How do you know that your pets time is ending?
By addysmum
@addysmum (1225)
Canada
October 14, 2008 4:51pm CST
How do you know when that time has come to make that choice to put your pet down? I hate this point in my pets lives where I am watching them and having to make the choice. My old dog is 15 she is blind, mostly deaf and has a limp from hip damage. It seems like only yesterday she was coming off the ferry to me fighting her leash and handler, barking, looking so strong and shiny. She was 4 when we got her and every bit the pit bull that her former owners said she was. She took no crap from anyone and one look made it clear that was her toy so hands off. From day one she has been my best friend, protector and constant companion. I am dreading the day I have to finally end her troubles for her. I thought yesterday she went in her sleep but I was to afraid to go and look for myself, she normally gets up with me at 5AM but yesterday she didn't fall down the stairs until after 11AM. I was fully aware that she hadn't come down yet but I just didn't want to check if she was alright, I didn't have the heart to find her dead. I am so torn with her, I don't want to put her down, I want her to go naturally but I cannot let her suffer for one minute. I find myself wishing she would just die in her sleep but then I feel guilty for those thoughts, then I find myself on days like yesterday wishing that she would just stay with me longer and then I feel guilty for that.
Have you ever had to make that choice for your animal friend?
6 people like this
16 responses
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I understand what you are going thru, and it isn't easy. The best thing is to do what is in the best interest of the dog. If she isn't in pain or suffering then I'd say it isn't time. My last pet to put down was my 18 year old cat. He was going into heart failure and couldn't catch his breath. He tried to purr or meow as he layed there on the vets table but didn't have the strength. I knew it was time, his eyes told me.
Right now I'm trying to make the same decision you are. My dog is only 7, but the vets told me because of his birth defects he would live five to 7 years old. He turned 7 in August. He has a problem with food, his hips are causing pain, and one eye is developing a cataract. Like you, I'm trying to decide if its time. And like you I don't know if it is yet.
I wish you and your dog the best.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
15 Oct 08
Hi there Sweetie
If she is not in Pain then leave her to go natural as that is the best way, I had to have my previous Dog put to sleep because he had Cancer and was to old to have treatment, it is not the first Pet that I had to make a decision on I had to have a Kitten put down because he had Cat Leukemia, it was awful, but when I had to have Max put down, it was awful, I stayed with him and I held him for a while after he had gone, if he had not been sick and in Pin I would not have had him put down, with her also getting up later, it shows that her time is close, if no pain let her go naturally
I am so sorry as I know what you are going through right now I have been there so many times and it is like loosing a Child, the thing is I know it is going to be really bad for me when my little Fellow leaves me which hopefully is a lot of Years away, but I have a bond with this little Boy that I have never had with any of my Dogs, don't get me wrong I loved all my Babies, I just do not know what it is with Gissi I think it is because he chose me to trust
I know it is hard on you but please give her lots of Hugs and love in this time for her as that will soothe her
Love and Hugs to you
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
15 Feb 09
I would put the onus on the vet. If the vet suggests to do euthanise the pet, yes I would do it. If I think that the animal is suffering a lot, I would not be selfish to keep it living longer in pain. I had to make the choice twice. putting your pet to sleep is really painful.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
15 Nov 08
I would take the vet's advice. They know when their time has come. If they are in continuous suffering and there is nothing you can do than you have to let them go. It's not a pleasant subject to think about but it is part of life. Thank God that you have enjoyed 15 years with your pet. © ronaldinu 2008
@collieluv28 (388)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I'm so sorry you are going through this. It is a tough, tough time. We have an 11 or 12 year-old collie & we are going through this as well. We got her from a collie rescue group (this is not the collie on my avatar) so we don't know her exact age. Before we got her she was hit by two cars. That past injury plus her age makes a hard combination. She can barely get up on her own & she falls down quite a bit. Sometimes she doesn't make it out fast enough to go to the bathroom. Recently she had sores on her back legs because she layed on them so much. We got those cleared up. But she still eats, wants to be with us, will wag her tail & she even initiates play sometimes with our much younger puppy. It's not time yet but everyone tells us we'll know. It's been so up & down with her, the not knowing when but knowing it's coming is hard to deal with. Hang in there.
@RumDaisy (32)
• Canada
16 Oct 08
I have worked in vet clinics and wildlife rehab centres for about 10 years now. And I can tell you that the decision never gets easier. I have had to make the decision for a few of my own pets as well as wild animals which we have tried so hard to rehabilitate.
The best thing I can say is that although it is tough, you will just know when the time has come. When that spark of life that they have leaves their eyes, and you can tell that they are just tired, in pain and do not want to go on.
Good luck
@fpd1955 (2074)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I had a partner for 15 years. She had her cat, which became our cat, for 3 years before I met her. He was almost 18. He couldn't eat or drink without help, mostly from me. He was getting terribly thin. He couldn't see. He would walk around in circles, almost falling down. I told my partner he was suffering so much and we need to take him to the vet and do the right thing for him. She said, "He's my cat and I don't want to put him down!" I had to watch the poor guy suffer for 3 weeks. Finally, one day I came home from work and was searching my house for him. My partner finally told me she took him to the vet. I was devastated that she would take him without allowing me to say good-bye to him. I asked her why she did that and she said it was time for him to go. Ya think!!!!
I still think about him. He was one of the loves of my life. While it was hard for me to watch him deteriorate, it was much harder on him. No animal should be made to suffer like that because it's owner is too selfish to say good-bye.
Bottom line, if he is in pain, not eating or drinking and is having difficulty going to the "bathroom" without your help, it may be time. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing.
