My aging canine is 14 this summer. For his size and breed his lifespan is somewhere between 13-15. So he's nearing the end of an otherwise healthy dog life. In dog years he is between a 72-78 year old man.

Lately he has started slowing down. He used to be able to walk for blocks. Now he can barely make it around one block without needing to stop in his tracks. His rabies checkup is in August to renew his license.

I realize he's old and nearing the end of his life.

Do you wait until pooch can't walk anymore to take him to the vet?

I'm perfectly fine with his slowing down. Not in any hurry to put him down before his time.

Thoughts? Experience?

It's a tough call. I had to make that decision about my 16 year old cat Bailey couple of years ago. Like your dog, he had slowed down considerably in his last couple of years. He was arthritic, his teeth were getting to be in bad shape and his day mostly consisted of moving from one sleeping spot to another.

But he still had moments of playfulness during the day, and enjoyed watching the birds out of the window (reliving his youth I suppose). He was affectionate and loved curling up on my lap - in fact he would meow at me in an annoyed way to tell me it was time for me to settle in to watch some tv with him!

With all of that, I adopted a "wait and see" attitude, thinking I would know when he wasn't a happy cat any more. That time came when he suddenly began a rapid weight loss, and started having difficulty walking. A trip to our vet revealed he was in kidney failure. We could have kept him going awhile longer with daily saline transfusions, which did perk him up, but we decided it was time to let him go. It seemed a lot to put him through for what might have been for a short time.

It was really hard to say goodbye to him, and I struggled with some guilt. But our vet handled it so compassionately and he went very peacefully. As hard as it was, and as much as my husband and I blubbered throughout, I'm glad we made the call we did.

I know what you mean about not being in a hurry, and I think you will know when it is time. Our furry children seem to be good at giving us the clues that we need. Give him a hug from me and my Bailey cat.

My brother had to put down his precious 15-year-old blue heeler this spring. We had a very gentle and kind lady vet come to our house to do the procedure. It was very peaceful and dignified. On a side note, the dog's name was Rubi. I picked her out all those years ago and my screen name on RfM comes from her.

A couple of weeks after that I went with my friend to put down his beloved German short-haired pointer. In his case, we took the dog to a local vet. We had to wait over an hour for the vet to be available. The poor dog just stood there, staring into the corner. It was awful to wait in such a sterile environment, knowing these were the dog's last moments.

I would recommend having the vet come to you, if possible. It is more expensive but worth it. If you are in Salt Lake, I can give you the name of the vet we used.

I think there is a checklist online that helps you know when it's time. My brother waited until the dog nearly keeled over on his own and my friend took his dog in right when he began to irreversibly decline and was quickly losing the quality of life. I did read in one article that people who have put down multiple pets say they wish they would have done so sooner, rather than later, in retrospect.

Best wishes!

In my opinion, it's when the balance changes: the discomfort, the pains, the lack of joy, the being physically pooped out feelings, and a kind of withdrawing depression become the daily norm.

When we have been in this situation, our experience has been that whoever-it-was "knew," and was grateful for us making the necessary decision.

I am sorry, Amyjo. I know how much this hurts.

:(



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2018 01:22PM by Tevai.

Tevai Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In my opinion, it's when the balance changes: the
> discomfort, the pains, the lack of joy, the being
> physically pooped out feelings, and a kind of
> withdrawing depression become the daily norm.

Just like with humans!

Such a hard call to make--especially when the humans concerned don't agree.

I kept my little renal failure doggie going for a year. I spent gobs of time and money.

She was such a happy little doggie. She adored going to the vet's office even though she got a subcutaneous fluid bolus every time.

I knew we weren't going to win the war, I just wanted more time.

Eventually her hematocrit dropped and I could tell she felt lousy. She'd been an amazingly good eater, but that stopped.

My hubby started bringing home a burger to share. On the fifth night she wouldn't eat any burger and we knew she was ready.

It's been three years and I still cry and miss her desperately--my darling little pom-a-poo--Chunkie.

You'll probably know when it's time. Your friend will tell you as well, I'd bet.

I definitely like the idea of having the vet come to you. Maybe make it a really special few days before you do the necessary.

