At what point do you choose to put your dog down? (1 Viewer)

[schan1269]

Don't know about anyone else here, but...When a pet reaches the end, it actually makes you feel better for doing the right thing. I put down a 17yo Maltese and a 1yo cat a week apart. The dog had cancer, it caught up, we ended his life the day after he no longer wanted popcorn(the dog went nuts for popcorn). The cat was outdoor and had gotten into something swelling her lymph nodes. We found her laying on our porch weighing 4lbs. She had weighed 8. She purred till the end and her last movement seemingly was relief in the form of pawing at my goatee(which she did as a bottle fed kitten).Each pet is different. Sent from my LG-P769 using HTF mobile app

 

[Sam Posten]

Good luck with your decision and welcome to HTF. Hope we have been some help here, I concur, take the pet to a vet and make the decision based on QOL and not convenience!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I have a ten year old cavalier King Charles spaniel, she has diabetes, has one eye removed and is blind in the eye she has left, she sleeps all day but occasionally gets up and wags her tail and seems fine for five minutes then falls back to sleep, she is now having slight fits when she's sat up and lasts for about ten seconds each time, is also bumping into furniture a lot and has now started to loose bladder control and pees in the house and is yelping at four in the morning to be let out, really unsure whether she's in pain or is content?

Jemma:

Welcome to the HTF.

This is one of those crossroads every pet owner comes to in their lives. All the best to you.

You have already received sound advice from some of our members. I will just reiterate the notion to consult closely with a veterinarian as you go through the process. They will give you the support and guidance (and wisdom) you need as you travel this particular journey.

Also, please note that I moved your post into an older thread on the same subject. Besides keeping things tidy on the forum, I wanted to let you know that you are not alone in making this sort of decision. many of us here have gone through this and have discussed it in this very thread. It sometimes helps to read other people's thoughts on their own, similar, situations.

And here are two more threads I recommend:

My Dog Has Been Put to Sleep

I've Got a New Dog! (This one chronicles my own process to adopt a dog. At the center of it is an 11-year old Golden Retriever whom I only had less than a year before he succumbed to cancer).

There is LOTS of good reading (and images) in these threads...especially for dog lovers.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy Tennison I guess the real personal dilema is why am I considering this? Is it for his sake, or ours?
It's for yours.One of the biggest misconception people make about pets is that they view life in the same way humans do. They simply don't and as such they don't have the same standards to apply to the "quality of life" argument.Ultimately from the facts presented in the original post your decision boils down to one simply reality, what is best for me.

Forget reality and look beyond your own needs, let the dog live a little longer, it deserves to live and i do not agree with this post i quote.

 

[TonyD]

Its been 7 years since I posted about us putting a dog to sleep.That was the last time we had to do it.We have a 16 yaer old female pom named G.G. who about a month ago had a serious series of episodes.I woke up to find her on the floor not breathing and twitching without control.I was able to get her to stop but within a few minutes it started again.It stopped but while I was on thephone with the emergency vet, she started a third time.This lasted the longest, the 25 minute drive to the hospital.When I first took her in the emergency I really thought she was dying because these seizures were terrble and I didnt see how she would come out of it.After they calmed her they brought her out to me and I didnt expect her to make it through the night as bad as she seemed.I had to make a decision, so I sat there for at least an hour contemplating on what I should do.My wife was away and I couldnt get to her on the phone so I was on my own.I decided to leave her there for the night and see how she responds.After i picked her up, She was only better in that she was no longer having those episodes.I took her to the vet first thing in the morning.She stayed there for 4 days and these were about the worst 4 days I can remember.She improved greatly at that point so we took her home.We found out that her pancreas doesnt produce enough glucose so basically she is hypoglycemic. We started her on a diet that includes sugar in her food and sugar water as a supplement several times a day.The first two weeks I had to feed her every three hours to get her blood sugar levels up and regulated.It took three weeks but she got almost back to normal or as normal as a 16 year old dog can be.She has had a rough last few years.She lost an eye 2 years ago to infection and her other eye now is completely clouded over although she still can recognize me and my wife.Last week she had another episode we now knew it was related to low sugar so we forced sugar water on her and she came out of it.Problem is these episodes are very harrowing for her and at her age it is a shock that she lived through it again.What makes it more amazing is she has a slight enlarged heart and a slight murmur and takes 4 pills a day for that.So while she is recovering again these two events have taken a toll on her and it is starting to show.While she doesnt appear to be in pain she clearly is showimg signs of having had enough.This has taken it's toll on me as well.Since I'm afraid to leave her alone I havent been able to spend much more than a few hours out of the house and we bought a baby camera that we can use to see her when we go out.I still dont really get much sleep because I feel like I need to keep a continual watch on her to make sure she is okay.We have spent much more then we probably can afford during this and probably wont be able to spend much more.So while she is relatively ok health wise it is starting to come down to quality of life for her and me.Just needed to get it off my mind. I'm exhausted.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Tony:

