Dog sitting in own faeces

[BlastedPimples]

So six mornings out of ten, I am coming down to my dog (aged 14) sitting in his own mess, unable to get up himself.

I pull him up and hold his legs steady until he stops scrabbling about and get him outside for his wee wee and to wash him clean.

He still enjoys his food but if he's lying down when it's meal time, I have to get him up again in order to eat. As in pick him up, steady his legs and set him in front of his bowl.

He doesn't go on walks anymore. His legs just can't cope. But then I see him managing the long, low steps in the garden.

My vet says they have good days and bad days. It's old age etc.

But when is it right to put him down? He just stares at me when I find him sitting in his poop and I start to prepare the cleaning products etc before I take him out. He literally can't get up.

Honestly his quality of life sounds pretty rubbish and the fact he can't stand up and move so he's just left sitting in shit is just heartbreaking. Please do the kind thing and ring the vet this morning to arrange putting the poor lad to sleep.

Vets generally won’t recommend it… there are quality of life tests you can do online but his sounds pretty crap, and I would let him go

This cannot be real. You KNOW the answer to this. Poor thing

Yes, it's heartbreaking - I have been there - but this is not kind

I don't leave him sitting in his own shit. As soon as I find him, I get him up, out and cleaned up.

But I too think it's his time. It's so hard, these big decisions.

This was always my cue for the call to the vet for a final visit.
My dogs have always just got very old and incontinent. Vets have always been happy to call time, some have offered a plethora of tests before hand. However, there’s no cure for old age. I’m so sorry.

Honestly - when to PTS is today. This is about HIS quality of life and he doesn't sound as if he has much anymore.

It's time, OP.

I always tell people to think of it like this: remember the dog you knew 18 months-2 years ago. Chances are that dog ran with its family, ate with gusto, scrounged like it was going out of fashion and was the feisty/happy dog you'd known for years. Now? It sits in its own excrement and can't walk.

You do not want to be in a position in 2-3 years where you look back at this and think 'God, why did I make him suffer for so long because I couldn't face loosing him.'

Dog ownership is about putting the dogs wellbeing/life first and your own wants/needs second.

I'm sorry - it's heartbreaking to say goodbye. But I'd give the vet a ring today, don't draw this out any longer and make him suffer.

Edit - a few typos (not enough caffeine yet!)

You're not deliberately leaving him sitting there but he can't move and you've no idea when he actually did the poo so no way to know how long the poor lads been sitting there.

Please call the vet today, you need to put him first and I know it's difficult to make the decision but he's not going to get any better and prolonging it is not fair on him.

I don't believe in the good days/bad days scale. Why would you want him to have any bad days at all ? If the dog is old, in pain, relatively immobile and sleeping most of the day, is a moment of light in his eyes when he sees you enough to ask him to keep going ?

I think that when you start to question whether it's time, that in itself is a strong hint that it probably is. They might recover from an illness but they don't recover from old age.

Doubt is normal but regret is worse.

The time to pts was probably 6 months ago, I'm sorry to say.

It's not dignified for a dog to be going through this - yes it's hard but you have to let him go OP, sorry 💐

I'm sorry Op. It's really tough

My dog is 12 and is visibly slowing down a lot. Takes him longer to get up, sometimes doesn't bother. He is still fairly active and plays with the dc, but I know if he starts to stuffer it would be time for me.

Oh love him. It’s such a hard thing to do, but if he can’t get up and he needs to be held to eat and can’t go in walks. It may be time, I know some people decide to keep them going a bit longer (many on Instagram etc) but it’s a full time job and very hard going lifting, cleaning, ferrying them around in a buggy. It’s really hard to give them quality of life.

My vet suggested it to me, right after he removed a lump from my dog for the best part of £2k. He has arthritis, but gets up on his own, goes outside to toilet, eats unaided, can manage a 20 min walk. When I pointed out he had just operated on him, he rather quickly apologised.
They do have good days and bad days of course they do, but when the bad outweighs the good, when they don’t play, can’t get up, soil themselves, stare in to space,
can’t eat or drink unaided it’s time (I think- like it is for us humans but we are left to linger). It might be time to release him before he loses his dignity. 🌷

Thank you all.

I left message with the vet to arrange an appointment.

You’re doing the kindest thing for him. It really is time now. When I’ve had to make this heartbreaking decision I’ve tried to look at it as me taking on the pain and suffering and by doing so relieving her of it, if that makes any sense.
There are worse things for an animal than a swift, painless death.

Stay strong for him.

Its passed time…. Its so hard, do right by him

Deep down O/P knows it's time but it's so hard to do it .

And we let humans live like this too but that's another thread for another day . Time to let him go over Rainbow Bridge he had a good life now let him have a good death x

11.30 on Friday morning. I feel sick. What if he's ok given he loves his food? And drinks water? And once I get him going, he walks ok, v wobbly but ok?

Hugs OP. It's one of the hardest decisions your ever have to make. My little dog is 15 and I constantly have the worry in the back of my mind. If I was in your position I think it would be time to say goodbye.xx

I am so sorry but i think it is time and waiting until Friday is probably not a great idea, you are prolonging the agony for both of you (which I do understand).
Its the last act of love for your wonderful dog and he wont have any idea what is happening, it will be awful for you but not him.
Whatever you decide and whenever you decide I wish you the best x

Better a day too early than a day too late.

Even if he picks up temporarily, you'll be doing the right thing by him with the appointment on Friday.

Sending you hugs.

OP as much as it's going to break you, it's time and you've made the right decision.
Don't waste any more time on here, even if you're hoping that one person might come along and say it's too soon. Go and enjoy your lovely boy for the time you have left. Cuddle him, feed him ham or sausages or whatever treats he likes. Tell him how much you love him and take him to the appointment knowing you're doing the right thing by allowing him to pass with dignity in the arms of his favourite person.
It's the last act or loyalty and love we can show to our beloved pet.

It's time. Give him his best day ever tomorrow and tell him you love him x

I'm so sorry, I can't imagine. The right thing to do though x

He's not ok though lovely he really isn't and the very best thing you can do for him is give him a dignified end to a happy life. It's horrible for us but the kindest thing for them and at the end of the day the wellbeing of the animals we take in should come above our own wants.

Enjoy every minute of him between now and Friday spoilt him rotten and give him lots of fuss and yummy food and know that when the time comes you've put him first and done right by him.