My dog has been put to sleep (1 Viewer)

[montrealfilmguy]

if you feel like you need any help at all for this,best place on the net i know of is http://ask.metafilter.com/
you usually get pretty good responses from people from all over.And quickly too.
Best of luck.

 

[ChristopherG]

Greg I am very sorry to hear about what you and your "friend" are going through right now. Having been there, I know the feelings you are experiencing. Hopefully, today finds you and your dog in a better place.

Chris

 

[Radioman970]

Been there too... including the weekend thing. Many folks understand what you're going through.
It's never easy. But hang in there. Just keep an eye on him as best you can.

 

[dmiller68]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I have had to do this a few times in my life and it is one of the toughest things you have to do.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Thanks, guys. She is doing a whole lot better today, so I would consider myself guardedly optimistic. She's eating, going outside, following me around. I'm going to watch her and if she continues doing as she's doing now, I'll call the vet tomorrow. I'd just take her in automatically if the doctor wasn't so aloof. I smelled some bug spray outside today so I'm wondering if she got a snootful of that. I know every day I have with her is a lucky one, as most large breed dogs don't live as long as she has. But, if I was granted ten more years with her, I'd want ten more after that.

 

[Radioman970]

Glad to hear that. Eating and drinking is the best thing to see.
It was so up and down with my dog that had cancer. But my senior dog had a very slow decline. I just tried to leave her alone when she wanted to be by herself and give her a hug and a pat when she needed that.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

Glad to hear the good news, Greg. I'm surprised your vet has shown indifference towards your dog as she has aged. Speaking on a purely cynical level, older dogs generally result in more frequent vet visits...so the age of your girl would stand to benefit her financially. Do any friends or family members have a different vet they can recommend? Might be worth looking into a switch if you are uncomfortable with the level of care you are getting. I've been taking my dogs to the same vet for almost 14 years. I followed him around from practice to practice until he finally was able to open his own office. Once you develop trust in a particular veterinarian, the bond is almost stronger than between a person and his or her own doctor.

 

[Greg_S_H]

It could just be that she tells me things I don't want to hear. I don't know. I don't think I'm out of the woods right now. She wolfed down some chicken just now (I usually don't give it to her), but she's been kind of wanting to sleep and be left alone the rest of the day. I think her behavior today wouldn't concern me so much if it wasn't for last night. I'll have to admit that there's the fear of going to the doc and being told we should euthanize. If she's in pain and can't be mended, yes, but I hate the idea of taking her away when she could have just had one night of feeling ill. I do know that the vet wasn't very helpful when my cat was deathly ill. In a span of days, I could feel her bones, and she couldn't even walk across a room without taking a break. The doc gave me some kind of steroidal medicine, which was like torturing the cat to force it down her throat. Like I said, she ended up dying at home a few days later.

 

[Radioman970]

Michael, couldn't agree more about finding another vet. It's a good idea to look up on the net or ask around about the problems others have had with their vets. Stuff like padding the bill with stuff that isn't necessary. I've learned that isn't unusual. ...
Greg, when my senior dog was on the way out, I called my vet that weekend. she'd just had a seizure. the vet told me she probably didn't have long (this is the same vet that pads, but he does care for animals and can be very comforting when you need it...) and would I rather her live her final moments at the vet office or at home. He was 100% right. ...
Best of luck with her.

 

[Paul D G]

Greg - I agree that you should look for another vet. When my dog was diagnosed with diabetes we had a 24hr hotline to call in case there were any issues. Our vet is also open 7 days a week, and we also use an animal hospital (mainly for boarding) that is open 7 days.

My dog, blind with cataracts, fell down the stairs the other day. He got hurt, could barely walk, and couldn't even right himself when laying down. Our vet was able to see him right away and gave us some medication. By the weekend he was doing great.

It's important to have a vet you have faith in, especially when you have an older or poorly pet.

And to Michael_K - I'm sorry to read of the loss of your friend. My dog is doing relatively well, but he's reached the low end of his natural lifespan and we don't know how much time we have left with him. I hope I have your strength and wisdom to know when the time is right.

 

[Radioman970]

BUMPING...wondering how your buddy is doing Greg...

 

[montrealfilmguy]

the same thought had occured to me also earlier this week.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Sorry, I don't want to deal with this thread right now. I appreciate the concern, but that's probably enough of an answer.

 

[Radioman970]

I know what you're going through. I did it twice within a year. I'm sure you're doing all the right things based on what you've already written. Hang in there.
When you do get back I want to recommend a book called "Loss of a pet" by Wallace Sife. Your library can probably get it. I was depressed beyond anything I'd ever experience after my old dog Bear died of old age and I knew Goldie, who had cancer, didn't have long. The book really helped me understand what I was going through.

 

[Paul D G]

I am sad to report my friend and 'first born' Monty has left us. Monty was diagnosed with diabetes six years ago. In a way we'd been preparing for this ever since but it's still painful. He was 13.

