I have a very old dachshund (13.5 yrs old). She’s deaf, arthritic, and has cateracts (sp??). She sleeps most, but not all, of the day. She has lots of accidents around the house – both kinds. I’m tired of cleaning up and I’m tired of my house smelling bad half the time. I have an appointment at the vet on Fri. to talk about what to do. I don’t want to spend a lot of money “curing” her because, well, she’s old. I don’t know about putting her down because she doesn’t seem to be in pain and she’s still eating and drinking regularly (see accidents, above). I know there are a lot of dog owners on this site and I was wondering what your thoughts are. I don’t know how much more of this I can take, on top of my other dog, my two kids, my job, my husband . . . .
Dogs can be in a lot of discomfort without showing it. They’re always glad to see us when we come home, so we think they have reasonable quality of life.
Put the dog down, it’s time.
I agree. We had to put down our 14 year old dog back when I was just 15. Naturally, I had a rough time of it, but making the dog go through this isn’t fair to it, either.
Older spayed female dogs can often have their incontinence more or less controlled by getting a daily pill. It worked with the dog that I grew up with from the time that she was about 13.5 until we had to put her down around 15 years old (when she was in tremendous pain from her hips).
That is such a difficult decision. You have to be clear on what basis you are making your decision, are you deciding for you or for your dog? If you and the vet think the dog is not suffering then I don’t personally think that being deaf, arthritic and cataracts is enough reason to put the dog down and although frustrating, neither are the accidents, especially if the dog is still eating and drinking.
On the other hand, if you think the dog is in chronic pain from arthritis that is a different conversation. Good Luck, I know how hard it is either way:(
My wife and I were forced to say goodbye to our beloved brittany spaniel just yesterday. She would have turned 15 next month. She had been with me since I was 15 years old myself (half my life). It was one of the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make. For the past 6 months she had been forced to walk on three legs due to a herniated disc and she had tumors growing, but was reasonably comfortable and still very active until 3 days ago, when she began having trouble getting up. Although she was in pain the last day of her life, the decision was still heart breaking. Had the choice not been so obvious, I would be feeling much regret. Therefore, look deep within and choose wisely.
I have been through it too many times and it is truly hard to do, but the smiles and memories they bring to your life for 15 years are truly priceless.
So sorry for your loss:(
John
It is a quality of life issue for the poor little thing. That is such a hard decision to make and live with. I feel terrible for you.
I had a dog die on Christmas day one year. I had to put her to sleep at the emergency vet office. It was an unpleasant experience. It makes me value my cats so much. I often think I don’t know what I would do without them.
On the more hopeful side, when I go to the pet store and they have all those cats there you can adopt I always want to bring them home. There are so many animals out there that need a home. It is worth acknowledging that you gave your dog a good home for many years.
Well, not quite sure what to say Amy, except my best wishes. Take care, Tom.
Thanks for all the thoughts. 5280 pretty much sums up my dilema. Anyway, I’m off to the vet – who called this morning and asked that I bring the dog to the office with a full bladder. I told her that request was ridiculous. I don’t know why people have to make a difficult situation even worse.
why? Did the vet say? I have never heard of that before. Let us know how it goes.
Well the vet visit went okay. Antibiotics twice a day for a bladder infection. Medicine to help the incontinence. She’s going to hang on and she should – it’s just not time. She may, however, become a permanent resident of the laundry room (the only room in the house that’s not carpeted or hardwood).
Just give a ton of care and enjoy her while she is still around. If she is staying in place mostly like you said, you can buy puppy training pads at Petsmart or similar so she isn’t isolated all the time. It may be an alternative if you are in the same room with her so she can be with you but you don’t have to be concerned about accidents. Just a thought:) Good luck
That’s good news to hear. Thanks for the update.