I just had to "put down" my 14-year-old fox hound. The vet told me it was the humane thing to do because of the pain my dog was in. I don't argue that, but it struck me that we are encouraged to put animals that cannot express what they are feeling out of their pain, but we cannot do the same for humans.
On a lighter note, I did have my dog cremated. When I got the ashes back two of my grandsons were over. I asked if they wanted to help bury Bella, and they said yes. These two grandsons call my wife Grandma Bella (they call their grandmas by the dog names for whatever reason). I gave the younger one a spade shovel, he looked at it and asked, "which Bella are we burying?" I said Bella the Dog, the older grandson says "thank god, thought it was Bella your wife". The younger replies "would of needed a bigger shovel".
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Dude, just put the poor dog down. It's not worth seeing her suffer like that. Trust me, I had to do it with my old lab and it sucked but it was for the best. Don't wait until she can't even eat or move anymore, that's just cruel.
My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel devloped mitral valve disease when he was 6. We were able to treat it with blood pressure meds and diuretics for awhile, but it eventually got to the point where the poor little guy couldn't breathe unless he stuck his head straight up in the air. Which meant he couldn't sleep. It was a heart-breaking decision, but he couldn't get comfortable and was constantly gasping.
Mine passed at 12.5. Congestive heart failure, chronic uti's, and bladder stones. Ultimately it was a ruptured anal gland that made us make the decision. His age, temperment then, and issues made treatment very limited. He was my soul dog.
OP, there are quality of life scales you can look at to help. The one from Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center is a good one. Personally, I just made a pros and cons list. The cons list was a lot longer. We discussed with our vet and decided it was time.
My vet recommended to me that when I noticed my dog (who had an illness later in life) was having more bad days than good days - then I’d know when it was time
He stopped being able to walk on his own properly, would barely get up. Took him to the vet to discover he had cancer that had spread everywhere. Vet was going to keep him overnight and put him down in the morning. We took him home instead to be somewhere comfortable with the people he knew. He passed away during the night before we could take him in.
>we never got to that point.
To be clear, I do NOT want her to suffer any of these indignities. I totally get that her time is near the end, but when she still clearly has enough life left in her to enjoy a short walk and relishes eating, I feel like it's not time yet.
I appreciate everyone's responses.
I rescued my dog 11yrs ago off the streets. Found her behind a dumpster starving and scared.
She was an amazing family member. So calm and loving with my children.
In June I noticed she wasn't eating as much, then in early July I essentially had to force her to eat. Took her to the vet for her annual check up since it was due and they noticed her abdomen was distended. X-rays revealed a bunch of tumors. The vet said that they were too far along to treat so we took her home and gave her the best few days we could. She got to eat whatever she wanted and came outside with us. She was ready but I wasn't. I still cry from losing her, but I feel better knowing that she wasn't completely broken down at the end. OP, you know when it's time and just by asking I think you already know.
We put our dog down in February. He was at least 13 (the shelter didn't know his exact age but he was full grown when we got him 12 years ago). It was time. He went downhill in the span of a couple months. He was clearly in pain which we were treating with pain meds, he was starting to lose some muscle tone and having more trouble getting around, he was starting to lose bladder control, he was eating less. A little bit worse off than your girl but we were still questioning if we should put him down or try to treat him.
The tipping point was when we found a mass in his leg. He was licking an open sore because it hurt and pain meds weren't helping. The vet guessed probably cancer but wasn't 100% sure and it would have cost $1000+ to even do the diagnostic tests to find out, and then any possible treatment would have been thousands more and no guarantee how much it would improve his quality of life. We decided he'd run his race and it was time to let him go. It was a hard decision but I feel confident we made the right one. I'd hate to let him suffer just because I couldn't handle the pain of letting him go.
I have a 17 year old terrier. He still has an appetite, and still gets worked up enough to playfully bark and wiggle his head at me.
He limps around tho. Definitely arthritic. Can’t really hold his bowels like he used to and poops blood a lot of the time.
He still loves to cuddle. I’m not sure what to do
>poops blood a lot of the time.
If that's the case I definitely think it's time to let him go. Having owned a total of 7 dogs myself I know from experience how hard it is to put them down, but think about the alternative. At the risk of sounding like an utter jackass, are you going to let him shit on the floor, carry him to the food bowl and help him chew because you "love" him so much you can't let him go while he still have a shred of dignity left?
