# Remember the strangely deformed dog...



## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

someone posted the other day that we all thought was photoshopped? Apparently the poor thing is real. 
Here's a link to his page and there are more photos of him on their FB page.

Progetto Quasi | Chi è Quasi


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I can't understand anything


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

What?! Sorry but can't help it, he kind of remind me of a Fiat 500. Odd that they are both Italian. What's up with Italians and small weird looking things? Is this another marketing stunt for the 500?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Well, I have to say I was one of the two that said the poor dog was real, so I guess I was right, I know there are mutant dogs out there and it is very sad....


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Poor thing  Should have been euthanised instead of living to suffer.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Sprocket said:


> Poor thing  Should have been euthanised instead of living to suffer.


We can't know for sure he's suffering, right? Just because he looks the way he does, does not mean he is in pain, dogs learn to adapt.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> We can't know for sure he's suffering, right? Just because he looks the way he does, does not mean he is in pain, dogs learn to adapt.


I feel the same way about deformed dwarf horses. 

I stand by what I said.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Do you think deformed children should be euthanized?


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Do you think deformed children should be euthanized?


We don't euthanize people.

People can convey that they are uncomfortable or in pain. A dog cannot clearly tell you that it hurts or needs help.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Babies can't convey, what is the difference.,,.Why not euthanize all living things that aren't up to human standards of normal..


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

I am a memeber for the right to die society. As was my Dad. *'if'* there is pain and sufffering then yes euthinaisa should be considered for animals.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Babies can't convey, what is the difference.,,.Why not euthanize all living things that aren't up to human standards of normal..


Its not about "human standards of normal". 

Its about quality of life. 

Maybe the dog is able to live a comfortable life. I'd be willing to bet that it has internal issues, structural pain, and needs a lot of care. 

Good for those people that are willing to care for it. 

My point is that I would have euthanized it. 

There are millions of dogs out there that can live fully healthy lives, they are euthanized. 

This dog would have died in the wild. Its mother probably would have sensed it was deformed and left it to die.

Its the way mother nature intended.

Humans have been screwing with nature for decades. We have never succeeded against her.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

xellil said:


> I can't understand anything


copy this
la piccola Quasi in tutto il suo *ahem* splendore

Paste into google andd search. When the hits come up press the translate button it will reset to english.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

brandypup said:


> copy this
> la piccola Quasi in tutto il suo *ahem* splendore
> 
> Paste into google andd search. When the hits come up press the translate button it will reset to english.


That is so cool! Thanks!


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Sprocket said:


> Its not about "human standards of normal".
> 
> Its about quality of life.
> 
> ...


Yes, but the difference is, MOTHER NATURE didn't do this to the dog, my guess and I'm sure I'm correct is HUMANS did this and WE should be responsible for it...So, I'm sure like any rescue would have done, they did x-rays to make sure there weren't internal issues and bone issues as to why NOT to keep him alive, then he should have some quality of life for what WE as humans did to him..


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

It says this dog is deformed because it was raised in a hen cage (high and short). 

Cannot move its head because its vertebrate never developed.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Sprocket said:


> It says this dog is deformed because it was raised in a hen cage (high and short).
> 
> Cannot move its head because its vertebrate never developed.


So, who do you think did that to him, ghosts? HUMANS


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Yes, but the difference is, MOTHER NATURE didn't do this to the dog, my guess and I'm sure I'm correct is HUMANS did this and WE should be responsible for it...So, I'm sure like any rescue would have done, they did x-rays to make sure there weren't internal issues and bone issues as to why NOT to keep him alive, then he should have some quality of life for what WE as humans did to him..





whiteleo said:


> So, who do you think did that to him, ghosts? HUMANS


Now that I have read the story in english. It was done by humans. I understand that* NOW*. Didn't read that early because I don't understand that language.

Doesn't change how I feel.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Yes, but when you realize just how much crap people do that destroys dogs lives everyday and they have NO control over it, you will start to understand how I feel...


