Help needed - my dog can't get up - **Update - success!**

[Sootikin]

No, it's not.  This is a member of a family who cannot speak in the way that the rest of the family can understand.  If a pet cannot get up by themselves, then I do think the rest of the family should be trying to get the dog up to get to the vet. 

There were several responses so I'll just quote yours for convenience. I'm fascinated that people on an etiquette board think that saying "I sure as hell hope you're [anything]" is OK. The tone is hostile and the overall post implies that the OP doesn't have enough sense to care for her dog appropriately when she had already stated that the dog's neuropathy is a known issue.

There are other ways to express concern, such as, "If this incident represents a sudden change in your dog's behavior, you might want to consider taking him to the vet as soon as you can."

Blunt isn't necessarily rude or hostile.  Not everyone sees 'hell' as an expletive. 

[Yvaine]

No, it's not.  This is a member of a family who cannot speak in the way that the rest of the family can understand.  If a pet cannot get up by themselves, then I do think the rest of the family should be trying to get the dog up to get to the vet. 

There were several responses so I'll just quote yours for convenience. I'm fascinated that people on an etiquette board think that saying "I sure as hell hope you're [anything]" is OK. The tone is hostile and the overall post implies that the OP doesn't have enough sense to care for her dog appropriately when she had already stated that the dog's neuropathy is a known issue.

There are other ways to express concern, such as, "If this incident represents a sudden change in your dog's behavior, you might want to consider taking him to the vet as soon as you can."

Blunt isn't necessarily rude or hostile.  Not everyone sees 'hell' as an expletive.

Especially not on a site with this name! 

[cass2591]

I knew I should have used heck instead of hell but I ignored my gut.

[Yvaine]

It doesn't bother me, Cass--while the phrase is overused, this strikes me as an actual "safety trumps etiquette" case where the most important thing is to convey that this could be an emergency, and the niceties are less important.

[bansidhe]

Blunt isn't necessarily rude or hostile.  Not everyone sees 'hell' as an expletive.

Not to beat the topic to death, but I just thought of something. I cuss like a sailor (but know my audience) and don't consider "hell" even a mild expletive, so that's not the issue.

I think I see the disconnect here. I have seen the situation the OP described with her dog dozens and dozens of times during my years as a veterinary assistant, with friends' dogs, and now with one of my own dogs. It is, unfortunately, rather common in older dogs. That, along with the absence of any other symptoms described by the OP and the fact that she is aware of the neuropathy and wasn't surprised by the dog's behavior, pretty clearly indicated to me that there was no emergency going on. In fact, it didn't even cross my mind that it was an emergency situation.

For someone who hasn't encountered this sort of thing, however, I can see where it probably sounded pretty alarming.

[MerryCat]

I have to admit that it sounded pretty alarming to me too. But given that the OP stated that it was a known issue, it seemed best to accept that OP and her vet knew what they were about. If she tells us that the underlying  medical issue is under control but she needs help moving her dog, then I think that is the issue we should focus on.

OP I'm glad that treats were able to get your boy up and moving. Is there some way you can cordon off the slippery areas until he figures out rugs?

I remember when my DH's late Buta cat got older he had trouble getting up to walk too, especially on slippery surfaces. Sometimes, when he went down, he was really frantic to get away but he didn't want us to touch him. The frustration of not being able to get back up made him lash out aggressively at us. In the end DH was forced to close off parts of the house to minimze the traumatic episodes. To make up for it we all spoiled him with extra treats, loves, toys and scritches those last few months.

[Sootikin]

Blunt isn't necessarily rude or hostile.  Not everyone sees 'hell' as an expletive.

Not to beat the topic to death, but I just thought of something. I cuss like a sailor (but know my audience) and don't consider "hell" even a mild expletive, so that's not the issue.

I think I see the disconnect here. I have seen the situation the OP described with her dog dozens and dozens of times during my years as a veterinary assistant, with friends' dogs, and now with one of my own dogs. It is, unfortunately, rather common in older dogs. That, along with the absence of any other symptoms described by the OP and the fact that she is aware of the neuropathy and wasn't surprised by the dog's behavior, pretty clearly indicated to me that there was no emergency going on. In fact, it didn't even cross my mind that it was an emergency situation.

For someone who hasn't encountered this sort of thing, however, I can see where it probably sounded pretty alarming.

Don't you think you should be apologising to Cass rather than explaining your disconnect to me?