123 replies to this topic

[cybertrano]

My gym work out IS my health vs. an old dog. I am going to Eliminate my source of healthy habit for my OLD dog? Hmmmm - I barely work out now anyway. You have 3 kids which is understandable, but I have one child - a human, and a DOG.

If I have 2 or 3 kids which need my time and energy then that is understandable. Then I will cut back on my workouts, but it ain't the case here.

What happens when you have 2 kids?  or 3?

That's life Cyber, I say cut back or eliminate the gym and take care of your pet. 

We had one of our kids in the hospital and had 2 to care for.  Soon we'll have 3.  Start juggling.  Don't just put your pet to sleep because it's an inconvenience.

[forumreader]

Cyber: I understand how dramatically one's priorities change when baby comes along, especially the first. The new baby becomes the absolute love of your life, as it should be! But please don't abandon your pet.

We make commitments to the animals we take in as pets, and I believe we are responsible for caring for them even through their geriatric years. If the dog is truly in pain, that is a different story.

My husband and I joke about our now 17 year-old cat. When our first was born, thirteen years ago, I told my husband in jest that I was giving the cat to HIM. Our son was MINE! .....While I said this in humor, there was an element of truth to my statement. I did leave the cat care for my husband for a few years. But my feline friend did eventually resume her special place in my heart.

[cybertrano]

We are in this case right now. We will evaluate Chelsee's health situation very soon to get an opinion from the doctor of whether she's in pain and suffering or not.

We planned to have Christopher couple years ago, before Chelsee got old, but it did not work out that way.

If the dog is truly in pain, that is a different story.

[cybertrano]

I am up to 4,785 posts now. Thanx to all the arguments.

[bordercolliefan]

Should we put our beloved dog, Chelsee, to death now that Christopher is here?  This is a serious question we are debating.  That our dog is 16 year old and sick of old age and needing and taking away too much of our time.  Time that can be spent on our kiddie. 

Cyber, what are your dog's needs?

You say she is "needing and taking away too much of our time." --Do her needs go beyond feeding and walking her?

[bordercolliefan]

A follow-up question: how much time do you spend at the gym?

I admire your commitment to fitness, but many Dads I know have found that their fitness routine must change when the babies start coming. Poor Mom is with the baby 8 or 9 hours a day while Dad is at work. By 5:00, she is looking for relief -- she is not looking for Dad to go and spend another hour or two away at the gym!

Once our girls arrived, my husband began getting much of his exercise by toting a baby seat around on his bike (or a Burley trailer). He also got some simple weights to use in our home. Of course, walking or jogging with a stroller is another option. Perhaps some of the "Dads" on this forum have some other ideas.

Now that our kids are ages 4 and 6, my husband is going back to a fuller fitness routine, with biking, swimming, and occasional weights.

It is a culture shock when a baby comes, and you realize you have to modify or give up some of the things you used to do "just for yourself." I saw my neighbors struggle after their baby came and they had to give up happy hours with their friends, weekends out in the kayak, etc. It is hard.

[cybertrano]

Ah sensible questions. Yes......

Yes. We take her out to poop/pee, feeding, take her to the vet. At nights is when she drives us crazy with her constant whining through out the night (and we don't know how to inteprete those whines - is it a sign of more serious sickness or not?). She has diaria (spelling), hernia. She's going deaf, blind in one eye.

The evening time is the worse. It is a time when Christopher is at his worst in crying. All caretakers are exhausted and testy. AND here goes the freaking dog with all her problems at that particular worst of time.

She is ok in the day times.

Cyber, what are your dog's needs? 

You say she is "needing and taking away too much of our time."  --Do her needs go beyond feeding and walking her?

[OceanGirl]

See what the vet says, but here is something that happened to us.......which may be happening with your dog.

