Thinking of getting my dog put down, too harsh??

lynnexxxo

Hi everyone,

I don't post often on this board but would be really interested in your comments. Heres the situation,

We have a 10 year old mongrel who we got from the rescue centre in 2000. In 2001 she broke her hip and had major surgery and at the time we were told she would be likely to get arthritis as she gets older. 2003 she had haemoragic dysentry and was in vets for three weeks with vomiting and bloody diahorrea. At this point the vet suggested getting her put down but I insisted we try everything else first. Fast forward to now, we have two small boys and am pregnant with twins - so her status in the family has fell, as is the amount of walks she gets. I realise this is unfair but thats life.

Anyway she is not very nice to either my children, she growls at then regularly and has on one occasion bit my oldest son (not badly but left teeth marks). Generally she says out of there way but often i have to removed her from the room.

After her dysentry episode she has never really had solid poos which means my garden is a disaster area. Also it means she doesn't get to go to child friendly parks as, apart from worrying about biting, her poos are often unpickupable. She gets only dry dog food and I have peridale from the vets which doesn't work. She will raid the bin and eat whatever she can (plastic, nappies, wipes,crayons anything) and often will steal my childrens dinner. I've tried giving her more dog food so she is not hungry but it doesn't help.

In the last few weeks she has now taken to pooing, practically every night in my boys toy room, even when we are awake and downstairs watching tv.

I am feeling this is the last straw, especially with the new babies on the way I just don't think I can put up with her any more. Do you think it would be wrong to get her put down?

We've looked at rehoming her but funnily enough noone wants a ten year old mongrel who bites children and poos in your home.

LittleTinker

I would seriously think about what is best for her.

Do you think she has any quality of life? Think only of the dog on that bit. If you think she does, but you cant cope with her anymore then you may have to think about rescue.

If she doesnt, then I would have her PTS as it would be kinder.

My rescue dog is 12 now and is starting to lose a bit of use in his back legs and starting to poo and wee a lot more.......hes having trouble with the old prostate I think And he had a broken leg when he was about one.....but that is ok now. He had a big op last year to take a pin out as it was rubbing, but hes ok. And he has quality of life, so I wouldnt think about putting him to sleep at the moment.

But I understand your concerns with the youngsters around.

It really does boil down to if you think she has any quality of life though, or if she is miserable all the time.

Topdogfran

I was going to reply to this, but I couldn't type what I wanted to say.....

lowis

she sounds unhappy. and she will be if she has become overlooked and is not exercised regularly. your post reminds me of a very sad story i read here, from the dog's point of view, a little while ago

if her quality of life is OK then please try to get her into a rescue

i may get shot down in flames for saying this, but it is better than putting a healthy-ish dog to sleep....is she chipped? if not, then maybe you could just turn up at a rescue and say she has been roaming and you found her...don't admit she is yours. rescues try to avoid taking dogs that already have a home.

there are some people here who have more experience with dogs and rescue than myself so perhaps they could advise...Foreign Correspondent, are you around?

wifeforlife

lynnexxxo wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I don't post often on this board but would be really interested in your comments. Heres the situation,

We have a 10 year old mongrel who we got from the rescue centre in 2000. In 2001 she broke her hip and had major surgery and at the time we were told she would be likely to get arthritis as she gets older. 2003 she had haemoragic dysentry and was in vets for three weeks with vomiting and bloody diahorrea. At this point the vet suggested getting her put down but I insisted we try everything else first. Fast forward to now, we have two small boys and am pregnant with twins - so her status in the family has fell, as is the amount of walks she gets. I realise this is unfair but thats life.

Anyway she is not very nice to either my children, she growls at then regularly and has on one occasion bit my oldest son (not badly but left teeth marks). Generally she says out of there way but often i have to removed her from the room.

After her dysentry episode she has never really had solid poos which means my garden is a disaster area. Also it means she doesn't get to go to child friendly parks as, apart from worrying about biting, her poos are often unpickupable. She gets only dry dog food and I have peridale from the vets which doesn't work. She will raid the bin and eat whatever she can (plastic, nappies, wipes,crayons anything) and often will steal my childrens dinner. I've tried giving her more dog food so she is not hungry but it doesn't help.

In the last few weeks she has now taken to pooing, practically every night in my boys toy room, even when we are awake and downstairs watching tv.

I am feeling this is the last straw, especially with the new babies on the way I just don't think I can put up with her any more. Do you think it would be wrong to get her put down?

