Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

when to make the decision to put dog down
Quote | Reply
Sitting in my office crying my ass off after making a vet appointment to go over options for my aging yellow lab. We've had 14 great years when dr. google says to expect an average of 12.

The issue is that he has had a very dramatic and sudden decrease in quality of life/ ability to walk. This morning I took him out with a significant limp thinking I was going to bring him to the vet, but then he stared walking fine. Growing up we had a dog, that eventually couldn't move and completely lost the will to live. I don't want this to happen to my current best friend but how do you know to say when? I'm hoping for a miracle pill.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Dogs live at 100mph and when they are done they are done.......It is a very selfish act to keep them alive to have...just a few more months with them. If you think it is time, it is time.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It's one of the hardest things you will ever do. I have had to put down a few pets and it never gets any easier, as a matter of fact, it gets harder.

Don't wait until he is in constant pain. Dogs don't show pain like a human so it's very hard to know when the right time is. The vet should be able to tell you if it's just a passing thing or something more serious

Please post a picture so we can say hi to your baby.

:(

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Took about six months for my running partner to go from fine to done. We delayed it, but she was falling while walking and loosing control of her bodily functions. It was time, but it didnt make it any easier. One of the harder things I have done. Sorry :(
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Been there and agree not an easy call to make. We had a yellow lab also and she was 12 1/2 when her time came, was starting to get lethargic and not want to go for walks, would also have trouble getting around the house and just want to lay on her bed. We knew her time was coming and made an appointment to have the vet check her out; she wound up having a seizure in the car on the way to the appointment so that unfortunately expedited our decision sooner than we were ready. Vet said her chest sounded full and he could feel tumors in her chest and neck, so we agreed it was time. One of the hardest things I've ever done even though I knew it was the right thing to do.



"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Just went through this in February. Vet gently was pushing us to the decision but when you think its time its probably about 1 or 2 weeks past time. So hard to let go. It was our Miniature Schnauzer I'd gotten for my wife when we didn't think we'd have a third child. But, he was suffering and losing weight, not eating. We now have two pups!

http://www.teamodz.com
http://www.endurancelab.fit
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
We knew when. It was after 3 consecutive days of not getting up to eat or to drink. So after three days past, we called the vet to come the next morning... and when she arrived ol' Buddy was up and waging his tail like nothing was wrong.

So don't beat-up yourself. It's never a perfect decision, never a good situation.

Good luck!
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I feel your pain. I just went through this a few months ago with my german shepherd, and even posted here as well, for some advice about when to put him down. He was 11.5 years old. Shortly after his 11th bday, he started limping and the vet thought it is probably arthritis. Months went by and his limp was worsening and his painkiller dose increasing. I took him to another vet for a second opinion. We got him xrayed and it turned out to be advanced bone cancer. The vet said that he is in a lot of pain and there is no point in making him suffer.

I refused to put him down, but as the month progressed, our dog just deteriorated completely. He couldn't get up to go for his beloved walks. He was whining all the time, which he never used to do. It was so heart braking. He couldn't eat his regular food due to stomach issues caused by all the medication he was on. So that is when we made the very tough call to put him down - when there was nothing left in his day for him to enjoy and when he just seemed so miserably and sad all the time.

We went through hell shortly after that. I had to take time off work because everyone in the house, including the kids, was crying their heads off. We got him cremated and his ashes are still with us.

Hang in there! But don't keep the dog alive just to extend his life and put off your sadness at the expense of the dog's suffering.
Last edited by: IronLady: Jun 12, 17 7:05
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Going through this now with our 13 year old lab. Unlike our two prior labs, (one with a brain tumor and blindness, the other with vestibular syndrome) when it was easier to know when to put them down, our current lab is just showing the signs of aging with substantially decreased mobility. She is on medication for pain and that helps but she still needs assistance to walk. But, when it's time to eat she musters energy and is quite excited. So, I share your pain.

