Putting your pet to sleep...

Man, that's a tough deal, but I echo auminer, we do a lot of volunteer work with a regional golden retriever rescue group and the seniors are always tough. Thanks a bunch for what you did/do.

 

Losing your dog....hardest thing ever. RIP to all dogs who have passed. Such good friends...

 

I'm leaning that way with my dog. She's a 16yo American Bulldog. She has had a great life...but the last couple of years she has gone down fast. She still eats good and has a great demeanor. She has had hip dysplasia since she was a year old. She developed a large tumor a couple of years back. The vets said not to mess with it due to her age etc. She has started to go blind as of a year ago. She just isn't well in general....but she is still getting around and eating. I've had arguments with my GF on multiple occasions about if we should have her put down. It's a difficult decision.

 

Good lord I can't even imagine having to make that decision. Sorry.

 

Our boxer Maggie passed away several weeks ago. Posted photos and such on Facebook, but it came unexpectedly. She had just turned eight and had been in essentially great health. It's still tough.

Some weird things happened. I got to see her before she suddenly passed, as it was about 10 minutes after I had gotten home from work, so it didn't happen when she was by herself.

My wife and kids were out of the house and up north with her parents. My wife had literally text'd me a photo of this really cool sparkle in the sky with the sun behind it, just when I found Maggie lying on the floor. My wife caught herself staring at it and thought it was interesting enough to take a picture of. We later thought that was pretty wild, as maybe she was "on her way".

And later, her phone's photo gallery had two photos side by side - one of Maggie and one of our 8mo. old daughter, lying in identical positions on the floor/crib. It felt like a weird "circle of life" type of thing. It was probably just us tying coincidences to something, but still.

We still have her dog bowl out and collar hanging by the back door. Haven't been able to put them away yet. It's hard to realize how important dogs are until you have one.

 

I'm in the same boat minus the tumor...16 yo ol' school (18 pound) Pomeranian. He's been pretty much blind for the last couple years, but still gets around well enough to be a bad boy, e.g.dig through the garbage and eat paper and take food off the kiddies table, and most importantly still wags his tail when he's happy. But he's definitely eating less and sleeping more these days.

Hopefully nature will make the decision.

 

Dogs are great, and losing them sucks. Got this from my youngest daughter last night...

Uno passed this past weekend. His last 24 hours were pretty miserable but I was lucky enough to have the day off and we spent the day cuddled up in bed watching movies. As the night continued, it became clear that a goodbye was coming so we drove around with the windows down while he looked out at the scenery. Once he found it tough to breathe, I took him to CARE and he died in my arms as I carried him inside. Even though I know he didn't exactly enjoy his last day, he wasn't in pain, and he died knowing he was loved.

I think I'm okay... I'm as good as I can be, at least. I made him a shadow box and hung it inside my front door, as if he's still there to greet me when I get home. I know he lived a happy life and I know I couldn't have loved him more. That's what I'm trying to remember, and I've been reliving all the good memories to make things easier.

 

My vet will come to your house and do it, puts less stress on the animal but super hard to do.

 

We always do it at home. Our mobile vet is a giant hero of a person. It's got to be the hardest job around to do this on a regular basis and still keep a positive attitude towards life.

I swear that Puff new it was time as she hadn't managed to climb on my chair be herself for the week prior but literally at the time we had planned she got on it and laid down in just the right position with her paw out like she was ready.

It's hard but it's the responsibility we take on as owners. Just like being married is for better for worse so is taking care of a dog. You don't get to just enjoy the good times and not do your part in the bad times.

 

I put down my Great Dane Daisy on Sept 01. It was my worst nightmare to come home after work and find her down. A mass on her spleen ruptured and I drove her to the vet. She was 11 and also had arthritis. I estimated it at 2450 walkies, 5000+ meals, 3675 poop pickup with 12 indoor accidents, and only 3 "bad girl" calls. Best rescue ever.

FYI, Brad Anderson, the Marmaduke cartoonist died on Aug 30 at 91.

David

 

Ours will if at all possible, but living 50 miles away and it being "last minute", they couldn't do it for Max. Thankfully there is a grassy, shaded area out back.

 

As much as it sucks, there's no way I couldn't be there to the end.

 

+1. I figure I owe it to them.

I've had 3 over my life time (one recently) where I've personally been the one that took them to use the vet. Each and every one I held tightly while I felt the life leave them. I cried like a baby each of those times too.

I also feel, you leave a little bit on that table also(a little peace of you dies there with them).

 

dammit ppl

quit making me feel things

 

We put our family dog (my first dog) down when I was 20(?) and it was one of the hardest things for me especially when my mom stuck me with the bill....

Our current family dog (mine/wife/16mo old) is already 9 and reading some of this is making me think about the inevitable. It's the absolute worst part about having a dog and also thinking in a few years when we do need to go through this my son will have to be part of it.


Fuck I look like a pussy tearing up on public transit. I'm going home to squeeze my mutt.

 

Good lord you guys are making me tear up. I can't believe how much I still miss Blue and it has been over a year...

 

Totally agree.

I've had one so far that I approached the same way. I took him, and was there the whole time.....I still remember his last groan and breathe.....its a tough deal.

Another one I had died from some type of seizure while we were walking in the park.....in about 20 seconds, she went from greeting other dogs with the sniff, to convulsing on the ground....I heard her last breathe too, and then watched the life leave her eyes.....that last gasp was one of the strangest things I've ever heard.

A piece of me went with both.....



That's a rough story Panther.....dam.

 

I'd be more worried about you, and everyone else in here admitting to it, if you didn't.

 

as hard as it is, this thread proves that: dogs > people