We've looked at rehoming her but funnily enough noone wants a ten year old mongrel who bites children and poos in your home.

Lynne I would contact your local rescue centre and see if there was any hope of the dog being rehomed

If no luck I have to admit I too would put the dog to sleep, it simply would be unfair on the dog to exist without any attention which in realistic terms you or the family will be unable to give once the twins come along

I also wouldnt feel guilty about it either, life moves on and unfortunately your situation has changed greatly and the health of the dog is a huge consideration for your decision

Goodluck and best wishes
Cate

lynnexxxo

I realise that some of your will think I am the most horrible person alive and the dog came into the family first, but its not that easy. I'm going to have four children and work full time so dog walking is not high on my priority list.

She gets walked, in all honesty 3-4 times a week. My OH occasionally takes her but she more often than not as she does big sloppies on the pavement which are impossible to clean up. Hes not taken her out since christmas when some woman went mad at him for not cleaning up properly after her.

Her quality of life, I don't know, in summer its better as she is out in the garden most of the time. She does have sore back legs but I don't think its that bad.

She is chipped and to be honest I would rather get her put down than take her to a rescue centre. She was in kennels once a few years ago when we were on holiday and the kennel owner told me he would not take her again, he said he had never seen a dog as terrified as she was. I can only assume she was badly treated before we got her. If I take her to the vet and get her put down she wouldn't know what was going on and it would all be over, rather than endure weeks in a kennel.

Does anyone know if the vet would try and talk me out of it? If i build up the courage to take her I really don't want him turning round and not doing it.

hayleyc_2

I would take her back to the vets regarding her recent change in behaviour and pooing in the house in case there is anything medically that can be done. If it's an emotional problem caused by the stress of the children, lack of attention etc then a behaviourist may be able to help you work through the problems.

If you have already made up your mind that you can't offer her a good home anymore then I would contact the rescue you got her from. They (if they're a proper rescue and not a pound) should be obligated to take her back as part of the adoption agreement. They also may have a behaviourist who could give you advice in the meantime.

Failing all that, go to www.dogpages.org.uk and post her on the private rehoming board. There may also be a rescue organisation on there who would be willing to provide back up by doing home-checks etc.

It sounds as though some of her problems stem from the lack of exercise and attention since the kids have come along. Perhaps in a home where she would get one to one attention she may be happy and her medical issues easier to cope with.

Edited 'cos I just read your last post.. could you get a dog-walker? If she poos on the pavement, how about loading her in to the car and taking her to the woods or somewhere like that where it won't matter?

I'm not sure whether the vet will try and talk you out of it, but if they have the best interests of the dog at heart then they should at least talk through the options and tell you if they think she could be rehomed instead.

Also, lots of rescue centres use foster homes so that she wouldn't have to go in to kennels as she gets so stressed.

Hayley

xxlaurissaxx

Go in and speak to your vet. He/she will give you the best advice. xx

Kerriebaby

Hi

I understand that your situ is a bit hectic atm..whereabouts do you live?

I foster and help out for a small rescue and they may be able to help

can you PM me with more details about the dog and where you are based

claireac

Why don't you talk to your vet and see if they can suggest anything? I would say this is your first stop.

We recently had our dog put to sleep due to illness, and believe me it's an absolutely horrendous thing to do even though we were 100% doing it for the right reasons. Our vet was fabulous, she'd treated him for his condition for 6 weeks, and fully agreed and supported our decision. He was a 10yr old cocker and IMT (an auto-immune disease). The house is sooo empty, I can't tell you.

I understand how hard it must be to cope with her problems, but you need to do what's best for the dog.

Failing that, I would speak to the rescue centre you got her from. I think generally they will legally have the right to have the dog back if you can no longer keep her.

mrcol1000

I would contact your local council Dog Warden and see if they collect unwanted dogs. Due to the age of the dog and the agression they will probably put it to sleep. You also will probably be charged but its usually less than what a vet will charge. Also if your on benefits or have money problems they should offer a reduce rate. You will have to sign the dog over to them and you most likely won't be told what happens to the dog.
I know its sad but if the dog shows agression then it will be very hard to rehome it so even if you can find a rescue home that will take it (and most won't because of the agression) then its just going to spend its last years kenneled with the odd walk by volunteers.
If you keep it then your just going to get more and more annoyed with it which will make its behaviour worse and make you unhappy and the dog unhappy.
Your only alternative would be to see if someone will volunteer to take it such as a neighbour or friend but it sounds like you have already tried those avenues.