Putting dog to sleep

[tiredandolderthanithought]

How do you know it's time?

We've an old spaniel, he's hardly eating and is now only going out in the garden for wanders as occasionally his back legs can collapse. It's time isn't it. We need to say goodbye.

I think we hoped he just wouldn't wake up one morning, he's had a heart murmur all his life.

Two days ago he ate fine, the day after he ate hardly anything and threw up bile. Yesterday he ate again (tiny amounts so he is so skinny).

I hate all this 😞

Yes it's time, I'm sorry.

It's shit isn't it

Please do it, its your responsibility. Your dog sounds miserable and his needs should come first.

It’s really shit.

People always said to me “you’ll know when it’s time” and you do. We had a few weeks of him confusing us by having really good days and then bad days, then perking up. Then one bad day we just knew.

I think you know op. It’s time and I’m so sorry xx

Yes, it's time.
Yes, it's shit.

Sending you hugs.

Yes. It's time. It's the worst decision you will ever make. But the process isn't frightening for him or you so ask the vet or veterinary nurse to explain it and stay with him. If it's happening at home have some kitchen roll in a wad to place under his sheath as they can release a lot of pee just after.

Yes, it's time.

I am so sorry. It's shit.

It’s one of the final acts of kindness you can do for a faithful friend. Thinking of you x

It's the worst part of dog ownership.
💐

Oh OP, Im sorry. I agree with PPs it’s time.
DH and I were in this situation a month ago, it is incredibly hard.

It is the final act of love towards a pet, letting them go even when you’d do anything to keep them with you.
We had the vet come to us at home, because ddog was terrified of the clinic and we wanted everything to be calm for him. We had a lovely few days with him, he wasn’t up to doing anything really so we roasted a chicken for him and fed him up.

It’s utterly crap, and by far the worst part of having a dog

I think it's hard as today he's really perky, he's eaten kibble and some egg and went for a short walk. He is always happy to see the children and is still loving cuddles.

But I know in my heart we need to make the call 😞

Sending love and a virtual hand hold ❤️

I would say it's time, sorry OP. We had our girl pts a few weeks ago. She also stopped eating and started bringing up bile. She had X-rays which showed a nasty mass in her intestines. We had her back home and the vet came to our house the next afternoon.
She had one last day relatively pain free (strong meds from the vet) so we took her to the beach so she could paddle in the sea one last time. She seemed so happy and it made the decision even harder. It was all very quick (for us!) and I'm still coming to terms with it.

We have a local pet crematorium and we were able to take her ourselves which meant we had the evening with her when she was gone. I will cherish that last day and those last cuddles.

It's a kindness to be able to take the pain away ❤️

This ☝

@tiredandolderthanithought I think that this is the best description. It is an act of kindness. Your old boy has looked to you all his life for food, warmth, shelter, love etc. He is now looking to you to preserve his dignity and make his final moments in this world comfortable.

It is definitely the worst part of pet ownership, but in a way is also the best part as we get to prevent suffering and preserve that dignity in a way we are unable to do for human family members.

Big hug.

i went to the doghouse topic to upload an almost identical thread (collie, not spaniel) and your thread caught my eye. sadly I've had my dog pts today. It was the right decision for her as she was barely eating and was struggling to weight bear on her hind legs. it's the worst thing about having a pet, huge sympathies and a big hug OP

This is the 4th Christmas without our girl.. Still miss her.. Ask vet about sedation.. Made the whole thing so much easier for us and ddog..

Feel for you OP. We are struggling with this decision too.

Our dog's back legs are so weak that she falls over when she's trying to do a poo (and ends up sitting in it), but she can still trot along quite happily when we take her for a walk - we still walk her every day for half an hour.

She has also started pooing in the house and not communicating her need to go out (we were upstairs and she didn't bark or whine which she used to do). but we do have a lovely large enclosed garden where she also sniffs around happily.

When the time comes we will definitely request a home visit from the vet.

Just to update we did take our dog to the vet. He had a couple more days where he started eating a bit more but the last day 3 legs collapsed and although he got up again we knew this was it.

Dh took him to the vet and held him S he went.

We're all so sad. These animals are such a part of the family aren't they. Now trying to deal with our other dog who is also grieving (you may have seen my other post).

Thank you all for your support.

I am so sorry to read this. We had our cocker spaniel put to sleep at home this morning. He was 12 and a half and very much our sunshine. His back leg started collapsing and he started being sick . He had an MRI last week and we were told it was cancer. The vet helped us by telling us that dogs are unable to show pain. This stems back to wolf instincts and shows weakness and vulnerability. He also said people leave it too late .. when they are really poorly. I am sure you have been, like us, a responsible owner. It sounds like you don’t want him suffering. I urge you to do the right thing. We had our dog put to sleep at home - it was quick, painless and calm

I'm sorry, it's tough.

Sorry for your loss.

As my update said he was put to sleep last week.

Sorry for your loss OP and PP.

We have just said goodbye to our beloved DDog. She was 17.5 years old and hade a very long and happy life. The vet kindly did a house visit. It was a very peaceful end, but we are devastated.

I’ve been through this and I’m very sorry for you.
“ Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware, of giving your heart for a dog to tear” ( Kipling ).

We are waiting for a phonecall from the vet to see if our 17 year old JRT has kidney disease( almost 100 percent certain) and if so, she will be PTS. She was so healthy and happy until 3 weeks ago, doing zoomies, chasing balls, barking and playing. Then her back legs went, and keep going. Shes peeing in her sleep and off her food. Lost weight and just sleeps. The vet says they are good until they arent, and thats true. Thank you for this thread, its been a comfort.