We had just come back from vacation and went to pick him up from the vet/kennel. They said his blood sugar was low and wanted to keep him a little bit longer, if that was ok. We came back to get him a little later and he was back to normal. At home he was pacing and wandering as he normally does after coming home from the kennel and finally settled down in front of the tv and soon went into a seizure. I rubbed honey on his gums, which brought him out of it with a bark and a look at me of 'what the fuck was that?!', while my wife called the vet emergency number. While the office was closed he offered to come in and examine him and run some tests. He gave us the ok to take him home and suggested we have our normal vet run the tests in a few days. We said we'd call our vet in the morning and he agreed it was a good idea.

It was a rough night. He'd settle down and sleep for about 90m then snap awake and get really anxious. He'd get up and stumble around like he was drunk, and as the night went on he was having trouble walking. We thought this was the medication. At about 3am I seriously needed sleep so I set up the baby barriers we had in storage and made a nest for him so he wouldn't hurt himself. I slept maybe 90m when my wife woke me up because he soiled the bedding and need to be bathed. He was now unable to support himself.

We took him in to our vet first thing and he said his entire left side wasn't functioning properly anymore. His reflexes were diminished and, when his paw was put the wrong way to stand he wouldn't auto correct. He was no longer able to walk normally. We agreed it was time to say goodbye. We took him home for the day and my wife pulled the kids out of summer camp at noon so they could spend time with him.

As the day wore on Monty became progressively worse. He slept most of the day, with me at his side the entire time. When he had to go outside I had to walk behind him to support him as he walked and held him up as he peed. Due to the heat our lawn is dead so I laid with him under a tree in our front yard that still had green grass. He seemed to enjoy that. It was the only time he really sat up all day.

When it was time to take him to the vet for the final time he was asleep. I don't think he was ever going to wake up again, he just wasn't in there. I cradled his head as he took his last breath and my 10 year old, who insisted on being in the room, called out "I'll always love you, Monty."

I cannot express the heartache I feel. Coming downstairs and expecting to see him sleeping under my desk, waiting for me to get up. Walking in the door, catching myself before I call out "Daddy's home!" Seeing a tiny clump of hair on the mat at the back door... He is everywhere and there is an emptiness inside me. I know it will pass and it will get easier, but that doesn't help when I find a piece of kibble under the kitchen table.

I might be ordering that book, Radioman.

 

[Greg_S_H]

It gets easier with time, but I still think about my Sandy every day almost a year later. It sounds like you went above and beyond with things like the emergency vet, and Monty didn't suffer long. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Paul:

What a loving, beautiful display of affection and respect for your beloved Monty. It is clear you took great care of him both physically and emotionally.

Giving your kids the option to be with Monty during his final hours and spending those special times together under the tree in the front yard and trying to make his finals days as easy as you could all speak to the great respect and love you had for him.

It is such a difficult time--for you and the entire family. These things are only so hard because of the great relationships that we build with our fellow creatures. If times like this hurt a lot it is only because of the great love between us and those we have lost. So seize upon that thought of all the good times and love of the past 13 years--about how Monty was there helping teach your kids as they grew up. He taught them lessons during his life and even in his death. About the great companionship that he provided you. And that unconditional love. There is nothing like it. You gave to him and he gave to you. And that is a glorious thing.

You'll know when the time is right to consider the thought of another dog. Never a replacement for the one who's gone...but just another dog. Some people choose to wait awhile. Every instance is different (as it should be).

As Greg noted above, I, too, miss my yellow labrador retriever, Hudson every day. And he died in 2006. Just a couple months ago, I adopted an 11-year old Golden Retriever whom we have named Brooks. You can meet him in THIS thread and read about that adventure. Brooks doesn't replace Hudson. He is simply another friend that I've met on my journey. I love my new dog dearly.

I will hold you and your family in prayers as you deal with your loss.

 

[Paul D G]

Thanks guys. It gets a little bit easier each day as we try to get back to normal, but the grief sneaks up on me when I least expect it. It's hardest when I come home from work in the morning. We had a little routine that we did together while everyone was still in bed, and when I go to bed because he'd curl up next to my pillow (he was a small dog).

Tragically, the friend of my wife's who looked after our kids while we dealt with the animal hospital lost their dog today as well. Unlike us they didn't get to say their goodbyes.

This has been a really difficult week.

 

[Radioman970]

I might be ordering that book, Radioman.

Your story brought tears to my eyes. I had a co-worker whose small dog was killed by a neighbor's dog recently. He's been down ever since. I hate that I missed when you first posted. I have to figure out how to get new posts to appear on my list on the top. ..for now I'm scanning the list further down to not miss stuff. I have no idea how that works.

 

[Mike Frezon]

James: On your "My Subscriptions" page...select the Activity tab...and then Forums. Then, where it says "Settings" (next to the play/pause buttons (which you want on "play")...click that and put a check in the box that says "Summary View." All recently bumped threads should then come to the top of that list. That's how I surf the forum and it's very efficient.