When to put dog to sleep ? Updated.

tankgirl1

Such a hard decision - when they are part of the family, and loved and treated as such..

My opinion?

Better for those that we love so much, to go a day too soon, with dignity, than a day too late when they are in pain, that they cannot explain , but suffer.........

gordikin

It's a decision that your vet can and should help you with.

CFC

You will know when your dog has had enough because you know your dog best. When the things that give him/her joy no longer do so, or just get a feeble wag of the tail, or when he/she is obviously in pain and unhappy, and the vet can do no more, then you know it's time.
They aren't human, they don't look at it like we do, they enjoy the moment. If nothing makes them happy any more, it's time.

zaksmum

gordikin wrote: »

It's a decision that your vet can and should help you with.

But some unscrupulous vets have been known to suggest further tests and treatments for a pet purely as a money making exercise, extending the suffering of the poor creature.

You know your own pet best.

pixelation

My vet says "Better a week too early than a day too late".
If you can ease her pain she might like to be with you for longer, but dogs do lie to us, anything to avoid being left behind by the pack.
Glucose-amine really does help in the meantime.

Tropez

I think it is a case of just having to make that call when you feel it is time.

A dog that refuses to go for walks in its old age isn't something I would be at all surprised about and wouldn't think about them being PTS based on that. My old whippet, who was eventually PTS, stopped wanting to go for walks when she was coming up to ten years old, instead preferring to run around the garden for a few minutes at a time and spend half the day asleep. Like all my dogs, she had a regular six month checkup at the vets and was healthy, she just didn't want to walk anymore. At 12, she needed medication for arthritis, but still she went on just fine. At 14, however, she became very ill, she couldn't get up herself, she lost a lot of weight (very noticeable in whippets), had symptoms of dementia and lost all interest in things - that was when I decided it was time for her to be PTS. The symptoms developed so rapidly, over a period of less than a fortnight, that I knew that there was nothing I could do for her and so I took her to the vets and said goodbye.

It doesn't mean though that I've never felt guilty about it because I have and part of me still does feel guilty about it simply because I could never ask her whether I had done the right thing for her but purely logically I know that she had no semblance of a life by the time she was PTS.

As for the cost, it will vary between vets but I believe £40-£50 is about right. My vet carries out the procedure for free if you've been a client of the practice for more than seven years per dog and you have at least annual checkups.

Ruffles_2

When all mine have reached the end, I've just known. It's almost like a light has gone out in their eyes and at that point I have made the descision to let them cross over the bridge.

I agree with the previous poster who said she will let you know when she's ready.

We've had a few old and arthritic dogs over the years and have found small but frequent walks is the best thing to do with them. They need to keep moving so they don't seize up and we have adjusted their exercise requirements to what they can cope with.

Hydrotherapy is a good non-weight bearing exercise that can help to build muscle up around the joints which in turn can ease some of the pressure on the joints.

Natural supplements such as Green Lipped Mussel can help in some cases (although double check with your vet that it wont intefere with the medication she is already taking). I've had good results using it alongside veterinary prescribed drugs in a couple of my oldies.

Something else to consider is food amounts. Once dogs get less mobile, it is very easy for them to pile on the pounds which puts more pressure on the joints.

Good luck with your girl, it's never easy when the brain is willing but the body isn't.

MrsTinks

I have to agree with pixilation... rather a week too soon than a day too late...
I often think that when you feel the need to ask "when is time?" that infact IT IS time... Speak to your vet, ask them their oppinion and listen to them. The question isn't "can you" when it comes to extending their life, the question you want them to answer is "If this was your dog... would you?"
I have a friend who's a vet and she would tell you honestly if she felt it was time to let go... That owners often ignore her and insist on a barrage of tests and expensive insurance paid for treatments does bother her when she clearly feels this is not done out of concern for the pet, but out of guilt and sometimes selfishness of the humans...
You know your dog like no-one else will... is your dog happy? Truly happy? I know the day my dog can't chase a ball will be the day we need to say our goodbyes... the day she doesn't try to steal something dropped on the floor of an edible variety she will be at a stage where she is no longer "her" and that is when it is my duty to end the pain and suffering she might otherwise suffer.

hethmar

This isnt a very old dog though is it Can you ask for a second opinion on meds to help her? My lab/rottie was nearly 16 when she went bless her and she had got to the point where she would turn round to come home when we were on walks and sleep or lay down panting all the time. Breaks my heart to think of it as she was still wagging her tail even when the vet came to pts. I think we paid about £150 as it was a sunday and at home. But I wouldnt want to take my dog to the vet surgery for that last injection.

zaksmum

hethmar wrote: »

This isnt a very old dog though is it Can you ask for a second opinion on meds to help her? My lab/rottie was nearly 16 when she went bless her and she had got to the point where she would turn round to come home when we were on walks and sleep or lay down panting all the time. Breaks my heart to think of it as she was still wagging her tail even when the vet came to pts. I think we paid about £150 as it was a sunday and at home. But I wouldnt want to take my dog to the vet surgery for that last injection.

I don't think anyone wants to do that. But you have to put your own feelings second and give your dog that last reassuring cuddle...for the dog's sake.