Dog ethics question: When do you call it quits?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Had a consultation and follow up exam with my vet… (did I mention she is pretty darn
awesome?)… Next trip down this road is the last trip…

So for the next time we have our “emergency” kit of pain killers and a few tranquilizers until
we can get her in for the final bit, or get somebody to come out…

If the tumors just get big and pull off, and bleed out internally like these last 2 times, we could
get another year… If they start digging into stuff and screwing around with organ function, could be a whole lot less.

We shall see, I’ll be sad, but not devastated. She’s still happy, chasing bunnies, and birds and barking her fool head off at the trash truck. Still raiding the trash and licking the cat food cans…

I can’t complain, things have turned out much better than I thought they would so far, so when it takes another down turn, I’ve already been there, won’t be so bad.

22

It’s sounded to me like you’ve had your head in the right space all along, but I’m glad you were able to sound things out here and make peace with what you were thinking. It will still be damn hard when the time comes, but your pooch will be all the better for it when you’re able to recognize her quality of life goes downhill enough to make the call. Thanks for that.

23

One of our pugs went back in 2010. He wasn’t even 4 (he had some sort of degenerative condition with his kidneys that didn’t allow him to process proteins very well. Making meals for him during the last few months of his life was, as my wife put, like putting a chemistry experiment together). Died in the evening. I can still remember what his dying cries sounded like. My wife was crushed but as someone pointed out at least “The Decision” was taken out of our hands. We have two pugs now and I’m not looking forward to the day that we have to make “The Decision” for either of them. Fortunately they’re pretty healthy and will hopefully last a while. But when the time comes I think we’ll know - and I’ve read this elsewhere - to have the deed done when we can’t bear to see them in pain any longer. I think that’s the key. Not doing it when you think the timing is best for you, but when it’s best for your pet (granted, there’s only so much you can know, for sure, given that your pet can’t talk to you).

24

OmG I read something about this just the other day in my local newspaper. Something about a veterinarian who goes to people’s houses for this very thing and for those very reasons because she worked for years in a vet’s office and saw how terrified the poor creatures were when coming in for what turned out to be the last time. Good advice, it looks like.

25

4 months later and Daisy Dog is gone.

Something pulled off inside (a f’n tumor again) and she was bleeding
out internally…

Last Friday night she couldn’t jump up on the bed, and then Saturday morning she was a bit sluggish… I was going to go with the little lady to help her set up her
classroom, but told her I was going to stay home with the dog…

Not sure if I won that battle… I hate putting stupid stuff on the walls in a class room, but I would have been much happier if my dog was happy…

Daisy popped back that afternoon, ate a bunch, got up on the counter and
swiped a cat food can, then she kind of turned south…

We brought her in to the emergency clinic, after I procrastinated for a while…
We had her drugged up good, she wasn’t feeling any pain…

At the clinic, the doc on duty was the doc that had dealt with Daisy’s sister years ago… She knew me and she knew Daisy, so that was good… She was the one
that had fixed Daisy… I was surprised she remembered us, it had been a long time…

I got a little pissed at my little lady… She told me we could do another surgery… We had discussed this, and we were on the same page… I was pissed for about 2 seconds, and then realized why she said that… She didn’t want to see me or the dog hurting…

So Saturday night at the emergency clinic… Daisy perks up, walks well, wags her tail… Tail in “happy stance”… Just a fever… ??? OK… infection? So we go home with antibiotics and more pain meds…

I sleep, because I was just flat out wiped form a long week. The little lady stayed up and dog sat… I got up early to pee, Daisy wasn’t doing good.

The fever had gone to cold and her belly was getting full… Bleeding out…
We hung out with her for a few, tried to get some pain pills into her, she wasn’t having any of it… When she got up and stumbled into the back of the closet… It was time.