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Yes, but when you realize just how much crap people do that destroys dogs lives everyday and they have NO control over it, you will start to understand how I feel...


I am not sure what you mean by this.

I am fully aware of what dogs are subject to everyday. 

I do understand how you feel.

I just don't feel the same way.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

brandypup said:


> copy this
> la piccola Quasi in tutto il suo *ahem* splendore
> 
> Paste into google andd search. When the hits come up press the translate button it will reset to english.


even with the translations i can't understand it..the dog's name is almost???????????

as for euthanasia..i think a human child who is dform and suffring should be given the opportunity to elect if he chooses......dogs dont know that they look funny..but if the dog is suffering from heath issues euthanize* if they are severe*

the dog looks happy though....


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

believe it comes down to whether or not the Dog is in pain or sufferring in any way.

If he lives a fairly normal life.... and can enjoy himself and be loved....

I'm just not comfortable saying he doesn't deserve to live.

Just my opinion.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

Kudos to people who can put their time and love into this and others like this. Yes if pain free and happy great. But not all rescues or people have these resources as well and no one should be faulted for only doing what they have capabilities for. 

The real harm was the people who did this to him and then dumped him instead of properly re homing/rescuing or euthanasia him.


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

just a heads up - looking at the translation more closely (it is not very good), it looks like they initially thought the dog was like this because it was raised in a hen cage but after some research, they found that it was actually a genetic abnormality that they came across in an old book. in other words, this was not human neglect, the dog was born with a rare and deforming abnormality.

ETA: here is more information on it: Answers in Genesis Vindicated on Baboon Dogs - TalkRational


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

danecolor said:


> just a heads up - looking at the translation more closely (it is not very good), it looks like they initially thought the dog was like this because it was raised in a hen cage but after some research, they found that it was actually a genetic abnormality that they came across in an old book. in other words, this was not human neglect, the dog was born with a rare and deforming abnormality.
> 
> ETA: here is more information on it: Answers in Genesis Vindicated on Baboon Dogs - TalkRational



You are more patient than I. 

I could not make heads or tails of it.

Interesting that it's a genetic deformity.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

well, yes, we do euthanise people and babies, too...it's called snowing....but that's not the point here.

i think, from what i can sort of translate, the dog has a disorder....i just can't figure out what it is....

i don't think it's photoshopped....


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

magicre said:


> well, yes, we do euthanise people and babies, too...it's called snowing....but that's not the point here.
> 
> i think, from what i can sort of translate, the dog has a disorder....i just can't figure out what it is....
> 
> i don't think it's photoshopped....


Snowing?

Color me confused...


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## 3labs (Mar 27, 2012)

That poor baby!


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

Sprocket said:


> Snowing?
> 
> Color me confused...


When a patient is in the last days, and in terrible pain, up the morphine to the point death occurs before it would have naturally.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

BeagleCountry said:


> When a patient is in the last days, and in terrible pain, up the morphine to the point death occurs before it would have naturally.


in england, there is something called brompton's cocktail...



> The Brompton cocktail is named after the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, England, where it was invented in the late 1920s for patients with tuberculosis. While its use is rare in the 21st century, it is not unheard of. It was far more common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The original idea for an oral mixture of morphine and cocaine helping patients in agony with advanced disease is credited to surgeon Dr Herbert Snow in 1896.


there are, today, different drugs used and usually they are used in a hospice situation, but what beagle country is saying is also correct.

whether it is dilaudid or fentanyl or morphine, the shots or IV injections are given in in creasing doses with 'as necessary' doses given in between.

the client then slips into a light sleep, followed by a heavier sleep as the drugs make the body toxic and since they are dying anyway, the clients then slip into a coma and susequently die.

with babies, it's a little more subtle, in that the 'slow walk' to respond is used...codes are not called immediately....etc...

lest anyone gets upset or more upset than they may already be, these practises have been in place for quite a long time....especially when a DNR is in place or the parents of the child have been informed that nothing further can be done...