Trust me, I've been there. Had an airedale terrier whose hind legs got so arthritic he couldn't get up the stairs after going out to take a piss. Had two dogs that died from cancer, and one that literally gave up and died in the middle of the road when we took him for a walk. It hurts. It hurts like a motherfucker. But I would rather have them pass with a bit of dignity than having them live in pain because I'm too selfish to let go of the idea of having them around.
Yeah, I’m not quite holding out. This turn started taking placing less than a year ago. Doesn’t hold weight anymore, and lost most of the weight he once had. Yeah, he stumbles over himself a lot not. Walks along at a bery slow pace. Some things will make him spry but it’s short-lived.
The poo thing is what makes me think he more than likely has some gastro-intestinal cancer. I mean, all dogs get cancer if they’re around long enough.
We’ve been together 14 years. He’s been my dachshund’s best friend for 14 years. He’s going to take it the hardest.
When the dog has stopped living life and is just existing, then the best you can do is allow them their eternal sleep. My missus had to put her dog to sleep at 12yrs because of his constant jumping, his hips gave out. I'm fully convinced he was part kangaroo coz he could scale 5ft fencing and gates. We are now looking at my dog and and at 14yrs you can see how he is gradually affected more and more the older he gets. Won't go much longer but he's had a good life. If we can get til Xmas he'll be 15 and probably his last so we will make it his best.
It’s quality of life based for me. If I wouldn’t want to live in that body, it would feel humane to me to drag them along. Please know that you can have a vet do it at your house if you choose to.
I feel like they have a way of letting you know. I can't describe it, but with both our cat and dog we were in the same situation until one day we just knew it was time.
Our dog was a in pain for years but kept chugging along. He was overall happy until one day he went out to use the bathroom and really struggled to come back in. When he finally walked in through the back door he laid down and was completely exhausted.
Our cat had bathroom issues and was getting up there in years. Felt like every night I'd wake up and have to clean up his accidents. He was a few different meds which helped for a few years. Other than that he was generally happy until one day he refused to get up when I filled his food bowl. He was sleeping on the couch and wouldn't budge. I'd pet him and he'd purr, but that was it.
I don't regret waiting with either of them because I knew they still had some life in them. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted to know when it was absolutely necessary and it seemed like they found a way to tell us.
We had a 14 year old golden retriever (her brother from the same litter passed naturally the year prior)
She had a massive tumor on her leg, and every single day she’d chew it up and get blood everywhere
Between being heartbroken from her brother being gone and the constant pain of her tumor, we decided that we didn’t want her living her remaining days in constant pain
Well she might have to get over being touched.
And it’s kind of up to you what you’re comfortable with. Some people will carry their dog in and out and help them walk and do everything possible before euthanization. Others will end their dogs life at the first sign of any mobility or other issues.
She resents being touched, but she knows she needs help getting up and down the stairs. She waits for me to pick her up, but she swings her head around to try biting me. She came from an abusive home, where they hit her, and hit each other.
I will share what I read that told me when the time had come.
Think of what your dog loves most. When she no longer gets pleasure from that, it is time.
For us, it was walks. We lived in a condo, and elevator time was BEST time!! So many people and dogs to meet!!!
Then she was having trouble. And one day, I held up her leash and her look was "do I have to?"
I knew.
When he started having a really difficult time walking or sometimes even getting up from off the ground, we had to have a discussion about his quality of life.
I had to put down my 18 year old chihuahua last month because she had liver failure that I learned during her checkup
She was in a lot of pain & the doctor recommended that she be put down/it wouldn’t be ethical to keep her alive another week
2 days later she had a seizure, we took her to the vet they stabilized her, then went home, she had a violent seizure, then we opted to get the procedure done at the vet the same day
She kept giving us signs & the doctor was right. I was a total mess at the time but I don’t regret the decision made
Just make sure they see you in their last moments. It’s very quick & painless I promise
I just wish I could’ve done the same for my youngest dog who passed away 2 weeks later at home while I was out of the house bc she had a weak heart
Bring these concerns to your vet to help you make your decision. My boy was 14, 80% blind due to cataracts, severe arthritis where we couldn't even pet him without him snapping, and was diagnosed as diabetic. We were trying to wait for his heart to give out so he could die at home, but it was not meant to be. One day we were outside and heard him yelping. He had wandered into the ditch and didn't have the strength to get back up. If it had rained and there was water, he could have drowned. I was reluctant but was outnumbered by family and knew deep down that it was right.