I feel horrible for your dilemma.

I would never venture to give you an opinion on what-to-do. That's all on you and your wife (fortunately or unfortunately).

I understand the need to vent...and the toll that this situation is taking on you all.

Godspeed with any decision you make or don't make. Good thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 

[TonyD]

Thanks Mike I appreciated that.I haven't decided to let her go yet because despite her issues she still is able to walk well.She eats the same as always, she has control of her going to the bathroom ability.If she wasn't eating, wasn't able to walk and was in clear pain and pooping all over the place I know what I would need to do.But she still has plenty of lucid moments when she is awake and when we go out, if she wakes up and feels like we're gone too long she starts to bark. She growls when she needs attention or food or lost track of her water bowl.G.G. still has life in her but needs a lot of help to keep it there.We got her just a couple of weeks after my Greatgrandmother passed away after her 101st birthday and she was a very important influence on my life so G.G. was named for her.I have had two pomeranians.The first I got when I was 23 and had him until I was 41.Hershey was the connection from my youth to my adult life and I can't believe he was able to be around for so much of my life. We got G. About a year after my wife and I met so she has been with us nearly our entire life together. The truth is because I have never had children Hershey and now G. really are my children.I'll be 50 in august, this doesnt become easier when we get older.

 

[TonyD]

Under The tree and watching the game yesterday.

 

[Paul D G]

Tony - I just wanted to join in with Mike and express my sympathies with your dilemma. Whatever happens you have a group here who will support you.

 

[Stan]

Tony, very hard decision to make. I had a brother/sister pair of Siamese cats, the male was gorgeous, slinky, muscular, almost like a panther. Then at about four years old something happened. Blood tests, MRIs, even exploratory surgery and vets couldn't tell what was happening.

Dropped from a very muscular 16 lbs. to 8 lbs. in about a month. He lost most of his fur, I ended up tube feeding him pureed hi-cal food, through a tube the vet put into the side of his neck, then taped up behind his head so he couldn't remove it. It was awful and I felt awful doing it.

Probably one of the biggest regrets of my life looking back. He suffered a lot but I did all these things trying to fix him. Had a horrible life the last 2-3 months until I finally got the message things weren't going to get better. Something I will never put an animal through ever again.

Had an Italian Greyhound, toy breed, perfectly healthy, normally live very long lives, but she just went to sleep when she was 12 and never woke up. Painful for me, but a very peaceful way for her to go.

I'm of course now a little paranoid because I have a wonderful black lab, now five. I know larger dogs don't live nearly as long as small breeds, but I just fell in love with her when I saw her. Didn't even take any housebreaking. At eight weeks, she knew what to do and where, to this day not one "accident" in the house. Absolutely adore her, but I'm guessing maybe another 6-7 years with her.

Recently took care of a friend's dog for a month. She was older, blue-heeler mix of some sort and she ran and played, just loved being with my dog. She was a little slow going up steps, but other than that was fine, no pain, ate well, got along with my cat and dog, etc.

Not a week later, her back legs became paralyzed and she was in terrible pain, she had to be carried out when she needed to "go". My friend's vet said it was time, it was something she'd never recover from. I was shocked things could happen that fast.

Long story, but I guess my main point is just don't let her suffer when the time comes.

