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re: How do you know when it is time to put down your dog?
Posted on 4/18/17 at 5:58 pm to spacewrangler
Posted on 4/18/17 at 5:58 pm to spacewrangler
One of the hardest things you'll have to do, especially when your pup is still having some "good" days. Just had to put down my lab,17 years old, who's back legs were failing him. Went through the same thing, good days give you hope but the more frequent the bad days become, the harder it is to not see the writing on the wall. It's all about quality of life, when your pup is no longer enjoying life, it's time. Good luck & prayers for the family.
1
Posted on 4/18/17 at 6:26 pm to TIGERFANZZ
Sad, just took in a stray beagle/chihuahua mix never had a more loyal, loving dog in my 37+ years.
Even when I have bad days he makes me happy, can't imagine.
Even when I have bad days he makes me happy, can't imagine.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 6:27 pm to The muffintime
quote:
I don't give a RIP about anyone who thinks that animals aren't worth this kind of emotional investment. I don't want to know you and I sure as shite don't ever want to think like you.
Lol, I think I may be one of these people. I don't have the emotional endurance you do to sob myself to sleep over my best friend dying every 10-13 years (if I'm lucky), and I don't think that makes me a bad person. Mentally weaker, maybe, but definitely not bad.
My girlfriend has a dog who's eight right now. He's gone gray in the muzzle and I can tell she's totally not ready to deal with her buddy getting older. Knowing the pain that's going to happen for her (and me, truthfully) in a few short years because life is cruel fills me with bitterness and sadness.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 6:31 pm to spacewrangler
I've had to take so many of my elderly dogs to have them put down. It's never easy. It kills me every time. I stay in the room with them the whole time. I figure I owe that to them. Years of friendship and love deserves everything I can do to somewhat comfort them. I have so many urns that I actually need to buy something larger to put them on.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 6:46 pm to Cobrasize
quote:
I've had to take so many of my elderly dogs to have them put down. It's never easy. It kills me every time. I stay in the room with them the whole time. I figure I owe that to them. Years of friendship and love deserves everything I can do to somewhat comfort them. I have so many urns that I actually need to buy something larger to put them on.
This is me. The last 2 we lost, I held them while they got the shot. I wanted the last thing they saw to be me doing what we did every day of their lives. There is nothing better than a loving dog.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 7:05 pm to VagueMessage
quote:I don't hate you and I don't think you're a bad person ;) I had just gotten myself whipped up into an emotional frenzy XD
Lol, I think I may be one of these people. I don't have the emotional endurance you do to sob myself to sleep over my best friend dying every 10-13 years (if I'm lucky), and I don't think that makes me a bad person. Mentally weaker, maybe, but definitely not bad.
So to reiterate, I respect your opinion and totally don't think less of you for it. Sorry bro!!
ETA: Your reticence to go through a devastating loss every 10-15 years as you said actually, in my opinion, means you are a very caring person who is extremely in touch with his emotions. You're one cool dude!
This post was edited on 4/18/17 at 7:08 pm
Posted on 4/18/17 at 7:49 pm to spacewrangler
If the dog isn't happy and is in constant pain, you should put him down. If the dog still loves being by your side and still has, "good moments" it's hard because I think maybe the dog thinks that all the pain is worth the few good moments they do get, however fleeting. It's a judgement call, but dogs are fiercely loyal animals and you should cherish all the time you have.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 9:03 pm to Cobrasize
quote:
I have so many urns that I actually need to buy something larger to put them on.
We had the urn but I couldn't really deal with looking at it every day and I didn't want to shove it in a closet. We decided to dump the ashes in Mobile Bay at the spot where she loved to swim. Kind of cheesy but I'm glad we did that.
Someone once told me that losing a dog is more impactful than a loved one that isn't in your immediate family. Not that a dog is worth more than a human, but a dog is probably more a part of your daily routine. That absence can be a little harder to ignore sometimes.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 9:06 pm to TeLeFaWx
Veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 9:33 pm to spacewrangler
Wow,
Thanks for all the replies. I've been away forna while after I posted and must thanks to all the answers.
For now we're going to try a few different new meds for another week and see if there is any improvement. Obviously there is no medicine to turn back time but maybe we can help out a few issues. My vet thinks part of the going to the bathroom wherever problem is the dog equivelant of dementia. We bathed him tonight to clean him up and his back legs are really weak. You can easily push him down when lathering the shampoo on his back.