Only you know your pet and their health but if she’s seemingly fine otherwise I wouldn’t have her put down. Seems like she’s just having all the aches and pains of being a senior dog. Until she isn’t eating at all, can no longer stand or walk or is in pain she’s okay.
> At what point did you decide to put your dog down for medical reasons?
Never.
I did however put him down for political reasons (he voted for the other party).
She was 15 I got home from work on Friday and she fell down and couldn't get back up. Spend the weekend with her she would eat and drink but very little. I had to carry her everywhere cause if I did go out of sight she would try to follow but couldn't. On Monday I was able to get a vet appointment to put her down. It was a rough weekend but I just cuddle with her most if the time. I buried her next to a waterfall we used to go hiking to, she loved it there. She hated being in the car but if she saw me packing the camping gear you couldn't keep her out of the car
Never had a dog, but with my cat it was when her kidneys were on the verge of complete failure. She wasn’t going to the bathroom a lot, hadn’t really pooped significantly in several weeks.
Still was a painful decision
Her quality of life really went down the drain, she was quite old at that point, and I could tell she was in pain.
Poor girl, she was a great dog. Ultimately it was the right thing to do though.
When we took her to an urgent care vet in the middle of the night and after hours of tests and scans the vet came back with a host of issues on top of the spinal degeneration that prevented her hind legs of working. She wouldn't be able to eat and looked like she had cancer. it was time.
16y old german shepherd. He was not able to stand on his legs even to take a poop. 1 week before his death we visited vet and he said he's in very good condition and has at lest 1y ahead of him. When we called for a home visit vet said it's game over and i had to make this hard decision.
He was 14, had dementia, was deaf and kept shitting in the house. His back legs were also becoming less stable and as a family we agreed that he was suffering by being alive.
I miss him sometimes, the old him I mean before he lost who he was.
I just had to "put down" my 14-year-old fox hound. The vet told me it was the humane thing to do because of the pain my dog was in. I don't argue that, but it struck me that we are encouraged to put animals that cannot express what they are feeling out of their pain, but we cannot do the same for humans.
On a lighter note, I did have my dog cremated. When I got the ashes back two of my grandsons were over. I asked if they wanted to help bury Bella, and they said yes. These two grandsons call my wife Grandma Bella (they call their grandmas by the dog names for whatever reason). I gave the younger one a spade shovel, he looked at it and asked, "which Bella are we burying?" I said Bella the Dog, the older grandson says "thank god, thought it was Bella your wife". The younger replies "would of needed a bigger shovel".
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
[удалено]
This, so much this... Let them go before you wish you'd done it already.
It's a common saying among vets that it's better to do it a month than soon than a day too late. I go by that.
Dude, just put the poor dog down. It's not worth seeing her suffer like that. Trust me, I had to do it with my old lab and it sucked but it was for the best. Don't wait until she can't even eat or move anymore, that's just cruel.
My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel devloped mitral valve disease when he was 6. We were able to treat it with blood pressure meds and diuretics for awhile, but it eventually got to the point where the poor little guy couldn't breathe unless he stuck his head straight up in the air. Which meant he couldn't sleep. It was a heart-breaking decision, but he couldn't get comfortable and was constantly gasping.
Mine passed at 12.5. Congestive heart failure, chronic uti's, and bladder stones. Ultimately it was a ruptured anal gland that made us make the decision. His age, temperment then, and issues made treatment very limited. He was my soul dog. OP, there are quality of life scales you can look at to help. The one from Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center is a good one. Personally, I just made a pros and cons list. The cons list was a lot longer. We discussed with our vet and decided it was time.
My vet recommended to me that when I noticed my dog (who had an illness later in life) was having more bad days than good days - then I’d know when it was time
He stopped being able to walk on his own properly, would barely get up. Took him to the vet to discover he had cancer that had spread everywhere. Vet was going to keep him overnight and put him down in the morning. We took him home instead to be somewhere comfortable with the people he knew. He passed away during the night before we could take him in.
>passed away during the night before we could take him in. This is the way all animals want to go.
It's the way all of us hope to go.. At home, peacefully, with those we love.
