How do you know when it's 'time'? (Euthanasia)

[Quasicrystals1456]

Oh god I can't believe I'm writing this.

If you've made a decision to have your dog pts, how did you know it was time?

If there's an 'event' or diagnosis that is definitely causing pain/distressed I can imagine making the decision. However my dog is old, and is sick a lot. His appetite isn't great. Doesn't really enjoy walks now. Wants to be alone most of the time (previously unheard of). I'm looking at his lovely grey muzzle wondering whether it's soon going to be time to consider pts. He's not the happy dog he was.

He's on medication for arthritis. He's on a special diet. We've arranged our days to try and make the best of his life.

But...

How do you know when enough is enough?

Thanks for reading

I wish we'd been able to do it at home. We just didn't know what the vet was going to say when we took him down. I think I was hoping that he might have given us another couple of days and then arranged to come over.

Better too soon than too late though, definitely. You don't want to have any regrets.

Could the vet take him?

My parents always buried animals at home.

Hope you're ok. It's shit, I know.

Sorry, me again. I also wanted to say, when they come back in for a walk and lay down like that, it is most likely his heart is not functioning as well any more. He may have a murmur. In the meds you mentioned, you never mentioned heart meds. Has his heart been checked recently i.e. within the last 2-3 weeks? If it is his heart, there is some great meds available.

Also, how long was the walk you mentioned above? I think as well as getting his heart checked I would not walk him with the young dog. The pace, the terrain and the length of the walk may not suit your oldie. Let the younger dog have his own walk and take your oldie out for a brief and easy stroll.... a place that is flat and easy and has lots of interesting smells like the high street or something. See what works for him and see if you can get him to the stage where he comes in from the walk and doesn't lie down.

I'm ok - weirdly I'm holding it together; but dh who came 'after' the dog is so upset. He's just taken the dogs for a walk. Old dog wagged his tail and looked as if he was going to go then tried to stay with me, then decided he would go after all . Dh will just sit in the park using the launcher for young dog whilst old dog watches and reminisces I think

Oh x posts. Heart was checked in May. Medication is for arthritis.

I run with young dog then he joins in on old dogs walk when I'm back. Not the other way round if that makes sense.

Hence changing plans for the walk happening now.

OK, so what happens next is entirely up to you. I sat with my boy for a while to say good bye. I was so glad to be at home and have that time and privacy with him. We buried him at home so my hubby went out to dig the grave and I left Boyce on the sofa. He looked peaceful and I needed those few hours still with him there. Then we buried him. If you prefer cremation and you have a crematorium that can take him, that is great. Once you have the vet appointment, call them to say when you think you will be ready for them.

No, your other dog won't be traumatised. They understand death. What would be worse is if they never got to see their deceased friend, I think. They can be left wondering where they went. I put Boycie on the floor and let my other dog approach him. I have no doubt he knew right away he was dead and so he knew, and that was a good thing.

Hearts are odd things. Our Berkeley was checked at Christmas and had not so much as a murmur. Then I think it was March he was seeing the vet about something else and she listened to his heart and said he had a really bad murmur. It can decline that quickly. I just wanted to mention it, just in case

The vet came to the house both times. The first dog is buried in the garden. The latest one was cremated. She was taken away with the vet and we now have some ashes (who or what is another thing). It is a good idea to have a think about it and talk about it. With our first death, it happened very quickly and there wasn't really time to think or plan. We all deal with it differently. We had a big dog-sized hole in the house and now still have 3 dogs, all very different from our first hairy friends.

Interesting posts. Much appreciated.

You've kindly posted on a previous thread that I've just re read lime

I work with elderly people and some of the traits appear similar. Even if I treated the heart, I'd be concerned about the weight loss and sickness. If that was ok his cataracts would still be there. Not forgetting he has arthritis.

There are a host of comorbidities that I'm loathe to start trying to actively treat. No meds could possibly successfully improve everything that is wrong with him. I guess it could maintain for a bit longer, but then that brings me back round to quality of life... And what is the end game with a dog?

He's exceeded his 'life expectancy' according to the vet (based on his supposed heritage) so what would it all be for? Bearing in mind he hates the vets, has a questionable appetite so even giving any meds would be a problem from the start.

These are all rhetorical questions by the way!

We have no room for burial here otherwise I'd definitely do that.

Our family dog is still buried in my parents garden (and there's no room for another one), so it'd definitely be cremation.

With one of my old boys the vet took the decision out of my hands, she turned round and said he was in rapid heart failure and he would likely have a heart attack on a walk and then I would be stuck. With my second boy he was more a slow decline like your dog, but when he started soiling himself and not realising and not looking interested in walks I just knew, you could also see it in his eyes, he was tired and had had enough of this life. I would rather pts sooner than have to make an emergency dash to a vet, it truly is the last kindness you can do for your pet. We had both dogs privately cremated and took them on their favourite walk to scatter the ashes, ds who was 2 at the time was a little vigorous with the scattering and bought some home in his hair.......

Sorry that made me laugh about the ash scattering.

Definitely agree with a mad dash to the vet that's the last thing I want to happen.

The decision is so hard, but moving on from that, just to let you know I had the vet come out and have my dog PTS at home and it was lovely (I know that sounds strange).

He hated vets, so this was the best way. He had a bad night and I knew it was due, so made the phone call, then called into work to say I wasn't coming in - they were lovely. Ironically, the sun came out and he picked up, so he was actually quite chipper. However, the vet said as soon as she walked in I was doing the right thing - they had been treating him and I sensed had been working up to telling me it was time to let go.

There was no rush, I held him in the sunshine as he drifted away. The vet stayed for a bit and then kindly suggested that we rearrange him as best before rigor mortis set in. I curled him up in his basket in the sun and he stayed with me all day until my husband came home and buried him. A dignified and peaceful end to a special little life. I just wish we could do it for people as well as animals.

It still makes me giggle as does when the vet and I stood up after my old boy had been pts, we just looked at each other and the vet exclaimed " maybe we should not have been next to the door" as he was blocking it. Poor fella then had to be gently slid along the floor so we could get out, we tried our hardest to be dignified but he was a very large heavy lab and the female vet and myself are not that big!

I had a horse pts in a stable. What a mistake that was

He was then buried on the land. Yes reader I have buried a horse. Dignified it was not.

little

what that sounds really peaceful.

I've got friends that have buried horses. They usually use a tractor with a digger bucket. Much easier and also helps to pick poor horsey up and put him in the hole.

Anyway. How are things?

Well he came back from his walk and lay outside with us all whilst we ate. Dh said he was ok whilst out. He just lay down whilst ds threw balls for young dog.

We googled heart failure in dogs and he has most of the symptoms. mentioned to dh about pp's consideration about ddog having a heart attack whilst walking.

We're in the middle floor now and he's downstairs on his own.

He ate his tea (slowly)

So nothing dramatic but not really improving.

He doesn't sound like he's suffering too much just yet. God it's not easy is it?

It's so hard. We had our cat pts nearly two weeks ago. She was 19.
I was focusing on quality of life and if she was in pain. The vet spoke about her dignity and by that stage she really didn't have any.
I took the advice of the vet but you know your pet best. Wolfiecat couldn't do the things that made her Wolfiecat anymore. She was skinny and dehydrated. Whilst not clearly in pain she wasn't going to get better.
Still hurts though.

Yy that he's not really suffering yet, but looking at the bigger picture is rather sad. Seeing your dogs spine is never good (and I say that as having owned a greyhound!)

Definitely not easy.