i need some advice.

Just got back fromt eh emergency vets, my girl approx  nine has  a prolapsed bowel.

Ive been given the option of surgury, which I jumped at till the gave me the risks,

besides the usual infections ect she may never be able to have ful use of her bowel and will constantly mess herself is this happens. she currently has the `runs`and when she was walking it was litterally squriting out of her. shes uncomfortable but I dont think shes in pain.she dont want to

I have the option leave her as she is and ise nappies, surgury or putting her down.

I dont knwo what to do for the best, I love her and I dont want to see her go through something and undignifying as that,

What would you do Please help me I fdont know where else to turn

I'm sorry i can't help or advise you. I don't have a clue about this sort of thing. I'm pretty sure someone with much more knowledge will be along soon.
Thinking of you both!

For me having her live in nappies would never be an option.  I think I would want to know more about the probabilities of success with an operation but generally I would be reluctant to do any major surgery that is likely to cause a lot of pain or a prolonged recovery period. 
Sorry :(,  I know it very easy for me to say and so very much harder to actually make the decision but I am guessing it is the more detached opinion of someone not personally involved that you are really seeking. 

You dont say if your insured? Personally i would go for the op, that way if it works she will have a good few more years, when women have a prolapse, surgery usually works.My bullmastiff had incontinence problems and a unoperable  heart condition and couldnt go through surgery she was only 4 she lost 5 stone and  was depressed if she could have had the op i would have gave her that chance but as she had no life to speak of so i let her go.I know i did the right thing now but at the time i was distraught and doubted myself that i had done the right thing she was my friend .Go for the op if it doesnt work you have gave her that one chance to be a normal dog again and if it does brilliant :)

> when women have a prolapse

The type of prolapse you are thinking of does not involve surgery to the bowel and therefore does not carry the same risks.

The insurance wont cover the prolapsed bowel because the vets advising againts it - money is NOT a priority here, If I had to sell everything i own to make sure she had every chance possible I would. Please dont bring money into it....

I am asking what people would do if she were yours, For me its like having someone tell you you have to turn the life support off of a very close loved one... Theres always the hope there but theres always a chance of prolonging pain and also is it what they would do>

Only difference here is I have no idea what my dog wants or would even consider.

Yes a detached opinion is what I want. i know the ultimate choice must be mine but I dont want to do wrong by her, its a catch twenty two for me I dont know what I should do for her sake,

> because the vets advising againts it -

Then I think the answer has already been given to you and you are now just struggling with the anticipated loss.  You know she won't be happy in nappies nor will she suffer if you let her go peacefully. 

If it were my dog I would have to consider the quality of life she would have and that would be the consideration that took precedent over all others. If my vet advised against having surgery then my decision would be to let her slip away with peace and dignity. It is never an easy decision to make but it is the one I would take if it were one of my dogs.

I lost my husband to a very cruel terminal illness and in the last few months of his life if we had been allowed the opportunity to allow him to slip away with peace and dignity then that is what we would have done. Where my dogs are concerned I do have the ability to make that decision and I will always make the choice of quality of life over quantity.

It is never easy but, for me, the decision to let her go would be made if she no longer had a good quality of life and having to wear nappies for the rest of her life would not be a choice I would make for her.

Wishing you peace and courage through a difficult time.

because the vets advising againts it

Do you have a good relationship with your vet? Would you consider a 2nd opinion perhaps?
What has her quality of life been like prior to this happening?
What breed of dog is she?

Not this vet my vets closed until Monday Morning, this is an emergency vet that covers a large area. If I had another vet on hand i would have taken her right away but there isnt another vet open now till monday

She was an active little dog loved running walking playing especailly for her age, she loved being up on the furniture having cuddles, she is a toy breed.

I am not liking the way she is tonight she cant understand why she cant come up on the settee, or get on the bed.

her muscles are not contracting the way theyshould be, the vet litterally just pushed the most back in and said its all he can do unless he takes out the damage part basically if the muscles were contracting then he would advise it but for some  unknown reason they arnt.

If it were me , I'd keep her comfortable tonight and  tomorrow and take her to your usual vet on Monday morning. If they say they think there is a chance she will recover then I'd give her a chance. That is if she is a breed that live a lot over this age . I have a breed that wouldn't see 9 , one of mine just had her second cancer op this year but I gave her another chance and she recovered remarkably well , I was surprised .
I do hope your girl will be okay , and am thinking of you at this really hard time ( I know how it feels ) your head will be bursting .

How is her health in general and what is the average life expectancy for her breed?

I think if it were me and the option was surgery or PTS, if she was healthy in every other way and not reaching the end of her life expectancy then I would give surgery a go. If I didn't I would always wonder whether she could have recovered and lived on for a number of years. At worse if the surgery is not successful, then the decision will be out of your hands. You know your little girl better than anyone else, is she ready to give up or is she still fighting. It is such an awful position for you to be in, but I am sure whatever you do will be what you feel is right.

I know this is different, but I had a rabbit that got in a fight with another buck and ended up with a prolapsed bowel. He was fine after a couple of weeks of keeping him separate from the others and keeping a watch on him. I'd try surgery if you can, assuming that she is otherwise in good health for her age.  Surely your vet isn't recommending that you just keep her in diapers? That sounds like a miserable choice.

I know everyone will have differing opinions regarding what is reasonable to put a dog through but it concerns me that some have compared this to other operations and in have maybe not quite appreciated that bowel surgery carries particular risks due to the "dirty" nature of the anatomy and therefore presents many problems in avoiding infection and post operative care not to mention the insistant need to get this organ working again in a very short time which, of course, can be extremely painful.
In humans this will often be managed by the use of a short term stoma (an opening through the abdomen to empty the bowel) but clearly this is not an option for a dog so she will have no choice but to pass motions through where ever the surgery has been performed. 
I do think it is a good idea to talk this over with your own vet though.

> Surely your vet isn't recommending that you just keep her in diapers? That sounds like a miserable choice.

That was not the only choice the vet offered.  I would think they were just explaining what would happen if she was just left to carry on.

I'm so sorry you are having to face this tough decision. I will always try to put quality of life over my own feelings for my dogs, this means I will not put them through major surgery if I am not absolutely sure that they will recover quickly and regain their usual high quality of life. It's an advantage that dogs have over humans that we can save them pain and suffering and simply hold them and talk to them while they slip away.

I understand that others will do everything they can to keep their beloved dog alive, and genuinely think they are doing the best for their dogs - each to their own. I think though, like Harley, when you have watched a human that you love go through a long terminal illness you appreciate the quick painfree alternative we can offer our pets. It's never easy for us, but imo it's by far the kindest thing to do for our pets.

I agree with chaumsong.  Sometimes we have to take away their pain, and make it our own.  I always say that you have to "love them enough."

I really, really feel for you.  Life is so hard when you love your dogs so much.

Be strong.

Any news, did you see your vet today.
My heart goes out to you and your dear doggie.

my eldest has jus been diagnosed with this allthough we are in the reverse ,,he cant go the large colon at the top of bowel has burst and is forming a pocket either side so everything goes into the pocket as opposed to the bowl, vet hasnt done that many ops of this kind and said was extremley risky and complicated and not a very good success rate, so we went for change of diet and some meds to keep him going so to speak, the only thing we have to watch for is infection , if it gets so bad we will rethink but dont think it would be the op hope you get it sorted xx