How do you decide when to put a dog to sleep?

In My Humble Opinion
21

We had to make the decision about a year ago. Our little foundling mutt was mostly blind, mostly deaf, and had pretty much forgotten she was housebroken. Going up and down the 2 steps from the house to the yard was too much. She didn’t want treats. And she may have been experiencing whatever the canine equivalent of alzheimer’s is. Even tho we knew it was the right thing to do, there was still the niggling fear that maybe we were wrong, but I really don’t think we were. She’d had good years since we’d rescued her literally off our street, but it was time.

It still hurt.

22

When we put Clancy down, he had had terminal cancer (Hemangiocarcoma(sp?) with large tumors on spleen and heart ) for some time. He was still having mostly good days until he stepped in a hole, tweaked his back, and lost control of his rear legs. Though he wasn’t in much apparent pain, he was needing help with basic functions, and even if he got over this, he was quickly going downhill. It was time.

Sheba suddenly quit eating (Rare…food was her great love!) in obvious distress, and having trouble getting up. Pancreatic cancer. We tried to ease her pain with Morphine so Kevbabe could come home and say good bye, but she was in too much pain. It was way past time, if only by a day.

Though saying goodbye was among the more emotionally difficult things I have ever faced, I don’t regret making those decisions even a little bit. They were wonderful companions, and they didn’t deserve to suffer even one more day.

ETA: computer keeps throwing sand in my eyes.

23

Ah… can’t help but can relate. Just put down a much loved cat. In some ways he was going about his daily life as if everything was fine. The day we went to his last vet visit he tore into his scratching post like he was a feisty kitten and pooped/pee’d in his litter box like he had every single time since he was a little puff ball. He ate a good last meal. But…he had always been an indoor cat that longed for the outdoors. On his last two days I let him out…out into the great outdoors that he had long schemed to escape to. He took a couple steps and lay down. That’s when I knew. He was too sick to enjoy the one thing that he always wanted. He had a tumor in his intestines and the tests from the vet confirmed that his kidneys were failing. It was time.

Condolences… be strong, be with him at the end.

24

For Tabby, my cat, it was when she was really her dignity. She’d been having little accidents and started bumping into things. She got very stiff and went off her food. Then came the day she was drinking with her paw in her drinking bowl. That wasn’t right, and I knew she was suffering. I miss her so much, but I couldn’t let her suffer.

For my lovely lab Jana it will be when she doesn’t enjoy things anymore. If she can’t at least attempt a bounce when I say “walkies”, or “where’s your ball”, if she doesn’t proudly bring me sticks or starts suggestively licking her chops at 5 o’clock. She’s still doing ok for now, for an old lady. But please time, don’t move too fast.

Hugs for everyone in this thread. I’ll be needing some fairly soon.

25

This is a great way of looking at it.

A few years ago cancer got my 7 year old dog. I’d been away out of town for 10 days. When I left he was seemed fine, got home on a Tuesday and noticed that his breathing seemed harsh and raspy, took him to the vet on Wednesday - aggressive cancer, thyroid if IRRC which was causing his throat to narrow, but the vet wanted to check to make sure so we booked him in for exploratory surgery on Friday. That Thursday I took him over to my parents place so he could play in their yard with their dog (they grew up together) and then lots of time sitting together, pats, watching TV on the couch and sharing a bag of potato chips :slight_smile:

When the vet called he confirmed it was cancer and at the best, with lots of treatment we could give Flash about 4-6 months of average quality life. He was still under anasthetic so I asked the vet not to wake him.

A good life and an easy death is the best I could give him.

26

Wow Skotie, that was really touching. It made me cry and I’m not usually a crier. Fortunately, my kids are in college so I won’t have to go through what you did. I think you handled it beautifully.

Thanks for all of the stories and advice Dopers, it really helps.

27

My advice would be to have a discussion with your vet about what the dog’s prognosis is and if there is anything the vet can offer.

While certainly nobody wants their dog to be blind or deaf, I do think that dogs tend to cope better with that sort of thing than a human does since they relate to the world through smell so much more than we do and personally I wouldn’t put a pet to sleep just because of that.

I have heard that female dogs can sometimes have incontinence due to hormone-related atrophy of muscles controlling the urinary sphincter, so I imagine that is why the vet started her on the hormone replacement. I do think that incontinence is a major concern from a quality of life perspective both for you and for the dog.

With the arthritis issue, there are medications for pain relief in arthritic animals and I would definitely ask the vet for input about that. Untreated arthritis can be very painful of course but some animals do really well with treatment.

