When a Dog dies what do you do?

jockettuk

18 months ago i had to make the awful decision to put my dog to sleep.. had him from a puppy he had been there through all my good and bad times and my daughter had grown up with him around.. i knew he wouldnt last forever and at the age of 17 knew the time was sooner rather than later.. i took him to the vets for his annual check up and she told me he was very poorly and had lumps in his stomach and that he was going to be in a lot of pain very soon. I could see that was already happening. after a chat with the vet i took the dog home and had a chat with my daughter about what is going to happen and in the end she accepted what was going to happen but kept saying so the vet it going to kill our dog.

a week later i took the dog along with a friend for support to be put to sleep . it only took seconds for it to take effect as he was that ill but it still ripped my heart out.. i decided then i wanted him cremated and brought home.. i couldnt bear the thought of him being buried in the garden and me seeing it every day but i could cope with his ashes being scattered..

i dont know how i would have coped if i had found the dog dead in the house or if my daughter had found him that would have been a lot more painful..

time is a great healer but the pain i went through losing him means i wont ever get another dog..Daughter has had a couple of hampsters and they get put in the garden when they go lol

Ted_Hutchinson

While I understand the emotional trauma in finding your beloved pet dead, I feel the convienience of the owner is being put ahead of the best interests of the pet.

Would you rather die in your own home, in your own bed with familiar things all around you or do you personally want to be taken off to die in hospital?

My poor old cat hates, more than anything, having to go to the vets and having to go anywhere in the car. I'm sure also that if there is an afterlife for cats she'd be happier prowling in her familiar territory. So if/when it happens, the vet will come to her and she'll rest in the garden in one of her favourite spots.

PS Some time ago I buried a Labrador and although it needed a fair sized hole, with a bit of planning it's perfectly possible and using her favourite blanket the lowering in and settling down can be accomplished respectfully.

jockettuk

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

While I understand the emotional trauma in finding your beloved pet dead, I feel the convienience of the owner is being put ahead of the best interests of the pet.

Would you rather die in your own home, in your own bed with familiar things all around you or do you personally want to be taken off to die in hospital?

My poor old cat hates, more than anything, having to go to the vets and having to go anywhere in the car. I'm sure also that if there is an afterlife for cats she'd be happier prowling in her familiar territory. So if/when it happens, the vet will come to her and she'll rest in the garden in one of her favourite spots.

PS Some time ago I buried a Labrador and although it needed a fair sized hole, with a bit of planning it's perfectly possible and using her favourite blanket the lowering in and settling down can be accomplished respectfully.

i wish i could have afforded the vet to come to my house to ease the burden of putting my dog down.. if i had done that i would have had to pay a call out fee etc and as a single parent so to speak i could only just afford the fees i had been quoted.. my family paid for the dog to be cremated as i couldnt afford that and i was so upset abt leaving him there.

Bossyboots

We were in this very position exactly a year ago. Each time we went to the vet (and in the end it became a weekly occurence) we expected to be told there was nothing more to be done.

That eventually happened on August 23rd. Even though we expected it, I just could not get the words out to say I agreed. I sat there for 20 minutes, tears streaming down my face opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

In the end, we had to let him go and it was all very peaceful. The vet then arranged for him to be collected by this firm http://www.willowhaven.co.uk/ and just over a week later we went back to collect the ashes from the surgery.

I had said we would not keep his ashes but in fact we do still have them.

Davidboy

I would like to thank everyone for their kind replies and suggestions, and as a family we make that right choice when it arrives.

However, I am really upset by the callous and hardhearted MSE person that has moved this thread.

My dog is neither an "it" and I do not want to "do it". I purposly started the thread in Family things because that is what she is, a valued member of my FAMILY, not an IT. I would like an apology please!!

Ember999

Davidboy wrote:

I would like to thank everyone for their kind replies and suggestions, and as a family we make that right choice when it arrives.

However, I am really upset by the callous and hardhearted MSE person that has moved this thread.

My dog is neither an "it" and I do not want to "do it". I purposly started the thread in Family things because that is what she is, a valued member of my FAMILY, not an IT. I would like an apology please!!

I totally agree Davidboy,

My heart goes out to you. You dog is part of your family as my cat was part of mine. In no way is any animal an 'it' disgusting!

!!!!{Hugs}}}

Ember xx

jockettuk

what surprised me abt it being moved its what are you supposed to be buying???? and as for doing it .. thats the thing you dont want to do it as its heartwrenching..

you go for it and demand your apology

Becles

Sam, my beloved border collie suffered from leukemia last year, and there was nothing they could do to treat it. There is a pet crematorium locally and they would have collected his body had he died at home. I'd already decided he was too big to bury in the garden.

However, the vet suggested it would be kinder to put him to sleep before he suffered. His red blood cell count was dropping each day, and the vet said he only expected him to live 1-2 weeks longer at most and his quality of life would rapidly get worse. Made the decision to take him in and have him put to sleep.

We had a quiet afternoon at home playing with his toys (he loved to play!), then I took him in at the end of that evenings surgery. He had his head on my shoulder and cuddled in as they put the drugs in his leg. Honestly - it was so peaceful and he just fell asleep and died in my arms. Just so glad he didn't suffer and his last memory was having a hug of his "Mammy" - he loved his hugs! His body went to the crematorium, but I didn't want the ashes. Just got my memories, photos and his collar which is enough for me.

Was very close to him and still not properly over it. In tears typing this, just thinking about him. I vowed I wouldn't get another dog, but 6 months later, I became the proud owner of Bob in my avatar :rolleyes:

zodiac

In keeping with the strange and morbid question (and yes, very upsetting, I cried when my goldfish died - I hate to think what i'll do when the dog and cat goes. Im also sorry if anyone finds my question upsetting but rather then make a new thread I throught that i'll keep it in, the in keeping thead)
Can you request an autopsy on an animal that had died during the night or in an accident to find out how/why it died? (I dont mean animals that have been put to sleep)

Pink.

Hi Davidboy,

I am really very sorry to hear that your dog is nearing the end of her life and I can fully empathize with your feelings that you consider her to be a family member.

At the moment there is no pets board on MSE as it is primarily a moneysaving website, therefore, it is difficult to know exactly where threads about pets should be placed.

As board guides we are here to assist in the smooth running of the boards. I am certain that the board guide who moved your thread did not do so for any callous or hard hearted reason, but simply because they felt that your thread would be better placed here.

Pink