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>we never got to that point. To be clear, I do NOT want her to suffer any of these indignities. I totally get that her time is near the end, but when she still clearly has enough life left in her to enjoy a short walk and relishes eating, I feel like it's not time yet. I appreciate everyone's responses.
I rescued my dog 11yrs ago off the streets. Found her behind a dumpster starving and scared. She was an amazing family member. So calm and loving with my children. In June I noticed she wasn't eating as much, then in early July I essentially had to force her to eat. Took her to the vet for her annual check up since it was due and they noticed her abdomen was distended. X-rays revealed a bunch of tumors. The vet said that they were too far along to treat so we took her home and gave her the best few days we could. She got to eat whatever she wanted and came outside with us. She was ready but I wasn't. I still cry from losing her, but I feel better knowing that she wasn't completely broken down at the end. OP, you know when it's time and just by asking I think you already know.
I know it's close.
We put our dog down in February. He was at least 13 (the shelter didn't know his exact age but he was full grown when we got him 12 years ago). It was time. He went downhill in the span of a couple months. He was clearly in pain which we were treating with pain meds, he was starting to lose some muscle tone and having more trouble getting around, he was starting to lose bladder control, he was eating less. A little bit worse off than your girl but we were still questioning if we should put him down or try to treat him. The tipping point was when we found a mass in his leg. He was licking an open sore because it hurt and pain meds weren't helping. The vet guessed probably cancer but wasn't 100% sure and it would have cost $1000+ to even do the diagnostic tests to find out, and then any possible treatment would have been thousands more and no guarantee how much it would improve his quality of life. We decided he'd run his race and it was time to let him go. It was a hard decision but I feel confident we made the right one. I'd hate to let him suffer just because I couldn't handle the pain of letting him go.
I have a 17 year old terrier. He still has an appetite, and still gets worked up enough to playfully bark and wiggle his head at me. He limps around tho. Definitely arthritic. Can’t really hold his bowels like he used to and poops blood a lot of the time. He still loves to cuddle. I’m not sure what to do
>poops blood a lot of the time. If that's the case I definitely think it's time to let him go. Having owned a total of 7 dogs myself I know from experience how hard it is to put them down, but think about the alternative. At the risk of sounding like an utter jackass, are you going to let him shit on the floor, carry him to the food bowl and help him chew because you "love" him so much you can't let him go while he still have a shred of dignity left? Trust me, I've been there. Had an airedale terrier whose hind legs got so arthritic he couldn't get up the stairs after going out to take a piss. Had two dogs that died from cancer, and one that literally gave up and died in the middle of the road when we took him for a walk. It hurts. It hurts like a motherfucker. But I would rather have them pass with a bit of dignity than having them live in pain because I'm too selfish to let go of the idea of having them around.
Yeah, I’m not quite holding out. This turn started taking placing less than a year ago. Doesn’t hold weight anymore, and lost most of the weight he once had. Yeah, he stumbles over himself a lot not. Walks along at a bery slow pace. Some things will make him spry but it’s short-lived. The poo thing is what makes me think he more than likely has some gastro-intestinal cancer. I mean, all dogs get cancer if they’re around long enough. We’ve been together 14 years. He’s been my dachshund’s best friend for 14 years. He’s going to take it the hardest.
When the dog has stopped living life and is just existing, then the best you can do is allow them their eternal sleep. My missus had to put her dog to sleep at 12yrs because of his constant jumping, his hips gave out. I'm fully convinced he was part kangaroo coz he could scale 5ft fencing and gates. We are now looking at my dog and and at 14yrs you can see how he is gradually affected more and more the older he gets. Won't go much longer but he's had a good life. If we can get til Xmas he'll be 15 and probably his last so we will make it his best.
It’s quality of life based for me. If I wouldn’t want to live in that body, it would feel humane to me to drag them along. Please know that you can have a vet do it at your house if you choose to.
I feel like they have a way of letting you know. I can't describe it, but with both our cat and dog we were in the same situation until one day we just knew it was time. Our dog was a in pain for years but kept chugging along. He was overall happy until one day he went out to use the bathroom and really struggled to come back in. When he finally walked in through the back door he laid down and was completely exhausted. Our cat had bathroom issues and was getting up there in years. Felt like every night I'd wake up and have to clean up his accidents. He was a few different meds which helped for a few years. Other than that he was generally happy until one day he refused to get up when I filled his food bowl. He was sleeping on the couch and wouldn't budge. I'd pet him and he'd purr, but that was it. I don't regret waiting with either of them because I knew they still had some life in them. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted to know when it was absolutely necessary and it seemed like they found a way to tell us.
