When it's time to say goodbye

angie_baby

Hi

Our 16 year old border terrier is sick and currently at the vets and has been since yesterday morning (saturday) he is on a drip and meds but as of 8am this morning he is still no better and they want to keep him in. 
When and how do you make a call in this he has never been away for the night from family and I feel like this is a stress for him too. I did tell the vets I will go with there decision and I'm waiting for an update this morning from the vet.
Sorry for the rambles I just do not know what to do.

sheramber

You don't know what is causing the problem. It might be simple or it might be more serious.

If he is being sick then he could get dehydrated, hence the drip to keep him stable.

Trust your vet to tell you when it is the better option for your dog.

Terriers are long lived and if he was active and healthy up to now he deserves a chance.  You don't say how long he  has been in the vets but if it just one night that is not necessarily  long enough to show an improvement.

If I am unsure I tend to ask my vet what he would do if it was his dog.  A vet must give all the options but you do not need to take them. 

I did have a case where I thought we had reached the end of the line but when I asked my ver if we were fighting a losing battle he told me 'not yet'. 

 As things worked out we discovered he had unrelated secondary cancer in his lungs so it was then time to let him go.

You need to discuss it with your vet.

angie_baby

Unfortunately he has only gotten worse. He was on maximum pain relief but still in so much pain, he hasn't eaten any food since Thursday. The vet advised us and I made one of the hardest decisions I ever have made. My 19 year ds is devastated and its heartbreaking to watch him experience this he's lost his oldest friend today. 

cymruchris

Then it was the right time. Losing a pet can be as difficult as losing a member of the family. Sorry to hear of your loss, but there'll be plenty of memories (and hopefully photographs) to keep around you all, there'll be a gap in your lives now, but the time may come in the future to start another journey with another dog that needs a loving home. There are many that need one.

cattom

losing a pet can be harder than losing a human loved one. I know, I've been through it on various occasions. and I know that time will come with the neurotic cat who I live with now. all things come to an end.

sheramber

It is the kindest but the hardest thing we can do for them.

 The Last Battle

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this — the last battle — can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close — we two — these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.

— Unknown

gettingtheresometime

You knew in your heart it was the right thing to do & you did it.

I always considered it to be the last act of love I could show my furbaby.

be kind to yourself & allow yourself to grieve as if it were a two legged member of your family x 

Murphybear

I send you loads of sympathy and hugs.  I went through this recently with our 20 year old cat.  People on here were brilliant.

letting a beloved pet go is never easy but hopefully you know it is the right thing to do. 

SensibleSarah

I'm so sorry OP! 
I lost my elderly dog this time last year and although I'm sure she would have struggled on for longer, I knew the time was right to let her go as the maximum pain relief she could have was no longer enough to let her have a good quality of life. It's definitely an act of love to make this decision in their best interests and although it REALLY hurts, it's absolutely the right decision. 
Be easy on yourself and do whatever you need to do to grieve - you've just lost a loved family member. 

For me, this was getting another rescue dog as soon as possible (the same week, in my case) as the dogless house was not doing me any favours and having a new focus was just what I needed - but obviously this isn't the right approach for everyone and we all grieve differently. Look after yourself x

TripleH

Accepting this is an old thread and Op may not be still around.

It has helped my wife and I getting a rescue cat after our eldest one suddenly passed.

Admittedly the rescue was coming before our eldest had her stroke.

Our biological sibling cats have taken longer to adjust to the new arrival but our previous youngest has loved having a little brother.

We now have 4 cats who have paired up as each pair are close in age.

The youngster has been so eager to please and so happy that it makes any sadness hard to last long.