When is it time?

[crackfoxy]

I've posted before a while ago and got good advice but I'm just looking for some reassurance I guess. I have a 16 year old terrier, blind, diabetic on insulin twice a day, arthritis in back legs that makes him a bit stiff but still mobile. Can't really go out on a walk as gets too tired and finds navigating areas hard.
Over the past few months he has become a bit demented, will forget we're home and randomly bark etc. of late he is getting up in the night 2,3 or 4 times and wandering the house, ends up forgetting where he is and barking. During the evening he is up and down to the back door and barking or pacing around. He is very food driven so when we're cooking or eating he is barking for food and trying to get close to us. We can't go out the house via the front door as the door opening or closing triggers him.

We're all exhausted, no one is getting any decent sleep and we're all getting a bit frustrated, we're considering that it's time to think about euthanasia. But I feel so terrible. I love him so much.

I downloaded a document from cloud 9 vet's - is it time and I'd say he meets at least half the criteria but how do you know?

Thanks for reading

I’ve always gone by the theory of better a few days early than a day late

If you feel that he isn’t getting the quality of life he should be, then it might be time x

Im sorry it’s happening

Thanks @Soubriquet I like that

I was about to also say a day earlier is better than a day late.

Hugs to you, this is the hardest part of having a pet and doing the right thing by them

It never feels like it's time, but sometimes you can let them go on too long without realising. It's such a hard decision, but it really sounds like it's time. You've done so much for him. Don't beat yourself up, it's kinder to let him go peacefully.

It's always an awful decision to make but honestly it's the kindest thing we can do for them in the end.
I too was told the saying better a day too early than a day too late and I stick with this but also maybe try this, when your dog (and also you with the dog as you do matter too in this equation) have more bad days than good then it is time.
Best wishes to you as it's so sad losing them .

Thanks all. Very emotional today as I can't bear the thought of losing him. He's got me through so much in my life and grown up with my kids but I know deep down it's the kindest thing to do I just feel so selfish
X

I'm so sorry, it is the worst thing.

Give the vet a call tomorrow and get him booked in soon and give yourself a few days to spoil him. The vet may be willing to come to you and do it at home.

I kept my last girl too long, which I didn't realise until afterwards, and I still regret it several years later. It's so hard to know when.

I had my cat pts last year. I agonised over when was the right time. In the end i thought he was never going to get better than he was at that point. He was still not in bad health, tbh but was starting to get quite bad arthritis which was becoming harder to treat and if i left him too much longer the vets couldn't guarantee he wasn't in pain. I didn't want an emergency to happen and force me to have him pts in a hurry - he deserved better than that.

So i booked him in with a vet that comes to your house and he was pts while he was snoozing on a sunny warm chair with a belly full of his favorite food. He just slipped away.

I felt that planning such a peaceful end for him was the best thing i could have done to help myself deal with his death. I was in total control of making sure my best friend had a peaceful and dignified end and that was really comforting to know i did my best by him.

Aww,I feel so much for you. I was here last month, my beautiful Beagle was struggling, he couldn't walk, we had to pick him up and put him on the sofa, that was the too late moment for me
I realised I should have done something a week earlier.
He passed away a week to late, yes it was lovely he passed with us on his sofa, with us there, but absolutely it was too late, he was breathing terrible and I so wished now in hindsight I could have took him to the vets a week earlier.
The phrase, a week not early and a day too late is a phrase for a reason, dog parents know 🙏

I feel for you. I was there last year. Since then, I’ve come to feel that it’s time when you start asking questions like this on forums because you already know the answer but either need permission or can’t bear the thought of it (hastily add, I did the same, hoping that someone would say “you’ve got ages yet”. They didn’t).

You can tell how much you love your boy, the kindest gift you can give him now is too let him go. What a fantastic life he has had with you and your family, knowing only love.
I was in the same situation as yourself last year with our best boy, he was 12. I had to make the decision alone as my husband was dying in hospital at the time. I hope can reassure you that my boy had a peaceful death, munching away on chocolate chip biscuits and having cuddles from his mum.

Exactly this. Reading the details in your original post it's clear that now is the time to make that call to the vet, who will I am sure confirm that you are making the right decision. Wishing you peace.

Just an update. We said goodbye to our darling boy just now. Heartbroken. Thank you for your support

So sorry A very difficult time for you all but your dog sounds like he had a loved and great life and is at peace now.

It's the last kind act we can do for them, he was loved and will be remembered.

So upset. House is so quiet. Would love one last squeeze. Thank you all

Oh that's made me cry. I'm so sorry. We've just had our first Christmas without one of our cats and the only consolation is she had a painfree death. It wasn't a perfect last day and I can't go into it but she died in my arms. So much better than my cat before where a different vet let her down and it was definitely two days too late. I'll never forgive myself for that.