PEACE
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
15 Oct 08
It is never easy to choose the time. I have made this decision before and I will only do it when I know that my dog is suffering so much that ending the suffering would be a kindness. Dogs are tough and they will put up with a lot of pain to stay with you. They are loyal and devoted and if she is not suffering in pain then you could well feel guilty if you do it.
I only had one dog die naturally. I remember it like it was yesterday. She went to every member of the family like she was saying goodbye then she went outside and lay on the grass. I went out to see her and she struggled to stay alive while I patted. Then I went inside to tell my family that I thought she was dying and while I was gone she did. She was a lovely dog who was only 7 but she had spent most of her life ill with something. Still I miss her and the others I have lost. I never forget any of my dogs.
@lishen (32)
• China
15 Oct 08
I know you may like pets very much. To tell you the truth,I have never had a pet. But I think I can answer you question.
I think if someone ask you not to keep pets any more ,and the person is very important to you, at the same time you have to make the only choice,it is the time that your pets time is ending.
I think you can do well with this matter and have a good life!
@belk89 (1103)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
We have our dog too that we love so much his name is whity, He was our protector and companion. But at the time he was so sick and couldnt get up we knew he will not last long anymore. Even we wanted him to rest and end his suffering we cant also kill him just to end things. So we waited till it is time for him to die. It really made me sad when i saw him crying in pain. But we cant do anything. It was the saddest day of my life seeing him die.
@dustinnikki (301)
• United States
15 Oct 08
We had to put a dog down one time. She was 14 years old and her arthritus was so bad that the medication she had wasn't working. She used to sleep on our bed every night but got to the point that she couldn't get into bed. She will then always come in the bedroom and sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed. When it was closer to the time that we put her down, she went to an area of the house where no one really spent any time.
I think dogs know when their time is about up and will go away from the family until it happens. Animals can't talk but we knew that it was time because she wouldn't move after she found her spot in the house. She wouldn't even get up to eat. We knew she was in pain even though she couldn't say. We didn't let her suffer like that so we took her to the vet. It was a very sad day and I still think about her even though it's been almost 2 years now. We just couldn't let her suffer even though we didn't want her to go.
It's never an easy decision and I know what you are going through. Just know that your dog will always love you and your dog will never really ever be gone. You can never forget your best friend.
@rgsurrett (12)
• United States
15 Oct 08
In the past month this has come up twice. My daughter has a beautiful border collie "Chainey" that had pyometra, which I had never heard of. She caught it just in time to save her. She had an operation and they do basically a hysterectomy. Chainey is happy and healthy and back to her own self again. Operation was expensive though $1800.00!
Then my little sister's lab "Diamond" came down with Blastomycosis, which one of the vets didn't even diagnose. My sister did research and found out what it was. Poor Diamond had to be put to sleep last night. Diamond developed a lesion and then went blind. My sister worked very hard for a month with him, and last I heard was he was doing better, however last night on a routine checkup for him, the vet suggested that he be put to sleep, as he was 10 years old, his eyes were have to be removed or they could rupture, and he actually was not getting better. The meds for his treatment were these pills he took once a day for 6 months and the pills cost $3.00 a piece!
I myself had to put my Basenji "Ginger" to sleep 10 years ago, and it was a very hard thing to do, as she was getting very old and not able to function as she used to.
Basically it comes down to what is best for your pet and their quality of life, not what you want.
@starryeyes90 (108)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I recently had to have my childhood dog put down and it was heartwrenching. She was really old and had cancer and heartworm and all kinds of bad stuff. She acted like her same old self right up until a couple of days before I put her down. She started moving really slow and wouldn't get up when I called her. Finally on the morning I decided to put her down, she had started to whine and whimper a little. As horrible as it was for me, I took comfort in the fact that I was doing what was right for her. Don't ever feel guilty for hoping that your pet will die peacefully of natural causes. That is the best case scenario. If you do have to make the decision to help her pass on, hold on to the fact that it's what's best for her. If she could talk, I'm sure she would thank you for helping her out of her suffering. Good luck to you.
@staysee34 (94)
• United States
15 Oct 08
Ending the life of someone you love is never an easy decision. I feel for your situation. If she is in obvious pain, I would suggest talking to her vet about a possible pain medication for her. This would allow her to stay home and die naturally as you wish for her to do and at the same time insure you that she is pain free. Most vets have compassion with situations like this and I'm sure that this would be a great solution for you. Also, if going up and down the stairs is difficult for her and finding her at a final rest is something that you have trouble with, you might want to make her more comfortable on the main floor of your home or "rig" a way to get her up and down the steps with assistance. Feeling guilty about your thoughts is very normal in this process. Try not to be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll do the right thing for you and your "family member". My heart goes out to you.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
14 Oct 08
My last cat Smokey whom I had for 17years, got to a stage where she wouldn't eat and had a very strong odor out her, I took her to the vet and he told me her kidneys had failed which caused the odor as all the toxins came through the pors as the kidney were no longer working, when the vet old me she would be a lot pain as much as it hurt me I could not let her suffer, it is one of the hardest things in the world to have to do..
@whywiki (6066)
• Canada
14 Oct 08
There is nothing worse. I was given a kitten as a tip one night at work. He rode around on my shoulder that first night in my taxi and I knew he was special. He spent his first years with me and when I needed a place for him to stay for awhile he went and lived with my parents. My mom passed away and he was my dad's constant companion. I think he was with us for that purpose. Last year his health failed and my dad and I had to have him put down. Life for us isn't the same and I miss that old cat. I also know that he was in pain and the choice had to be made no matter how hard it was on us. My cats are about 14 now and I promised them that when the time comes I will be there for them. I think this is the hardest thing to do. I hope you find the strength to get through this. Good luck.
