Question about dogs when they're dying

[abride]

Ten months after our other old dog died the second one, fourteen years old, is on her last legs. She has been treated for the vet for kidney failure but we will probably take her in within the next day or so to be put to sleep. In fact we would have done it today only our son is on holiday and, with the vet's blessing, we are waiting and monitoring the situation in the hope our son will be back to say good-bye before she dies.

What I was posting about is that the old dog has got up from her bed, having not moved much for the last 24 hours, and is sitting in the garden just looking around and sniffing. I remember the other old dog doing this.

Do dogs know they're dying? Do they like to have a last look at places they've been happy in? I'm probably reading too much into it!

I'm so sorry to read about your dog.

Nobody can answer your questions for sure. But I think animals are alot more in tune than us.

i had this recently with my old dog, who was pacing and seemed restless after being pretty much inactive for most of the time..i did think that was it, but he is still gioing weeks later and is not getting any worse

I can't say I've ever noticed this as such in a professional environment, but it is nice to hear she is in the places she has been happy in during her good days - it is probably a good thing I think. I'm so sorry to hear that things are not good for her. I hope your son gets back in time for a "goodbye" with her.

When our lsat dog died she did exactly the same. After spending the previous few weeks not doing anything much really, just sleeping most of the time.

The 24 hours before she died she spent her time going from favourite place to favourite place in the house and garden, having a really good look around. It was really noticable because she had been so lethargic before.

She had been booked in at the vets for the next morning, but she didn't make it through the night.

For the hour before she died she got very very restless and appeared quite uncomfortable. DH (was his dog) lay down beside her and talked to her until she finally did a great big sign and died. It was very peaceful at the end.

sigh not sign ! doh.

Wombling, we had a night where she just wanted to sit next to me, at great effort. Although she is not a clingy dog she showed agitation every time I left the room and attempted to follow me. She can barely walk now.
She has declined and we can no longer wait for my son to come back and are having her put down this morning.
I feel awful about him not being here but we can't delay it any more: she's too weak.

I think yesterday she was saying goodbye.

Oh that's so sad. How lovely she wanted to be with you though

Yes, it was very moving, junglist.

so sorry.

I do think they know when they've had enough.

I had my dog put to sleep in December, we walked her down to the vet for the last time (was a five min walk) and let her sniff the grass on her way. She struggled to walk there - something that's never happened before. When we got into the surgery she just lay down on the floor and didn't look up - as if to say "that's it, I've had enough now." She wasn't weak - in fact the vet said she had a very strong heart for a nearly fifteen year old dog and she was unlikely to go naturally iyswim. But she had a lump that had become ulsorated and was days away from becoming ceptic so she would have been in agony if we'd let it continue.

But I think she was ready.

This is so sad tears rolling down my face now

Thank you for the good wishes. I know others have been through this, too, and it helps.

Grief is the price we pay for love. We're finding photos of her to add to the album we made for our dog who died last year. It helps.

abride I have tears rolling down my face, it is almost a year since we lost our old boy and he did the same, had a look around and sniffed his fave places.

I am so sorry your dog is gone but you are right, the price we pay is grief. Your photo album sounds a really good idea. We have a file on the computer with our old dog from when he was 6 weeks old until he died, when he was 10. The good memories it holds are priceless.

I'm so sorry. It's the most unselfish act we do for our companions. My old fella did this too, went out into the garden into the spring sunshine the day he went. Crying now at the memory, although a few years ago. x

oh abride am so so sorry, it is so difficult, but your wee doggy is peaceful now xxxx thinking of you

abride, I'm cryng for you - what lucky dogs you had to be so loved.

I hope it goes okay. We have had two of our dogs put down in the last couple of years (the last one New Year's day of all days) It is very sad when they go but as you put it so well, grief is the price you pay for love. Best wishes.

Thank you all for the good wishes and kind thoughts.

Abride, I too see it that grief is the price we pay for love. My heart's with you, I've been there and know how much it hurts.

To do as you did was to give your dog one last act of kindness. I hope you'll find comfort in each other and happy memories.

With kind thoughts from our family to yours,

Val x

Thanks, Val.

I hadn't come across that saying until just after 9/11, when the Queen's representative at the memorial service in NY used it in his address. It seems to hit the nail on the head.

abride, sorry to hear about your doggy. One of my dogs is heading that way and it makes me so sad

Sorry to hear that. It's grim. Empathies.

Turns out it's not just dogs

DH's 87 year old granny has been in a nursing home for the last couple of months after she became too far gone for home care. She's been completely incontinent, unable to walk, couldn't eat solids, her memory had totally gone and as of a couple of weeks ago she couldn't even talk - she was quite literally a shell of her former self and had no quality of life. On Saturday MIL went to see her and she was lucid, chatting away and even managed to go outside and have walk around the garden - pretty much a miraculous recovery. MIL left her 6pm, and an hour later we got a call from the home to say she'd passed away

I immediately thought of this thread and thought how true it is. Although we're all very sad that she's gone, the fact that she was herself on her last day has really helped MIL to come to terms with the fact that she's gone, because she got to chat to her one last time and got her outside enjoying the sunshine. Best way to go

How extraordinary, Mrs L123! And rather lovely, too.

My MIL, in a very bad state, spoke to my DH about the Archers and enjoyed a laugh, then slipped into unconsciousness and died four hours after.

Perhaps people hold on to do the things they need to do and then just let themselves go.
So sorry for your in-laws and your family. Best wishes to all of you.