Ever get a 100lb dog up off the floor that doesn’t want to/ can’t move? It hurts… A sack of potatoes, no problem, I can’t hurt the potatoes…

Back to the clinic… They were as nice as could be… Laid out a blanket on the floor and everything (I hate vets that will only work on a table)…

“take as much time as you want” I hate that…
“How about another couple of years??? we’re here for a reason,
lets do this”

We of course brought the little dog… She knew what was up. She just
snuggled up against Daisy’s back and laid there… Didn’t move or flinch,
just kind of looked as they were putting the IV in Daisy, even though people were
stepping over her and putting their foot in her belly… Daisy had of course crashed out in a corner… So we had my fat ass, my litttle ladie’s awesome ass, the little dog and Daisy (fat ass) all squeezed into a little corner, while 2 people were trying to take care of needles and things(the IV) stuffed even further into the corner…

After a few, the vet came in and did the shot sequence, squished into the corner of course… Daisy was gone really quick… She didn’t move or flinch or anything.
Her breathing was already shallow at that point, I didn’t even notice it had stopped.

Again “take as much time as you want”…

The little dog did her sniffing, the little lady and I said our good byes and off we went… Left Daisy there for the night while I dug a big ass hole… They have a big freezer, I don’t… And it was HOT.

I buried her in the circle in the driveway… While I was finishing out the hole, the little lady went around the corner to the garden place and bought a big ass rock…

Its nice as far as rocks go… They delivered it yesterday… About 1700lbs…
I’ll finish that area out as a nice little rock garden, and make a nice little stainless
plaque(when I get a little time)…

So, the whole thing SUCKED… The good things… Daisy was up and about and chasing rabbits on Friday afternoon, at the clinic Saturday night and put to sleep
on Sunday morning.

I question weather we should have pulled the trigger on Saturday night or not,
but she got to hang out a little longer and she was doped up good… She may
not have been feeling good, but she wasn’t feeling any pain… I think that is my only regret.

Daisy and the little dog (Ginger) when she was actually little.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/7066327197_dc4db32ab5_b.jpg

The “rock”… And yes, the desert actually does look that crappy naturally.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/14828296346_bb3f733ab5_b.jpg

26

I am so sorry for your loss. Words are useless. Take time to heal, think about getting another. You need them, they need you. Peace to you.

27

So sorry for your loss :frowning:

28

From the first bleeding tumor, when I was told I’d be doing good if she
made it to the next morning, lucky if she made the end of the week and
really lucky if she made the end of the month… I’ve had 21+ months
of bonus time.

Daisy had 21 months of “bonus” time… she was happy, appeared healthy, chased
bunnies, barked at the garbage truck, ran like a nut case, chased lizards, barked at the train, got to go for rides, stole many many cat food cans, and got to sleep on the foot of the bed for approximately 630 extra days…

I was lucky, sort of, she could have not had massive amounts of cancer… But when she did, I got lucky, and she stuck it out for far longer… Seeming healthy and enjoying life, than she “statistically” should have.

When Daisy first got sick, we talked about getting another dog, to keep the little dog (Ginger) company… When we got serious about it, talked to the shelter and started looking at craigslist and what not… Another dog showed up on my doorstep…

When I lost Daisy’s sister years ago (tiny kidney’s), it took a while for me to want another dog… I contacted the no-kill shelter, and BOOP, there was Ginger on my front step… About 9 weeks old… Her mom and sibling totally abandoned her. I’m not sure if it was a set up, or if Ginger was smart enough to realize that Daisy was well fed, and Ginger wanted some of that… “screw mom and the sibling… That dog is fat, it gets food, and I want to be here”. I also made the mistake of giving her some smoked pork, and now she won’t leave.

I’ve still got plenty of dogs, 2 is enough for now… If I only had one left, I would
look for a second, and the way the universe works… It wouldn’t be a week and another would show up on my doorstep…

29

The universe sends some people pain.
The universe sends some people pleasure.
The universe sends you DOGS.
I like your universe.

30

I am sorry Daisy had to go. It sounds like she had a good life with you–and a good death with you. She had all the people she loved, and the little dog with her, she didn’t go alone.

May the universe send you another dog when the time is right–the universe must know dogs are safe and happy with you.

31

We had to put our Sadie to rest at the end of July, and we are hollowed out.

I am sorry it is so hard for you – for us – for everyone left behind, really.

But knowing Sadie, having her in our lives, was worth this pain. May it be so for you.

32

I’m so very sorry.

33

I’m sorry about your girl. We put down two of ours since you started this thread, about six weeks apart, and yeah, there is absolutely nothing about the entire process that doesn’t suck. Except for the knowledge that you’re doing the right thing, and that’s pretty cold comfort.