When our son Jadon was born and we brought him home from the hospital, our cat Jordie got sick in the first week the baby was home. We took him to the vet and he was in kidney failure. We had to put him on a special IV administered at home for 2 weeks and change his diet to a special kidney diet food. He bounced back and is doing well today.......3.5 years later. The vet asked if there had been any changes at home- these can stress out a pet. Well, the baby was a big change, but we'd also moved to a new house in the past year AND added two other pets to our household- another cat and a dog. Before all this, our cat Jordie was number one........then all the changes. It's no wonder he got sick with all the added stress, etc.

All this to say, a change like this in the life of a pet can be very stressful. New sounds, new smells, etc. Give her time, I'm sure she will adjust to the new change and love the new baby as much as both of you do. Remember, she used to be number one too.......now will have to adjust to the new baby as number one and get used to not having as much attention as she used to all the time.

[cybertrano]

I changed my amount of workout to a bare minimum. And I also pick the right time to do it, when kid and mom are settle.

I go home everyday to help out with Christopher until 11 pm. Weekends I take over caregiving at nights (11pm till 7am).

baby

A follow-up question:  how much time do you spend at the gym? 

I admire your commitment to fitness, but many Dads I know have found that their fitness routine must change when the babies start coming.  Poor Mom is with the baby 8 or 9 hours a day while Dad is at work.  By 5:00, she is looking for relief -- she is not looking for Dad to go and spend another hour or two away at the gym! 

Once our girls arrived, my husband began getting much of his exercise by toting a baby seat around on his bike (or a Burley trailer).  He also got some simple weights to use in our home.  Of course, walking or jogging with a stroller is another option.  Perhaps some of the "Dads" on this forum have some other ideas.

Now that our kids are ages 4 and 6, my husband is going back to a fuller fitness routine, with biking, swimming, and occasional weights.

It is a culture shock when a baby comes, and you realize you have to modify or give up some of the things you used to do "just for yourself."  I saw my neighbors struggle after their baby came and they had to give up happy hours with their friends, weekends out in the kayak, etc.  It is hard.

[cybertrano]

I think I just emphasize an important issue here - the evenings. Ouch!

The evening time is the worst.  It is a time when Christopher is at his worst in crying.  All caretakers are exhausted and testy.  AND here goes the freaking dog with all her problems at that particular worst of time. 

[cybertrano]

If I was not physically and mentally in shape at this age (am 65 yo ), then there was no kids

[cybertrano]

I am 75 year old and I plan to have 8 kids. I have to be in shape.

[bordercolliefan]

Yes.  We take her out to poop/pee, feeding, take her to the vet.  At nights is when she drives us crazy with her constant whining through out the night (and we don't  know how to inteprete those whines - is it a sign of more serious sickness or not?).  She has diaria (spelling), hernia.  She's going deaf, blind in one eye. 

Hmm, this does sound problemmatic. The whining through the night is odd, and obviously untenable since you need any sleep that you can get.

The diarrhea, too, is an ominous sign (unless it is just a passing virus, or something) -- it suggests her digestion is not right. It is also hard to live with a dog if she loses bowel control. --Keep us posted on what the vet says.

We lived with a dog for years who was incontinent and had seizures (a slow-growing, inoperable brain tumor). We had constant discussions about the right time to euthanize her. Finally the time came when she went into a seizure that she never came out of.

I believe that unlike humans, dogs' physical well-being is a crucial part of their lives. Once they lose essential functions (such as being paralyzed or incontinent), I believe they suffer a great deal mentally and emotionally. Sometimes it can be kinder to give them a gentle and loving death. Of course, it goes without saying that this is true if they are suffering pain.

Let us know what the vet says, cyber.

[cybertrano]

Sensible advices bcfanny! Thanx.

I told my wife last night that instead of making dog decision by ourselves, why don't we consult with friends who have had and are having dogs throughout their lives and have pet old age issue.

My wife cried two weeks ago because she's not able to take care of Chelsee. Chelsee was a child to us.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Where is the dog at night? Is it isolated in a room by itself and, if so, is that a change from before the baby came?