My dog with diabetes and thyroid is getting weaker. Time to say goodbye?

I'm sorry Spikey has been diagnosed with some many problems! The diabetes and thyroid issues both can be managed with medication, and he can live a good life as long as it's medically managed and you have regular visits with the vet. As for the alopecia, depending on the cause of it, it can be treated. I would discuss with your vet what they think his prognosis is for a good life, as they can see him in person (which I can't), and would have a better idea of it than I :-)

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Spyke! I think Spyke is very sick. Only you can decide if you want to have him examined, blood work and X-rays done to find out WHY his sick before you decide to put him down. 13 years old is a good long life. If he isn't eating and is vomiting so much he can barely get up and is falling down that is not a good quality of life. If you can not do testing or do not want to put him through a lot then it sounds like it might be time. I am very sorry and I wish you all the very best!

This is a great question! Determining quality of life in our beloved pets isn't an easy thing to do, since there are so many factors to consider. I recommend scheduling a "quality of life" consultation and exam with your vet. You can discuss the concerns and changes you're seeing in Shadow, and your vet will be able to offer their input on how he's doing. They may also recommend a trial of a pain medication if they feel it's appropriate, to see if he improves on it. In the meantime, here's a website for a group that does exclusively hospice and house call euthanasia. Their website has a lot of great resources on evaluating quality of life. Hope this helps. All the best to you and Shadow. https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life

This could be a possibility. If your vet thinks Cushing she could be complicating her diabetes, you could consider testing her for cushings. If she definitely has cushings then you can start treating her for that. In the meantime, y'all will need to work on getting her diabetes under control. Another option would be to see if there is a specialist (internist) near you that could take over her case to help you get the DKA under control while also diagnosing and treating for cushings if needed. The main difference between a specialist and a general practitioner is that the specialist specializes in these complicated metabolic diseases and usually have facilities and specialized equipment that can care for them 24 hours if needed. If there is a cost concern and yall are unable to get the DKA under control and she is continuing to decline then yes, I would consider euthanasia. Unfortunately, even with intensive care and extensive testing, sometimes these guys don't improve and continue to decline no matter what we do. I know this is a difficult time and decision. Just know that you are doing the best thing for her whatever you decide. I hope this helps and know we are thinking of you. Hugs!

Hi, the right time is when quality of life is poor. I would recommend to have him checked over and discuss this with your vet, but I think deep down inside you know that Spanky is not enjoying his life anymore. Sending you lots of sympathy.

Yes unfortunatley in cases where a diabetic cat is not able to be medicated and maintain hydration, euthanasia is the best option. The fact she has other complicating factors reducing her mobility and causing her discomfort means this may be very soon to prevent suffering. See the following article for information on helping to decide when http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Abel has diabetes! Abel will need to be started on insulin, which will need to come from your vet. If Abel has been lethargic and not eating much, my recommendation would be to have him hospitalized at the vet as soon as possible to get his blood sugar under control, so I'd call them right away and see how quickly he can be seen again - even if the vet isn't free to talk to you when you call, I'd recommend you ask the front desk how quickly Abel can be seen. Untreated diabetes can definitely make a pet become much more sick very quickly, so now that you know it's diabetes I would get Abel rechecked. That way when you bring Abel in, you can talk further about the diabetes diagnosis, and your vet can help you become comfortable with measuring and giving the insulin. When I diagnose new diabetic animals, I usually have the owner practice giving injections of saline to their pet in the hospital so we know they will be comfortable with drawing up the correct dose of insulin and giving injections at home. Your vet will also likely want you to start Abel on a prescription diet formulated to help maintain a more steady blood sugar. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!