Would you pts?

[curiousgeorgie]

My mums dog, a lovely 11 year old cocker spaniel has been going slowly blind for a year. It seems now he's completely blind as he's struggling to get around, can't find his bowl, walks into walls and doors and has stopped attempting to get upstairs to bed. It's so heartbreaking to watch. My mum can't take him on walks anymore because he hates it.

He's been poorly for a couple of years on and off with high blood pressure and various
problems stemming from lung worm.

My mum thinks he should be pts but the rest of us think that he will adapt and get better at getting around?

She said he has a terrible life but he wags his tail, enjoys cuddles, chews on his toys...

It's a horrible decision but he's generally healthy at the moment, it's just his sight.

What would you do?

Hakluyt - I would not want to be killing off a dog that still found enjoyment in life.
I love my dog, I protect her and look after her and cannot imagine taking her life away when she doesn't want to go, and seeing as she can't tell me, how would I know?

I don't feel that it is up to me, or anyone for that matter really, to decide when to end the life of another.
I feel that when someone is ready to go, they will go.
It is not something I feel comfortable with.

My opinion is what it is, I think it's unlikely to change though you can never say never.

Buttholelane- sorry, you're just opting out of making hard decisions.

And it's the sort of attitude that means some poor animals spend years in so called rescue centres with no hope of a new home.........it's so very wrong.

I would trust my own instinct as to the quality of life.
In this case,op,I would trust your mums instinct.
Sorry.

Btw,I had a dog who was almost blind and also deaf.
I had made a decision to pts before the coming Winter (she had other issues too which were the main deciding factors) but nature took it out of my hands prematurely.
I think its our responsibility and duty to make timely decisions.

Not really.
It's not easy watching someone you love degrade with age or advancing disease.
It's two equally horrible situations.
I don't feel it's on to decide when to take someone's life because your not them, you have no idea how they are feeling.

Have no idea what your banging on about with the rescues.
I was talking about my opinion on euthanasia, not rescue dogs.
Are you suggesting that rescues should put down all sick animals so the young, healthy ones are all that is left?
Nice.

Quite frankly, I don't really see where this is going.
You agree with putting animals down for ill health or old age and I don't.
What more is there to say?

You aren't going to change my opinion and Im not going to change yours.

It is what it is and making (untrue) blanket statements about me and trying to twist my view into something entirely separate and quite silly isn't going to change that.
Stop wasting time arguing with me, it's fruitless.

"Are you suggesting that rescues should put down all sick animals so the young, healthy ones are all that is left?"

No I am suggesting that PTS is better than years in a "rehoming centre".

"It's not easy watching someone you love degrade with age or advancing disease.
It's two equally horrible situations. "

No it isn't. You have it in your hands for it not to be a horrible situation for the animal.

Are you suggesting that rescues should put down all sick animals so the young, healthy ones are all that is left?

she's saying nothing of the sort.

she's saying that people are so adamant that they won't put a dog down that they would rather they spend years in a rescue with their multiple health problems that were too much for them to deal with but apparently ok for someone else to . or they have severe behavioural problems and need specialist homes and they have the illusion that out of all the young, cute problem.free dogs someone's going to take theirs. what they don't think. Of is the stress and further problems to health or psychological damage that it causes.

but it's ok cos they didn't put the dog down

it all boils down to people being too cowardly and selfish and not making the right decision fir their dog and preferring it to be taken out of their hands.

It doesn't really matter op. It is your mums decision. You can only advise. I think if my dog couldn't find the water bowl I would pts. A blind dog can find the bowl. A blind, confused dog can't. The tail wagging etc will eventually stop. Do you want to wait for that? Your mum is right.

I will know when the time comes my my boy. I've had him for 13 years (and hope to have him for a couple more) I have no qualms about doing things that need doing, no matter how unpleasant and I will do what's best for him right till the end. There never seems to be any middle ground on this if you don't do it when others deem you should you're being selfish and causing unnecessary suffering. I think it's perfectly possible to know your own animal so well that you will know when the bad days start outweighing the good and when the time comes.

As others have said the OP's Mum knows her dog best and ultimately the final division rests with her but from the information given I think I would want to give it a few weeks and see if he adjusts, obviously if he was in pain, it would be different though.