How will I know when its time to let the pooch go?

wherediditallgo

It's true when people say the dog will let you know when it's time. I had a border collie from about 4 weeks old - he was the runt of the litter, & I carried him home in the palm of my hand. He was always very lively, nearly wagging his tail off in his excitement to go for walks. As he got older he slowed down, so imperceptibly that you'd barely notice it, but then one day you'd realise it was taking him that bit longer to respond to you, to get up from lying down or go up steps etc.

When I left home he was in his middle years - when I went round to visit, I'd ring when I was a few minutes from the house, Mum would open the front door & he'd belt up the road to meet me, licking the skin off my face as he threw himself at me. One day she opened the door & he tried to run but it wasn't the same & it hit me that he was an old dog & really couldn't do all the things he wanted to, no matter how much he tried. He was getting stiffer, his sight was going & he was partially deaf, & he slept most of the day. One day Mum called him - he didn't move, & even when she stroked him he could barely move. She said she felt as though she'd really disturbed him, & when he looked at her it was as if he was asking "Why didn't you just let me stay asleep?" They took him to the vets two days later - the vet took one look & said it was definitely his time, & they said goodbye. I bawled for days when Mum told me.

I've planned to get myself a kitten in January or February, & that's the only part of looking after it that I'm dreading.

Phirefly

Horace wrote: »

What about trying your dog on that food they advertise on the tv - it shows an arthritic dog before and the same dog after eating this food.

That ad should be banned! Had me in floods!

clairey_em

That ad definitely should be banned, it makes me think of our boy and has me in tears every time! especially when something like that is hardly likely so solve the problem!

Anyway, slightly different situation but, we had to say good bye to our lab pup in september this year, due to severe hip dysplasia, despite his parents having excellent hip scores and buying him from a very reputable breeder. He was only 7 months old and would not have held out til he was 1 when his skeleton was mature for the ops that he needed. He took a very sudden turn for the worse a couple of weeks after he was x rayed and diagnosed. He was on alot of painkillers, an injection for his joints and on the day before the vet gave him a morphine type inj for the pain, all to no avail. We reached our decision, the hardest desicion I have ever ever had to make in my whole life, as his quality of life was so poor at that stage, he could barely get up, was obviously distressed and couldn't hold himself up to go to the toilet, a devastating sight.

So what I'm trying to say is that it really depends on the dog's quality of life as others have said. Our pup would look at us as if to say please help me and in the end he was in so much visible pain we had no choice.

I think that you will know when the time is right. As Lady seems to be managing I woudn't make any rash decisions, she'll let you know like our boy did.

Good luck, it's an awful thing to think about,

hugs,

jackomdj

This made me so sad as we are just about to go through the same thing. We have a 12 year old Harrier (a bit like a lanky beagle) who has arthritus (he is also on medication for a stroke he had a few years ago), at the end of last week he started crying a lot when he was moving about & the saddest thing was when we let him out for his bedtime wee the other night he lay down in the rain as he did not want to move! It has happened a few times when he has pulled things as he jumped off the sofa (he has a throw which he goes on) but this time it was more severe than normal & I was so worried I thought he may not make it....I just know it is a matter of time before we have to make that awful decision.

Nicky

elsien

I was concerned about the quality of life with my last dog because she slept most of the time and had lost her get up and go (although she didn't seem to be in pain.) The vet told me that I didn't need to worry until the day the dog stopped objecting to walking into the surgery - he said that would show she'd given up. In the end she got ill while I was on holiday and had to be put down while I was away, which was horrible to come back to, but spared me the decision - I'd told the people looking after her to go with whatever the vet suggested.

~cleo~

you will just know when its time i had to make the same decision with my cat a few years ago its heartbreaking - but you know when the time comes

is she on any joint suppliments (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM etc)

Irony

When you start hoping your pet will pass away peacefully in their sleep.They don't,so don't betray them now.

sandy2_2

Letting them go peacefully and without pain is the kindest last thing you can ever do

faerie_girl

We had our dog for 14 years. He was very fit and lively for all of his life. At about 12/13 we started to notice he was loosing his sight and hearing but he was still quite spritly. Then one day he stopped walking. All his energy was gone and he wasn't eating. We brought his bed downstairs and put his food and water next to it. We knew it was time for him to go. We gave him a couple of days extra love and care but we decided we couldn't let their be a possibility he died without us.
I can see him now, lying on the vets table. Closing his eyes, his chest raising for the last time. But I was their for him. To hold his paw and to tell him what a fantastic dog he was. He saw me through my childhood.

The only regret that i have is i would have liked to have him cremated but my parents didnt want that.

You will know when the time is right. You will see it in their eyes.

R.I.P. JACK
:A
1991- 2005

Kimberley

Yeah like others have said, you will know when the dog has had enough, you just know your dog, like you know when your children are i'll and faking it.

The poor thing, at least she has had a lovely fullfilling life. The decision will be a hard one but you will know when the time is right.

We never forget them. I was 22 when the family dog had to be PTS, he was 14 years old. We didn't want him to suffer anymore so did the most kindness thing we could do and that was to let him go and stop his suffering, because it is hard to know if they are in pain, it's the eyes that give it away in the end.