First, let’s clear this up right now so I don’t have to deal with it:
I have not one iota of feeling(s) for pets. There is no emotional attachment. My wife and I are tied at “0” on a scale of 0-10, wherein “0” is the absence of all feelings, and 10 is for people who would tongue lick their dog’(s’) asshole(s) clean while carrying the animal shit in a plastic bag w/ a smile on their face.
We own a 13/14 year-old Bichon-Friese/Whatever.
At this age el doggy…
-craps and vomits all over the place
-craps and vomits in his crate
-winds up in his crate because he has a bad temper he never had before
-winds up in his crate because he craps and vomits all over the house after being kept in the house because he wanders the neighborhood and stands in front of cars/trucks that he used to run from
-when leashed/curbed outside, yelps/whines to the point that people complain
There is nothing that can be done with this dog that doesn’t have a downside.
He’s now fond of rolling in his own feces when he manages to take a dump in a place other than his crate (new trick). That place is not outside. Walk him on a leash before work, he doesn’t pee or defecate. Wait… wait… walk…walk… wait… HAVE TO LEAVE FOR WORK… ahh… dog vomit and crap in the crate… or the house… etc when we get home.
We want to put the dog down. So, who makes the call? The Vet? The owners? How does this whole ‘put the dog to sleep’ thing work?
Seriously, we don’t know how this works, and people that I asked are appalled that we ask, and then they all talk about everything from long-term doggy hospice to every possible option except putting the dog down. The dog isn’t rolling around in pain from doggy cancer or anything.
First of all, those other people are idiots. Your dog obviously has no quality of life and even you obviously can perceive that.
You call the vet. "I would like to put my dog down. " The vet may or may not ask why. If he asks, tell the truth “the dog is constantly ill and disoriented. I don’t think he has any quality of life. I think it is best for him.” You get an appointment, you take him in, it’s done in 10 minutes. Clearly, you won’t be crying over it, but you gave the dog a quiet end, and, IMHO fulfilled your minimum responsibility to him.
Better that than what some people will tell you “Oh take him to ASPCA to get [del]put down by someone else[/del] adopted.” THAT is some bullshit.
Just wondering if the dog has been to the vet - extreme changes in vomiting/defecation and temperament can be signs of serious illness but might be treatable.
As an alternative, have you considered handing over the dog at an animal shelter? This is assuming the dog otherwise seems happy - I can’t be sure from the OP.
In the cases where I’ve had an animal put to sleep, there have always been serious health conditions without much hope for even extending life for much longer. However, my father-in-law got his vet to euthanize a perfectly healthy dog by lying about its behavioral changes, just because he didn’t want to bother caring for it (no pooping, etc., issues; it had just inconvenienced him) any longer. Your vet’s standards for euthanasia may vary; call and ask.
Thanks… maybe I do have some basic feelings… but overstated the point to drive home that this won’t be hard to do for us.
I just have this fear that the vet will spot me as some heartless owner who just wants to get rid of an inconvenience, when I can actually see the dog’s real lack of a quality existence. I actually feel bad for dogs that live in misery because their owners can suck it up and euthanize them.
The vet won’t decide for you. It is your decision. He or she may refuse to put down an obviously young and/or healthy dog, but your description doesn’t match that. A vet may give you some advice, but in my experience they are very non-committal about the decision. They deal with euthanasia all the time so it won’t be a big deal for you to at least go in for a consult.
I feel for you. I’m a dog lover myself, but their lives can really shitty around that age, and it is no small matter deciding to put them down. But sometimes it is best to put everyone out their misery, the dog and your family.
No, I understand that - if an animal truly is miserable, you need to do something. One of my vets called euthanasia one of the last kind acts an owner can do for a beloved pet. My inlaws also had a dog that they let live for far too long. The dog had various health problems, and I’m not sure what one it was that caused a stink in their house, like many unwashed dogs in the sun with a little hint of decay. This dog was practically dragging himself around, and they were too selfish, essentially, to admit the dog was miserable and that this needed to end.
So, this is what I have to look forward to with my 9 year old Bichon, eh? Lovely. Especially since we are pretty much doggy asshole lickers at our place.
Sorry… not sure if the behavior is Bichon-specific, but it’s not the way he was. Used to be just a good ol’ dog that didn’t have the daily routine described above that crept up on us.
My Bichon had a serious bout of pancreatitis at around 4 years of age that resulted in many of the same symptons. Vet care and a careful diet and he has been good for several years now. Could be anything with an old beastie like yours, but it might not be a bad idea to have the vet do a once over before you make the final decision.
Whatever the outcome, I wouldn’t worry over it too much. Euthanasizing a suffering pet and dealing with your own emotions is far better than leaving an animal that can’t articulate its needs to suffer so that owner doesn’t have to emotionally.
You may be stoic, but I can’t imagine anyone living with a bichon and not getting a little attached to the critters. My condolences and best wishes in this time of tough decisions.
Well, our last dog was a Yorkie, and she developed pancreatitis at age 7. With diet, etc. she lasted till 12 when we got her euthanized. So, it’s not a Bichon thing. I think it’s more common in small dogs though.
I talked to a woman in the Vet’s waiting room once who had a four month old dog she brought in for euthanasia. I assumed the dog had some horrible congenital disease. Nope. She bought the dog and after a month decided owning a dog wasn’t for her.
I suggested that maybe someone else might give the dog a home. She told me she had investigated that alternative, but nobody would pay her $1200, and that was what she had paid for it. No way would she give it away for free when it was worth $1200!
We made the decision to put our 15 year old Greyhound down a few months ago. She wasn’t anywhere near as bad as yours, but we could see something like that coming. Both my wife and I thought it was more humane to put her down then, rather than wait until it got worse.
No problem at all from the vet - we know the quality of life for our dog better than he does/did.
I find that almost impossible to believe. If money was so important, why spend the couple of hundred dollars instead of giving the dog away? Now she’s out $1400 or so.