Do older dogs ever pass away in their sleep?

[ForBrickSnake]

My lovely dog, now 16 has been having more problems as time goes on. He walks for 20mins max (vet said ko more longer walks a few years ago due to back leg muscle wastage). The last 6 months has taken to weeing in the house several times a day even when he's been out. He throws up every week so changed his food. Drinks a lot of water. He does sleep alot. I hope when his time comes he goes in his sleep - I'm assuming kidney disease- anyone experienced this? 🙁

The only way to guarantee that, would be to have them put to sleep ☹️

Is a wondering this this week as our lovely dog hurt both his back legs badly and had to have an operation. Not sure if it will work.I asked around and no one had heard of it happening.

Not experienced myself, but on Facebook groups I’m on, yes they can die in their sleep. Is he still enjoying life, do you think? Has he had any blood tests to determine diabetes.

I'm sorry but it's very unlikely to go suddenly and peacefully. More likely if you ignore signs that you should have PTS, and even then more likely a middle of the night distress visit to vets.
It's a horrible situation but the saying is better a week too early than a day too late. And I have had one dog that I wish so much that I had taken the week before as we ended up rushing in at a crisis point and it was horrible.
Having the vet and peacefully falling asleep in their own home is so much kinder for everyone.
So sorry.

Has your dog been to the vet recently ?

Could he be diabetic if drinking and peeing a lot?

I’ve known dogs who have died at home without being pts. However, each and every one of them had been clearly very sick and suffering for weeks beforehand and the owners were in denial.

It does happen; I know of at least two old dogs who passed in their sleep.

Sorry I should have added - both cases were probably heart attacks. Kidney or liver diseases involve a slower, more painful decline and so PTS is no doubt kinder. I hope your ddog has a good bit of life left yet ❤

Op what's the dogs quality of life like ? the kindest thing might be to intervene for the poor dogs sake ? it's traumatic for you but you have to think of the dogs quality of life or lake of. I would suspect they have diabetes as mine developed it and she was fine for a couple of years we had to inject her with in insulin twice a day but even her sight went and other complications and I had to do the unthinkable but she was ready she let me know that morning she wanted to go.

My brothers dog died in his sleep at an old age (not particularly ill beforehand but definitely elderly). I guess it was heart failure. But having the vet PTS is much more common in reality as most people don’t want their dog having a slow and painful death….

When was the last time you had your dog checked by a vet? I’d want assurances they weren’t suffering now tbh.

I have had dogs since I was a child, now 74, they were all PTS. My last dog but one has kidney disease, she lost weight very rapidly,her coat went from shiny black to dull and scruffy,her breath smelt very strongly of urea, she was almost 18, border collie.

I have been hoping our lab would go in her sleep - she is 14.5. But I’m not willing to risk getting to crisis point wishing for something that is possibly not going to happen when I know what WILL happen is that she deteriorates more and more. Her back legs are going and she is struggling more and more and we are having to lift her back legs to help her up and they sometimes just collapse under her. So we had a conversation with the vet yesterday and are arranging for the vet to come to the house to put her to sleep peacefully and calmly in her own home early next week. It’s heartbreaking and so hard to make the decision but we are doing it for her.

I think you should take your dog to see a vet, appears to be having a very poor quality of life.

I did have a JR that passed away as i stroked him, he just went down hill very quickly.

But all others have been PTS to avoid undue suffering.

unles you re a vet, i wouldn't be assuming its a kidney infection.

Honestly, I think you need to make that decision for him. His life sounds pretty miserable. You have the ability to stop any suffering. As hard as it is, better a week too soon than a day too late.

My lovely crossbreed did, at 16. He did have a heart murmur, but nothing more than that.

Oh goodness. How did she let you know?
Un-mnetty hugs to you, and to OP.

Some dogs do pass in their sleep, but there's absolutely no guarantee that it will happen or that it will be peaceful if it does.

I honestly think the kindest thing we can do for our animals is to have them put to sleep before they're suffering and before it comes to a point where they're in pain and have lost their dignity. They rely on us for so much that I think the least we can do is make sure they have a peaceful end as far as possible.

I'm so sorry, it's awful to think about, but it's so much kinder than hoping it happens naturally - a natural death can be very, very upsetting for everyone involved.

Op I’m so sorry but the peeing indoors, the throwing up, I think he may need help to go peacefully x I’m so sorry to say that

My dog was 14 and she had a very peaceful end. The week before she died she demonstrated some out of character behaviour. She went to a certain part of the garden and lay on the soil. She walked far less than usual. On the day she died she did not want to go out. She lay on the cold kitchen floor. I knew she was dying and sat with her until she passed quietly away. It was about 5 hours start to finish. No crying or whimpering and very even breathing. I think it would have been worse if she died in her sleep. The thought of finding her stiff and cold after dying alone would have been to much.

I agree with this.

Gently, OP, your dogs body is telling you he cannot cope. You need to listen to that.

Hoping he passes away peacefully won’t mean much if he’s spent weeks or months soiling himself and being sick - and speaking from experience, you won’t forgive yourself when you look back on this. I’m so sorry

Please get him checked by a vet and consider PTS. Sounds like he's having a really hard time.

"Natural" deaths are often long drawn out suffering because owners are in denial and don't think of the animal first.

My friends dog did , he'd been unwell ( sorry can't remember details ) had spent a couple of days at the vets on a drip and other medication .
Seemed well enough to come home , but died in the night a few days later .

Our family dog did! She was very old and was starting to pick up the odd issue. One morning she settled between my parents on the sofa and about 20 minutes later they realised she had passed away. It was very peaceful.

My little dog died at home naturally-- he was put on heart medication and had 8 great weeks, then died suddenly. He was 16.

My big dog had kidney failure, same as you describe, throwing up and peeing. We expected her to go for ages but she just hung on. Eventually we had her put to sleep. It was peaceful but awful for us. She was 12.

The main thing that made us do it was that our cat (17) unexpectedly got ill and we dithered. At the point where she was distressed by it, we could not access a vet and so her passing was not as peaceful as we should have made it. I will always carry guilt for that. It made me want different for the big dog.

It is undeniably awful and upsetting for the humans OP. I am grieving the loss of all my little souls. But I know it was the right thing to do for her. I willingly endure the pain and stress of PTS, because it saved her suffering more. She had a good death-- ate cheese, got strokes, and then just went to sleep. For us it is harder.

xxxx