For me, once she is unable to walk I will tell the family it's time. Our plan, which has worked for us, is to have the vet come to our house and do it in a peaceful surrounding. We request cremation and we place the ashes in a box on a shelf with the other dogs. I suspect we will be adding to the shelf soon.

My condolences.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
My lab couldn't really get around well the last 2 or 3 years of his life. I had to use a sling to get him in and out of house. He was happy as could be just struggled walking. Just loved being around the family and especially kids. Made the decision when he started loosing control of bowels and he seemed to be loosing either his sight or mind. He'd bark randomly at nothing but act like someone was there. Had to help him walk around the yard. He was kind of deaf also toward the end. Once we made the decision they scheduled his appointment 3 days later I think. Most lucid and active he was in months. Almost called it off.

Good luck, I'm out of this thread. Makes me too sad.

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Tough decision to make, but the platitude "You'll know when you know" is pretty apt. We're coming up on one year since we had to put down the second of two yellow labs. Lost one almost 2 years ago and the other last year. They were 15 and 16, so I get it.

If your dog just isn't getting around well, but seems otherwise okay, it's not time, IMHO. It's when he/she goes a few days or weeks of seeming not to be interested in any of the things he/she was interested in before -- food, walks, water, etc. You can tell. For us, our dogs both began having frequent accidents in the house -- they looked miserable, as if they knew they were "doing a bad thing," but just couldn't help it. They stopped eating much, lost a bunch of weight, and just didn't look good. They stopped getting up to greet me at the door a couple of years before they went, but when they couldn't even muster the energy to wag their tails at me after being gone all day, I just knew it was close to time.

I don't envy you the decision. Hope you have as peaceful a transition as possible. Loving pets is a great joy, and those memories help to dull the pain of loss when it's time to say goodbye.

Best of luck in your decision, and God speed to your four-legged friend.

''The enemy isn't conservatism. The enemy isn't liberalism. The enemy is bulls**t.''

—Lars-Erik Nelson
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
When they can't get up and down the steps to go to the bathroom then it's time. My experience is that usually it's a pretty precipitous drop off over a few weeks or even days.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
We had a dog that had mobility issues. But he was still a really happy and playful dog. We kept a close eye on him, when he wasn't happy any more, we took him in.

For around six months he needed help getting around. I have a picture of him watching me work on a new garden area. My wife helped him out there and he was out with me all day. He has the happiest look on his face and it is one of my favorite memories of him.

When he stopped wanting to do the things that used to make him happy he answered the question for us. Scheduling that appointment and taking him in, when there was no imminent threat to his life was hell. The half hour ride to the vet and putting him down was probably the worst hour of my life to date. The feeling that I picked the day to kill one of my best friends was awful.

If he isn't happy it is time. He's always looked out for you. Now it is your turn to do it for him.

I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Leddy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Glad I'm not the only one this has happened to. I've had two dogs where I made the tough decision that "tomorrow will be the final trip to the vet." With both dogs I wake up that morning to find the dog seemingly injected with new life.
I've had to put down three dogs in my life. It only gets harder.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'm going through this right now as well. 12 year old Boston Terrier who is struggling to walk up and down the steps and sleeps for literally 23 hours of the day.

He does not appear to be in pain - no whining or yelping - but needs assistance to get around the house and is losing control of his bladder more frequently now.

I'm in denial and putting him to sleep is not something I'm thinking about, but we have a vet appointment this weekend which may force us to consider this option.

The most difficult part is that we have two young kids who have grown up with Tucker their whole lives.

Here's to hoping that our vets can prescribe a miracle pill for both of our best friends!
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Hardest thing I ever had to do was putting down our 14 year old Australian/Lab mix. But when the time came, it was obvious. Her kidneys were failing. She was in good spirits and active one day, the next she was miserable. Hopefully you have a good vet who will be honest with you. We could have spent thousands to extend her life a few months or a year. But that would have been for us, not her. Good luck.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Apollo71] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Apollo71 wrote:
I'm going through this right now as well. 12 year old Boston Terrier who is struggling to walk up and down the steps and sleeps for literally 23 hours of the day.