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

I have to comment... kind of off topic but kind of not.

Had a bad Gallstone attack on Thanksgiving Night in 2006. Went to the emergency room because I thought my stomach was going to explode.

They gave me Morphine. I still remember the nurse telling me I was going to feel something "warm" hit me.

WARM? I literally thought I was floating on the ceiling....and it was within about 10 seconds from the time she sent it thru the IV. I went from balled up in the fetal position to floating and pain free in less than a minute.

For anyone who hasn't had morphine... it makes Vicodin seem like childs aspirin. Frankly, it amazed me that man could invent such a thing. And it also scared me.

Sorry, just had to tell my story.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

kevin bradley said:


> I have to comment... kind of off topic but kind of not.
> 
> Had a bad Gallstone attack on Thanksgiving Night in 2006. Went to the emergency room because I thought my stomach was going to explode.
> 
> ...


and morphine is just one of many drugs that give you that floaty, heavenly, i'm out of pain feeling.

'course, my friends thought it would be a hoot to give me morphine when i broke my back years ago.....they thought a nice hefty dose would make me float. and it did for about 10 minutes.

throwing up for two days with a broken back is NOT fun. i spent that time planning revenge. locking one of them in a morgue drawer was satisfying to say the least. 

turns out i am very sensitive to drugs...and a cheap date. 

just thought i'd share.

and, back to the dog? if the dog is living a life that is satisfying and free of pain, fine. if not, then euthanasia would be a blessing.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Re, thankfully, I didn't get sick off the morphine 


I see so many sad examples of Dog ownership... I took a backway into work after lunch. Thru a somewhat depressed area of town... same old story...Dogs on Chains. Breaks me up every time.

I see this every day. Knowing this....knowing how many Dogs live these horribly neglected lives--if someone loves this Dog and he's not living life in pain--who am I to question his existence? Because he LOOKS funny? Seriously? 

Note--I'm just sounding off outloud. Not directed at anyone.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Sprocket said:


> We don't euthanize people.
> 
> People can convey that they are uncomfortable or in pain. A dog cannot clearly tell you that it hurts or needs help.


I would argue that dogs can convey it too. Bridget tells me when she doesn't like something. Disagrees with something. Is in pain. Seems like the dog is having a nice life where he is. I don't know for sure but it seems like he found some owners who are willing to take good care of the dog to keep him happy and give him a normal life. I would hate for it to be taking away if he is enjoying living it.

Why is words the only way of communication? I've always felt that if we could convey our emotions as well as dogs can we would have no need for words.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

brandypup said:


> copy this
> la piccola Quasi in tutto il suo *ahem* splendore
> 
> Paste into google andd search. When the hits come up press the translate button it will reset to english.


Yeah my computer did it for me....really cool (the translation that is...not the poor dog).


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> I would argue that dogs can convey it too. Bridget tells me when she doesn't like something. Disagrees with something. Is in pain. Seems like the dog is having a nice life where he is. I don't know for sure but it seems like he found some owners who are willing to take good care of the dog to keep him happy and give him a normal life. I would hate for it to be taking away if he is enjoying living it.
> 
> Why is words the only way of communication? I've always felt that if we could convey our emotions as well as dogs can we would have no need for words.


True. 

I wouldn't take the dog away from its kind owners. I would, however, have euthanized it at birth to increase the chances of a healthy dog living a full life.

