When is it time to say goodbye

[dewisant2020]

My beloved dog is 14 years old and has recently been suffering quite badly with her arthritis, despite having painkillers from the vets.
I took her for a consultation yesterday and spoke to the vet about putting her to sleep, the vet said that he thinks we can try other painkillers & try and get her pain under control.
I didn't really question him as he made me feel bad for suggesting it, I just hate the thought of her suffering when there is a kinder option, despite the fact it will break my heart.
How do you know when it's time to say goodbye?

I really think a lot of people wait too long so it saddens me that some vets make people feel bad for bringing the conversation up especially in older dogs.

I would go back and ask what other drugs you can change, what time frames do they take to work e.g. if they should kick in within a few days then there is no point waiting weeks for a change. Then right down all the things that make your dogs life worth living and what does she have left. My personal opinion is to not wait until they have nothing left and also if they are in chronic pain. I would prefer to plan to spoil their end of days well rather than it get to a crisis point in terms of health.

And so sorry

Such a hard time but the right pain meds can make a huge difference to a dog with arithritis. Have a look at the CAM for advice and help.

Minor lifestyle changes can also help a lot.

However you are with your dog and none of us can see the situation in rl but I would try the different painkillers before making a decision - you should see if they work pretty quickly

Thank you @BiteyShark & @PollyRoulson for your advice, you both make good points and I will research both options.
I really don't want her to suffer longer than necessary but I also don't want to end her life prematurely if there is no need.
she is currently curled up in front of the fire. I think 14 is such a good age for a dog and she's had an amazing life.
I will make another appointment to speak to the vet tomorrow and explore the different options for pain relief, however if they don't seem to be working within a reasonable timeframe I will have to make that decision ❤️

My dm had a poor ddog that was on pain meds most of her life. I made the decision back then that I would never do that. We lost our ddog to a suspected brain tumour this year. Full physical health otherwise sadly.. If she had declined to needing meds I would have pts. Personal choice imo. Make a mental list and tick boxes about quality of life op. It's what your mh can cope with also. Ddoggy guilt is an awful burden.

Multi-modal pain relief is definitely an option, ideally it should be started as soon as possible. Has the vet prescribed anything? This Is a very useful website

caninearthritis.co.uk

Adding in meds like gabapentin can significantly improve the nerve pain associated with chronic arthritis.

I'd always suggest discussing options at the earliest sign of deterioration.

However if additional pain relief isn't something you want to pursue, or if it's not effective then euthanasia is a perfectly reasonable option.

Hi again I didn't want to run without giving you all a update.
My little girl is seeing a new vet now who's prescribed a few different types of pain relief and touch wood they have made a world of difference.
As long as she has a good quality of life I intend on keeping her going for as long as she's able, the vet did say she's a very good age now and this won't work for ever but he didn't feel it was right to put her to sleep just yet as she's very healthy apart from the arthritis. He also suggested a few practical ideas for around the home that would help her a lot such as some steps to help her get into and out of my bed, heat pads for her to lay on which are soothing and some vitamins that will help her bones. She isn't going on any long walks now and is enjoying her twilight years relaxing, eating and being given endless amounts of kisses and cuddles.

What a lovely update.

That’s wonderful, hope you have lots more time together.
If you don’t mind my asking, what vitamins did he recommend? One of my old girls is on arthritis pain meds but the vet never suggested vitamins.

@Darklane she's taking yumove they come highly recommend and seem to be helping

Lovely update, I hope you get some more quality time together.
When our old man was still around we got him a doggy pram so he could still come out with us for the day. We liked long walks and felt bad leaving him at home. On cold days we put a hot water bottle in it.

Lovely update and hope it helps for a long while. In terms of right timing, a vet once said to me it’s better to be a day early than a day late when it comes to PTS. I think that makes sense as the great life they’ve had will never be lost but waiting too long can be a horrible end for the dog and the family too. Take care x

Our dog was only 9 but had arthritis in his back legs.
We got him on a diet to help and he lost tonnes of weight. He was miserable and constantly hungry.
We also tried months of hydrotherapy. He was on 3 different pain killers a day and yumove.
We tried a magnetic collar.
He started turning round to come back home 2 minutes into his walk, which was when we decided it was better months too early than a day too late.