It’s never easy to decide to let go of a loved pet. Just wanted to point out that this is a decision that you probably should weigh with the help of the person who knows the dog’s medical situation best.

28

Damn, I could barely read halfway through before I started blubbering like a baby. Your story touched my heart. I am so sorry to hear about Ojo. What a beautiful and wonderful thing you did for her and your family. It seems like she was very well-loved, indeed.

29

Here’s a link to a list of questions to ask regarding your pet and if it’s time to euthanize them.

Regarding the arthritis, we have our cats on glucosamine supplements, and they have worked wonderfully.

I think one of the most important questions to ask is about Daisy’s quality of life - I’m not sure how good days and bad days figure into that. More bad days than good days means it’s time to do right by her?

30

I agree with this. My decision to euthanize my dear Denver (a cat) a few months ago was made in consultation with the vet who had treated him for some time.

Denver suffered from diabetes, and I gave him insulin injections daily. He staggered around the house like a drunken sailor, due to diabetic neuropathy; but he never stopped trying to live like he always had. But eventually, something complicated the diabetes. He slowed down, lost a lot of weight, and eliminated everywhere (which he could not seem to control to the extent that he could get to a litterbox and was obviously embarrassed by). When I broached the question of euthanasia with his vet, who had treated him and seen him monthly for blood sugar tests and weigh-ins, she agreed that his quality of life was suffering, and that it was probably time.

I’m pleased to say that Denver had a Last Good Day. I took the day off work, and spent it with him, however he wished to have it. We played with his favourite toys–gently, because of his neuropathy–after which he curled up in my easy chair for a nap, which he normally wasn’t allowed to do if I wanted to occupy it (this time though, I used another chair). I made sure that the backyard bird feeder was full of food, since Denver loved to watch the birds; and I placed him on the windowsill, where he happily watched the birds come and go. All day long, kitty treats were dispensed liberally to Denver and my other cats. But Denver and I had lots of fun and love on his last good day. In spite of what happened at the vet’s later that day, I have happy memories of that day.

31

That’s exactly what my parents did when the dog I shared my teens with didn’t seem to enjoy life any more. He was very pampered the whole day before my father took him to the vet.

32

Probably dust. I got some in my eye too.

33

I should have known better than to read this thread on a day I’m in the office. Shesh people!

34

Unfortunately, the estrogen therapy, which was supposed to take 2-4 days to work, has failed to work. Daisy has little control over her bladder, her vision, hearing and ability to climb stairs continues to deteriorate. I’ve made an appointment with the vet on Friday to see if he has any other recommendations but I’m afraid that we’ll use that time to have her euthanized. I’m going to try to make tomorrow as her last good day.

:frowning:

35

{{{**Nars Glinley **}}}

You’ll need that. If it were me, I wouldn’t plan to be productive the rest of the day, or maybe longer. After Clancy was gone, we went for a hike in the sticks, where I could find a deserted rock and sob in peace.

36

Nars Glinley - {{{hugs}}} I’m so sorry to hear it. It’s never an easy decision, but it really sounds like it’s time.

StG

37

Ah, I was afraid that an update to this thread wasn’t going to be a happy one.

Here’s to your last good day, Daisy.

38

You’re a good dog, Daisy.

And you’re a good Daddy, Nars.

39

:frowning: So sorry to hear you will be losing her. You are an excellent pet owner, and I’m sure Daisy has had a happy life with you.

I’m facing the same decision; my 15-year-old pup’s health is better than what it sounds like Daisy has been going through, but she is mostly blind, doesn’t respond to her name or commands, and has lost all ability to be housetrained. Since I live with many room mates it’s not only me who has to take on the significant load of her care, and she ends up spending most of her time locked in her crate. It’s sad to consider putting her down when she still has okay quality of life (she loves to eat, is still spry), but it’s a choice between my well-being and hers at this point. Bleh.

40

Thanks guys. I just got back from the vet. He agreed that it was time for her to be euthanized. He said that if it were just the incontinence that was the problem, he had some other medicine that we could try but that with all of her other issues, it was just her time. The actual procedure worked much more quickly than I had imagined. The vet was very gracious and let my wife, daughter and I cry by ourselves. He didn’t charge us since he was her normal vet. I don’t know if that’s a standard business practice or not but I did appreciate it.

We had a good day yesterday. We took a long walk around the lake and she got to smell everything in sight. I fed her hot dogs and cheese, her two favorite foods. I petted her as much as humanly possible.

Please indulge me as I currently choose to believe in doggie heaven.

RIP Daisy. I miss you.