Why is that so evil of me?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Sprocket said:


> True.
> 
> I wouldn't take the dog away from its kind owners. I would, however, have euthanized it at birth to increase the chances of a healthy dog living a full life.
> 
> Why is that so evil of me?


i don't think that's evil of you. it's what i would have done.

i believe that death is not always the enemy.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

kevin bradley said:


> Re, thankfully, I didn't get sick off the morphine
> 
> 
> I see so many sad examples of Dog ownership... I took a backway into work after lunch. Thru a somewhat depressed area of town... same old story...Dogs on Chains. Breaks me up every time.
> ...


i bet you had yourself a good ol' high 

that said....this is why we threaten our dogs with a trip to where dogs are used for bait...so they will appreciate what we do for them...

and all kidding aside....i don't know how to define 'quality of life', do you?

my malia is a stoic. she came home one day, rolled onto her belly and that's when we saw the torn leg to the tendon. she was half dead from rocky mountain spotted fever before she showed us she was sick.

sometimes love is not enough, kevin, sad to say....

i can see a dog with amputated limbs living a quality life, but this poor dog has such a limitation, such a deformity, he simply has to be in pain. there is no way he is not, considering the innervation of nerves and blood vessels at the spinal level.

i am not walking a mile in that dog's paws nor am i his owner....but i'd be thinking long and hard about 'quality'.....my definition...ya know?


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I think there's a difference between euthanizing at birth and euthanizing later in life. I might be inclined to euthanize at birth had that puppy been born in my house but if I were to come across him later in his life and he was happy and loved life then no, euthanasia would not be an option. 

Chances are that dog will die earlier than most only because I think he will begin to have issues as he gets older but I firmly believe in quality, not quantity.


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## CoverTune (Dec 20, 2011)

From the Facebook page:



> This is a message to all of the new foreign friends of our project who came here through one of the million FB pages posting a picture of our *superspecial* dog, Quasi. To let you know: Quasi was born this way, she has a very rare genetic condition called "short spine syndrome". She is NOT deformed because of being in a small cage (even though that was what we were told when we rescued her). She was abused when she was a stray dog, but at least she was NOT grown up in a cage. She is very healthy and she is also a blood donor. She can walk, run sit (everything in her own way) and she is very smart. I cannot write on ALL of the posts about her around the net, I should spend all of my spare time on the internet telling the same story all the times, and I rather prefer to spend it rescuing stray dogs. Thank you all


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

CoverTune said:


> From the Facebook page:


well, that kind of clears things up. 

but i would most likely have euthanised at birth. just sayin'.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

magicre said:


> well, that kind of clears things up.
> 
> but i would most likely have euthanised at birth. just sayin'.


But I think the point people are making against euthanasia is because they DIDN'T have this dog at birth. They rescued her just like Snorkels, Rebel, any of Donna's dogs, Deeken, etc. Her owners didn't have her when she was born. They have only ever seen this dog as she is now. Whether or not this dog should have been euthanized at birth is kind of a moot point because her current owners were not in her life when she was born.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Sprocket said:


> True.
> 
> I wouldn't take the dog away from its kind owners. I would, however, have euthanized it at birth to increase the chances of a healthy dog living a full life.
> 
> Why is that so evil of me?


Oh, I don't think your evil at all. I was just stating my own opinion. Your choice makes sense to.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

Well I didn't post this to start a right to die debate but I'm working on keeping that reputation as a troublemaker soooo...... :wink:
While I wholeheartedly agree no animal should be forced to live in misery it's like D&B's mom said, this dog wasn't born with his current owners and is apparently living as normal a life as possible. 
I fostered Fiona the little deformed Bulldog, who was not as bad as this dog, but clearly had a spinal issue and deformed back legs. She was as happy a little dog as you'd ever see and now has a wonderful home. 
Sometimes these issues aren't also apparent at birth. I had a litter of pups born here a couple of years ago, (mom was rescued from the pound of course) and at just under 4 weeks I realized something was wrong with one of the pup's legs. Her bones weren't fully formed where they should meet at the knee so her leg was floppy. At that point I already loved this little girl and knew she would manage fine with this disability but also knew I was running the risk that I wouldn't find an adopter that felt the same way. But, I did find a great home for her and I now dog sit her all the time and she has no problem getting around and is a happy well adjusted little beast. This is what she looked like at about the time I too her for her first x-ray. Could you put this sweet little baby to sleep? :nono:









