, that too is no way to live. I hope an answer can he found and soon.

I would also recommend some grief counseling. The alexandria animal welfare league has a wonderful pet loss program. http://alexandriaanimals.org/pet-bereavement.html You can also personally schedule an appointment with Kathy to talk about your specific situation. She was a great help to both my husband and I during the tough time we faced.

I am so so sorry but please keep everyone safe

RIP Bowser

[Anonymous]

OP, I was the PP who said your husband is insane. Full disclosure: I should acknowledge that I was mauled by a relative's elderly dog when I was a kid.

Look at your gauze and your wounds and imagine seeing those gashes on your toddler or your soon-to-be infant. I have scars on my face 35 years after my attack, but my parents and sibling (who saw the whole thing and the aftermath) were even more scarred. And I never could forgive the relative whose dog did this to me, even though she was a saint of a person. Now, imagine how your kids will feel - or your neighbors will feel - if they are the victims who were left at risk by your unwillingness to do what is right.

You seem very proud that you're "equals" in your marriage. Equality does not mean acquiescing to stupidity and recklessness with your children's lives. If you're not willing to protect your kids, I hope that someone who knows your story has the sense to call Animal Control and get the dog out of your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. Sorry I couldn't responD earlier. The vet isn't insane, she just knows this isn't a fatal illness and doesn't want her patient to be put down. I showed her my wounds and she took me seriously. She's Weaning the dog off the steroid as fast as medically possible, even before the blood test results are in. The vet was concerned about my toddler and asked what precautions we were taking.

As for my husband.....I'm not going to kidnap the dog and put him down behind his back. It's just not happening. Anyone suggesting that my vote counts more is wrong. In my marriage we are equals. I agree he's being hard-headed and won't see the writing on the wall, but I don't agree he's controlling. His argument is the dog will get better; my argument is that it's going to take too long.

I don't have family in the area and my vet is one of the better medical boarding facilities near me. Our compromise is that husband does all the walking and interacting with the dog. We both keep the toddler away. It still puts my husband in danger, but it's temporary until the test results come back tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm hoping that will tell us ,ore about his condition and how long it'll last and if we can expect relapses.

It's not just your husband who is in danger. Dogs knock down baby gates all the time, and aggressive dogs can kill small children. What you're doing is as risky as leaving your child outside alone by a swimming pool or busy street, or letting him play with a loaded gun.

If you prioritize your child's safety at all, then take him to a hotel until the dog is 100% better, or has been taken to boarding.

[Anonymous]

OP,

Your husband and yourself are probably stupid enough that if nothing bad happens you'll both congratulate yourselves and say: "See! We knew nothing would happen!".

Except that the risk to your child and to yourself IS there, currently. And it is very high. And nothing that happens, good or bad, will change that foolish amount of risk you are taking right now.

[Anonymous]

WTF is wrong with you? I am a dog person and wouldn't hesitate to put the dog down. Two bites? An ER visit? Aw heck no. That dog is in so much pain, PUT IT DOWN.