# My dog is on her last legs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 24, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482 "2002-11-24T14:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stentor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Stentor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/1 "2002-11-24T14:51:48Z")
I got a call last night from my mom while I was standing duty. She said that Maggie, the cocker spaniel/black lab mix I grew up with, couldn’t walk anymore. Right now she’s down in our family room, and looks pretty bad. I’m not sure whether they’re planning on euthanizing her or just letting her go naturally. I’d prefer she die naturally, because I don’t like the idea of playing God. She doesn’t appear to be in any pain, although she is rather wasted away. She can’t reach her water bowl without my help. I’m just sort of confused right now. I wasn’t home the last time a pet died, so this is completely new territory for me. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/2 "2002-11-24T15:09:43Z")
that sucks feel sorry for you and your dog ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/3 "2002-11-24T15:21:36Z")
I’m so sorry about your pet - I have owned various pets in my life, and know that seeing them waste away is heartbreaking. They become like family in a way; you interact with them daily, get used to them being there, doing things with you and so on. It’s especially rough when you grow up with the animal, I think, as you have all those childhood memories tied up with them. I respect your feelings in this issue, but I’d just like to put a word in for euthanasia being a good thing sometimes. I have had to put to sleep a few ferrets due to chronic, painful/wasting diseases (like cancer) - and as a child had a dog put to sleep after she had a tumor and had lost the use of her hind legs as well - and although it was wrenchingly hard, I realized that we had in those cases made the most humane decision for our pets. They were obviously not going to get better, and would only feel more discomfort and pain as time went on. Judging the “best” time is difficult, and you can never be totally sure that it was accurate, but if you try to look at it from the animal’s perspective on how they must be feeling, you can hopefully come to a good decision. I had one ferret put to sleep earlier this year - I had thought she would be fine through the weekend at least, but came home from work to see her suffering greatly and obviously barely hanging on. As the vet sedated her to help her be comfortable first, the vet talked with me about pets, and how they rely on us for so much. She was of the opinion that sometimes it is one of the most loving acts of a pet owner to ensure that their pet will not suffer long at the end. Regardless of your family’s decision, I wish you well, and hope that Maggie’s remaining time is comfortable and pain-free. It’s pretty sappy, but sometimes I’d found the poem “Rainbow Bridge” to be a comfort when I mourned a pet - Google for it if you like. Take care of yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Stentor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Stentor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/4 "2002-11-24T16:13:00Z")
Well, my parents made their final decision. They’re going to take Maggie in to the vet tomorrow. I’m fine with it. ---
**Author:** ![Skerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Skerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skerri)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/5 "2002-11-24T17:59:42Z")
**Stentor** , sometimes that is the best way to go. I’m really sorry, we had to have my psycho kitty put to sleep last week because she had lung cancer. (She previously had breast cancer, but a bunch of mastectomies took care of that, or so we thought.) So, don’t worry. Emily the psycho kitty will take good care of your Maggie. (She loved dogs, hated other cats and people.) ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/6 "2002-11-24T22:11:22Z")
I’m so sorry, Stentor. You always know when you get a pet that you’ll probably outlive it, but that can never prepare you for what you go through when the end comes. Hoping for your heart to mend as quickly as possible, but for your wonderful memories of Maggie to never fade, -Christian ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/7 "2002-11-24T22:26:05Z")
sending warm thoughts your way. ---
**Author:** ![Stentor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Stentor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/8 "2002-11-25T21:39:05Z")
She’s gone, my parents took her in this morning. No pain. She was a good dog. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/9 "2002-11-25T21:42:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stentor \* > \*\*She was a good dog. \*\* The best eulogy a dog could have, IMHO. Good night, Maggie. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/10 "2002-11-25T21:47:10Z")
I’m very sorry. Take care, Maggie, have fun bouncing around after my ferrets. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/11 "2002-11-25T23:25:39Z")
i’m sorry. maggie sounds like she was a true friend to you. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/12 "2002-11-25T23:50:52Z")
Sorry, **Stentor** , that you’re losing Maggie. My Chubby will lick her face and love her; she loved everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/13 "2002-11-26T03:02:48Z")
How very sad. I dread that day myself. You have my best wishes. [Killer](http://home.earthlink.net/~paulkmurphy/Killer.JPG) sends her love too. ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-on-her-last-legs/138482/14 "2002-11-26T20:11:51Z")
I’m sorry to hear about your pooch, Maggie. Rusty, Greta, and Bobo send their best, too.