Coming from the house of broken dogs, I can say with certainty, I prefer to have dogs with special needs over "perfect" dogs and am always willing to open my home to one. Or 5, or 8 or.....:twitch:


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

Am I the only one who doesn't think this dog is so horribly deformed? Yes, he looks very strange.I guess based on everyone's reaction I was expecting far worse. It's hard to say without seeing him move, but heck, he almost looks like a compact version of some of the show GSD's we board. I'm sure he will have horrible bone/joint issues at some point, but until then I am sure he is capable of loving life.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> But I think the point people are making against euthanasia is because they DIDN'T have this dog at birth. They rescued her just like Snorkels, Rebel, any of Donna's dogs, Deeken, etc. Her owners didn't have her when she was born. They have only ever seen this dog as she is now. Whether or not this dog should have been euthanized at birth is kind of a moot point because her current owners were not in her life when she was born.


i understand. had i not had this dog at birth, making sure she was not in pain and can function, which apparently she can....and looks aren't anything....as long as i felt she was not in pain, she'd have a great life. all of my dogs do.

and age is just a number. we rescued a 12 year old malti poo...and only had him a year, our demon max, because he had a brain tumour and yes, we went to university to have him scanned....even though we couldn't afford it...he was biting and demented and having seizures...we taught him how to play and feel safe, because somebody just dumped this 12 year old little dog who could do tricks....but once we got the diagnosis....we did not perform extraordinary measures. i still miss him. but i would have made the same decision....

i'm just saying that had i had this dog at birth, i would most likely have euthanised.

but i got the point....and i don't have a popular philosophy....many people will do whatever it takes to save a loved one, be it human or animal....i don't live in that belief. 

i have a DNR and i'm relatively young to have one. i would sooner rob my dog of a month of life than see him or her in one iota of excruciating pain...note the word excruciating. 

i don't believe for one moment, that that dog has no pain. sorry. the deformity is spinal...there are too many nerves and blood vessels to feed the spine....

i'm glad she has a good home....and i'm glad people love her....and that's all i have to say.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

magicre said:


> i understand. had i not had this dog at birth, making sure she was not in pain and can function, which apparently she can....and looks aren't anything....as long as i felt she was not in pain, she'd have a great life. all of my dogs do.
> 
> and age is just a number. we rescued a 12 year old malti poo...and only had him a year, our demon max, because he had a brain tumour and yes, we went to university to have him scanned....even though we couldn't afford it...he was biting and demented and having seizures...we taught him how to play and feel safe, because somebody just dumped this 12 year old little dog who could do tricks....but once we got the diagnosis....we did not perform extraordinary measures. i still miss him. but i would have made the same decision....
> 
> ...


What if that dog as a puppy, it wasn't noticeable what was wrong with him, just like the puppy that Donna posted..What then re? After 3 months you see some signs and then euthanize, maybe you could but I couldn't sorry!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

you're right, donna....

i will quantify the statement as 'not at birth' but as soon as i realised the problems this dog will face.

i have no doubt, robin, that this dog is loved and there are people in this world who will go to the ends of the earth to give the dog as normal a life as possible...

but i am a member of the right to die....for humans...and i have dominion over my animals...and i have the responsibility and honour to give them the best life i am able to give and also to give them an easy death when it's time.

it's horrific when we have to put animals down at a very young age....

but i think death is not always the enemy....the physiology of this dog.....tells me she is in discomfort and having a spinal problem myself....and not even to the extent this dog has, i wish sometimes someone would put me down, the pain can be horrific.

donna, yes, i could put that sweet baby to sleep and give her back to G'd.....where she will be pain free..

your key word to me.....is 'normal life as possible'.....to me, if the dog had been born without front or back legs, i could work with that and have seen a number of times....giving a dog as normal a life as possible.

but never would i want a dog to live in constant pain. never.

not all deformities hurt, donna....so it then becomes a moot point. of course, it's not the deformity, it's the pain that would decide something for me. 