He does not appear to be in pain - no whining or yelping - but needs assistance to get around the house and is losing control of his bladder more frequently now.

I'm in denial and putting him to sleep is not something I'm thinking about, but we have a vet appointment this weekend which may force us to consider this option.

The most difficult part is that we have two young kids who have grown up with Tucker their whole lives.

Here's to hoping that our vets can prescribe a miracle pill for both of our best friends!

Whoa. Same thing with our 13 year old Boston Terrier. Back door has to be open all day and she is now sleeping in garage during the night because of constant urination. She has cushing's disease and an enlarged heart. She also sleeps 23 hours a day and is only awake during mealtime. I'm ready to call the vet today, my wife needs some more time but its painful to watch her try to urinate 10 times in an hour.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Uncle Arqyle] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I feal your pain . Im going through this with my shepard mix. Hes 13 and has had vestibular sindrome for about a year now. Hes really adapted well to it but he is to the point were he cant stand any more with out help unless hes on carpet. We placed runners all over the house so he can get around. For the past couple weeks hes been going #2 in the house in the middle of the night. Last night he fell on the tile and shit under himself because he couldnt get up.
Im beside myself but I know its time. My wife and I are at odds . She wants to keep him around what ever it takes.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
a vet i know used to say that dogs have no concept of the future. they aren't looking forward to next Christmas or something. the here and now is what they have, and when that sucks . . . that's it.

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Dirt fighter] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Dirt fighter wrote:
I feal your pain . Im going through this with my shepard mix. Hes 13 and has had vestibular sindrome for about a year now. Hes really adapted well to it but he is to the point were he cant stand any more with out help unless hes on carpet. We placed runners all over the house so he can get around. For the past couple weeks hes been going #2 in the house in the middle of the night. Last night he fell on the tile and shit under himself because he couldnt get up.
Im beside myself but I know its time. My wife and I are at odds . She wants to keep him around what ever it takes.

Same thing in my house. I was ready a month ago, my wife is not there yet.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Dirt fighter] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Dirt fighter wrote:
I feal your pain . Im going through this with my shepard mix. Hes 13 and has had vestibular sindrome for about a year now. Hes really adapted well to it but he is to the point were he cant stand any more with out help unless hes on carpet. We placed runners all over the house so he can get around. For the past couple weeks hes been going #2 in the house in the middle of the night. Last night he fell on the tile and shit under himself because he couldnt get up.
Im beside myself but I know its time. My wife and I are at odds . She wants to keep him around what ever it takes.

Wife made the call to vet today. I think the vet helped talk her into it. They think she has cancer and just can't detect it with their tools. Appointment is this Friday to put her down. It's time, you can see it in her eyes. There is no happiness.
Quote Reply
Re: when to make the decision to put dog down [Harry] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Just remember, it is better to let them go a week too early, than a week too late. I had to make the decision twice in two months (my pups were that attached to each other at 15 and 16 y/o). I look back and even though I knew and immediately scheduled the vet to come out in both instances, I look back and I waited too long. I'm glad I got to take my time those two days in my home. Made the oldest a hamburger for her last meal. Took her outside in the front yard to take in the last fresh air and all of the birds and things going on around her. Second girl got pancakes. It is hard to really see how uncomfortable they are, until they give the sedative and you see how relaxed they end up, all the tension gone from their bodies. It really highlights how much pain they had been in. You cannot go by their appetite alone. Don't wait. It doesn't matter, more bad than good moments, it is time. It is still going to hurt like hell whether you wait or not, don't let them suffer.

And something to be aware of, excessive panting is a sign of pain. If they are not getting around much,there really isn't much need for them to pant. My youngest especially with her bad hip was stoic, could barely get up but was panting a lot. We switch he'd pain meds to no avail. Do not assume because they are not wimpering that they are not in pain.
Last edited by: madonebug: Jun 12, 17 19:02
Quote Reply