It's time. What to expect?

[ifyouturnonthelight]

It's time for my boy to go on his journey over the bridge. I'm devastated but he's had enough and it's not fair on him any more.

What should we expect?

I’m so sorry hugs it’s the worst part of pet ownership.

When we said goodbye to our boy a couple of years ago we went to the vets. It was decided we’d say goodbye to him outside on the edge of the car park and grass area (honestly it was much nicer than it sounds) as Bear didn’t want to go inside and was fascinated by the smells on the vets car tyres. The sun was shining and he always preferred being outside.

He had a very quick assessment from the vet (while he was licking the car tyre) then a blanket was placed underneath him. He was given the relevant injection and he slumped to the floor and was gone pretty much before the injection was finished. It was so calm and dignified (not at all like him) and over very quickly.

He was very sick and obviously ready to go.

I miss him every single day and it breaks my heart he’s not here anymore but it was definitely the right decision.

aww I love the image of him licking the tyre! We thought we had more time but he's had enough. It's not fair to keep him going

I should add that the ‘slumping to the floor’ is exactly how he used to go from sit to lay down. He’d lean against my leg and just slide until he was flat on his side!! We never did manage to teach him to lay down properly.

We had our aggressive ddog sedated first. Cost a bit extra but she was unmanageable for the vet.
Quick jab in the bum and we were left alone. Spy hole in the door told the vet when she had gone under and he came back and administered the pts meds... She never knew a thing except us being there stroking her. Weren't rushed in any way. Prob there an hour in total.
There is an article going round from a vet saying BE THERE. Ddogs look for us in their last moments....

An awful time op.

My beautiful boy went a year ago. The vet took him and sedated him and then brought me into the room where he was sat on a snuggly blanket on the floor. I sat and wrapped my arms around him as they injected him, he looked a bit confused at the sensation but I just held him and told him he was a good boy and thanked him for being a wonderful friend. He just sort of sagged and then he was gone. It was so fast but dignified. Heartbreaking but the right thing to do at the right time.

You're going to do the kindest thing OP. The ultimate love and kindness for your ddog. Sending you unMNetty hugs.

We've not long gone through this with our big boy, bone cancer took him much sooner than we ever expected.

Firstly though - sending love, it's a horrible time and the loss is unimaginable.

We had a vet come to the house, he was terrified of going to the vets and we didn't want his last moments to be like that.

The vet came in, had a chat and spoke us through the procedure. He brought her his ball and cuddled up next to her, loveable big oaf. We weren't rushed at any point, and we were offered time to be alone with him (although we ended up choosing not to as the vet was lovely).

We opted for sedation first, we'd read this was kinder for the dog. She gave him this first and he just got very sleepy, he was on his favourite rug at the garden door with his head on our lap and we just took our time speaking to him, petting him, as he drifted off. This lasted for 20 minutes or so - she let us decide when we were ready for the final part.

By the time the PTS medication went in, he was snoring away, and then it was over in a minute or so.

It was peaceful, filled with love, and exactly how we wanted it to be for him. Heartbreaking all the same.

Previous dogs have just had an injection at the vets and it felt much more rushed and final. If you can, and if it's available in your area, I would absolutely try and get a vet to come to your home.

We buried him in the garden, under his favourite tree. If you're doing this, it's best to dig this beforehand. Have them lying on a blanket as the medication can sometimes cause their bladder/bowels to release. We wrapped the blanket round him afterwards and buried him in it.

Take care of yourself xx

We had our last dog PTS at home. It was very calm.
I think you should stay with them too, it's more reassuring for your dog and it's not a distressing procedure. They do just go into a very deep sleep very quickly and then their heart stops.

I'm so sorry to heat this @ifyouturnonthelight. My lovely vet told me it was the last and best act of kindness we do for our dogs. We had my old boy pts at home. When the vet arrived he was snoozing on my knee, and Chris (the vet) just shaved a patch off his back leg and slipped the injection in. I was cuddling pup and telling him to go well and that he was my very best boy and he just drifted off in seconds. Two things which vet told me which I was grateful to know 1) they often take a last deep breath in after they've gone. It's just muscular so don't get a shock. Bizarrely my mum did exactly the same when she died but I was forewarned because of my pup! 2) If your dog's eyes are open, they won't close when they die.

But it's very peaceful and he won't know a thing about it. The most important thing is being there for him.

I have no words of advice but just wanted to send my thoughts to you OP and all of you on here who have been through the same situation.

I am sitting here sobbing my heart at your stories and how much you loved your dogs. The thought of losing either of my boys is just too sad to imagine.

Love to you all.

I'm so sorry OP it's never easy to have to do this.