i don't have a dog that is perfect....and have had special needs dogs...but not ones who live a life of pain daily. i can't do that. and won't.

werecatrising....no, i don't think the dog is ugly, but i do think the condition is very painful...it would have to be, unless the nerves were dead, or there was no blood supply. and i think this dog probably has issues now....painful ones. 

you're right, too, robin. i should qualify this statement as not euthanising at birth, but after a careful assessment once the problem came to light and i had researched the quality of life.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Do you not think that the dog had x-rays done and that a vet would of told them if it was best to put the dog down that the people just ignored him? I'm sure that wasn't the case...If, with all the facts in front of me, I thought my dogs were in pain I would chose to euthanize, but I don't see that here..We need more facts..I have a DNR also and chose my own destiny..But that is not the case when we talk about animals who can live fulfilled lives with less.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

This may be a really stupid question.... What is the veternary 'buisness' like there? We-being the usa- have so many advances it's astounding and also very expensive. We have clinics and low cost and funding options at times. I really have no clue what a vet would be like in another country. Probably the same education/advances and all? Do they have studies and clinical trials? I do not think there is FDA regulations there as so much stuff seems avialbe overseas that isn't here.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i can't answer that one, robin...i only know what i would do....and as soon as i noticed a problem or the vet did, i would do everything possible to learn what the deformity or disease was...and what the pain issues were and would be down the line. it's not as if i would just say, screw this dog.....put him down. 

you know me and research....pain is my button though. i cannot let a dog be in pain any more than i can let a human be in pain. 

i believe in euthanasia under those circumstances and i believe in doctor assisted suicide, too.....whether it's for human anguish mentally or physical anguish.....

dogs are my heart. they are my best friends...i will never ever let them suffer...and maybe my definition of suffering is different than yours..

brandypup...good question...i can't speak for other countries or other human ways of handling dogs. it's obvious this dog is loved or she'd be dead, wouldn't you think?


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

WEll, it's not for me to specifly judge this dog and their owners. However I can give opioions on the sitatuion. It appeared the dog was for adoption as well or I miss read one of the tabs. And not trying to judge the people or org that has the dog but like some big time orgs I know of could use something like this for their own adjenda and propraganda (SP). Only the dog and his people can say if the dog is happy, I am not in a position to do anything about it if it's not. 

I think it's amazing that a dog can live like that and wonder what internal xrays would show. He has a very cute face but he takes a bit of getting used to just becuase I have never seen anything like that before. (I stare at over slanted GSD in the same amazment)


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

Being in rescue I've had to make the "death is a better option" decision countless times. It never gets easier and I'm not always sure I'm making the right decision but I do the best I can with the info I have. 
I agree 100% with you Re, there are many things worse than death and I've seen a lot of them. And, it's a decision that has to be made case by case. The sweet pup in the picture likely has no pain from her bone deformity because the bones don't meet at all so aren't grinding against each other. I was advised against amputating because there was no reason to remove it and she uses it for balance. Here's a video I shot of her playing with Nat a few weeks ago. I can't imagine not giving her a chance. Clearly the leg is not a problem for this little speed demon!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

donna...you did precisely what i'm ineptly trying to say. you did your due diligence, and based on the information you were given, the information you discovered and your own gut instinct, this dog is alive.

if, however, the bones did grind and there was nerve pain...perhaps a different decision would have been made.

i can't say really...anything about the dog we've seen here....except that i would be looking things up, going to specialists and the only way i would keep that dog alive is to know she is not in pain. that is my criteria.

there are lots of things i will do for a dog......and if bubba does go blind, i will be his eyes...as it is, he lost vision....if he goes deaf....i will be his ears.

as malia ages, she's going to do things i'm not going to like....as long as she is not in horrid pain...not just discomfort, but pain...exquisite pain...she will remain with us....

otherwise, i can only do what my conscience, my training and my heart tell me to do...and that is to let her go....it's coming...and we try to keep her comfortable and i know she's not even thirteen...but it's been a hard thirteen for her....maybe raw will help...maybe the joint support we give her will help..maybe all the time and effort we spend will help..

but in the end, age will get her....and i will not let a dog suffer no matter how old or young.

love your demon, btw.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

i just don't know how to tell when a dog is pain to the point their quality of life is so poor it's cruel to keep them alive. They try so hard to hide it. 

