How is Ace Doing? Making the Right Choices for Our Dogs

Many people have asked how my dog Ace is doing. Thank you for thinking of him.

Ace is doing OK.

He’s had an ongoing issue with a non-healing wound.

You can read some of the details here, but we are in the process of meeting with a second specialist and deciding whether to move forward with a CT scan and a second surgery.

I’m not looking for any advice but maybe just a little moral support. I also know I’m not the only one without answers to her dog’s medical issues. Many others are in the same situation only with different issues and I want them to know they are not alone.

When I’m feeling this extreme stress about what decisions are best for my dog, one thing that helps is to take a step back and give myself the advice I give others when asked.

I’m a dog walker and dog blogger and you can imagine the questions I get when it comes to the health of our pets and end-of-life decisions for them too.

“Am I doing the right thing?” people ask. “What would you do?”

And what I say to them is this:

“There is no right or wrong. You’re doing the best you can.”

So that’s what I’ve been telling myself with Ace.

You do the best you can.

All I can do is go with my best instincts, listen to our vets, discuss with my husband and observe how Ace is doing. And consider financial limitations too.

Sometimes the right decisions are obvious.

Usually, they are not.

We’re comfortable with the decisions we’ve made so far, and I’m hoping to get some more answers soon. I’m hoping and praying (begging God, actually) that a second surgery will give Ace another year or two (or five!).

But I also want to be realistic about how much we want to put our almost 10-year-old dog through and how far we’re willing to go financially. There are no right answers here.

It’s heartbreaking.

What I could really use is your thoughts for Ace as we move forward with more appointments and decisions.

Ace’s issue does not seem to be life threatening at the moment (that we know of) but it is causing him some pain and discomfort. Our walks are slow and short and we spend a lot of time lounging around.

All your comments, emails and positive thoughts have meant a lot to me.

Thank you.

-Lindsay (and of course Ace!)

P.S. We still have fun! See:

Related posts:

Planning for the end of your pet’s life – difficult questions

How much should I spend on my pet’s vet bills?

My dog has a wound that won’t heal

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