Benji 2005-2016 / dragging hind legs

[starcentral]

So sad to have lost my Benji yesterday, he was a great family pet and integrated really well in our home along with our oldest teenage daughter, 4 year old and new born. Never any trouble at all, he was the greatest dog and I will miss him forever.

The way in which he went was the strangest and something that I'm having such a hard time forgetting and is so upsetting. Note some of this is graphic.

4am Thursday morning he went to the back door to go outside, when he came back a few minutes later he was laying on the step to get in and couldn't get up them. His hind legs were dragging behind him and he was yelping a lot. I pulled him in and he started to just drag himself across the floor fast and couldn't settle down. I brought him on his spot on the couch and tried to comfort and calm him down, and he bit my hand. He's never bit me before at all, or like this anyway. I tried using his collar to control his neck but it was difficult he would snap back quite easily so I'd have to let go of it.

I brought I'm back on the floor to see what he would do and noticed some stool showing but not coming out. I massaged around the area until it all came out. He had no control over it and unable to move back legs at all still. I let him go again and he took off into another room under the dining room table. Always yelping in pain he would move around for a bit, stop, and then carry on again. I brought his bed to him and he just started biting and attacking it. I took a baby gate to try and herd him a little bit and he started to bite the gate, and soon there was a lot of blood and I moments later his canine tooth was laying on the carpet next to him. He was biting so hard his one tooth came out completely.

My wife was on the phone with pet emergency and they suggested to wrap him with big comforter or blanket so he couldn't bite anymore and then bring him in. We got a blanket and I managed to drag him to the front door so we would be ready to leave. We have two small kids at home so had to wait for my sister to arrive so we could leave, there was no way I could drive him to emergency myself. While waiting he had bit me again, this time my arm and it was a really bad one. It's also then I noticed his other canine was completely twisted sideways and pierced through the side of his lip. I broke down I asked him what happened and why he had to do this. I was so mortified and sad by what he was doing to himself and I couldn't really stop him, or it was too late.

Pinning him down in the van the whole way while my wife drove was difficult, as he wanted to move free. The yelping crying was terrible and lasted the whole time. We got to the vet and the vet said it could have been a herniated disc, and didn't seem to have blood in his back legs and that maybe a blood clot formed somewhere that stopped flow. There wouldn't be more answers without more testing but given his age and medical history, I decided that it would be best to put him to sleep. This was not what I wanted to do but felt I had to.

A few weeks earlier we were told through some X-ray's that he had tumours or cancer in one of his lungs, and possibly he had a ulcer because he seemed to have been digesting blood. We took him in because he had developed a cough and short breathing. His white blood cell count was very high, and his platelets were really low. He went on antibiotics and some other medications for his stomach ulcer and after a week practically seemed back to his normal self. That is why all what happened most recently is so surprising and shocking. Maybe it was all related somehow, but still, I love this dog, I will miss him and wish the ending could have been so different. I never imagined an ending like this.

I miss you forever Benji.

[eeeefarm]

I am so sorry to read this. How heartbreaking to lose one in such circumstances. I have only recently lost my Perry, so I know how devastated you must be. Your boy bit because he was in pain, as I'm sure you know. You did the best you could for him. Again, so sorry for your loss.

[DebraDownSouth]

No blood flow to back legs had to have been far more severe than a disk. There is no definitive way to know, could have been bone cancer spread, anything. But obviously this dog was suffering terribly and you did the humane thing. I am so sorry you were injured and that the last day so traumatic for everyone. I hope you can hang on to all the good and eventually the last day fade.

[Dagodingo]

It is always a difficult choice at the end and never easy. He must have been in immense pain to bite you, so I believe you made the right choice. I am sorry you have lost him and I know how hard it is.

My original Basenji passed a little over three years ago, he suffered somewhat for five years with diabetes and insulin injections. Finally his back legs gave out, it was as if he could not control them and he was whining in pain. We went to the vet and they X-rayed him only to find a large tumor in his abdomen. He was eleven years old and I just knew he was ready to go, we petted him while he went to sleep.
I often second guessed my decision for a long time afterwards as we could have tried surgery and chemo, but I knew given his age and other problems it would have been too much for him. Maybe I could have kept him going for while but it would have been putting him through a lot of suffering for my sake because I did not want him to go.
Although he was ready to go and died very peaceful, our family was a wreck without him. We also have another younger female basenji who also missed him.

After a few weeks I decided to get another male basenji, I found one from a good breeder and arranged to pick him up. He was almost one year old and I remember deep apprehension whether it was the right thing to do. I knew he could not replace my boy and sure enough the first few weeks were rough as everyone adjusted and again I thought maybe It was the wrong choice.
But then an amazing few months later everyone had bonded and he started to do many of the things my old buddy used to do. He has not replaced my first dog as none can ever, but he has healed the gap a lot and allowed me to have fond memories. In many ways he reminded me of my first basenji as he was when he was young, healthy and a terror!
Fast forward and after three years I am still mourning the loss of my first B, I don't think that will ever change. However I am able to cope with it which is a big deal and I have another buddy who is different but also very similar. In hindsight getting another dog was the best move I could have made although at the time I had so many doubts.

[tanza]

So sorry for your loss.