Our Ddog was PTS a couple of years ago - like yours his time had come and it wasn't fair to keep him going but it was still a difficult decision, especially as he suddenly seemed to perk up when we took him to the car to go to the vets. He always loved the car because it meant going for walks in the forest or beach. In actual fact he had difficulty standing on his last day, never mind go for a walk.

The actual procedure was very calm, they shaved a patch on his leg and sedated him, it really was as if he was falling asleep and it was over really quickly (although it seemed like forever at the time).

@Easterisoffeggstooexpensive oh absolutely I wouldn't not want to be there he's part of our family. It's the last thing we can do for him

We’ve had to say goodbye to three dogs in the past few years (I do have a thing for the oldies). Two were at home, one at the vets as they weren’t doing home visits since covid.

Despite them obviously being very sad times, we have not had a bad experience. The two at home weren’t sedated and just had the injection in their front leg while lying on the sofa being stroked and talked to. They just drifted off. The vets explained what might happen with breathing, heart racing etc but it was fine.

The one at the vets happened in their garden area which was lovely. They took him in and fitted a cannula to his front leg. I think they might have sedated him but I can’t remember. We took his blanket and he lay on that being fed steak when they put the injection in through the cannula. I was stroking his head and he just laid his head down and that was that. The lovely vet and her assistant wrapped him in his blanket and carried him to the car in such a dignified manner.

While they are all incredibly sad times I’ve always been surprised at how peaceful and dignified it is. Afterwards I feel a sense of relief that they are not ill anymore, and gratitude that we can give them a suitable send off rather than having to watch a slow decline like you do with people.

Wishing you the very best x

This is a useful explanation of what to expect: www.compassionunderstood.com/page/the-euthanasia-procedure

We had my sisters very aged dog PTS late last year . I’ve been present at numerous euthanasia’s, dogs , cats , small pets and horses but this time we opted to have the vet from our local pet crematorium to come and do it at home . We’ve used the crematorium quite a lot so I know they are lovely people and she was absolutely fabulous and the dog was pts very peacefully wrapped up in a blanket on my lap . I will definitely do the same for my dog when the time comes . Sorry that you’ve reached this stage with your dog @ifyouturnonthelight 💐

Wishing you all the best .

Thinking of you. In my experience it’s very quick and peaceful. It’s almost two years ago since we had our beautiful girl pts. It was time and our suffering made hers less. I hold onto that thought. You will be doing the right thing and helping him. There are much worse things to happen to an animal (of which I include ourselves as humans) than a quick, pain free death.
❤️

@IDidntFloatUpTheLaganInABubble

I have no words of advice but just wanted to send my thoughts to you OP and all of you on here who have been through the same situation.

I am sitting here sobbing my heart at your stories and how much you loved your dogs. The thought of losing either of my boys is just too sad to imagine.

Love to you all.

Me too! If I had read this thread 10 weeks ago before I got my dog I would have thought it sad but been realtively unmoved. Im now sat here sobbing thinking hiw awful it will be when she dies.

Thinking of you OP

It is such a hard time OP. However, dying is a boring and uncomfortable process, and often when "the decision" is made, it's just a case of sparing DDog a few days of feeling just absolutely foul, and then dying anyway.

It's just, sometimes, it is the least worst thing to do. That's all.

We always get the vet out and have the dog sedated first. Remember, the impact of how it goes will affect you for years, so taking steps to make it not only easy for the dog but for you too is the right thing.
(We did once have a dog euthanized in the boot of our car - but he was clearly so unwell, and untreatable, that prolonging things wouldn't benefit him or us).

I've had dogs for years and it still does my head in TBH, it goes against my protective instincts. I want to pick up DDog and run away with him - but I know that in reality, I'd just end up far away with a sick, suffering dog, unable to help him.

Thinking of you.

We had one of our dogs pts 4 years ago. The vet did a home visit. Our dog greeted her excitedly and then we all went into the lounge. He gave the vet a lovely fuss and she stroked him for a while. Then once his excitement had calmed down, he lay on the sofa with us, and was given his injection. It was very quick, almost instant.
Few little things you might not have thought of: if the vet is going to take the body to be cremated do you want to provide a small toy or blanket etc to go with him? Also if he is wearing a collar would you prefer to keep that/ his name tag? If so, maybe remove these before the vet arrives as you may forget otherwise. I’m not sure if you have another dog but if so, think what to do with them. We kept our other dog seperate and I deeply regret it. I thought it would be better as it meant we could give our full attention to our old boy and although they got along well, our other dog wasn’t really that fussed with him. However, our dog knew straight away something was amiss after the vet had taken the body away. He spent a week, on and off, looking for our other dog, being agitated, off his food, generally uneasy and confused. I felt terribly guilty as I thought I had done the best for them both, but in retrospect I wish I had at least let him see the body so he understood. Broke my heart seeing him searching, room to room for his companion