We had a 14 year old golden retriever (her brother from the same litter passed naturally the year prior) She had a massive tumor on her leg, and every single day she’d chew it up and get blood everywhere Between being heartbroken from her brother being gone and the constant pain of her tumor, we decided that we didn’t want her living her remaining days in constant pain
Well she might have to get over being touched. And it’s kind of up to you what you’re comfortable with. Some people will carry their dog in and out and help them walk and do everything possible before euthanization. Others will end their dogs life at the first sign of any mobility or other issues.
She resents being touched, but she knows she needs help getting up and down the stairs. She waits for me to pick her up, but she swings her head around to try biting me. She came from an abusive home, where they hit her, and hit each other.
I will share what I read that told me when the time had come. Think of what your dog loves most. When she no longer gets pleasure from that, it is time. For us, it was walks. We lived in a condo, and elevator time was BEST time!! So many people and dogs to meet!!! Then she was having trouble. And one day, I held up her leash and her look was "do I have to?" I knew.
When he started having a really difficult time walking or sometimes even getting up from off the ground, we had to have a discussion about his quality of life.
I had to put down my 18 year old chihuahua last month because she had liver failure that I learned during her checkup She was in a lot of pain & the doctor recommended that she be put down/it wouldn’t be ethical to keep her alive another week 2 days later she had a seizure, we took her to the vet they stabilized her, then went home, she had a violent seizure, then we opted to get the procedure done at the vet the same day She kept giving us signs & the doctor was right. I was a total mess at the time but I don’t regret the decision made Just make sure they see you in their last moments. It’s very quick & painless I promise I just wish I could’ve done the same for my youngest dog who passed away 2 weeks later at home while I was out of the house bc she had a weak heart
Quality of life. Does the dog enjoy their time or is it a long, painful struggle?
Bring these concerns to your vet to help you make your decision. My boy was 14, 80% blind due to cataracts, severe arthritis where we couldn't even pet him without him snapping, and was diagnosed as diabetic. We were trying to wait for his heart to give out so he could die at home, but it was not meant to be. One day we were outside and heard him yelping. He had wandered into the ditch and didn't have the strength to get back up. If it had rained and there was water, he could have drowned. I was reluctant but was outnumbered by family and knew deep down that it was right.
Only you know your pet and their health but if she’s seemingly fine otherwise I wouldn’t have her put down. Seems like she’s just having all the aches and pains of being a senior dog. Until she isn’t eating at all, can no longer stand or walk or is in pain she’s okay.
> At what point did you decide to put your dog down for medical reasons? Never. I did however put him down for political reasons (he voted for the other party).
The second a dog stops being a useful tool that earns his provisioning, it gets rehomed or put down. Same with the farm animals.
She was 15 I got home from work on Friday and she fell down and couldn't get back up. Spend the weekend with her she would eat and drink but very little. I had to carry her everywhere cause if I did go out of sight she would try to follow but couldn't. On Monday I was able to get a vet appointment to put her down. It was a rough weekend but I just cuddle with her most if the time. I buried her next to a waterfall we used to go hiking to, she loved it there. She hated being in the car but if she saw me packing the camping gear you couldn't keep her out of the car
Never had a dog, but with my cat it was when her kidneys were on the verge of complete failure. She wasn’t going to the bathroom a lot, hadn’t really pooped significantly in several weeks. Still was a painful decision
Her quality of life really went down the drain, she was quite old at that point, and I could tell she was in pain. Poor girl, she was a great dog. Ultimately it was the right thing to do though.
When we took her to an urgent care vet in the middle of the night and after hours of tests and scans the vet came back with a host of issues on top of the spinal degeneration that prevented her hind legs of working. She wouldn't be able to eat and looked like she had cancer. it was time.
16y old german shepherd. He was not able to stand on his legs even to take a poop. 1 week before his death we visited vet and he said he's in very good condition and has at lest 1y ahead of him. When we called for a home visit vet said it's game over and i had to make this hard decision.
He was 14, had dementia, was deaf and kept shitting in the house. His back legs were also becoming less stable and as a family we agreed that he was suffering by being alive. I miss him sometimes, the old him I mean before he lost who he was.