 

[TonyD]

Thanks guysfor the support. Unfortunately yesterday she had another episode and we decided it was time. What made it hard is that she was still fighting. After she came out of it she was barking and yelping, but we could not let her go through this again.During the night before her body language changed and it was clear something different was wrong. So I spent the night with her on the floor until she finallyfell asleep, so I took a nap myself.In the morning I gave her medicine to her but a few minutes later she was on her side, so we went to the vet with her and we let her go.During the night I took the last couple of pictures of her that I could.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Tony:

God bless you and your family in this difficult time.

You gave G.G. such a good life over her years. You provided for her and cared for her and should have no doubts about your decision.

When things get tough, remember how she repaid you for your lifetime of care-giving with her own unconditional love for you and your wife. The bond between man and dog is a glorious thing.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Tony,

I know it is absolutely devastating to lose a pet. I experienced this the day after Memorial Day this year when our 8 year old Pom, Daisy, died. Today would have actually been her 9th birthday. I know words can't begin to express the sadness we all feel for you and your family. I know there is still not a day that goes by that I don't think about Daisy and the good times we had.

I second what Mike said and remember, we're all here for you.

 

[Karen Sears]

I have a 13 yr old dog, who had a tumor removed in January of this year. The test came back and it was a high grade mast cell tumor. Daisy recovered well from the surgery and was back to her old self. About 2 months ago, the tumor started coming back and at the same time, she was leaking urine / peeing. We returned to the vet and were told that the mast cell tumor was back, but upon physical exam, they could not detect that it had spread anywhere else. She also had a bladder infection, which we treated and the leaking temporarily stopped. About a week and a half later, she developed a secondary lump, with a great deal of inflammation. We returned to the vet and they confirmed that the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. Without treatment, we were told that she would have about a month. Recommended treatment for this scenario is surgery, which would leave her with an open wound as there is not enough muscle/skin, once they remove the tumor and the surrounding healthy tissue. In addition, she would need chemo/radiation. Keep in mind, there is no possibility of curing her, just extending her life for approx 6 months.
We do not want to put her through a second surgery, especially when she would be left with an open wound, which could lead to infection and decreased quality of life.
She then started vomiting, upwards of 5 times/day, which would leave her exhausted and dehydrated. With water and sleep, she would bounce back, until the next episode. This was occurring daily. She also lost interest in food.
The vet recommended an alternative, of trying prednisone. We tried this and it seemed like a miracle drug. The vomiting stopped, she had her energy and appetite came back.
In the last week, things have changed again. While she still wants food and for the most part has her energy, she is now releasing her bladder (even right after being let outside), and she just lays down in it. I came home yesterday, to her coated in head to tail, with urine. She was only left for at the most, 2 hours. We have tried diapers, but with the location of the tumor, this is not very comfortable for her.
My husband and I both work full time and cannot be there to let her out every hour (or less), which seems to be what is needed.
I called the vet yesterday, to schedule her to be put down tomorrow, but I am having a very hard time with this decision, because as I said previously, she seems to have a new lease on life.
I know that she is terminal and the cancer has spread and this is a decision that was coming up very soon anyway, but it is so hard to look at her and see how much the medication is helping, but then to see her at least once a day, laying in her own urine.
I don't want her to get to the point of suffering even more. I know that if it was me, I would not want to live like this. I don't think it is healthy for her or for my family.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Karen:

Welcome to the Home Theater Forum.

I sure do wish it was under brighter circumstances.

You are facing one of the toughest things any pet owner ever faces.

If you read through this thread, I think you will be comforted by the stories that the rest of us here tell each other about our own stories and tribulations about making such decisions with such beloved members of our families.

But Daisy's situation sounds to be in rapid decline. I point you to your own last couple of sentences.

I don't want her to get to the point of suffering even more. I know that if it was me, I would not want to live like this. I don't think it is healthy for her or for my family.

The prednisone is, at best, a temporary mask for all of her problems. While she may seem like she has a new lease on life, everything else you relate about the progression of her disease and other symptoms sounds all-too-familiar and all-too-telling.

As I've said on a number of other occasions here, I wouldn't ever presume to tell you what-to-do or when you should do it. If you are a religious person, pray on it. If not, have a heart-to-heart with Daisy about it and see if you get any sense from her as to what her wishes might be (while this may sound nutty to someone who isn' a pet owner, the rest of us understand what I'm talking about).