We made the decision on our last dog when he had lost all use of his rear legs. For a few months, we helped him along with straps and built him a ramp and did what we could to make it easier for him, but when he was laying there dragging himself along on two legs, and the vet says he would never get better and there was nothing else to do medically or surgically - did we make the right decision to put him down? He seemed so unhappy and miserable yet the vet said he wasn't in pain.

I'll never know. Maybe it was the right decision or maybe not. We just do the best we can with what he have to work with at the time. I thought my dog deserved some dignity at the end, not laying on a pad in a diaper for weeks or months.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

And Re, I totally know where you are coming from. 

For one thing, I think Snorkels deserves alot of good years because she had so many bad ones. But time is against us. I am afraid that because of that maybe I'll not be willing to give up on her. 

I hope when the time comes I know it's the right time, and not make her suffer because I'm being selfish.

I'm not sure I've done right by ANY of the dogs I've made that choice for. I've had alot of dogs die peacefully in their sleep. I wish they could all be that way.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

xellil said:


> And Re, I totally know where you are coming from.
> 
> For one thing, I think Snorkels deserves alot of good years because she had so many bad ones. But time is against us. I am afraid that because of that maybe I'll not be willing to give up on her.
> 
> ...


i would hope that all dogs die in their sleep at just the right moment at the end of a long, happy life after a big meal of whatever their favourite food was....at the ripe old age of forever...still bouncing along.

that has happened for me zero times.

even though we have a vet who comes to the house to decrease the stress....for the dog...certainly not for us....i have never had that 'easy death'.....it's always the needle. 

and i hate it.

i so hate it.

but i can't stand seeing that look in their eyes, either...and time is always against us. 

it doesn't matter if it's a ten week old puppy drowning or a 19 year old dog whose time has come, i hate it.

but it's my job...and when it's time for snorkels, if you want, i shall fly to texas and be there with you....because no one should ever go through this part of life alone....

i think we can tell...maybe not right away, but there's a dullness to their look, a certain grey about them....g'd, that i even know this....it's a decrease in life force.....

for me, usually, they stop eating....they lay down in the middle of what was once an enjoyable walk....they look so thin and their coats don't look right...

something is off....

i had to learn this with malia, the stoic.....whilst my other dogs would let out whimpers....this dog whines from the day we found her through today and it means, feed me, pet me, please let me on the couch, i'm so pitiful....everything but i'm in agony, mommy because some nasty dog tore my leg open....

i don't have the right answers.....for this dog or for any other..

i think you did the right thing...quality is as important as quantity....


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## HappyPuppy (Sep 26, 2011)

That is sad... there is a female pit bull in America named Cuda that appears to have the same condition but they are blaming it on inbreeding.... Lots of controversy here too about not euthanizing - CUDA THE DEFORMED PIT BULL - YouTube


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

It sure does look like the same thing. 
There really doesn't need to be controversy though. If the people are doing what they can with what they have and the animal is happy and pain free and they are not using it for an adgenda then so be it and kudos. 

Cuda looks like a bosten pit.. :/


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

So, what did we just learn from seeing Cuda? It looked to me like her x-rays were normal, or I'm no vet and my eyes, well lets just say I need them checked...I can see far and away just great..LOL So, does that mean, just maybe the dog this thread was started about might not have an issue with bone deformity?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i don't see the controversy.

we all have our belief systems. we all have our own definitions and capacities for dealing with 'special needs' children, adults, dogs, cats, etc...

and we can all agree to disagree....i know this is a hot topic....the life/death thing....


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