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Original poster

How do you make that decision to put your pet to sleep

12 replies

LJRT · 08/02/2021 23:57

Sorry for the post but im struggling to sleep tonight. My 14 year old beautiful labrador is really coming near the end I think but me and the partner are on different views about this. The last few months his detoriared a lot.
His walking still but his very stiff in the joints , slow and often falls (already on 2 painkillers a day and yumove)

His popping almost daily in the house its manageable but its just like he can't hold it in and get outside in time. We think he knows his doing it also.

His got a huge lump the size of my hand under his neck however he does have lots of benign fatty lumps on him that have been investigated but the new bigger one hasn't that has got me worried .

He makes this weird hacking noise daily not sure if this is because of the lump affecting him.

We need to get him to the vet and I will try to get an appointment booked tomorrow. We know his incredibly old and has lead a very good life. I've had him since he was a very young puppy around 3 months .

The partner still sees and believes that his got a good life still as his still eating and still loves to be around us and our 2 young kids. He thinks his still enjoying walking im not sure. Its such a hard decision and harder as were not on the both same page. I've been saying for almost a year about how he is with walking and he will get worst and now it seems it is. Any thoughts? Someone said you can tell by the eyes and the looks he gives nope I've examined his eyes all night, all week,vall month they look exactly the same eyes as they did when he was a puppy

OP posts:

Pipandmum · 09/02/2021 00:04

The time has come when the quality of life is gone. If he is in pain much of the time, finds basic things like walking difficult, if he is listless then it might be time. But get him to the vet ASAP.

Toddlerteaplease · 16/02/2021 12:39

I just knew when it was time for my cat.

Stickytreacle · 16/02/2021 12:45

When you know that they are suffering, when you don't act because of your own sentimentality giving them,'just another day or so',
when you see how different they are from a younger, happy dog,
when you are thinking "is it time?" then it probably is. Sooner is better than later for your dogs sake.

HunterAngel · 16/02/2021 12:46

My greyhound struggled with arthritis for over a year and was almost never able to get out in time for a toilet trip. I brought stocks in puppy pads and endured as she still had that spark in her eyes.

Then came the day when she couldn’t stand up and I knew the time had come. I was firm in my decision when the vet offered stronger painkillers. I knew that dog far better then any vet. When DH and my dad carried her to the car and she didn’t struggle (she hated being picked up) I was positive I was doing the right thing. Her quality of life was gone and the spark had left her.

I insisted on being there and I’m glad I was. She’d given me years of companionship, the least I could do was be there when she breathed her last

LApprentiSorcier · 16/02/2021 12:54

It is hard - when they are no longer themselves and showing signs of discomfort, apathy etc. but you cannot always tell that death is imminent.

I have had two cats PTS and an elderly dog die at home, and the PTS experience was far less traumatic than the sudden death which left us wondering whether our dog had suffered in his last moments (he had slowed down a bit but was showing no signs of pain and was fully mobile which was why we hadn't thought about PTS even though he was old).

I saw the truth of the adage 'better a week too early than a day too late' with regard to euthanasia.

whatisforteamum · 19/02/2021 17:52

I had to have my dear cat PTS last yr.I loved her dearly but here breathing wasn't right.She had antibiotics for a week then when it didn't help she was examined and cancer was found .
Then I just had my bunny PTS weds.Seemed not right in the morning limping.Upon examination it was discovered she had a virus affecting her stability which could be treated but mammary tumour.
My dh is a softie so I always make the decision. Then I cry for a week after but I know I have done the right thing.PLEASE call the vet in the morning.

Aquamarine1029 · 19/02/2021 17:57

When your pet's quality of life is gone, it's time. Sadly, the time has come for your lovely dog. Don't allow him to continue to suffer.

yeOldeTrout · 19/02/2021 18:02

OP's dog sounds like they are at the tipping point for having quality of life to below 50%. You can't measure that point precisely, but it's when you find yourself thinking more about their problems than their joys, and there's no likely path to get them much better.

I only recently PTS a cat... he was weak, struggling to eat, we had enquired about treatment options & health explorations about 18m earlier but he was elderly & we knew everything we tried would be a battle he couldn't understand or appreciate.

addicted2spaniels · 19/02/2021 18:06

Our darling lab was 13 when we made the decision. She'd been crippled with arthritis for about 5 years, but had just started having accidents in the house and was really troubled by it (although never told off), still eating well and drinking well but one morning I came down and she looked up at me with pain in her eyes. I sat and sobbed, cuddled her and rang the vet.

I think you have to question their quality of life, and if you're keeping them here for them or you. It's the worst worst part of owning a pet, but I equally think we're blessed to have the ability to end their suffering

EcoCustard · 19/02/2021 18:25

My beloved cat who was 19 was pts last summer. We noticed over a few weeks her difficulty in being able to do the things she loved and she looked uncomfortable and in pain. It was the hardest decision to make but the right one.

mrstea301 · 19/02/2021 19:14

We just knew when it was time for our previous dog, she had started to decline and it got to the point where we were hand feeding her with baby food. We were hoping to hold off for another day or two but just ended up looking at her one night, and I said to my DH that if we took her to the vets that night, we wouldn't be leaving with her. So we called and made the appointment for the next morning. She knew it was time as the cannula wasn't in her leg properly the first time, and she didn't fuss at all about getting it put back in.

Something that has stuck with me tho is that some people can't bear to stay with their dog til the end, but the dog ends up upset as they're on their own at the end. It was really difficult but I'm so glad my husband and I were holding her til the end.

Fishies · 15/08/2021 22:25

Hello all I haven't been on here since I posted but thank you to everyone who commented. I would like to give you an update i got my beautiful boy to the vets fhe next day who said to me he still had a quality of life and to let him enjoy what life he had left but it may not be long.

But sadly in early March I came down one morning to see he had a stroke/vestibular disease he was in an incredibly bad way and we got straight to the vets and we decided to put him to sleep my beautiful man. He was 14. That was 5 months ago now and I miss him so much still but I knew it was the right decision. And trying this thread has just reminded me how he was. We talk about him a lot and thank you to you all for your comments and thoughts

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