Sucks because for the most part he seems happy.
Again, thanks for all the replies.
Thanks for all the replies. I've been away forna while after I posted and must thanks to all the answers.
For now we're going to try a few different new meds for another week and see if there is any improvement. Obviously there is no medicine to turn back time but maybe we can help out a few issues. My vet thinks part of the going to the bathroom wherever problem is the dog equivelant of dementia. We bathed him tonight to clean him up and his back legs are really weak. You can easily push him down when lathering the shampoo on his back.
Sucks because for the most part he seems happy.
Again, thanks for all the replies.
Posted on 4/18/17 at 9:40 pm to crispyUGA
quote:
And yes, stay in the room with him. It's tough, but he'll be scared and you owe it to him to be there to soothe him.
Most definitely, did that with our previous golden, she had a seizure and there was no doubt about what to do, she was incapacitated.
We've talked about giving him a few days of anything he wants tl eat and etc before we put him down. First we're trying a few different meds to help with the back, giving it a week and if no progress then rip, big boy. Thanks again all.
Posted on 4/19/17 at 3:20 am to The muffintime
Posted on 4/19/17 at 6:17 am to spacewrangler
Trust me you'll but it's when the dog's quality of life is kaput......don't be selfish about it either bc it's not about you or the family but about the dog.
Posted on 4/19/17 at 10:18 am to spacewrangler
When the tail stops wagging, and no sooner. Until that point he's still getting enjoyment out of life. It would be like euthanizing grandma when she's still laughing everyday.
Posted on 4/19/17 at 10:25 am to spacewrangler
Side question, how do you deal with the other dogs in the house?
Do you take them to the vet so they know their roommate is gone?
Have a beagle who was at the groomer when the other dog died and has been upset and wandering since the other one died at the vet.
Do you take them to the vet so they know their roommate is gone?
Have a beagle who was at the groomer when the other dog died and has been upset and wandering since the other one died at the vet.
Posted on 4/19/17 at 11:56 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
Side question, how do you deal with the other dogs in the house?
Do you take them to the vet so they know their roommate is gone?
Good question, we have a female GR that is 4 years younger, I suppose he was like her father figure. She will definitely be lonely without him but she goes to work with my wife a lot these days. Helps my wife with her anxiety, she owns a retail business and has had to work a lot lately due to low work force, she has been looking for employees but no one seems to want to work but on their own specific schedules not when she needs them. Well that just doesn't get someone hired when one of the first thing they say is I can only work these days, these hours and etc. Sucks becuase of the required hours of operation. Hopefully she can find help before summer starts.
Know anyone (cute female) who want to work this summer at the beach? LOL
This post was edited on 4/19/17 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 4/19/17 at 12:04 pm to spacewrangler
quote:
she owns a retail business
Your golden retriever has a retail business?
quote:
she has been looking for employees but no one seems to want to work
Has she been trying to hire labs? That might be part of the problem.
quote:
Know anyone who want to work this summer at the beach?
Does the work involve fetching?
Posted on 4/19/17 at 5:53 pm to spacewrangler
Just put my 14 year old lab down today, 3 months shy of his 15th birthday. His legs were done and he had pretty bad dementia. I probably waited a bit too long because of selfish reasons, but I knew it was time after this weekend.
Posted on 4/19/17 at 7:17 pm to Cheese Grits
quote:
Side question, how do you deal with the other dogs in the house?
Do you take them to the vet so they know their roommate is gone?
Our last 2 dogs were shepherd/lab mixes. Great dogs, they were siblings.
When we took the one to the vet who had been since, I thought maybe that we would not be bringing her home, but I wasn't sure. She didn't come home with me. I held her while she breathed her last. My wife and I cried and loved on her for a couple of minutes then left to come home.
My dog's sibling was lost without her, they had never been apart in their lives. I wish I had thought to take him so he could be with her at the end, but I didn't know it was going to be the end.
We got 2 pups thinking that would help him, but he laid down and died in my garage 7 weeks after his sister passed away. I had taken him to the vet numerous times in the weeks between her death and his. Nothing was found to be wrong with him, but he wouldn't eat regularly and was lethargic.
I'm convinced he died of a broken heart.
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