It is the most difficult thing a pet owner faces, but it is also an important responsibility when we are the ones who provide total care for the life of our animals.

My heart goes out to you and I wish you peace in dealing with this very difficult situation.

 

[Karen Sears]

Karen:

Welcome to the Home Theater Forum.

I sure do wish it was under brighter circumstances.

You are facing one of the toughest things any pet owner ever faces.

If you read through this thread, I think you will be comforted by the stories that the rest of us here tell each other about our own stories and tribulations about making such decisions with such beloved members of our families.

But Daisy's situation sounds to be in rapid decline. I point you to your own last couple of sentences.



The prednisone is, at best, a temporary mask for all of her problems. While she may seem like she has a new lease on life, everything else you relate about the progression of her disease and other symptoms sounds all-too-familiar and all-too-telling.

As I've said on a number of other occasions here, I wouldn't ever presume to tell you what-to-do or when you should do it. If you are a religious person, pray on it. If not, have a heart-to-heart with Daisy about it and see if you get any sense from her as to what her wishes might be (while this may sound nutty to someone who isn' a pet owner, the rest of us understand what I'm talking about).

It is the most difficult thing a pet owner faces, but it is also an important responsibility when we are the ones who provide total care for the life of our animals.

My heart goes out to you and I wish you peace in dealing with this very difficult situation.

 

[Karen Sears]

Thank you so much Mike, I appreciate the response.
I have a three teenage daughters, who are obviously all devastated and my one daughter is begging me not to do this, so it is making things extremely hard. I know as a parent (humans and fur baby), we have to make these tough decisions, but she has OCD, anxiety and depression already and I am so worried about how she will deal with this. They don't understand, because she "seems" better and the swelling has gone down, witch she is taking to mean that the tumor has gone down. While we know this is not the case, they don't get it.
Your words about prednisone being a mask, really hit home though. I know that she would have been put down a couple of weeks ago, if it wasn't for this.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Prednisone is a wonder.

It's a steroid which can provide effective pain relief in dogs. But it doesn't usually cure anything. [Important note: I have no medical degree. Just a longtime dog owner.]

That's a tough situation with your one daughter. But the reality is...Daisy is not going to live forever--no matter what you or her doctors can do for her. At some point, your daughter will have to go through this process anyway. (I don't mean that to sound harsh or uncaring.) But death is just a fact of life. None of us get out of this alive.

Your call is about the dog's well-being. Daisy depends solely upon you to provide her care. It's part of the contract we sign when we bring home those cute little balls of fur which then evolve into our best friends and eventually an important part of the family.

My wife and I have been adopting senior citizen Golden Retrievers for the past several years. It's a tough business because older dogs just don't live that long. We take great solace in that we've been giving them good senior years after they've been abandoned for whatever reason. But we've gone through some really hard times. I cannot deny it.

And that's the thing you need to remember about Daisy. You and the girls have loved, fed and cared-for Daisy all these years. You have made hers a great life. She has never wanted and I'm sure she is eternally grateful. And that care has to continue through this process. What's right for her? I can't answer that and neither can your daughters (while they may be wise enough, they are young. And you're the mom.). It's on you. And its hard. It's lonely at the top--especially when it comes to such difficult situations.

If you wait...how much difference will it make and is the dog experiencing a good quality of life? It's so hard to answer those questions. Look for tail wags. Look for signs of discomfort. Look into Daisy's eyes for direction.

You and your girls and Daisy will be getting held up in prayer.

 

[Malcolm R]

I would agree with Mike, that you need to do what's best for Daisy. Harsh as it may be to hear, your daughter's (or anyone's) feelings are not the most important issue here. Only Daisy.

 

[Stan]

Switching animals here, but had to put my cat own a few months ago. 16 years old, had a good life, something just changed. No appetite, she'd sit for hours with her mouth open with wet fur top and bottom of her lips.

Took her to the vet, (been going there for almost 25 years). The vet didn't even hesitate, knew it was hopeless and quietly put her down.

I still find myself doing silly things, like making sure the basement door is open. My dog never goes downstairs, so it was always her refuge if she needed it.

It's tough, but usually the best thing to do. I tried to keep her going for a week before I decided, but her quality of life was gone, it was time.