As I write this, I'm tearing up over my too soon gone Anatolian Shepherd, Jabba. It's been 9 years this month and the cedar box with his cremains is still on our mantle. I talk to him regularly. Damn I miss that guy, but he had a very fast moving cancer and I wasn't going to let him suffer no matter how much it hurt me. We didn't have time to do the nice stuff for him as he was in so much pain. We had no clue he was even sick until one of his hind legs suddenly swelled up to like double size when something burst in the leg.

Just saw a friend's dog last night: she's in renal failure and they are asking themselves the same question.

For me, it's all about pain. If my furry friend is in pain, it's time for a final neighborhood walk, car ride, ice cream and playtime with a favored toy before the vet steps in. Sometimes, it is the most compassionate choice.

Yes, I've stood there and watched a furry pal slip away. Yes, it is horrible. Yes, the experience can be extremely difficult and stays with you far too long.

But if it saves them from pain...

My dog is a real tail-wagger. She isn't yet halfway through her life span if things go reasonably well for her. As long as she is still wagging her tail frequently and doesn't seem to be in discomfort, I won't take any action to send her over the bridge.

Every day you'll be watching. They let me know. I lost one to a strange accident and that was hell. The next 2 they lived out their lives, although the last one I adopted and found out he had congestive heart failure. I had no idea how old he was. My boyfriend told me he knew I'd pick the most needy dog and I did. He brought us so much joy and only lasted 3-1/2 years. One morning as he came in from going out, he stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at me. Then he went down to my ex. He loved my ex, though I picked him. He had a crooked neck, too. He came back upstairs and he couldn't breathe some of the time. Then he'd seem normal. But then it would come back. And then he was begging for help.

The one before him was almost 14. A King Charles Spaniel. He was chasing balls up until the last few days and the day he died, I knew. I held him as much as he would let me, and hen he laid down on the cool floor and waited until we took him to the vet.

I'll NEVER get over losing my dogs. It's been 21 years since the first one left me. I have 2 adopted ones now. I swore I'd never get another dog. Somehow I did. These 2 were left at the side of the road in a kennel and a deputy found them. That is why I adopted them.

You'll know. Your dog will tell you.

I haven't read through the replies on this thread, but my answer to anyone asking for my opinion on this subject has always been, "If you're asking me the question of when it's time, then it's not yet time."

When it is, you just know it and there is no more doubt, even though it's always a really difficult decision to make. But at the same time, there is a peace in knowing that it's simply time.

It could be tomorrow, next week, next month, whenever. But as long as you're still uncertain, then the time is not quite yet.

I think you will know when it's time. Your dog will spend more time being preoccupied by pain or discomfort than in enjoying life. You will see it in his eyes. They will have a distant look to them. He will likely stop eating.

IMO they know when they are on the way out. Our family dog, in her last days, would walk around the neighborhood just enjoying looking at things. It was like she was seeing them for the first time. She just wanted her loved ones close to her in her last days.

So stay close to your loved dog. Give him companionship, hugs, kisses, and love. And stay with him if you need to send him out. It's the last good thing we do for our furry friends. I agree with the others to get a vet to come to your home if you are able.

I agree with the others,you’d know if it’s time. Is he just slower or does he whimper a lot, not able to go to the bathroom outside or stay in one spot all day? Appetite change? Has he gotten lab work or a check up? I’m watching “ A dogs purpose “ on tv right now. It just started. I hate how when he reincarnated into the German Shepherd , my dog, and a Chicago police dog too, even better, he got killed right away. That life didn’t last. It has a good ending though

When its clear they will never get out of pain. Don't torcher him, wish humans thought this way.

Do you want to wait until it's miserable or let it go out on top?

The one time (so far) that I've been the human to make that decision, it was when my Sapphire kitty had cancer. I'd had the tumor removed about a year prior (it was probably an injection-site sarcoma, I didn't have the money to find out for sure but the vet was sure and so am I from what I've read) but it came back a few months later...and kept growing.

She was about fourteen. Even if I'd had the money, I wouldn't have put her through more extensive treatment. It became too-quickly obvious that she was in pain from her behavior (cats are good at hiding it, but not THAT good), and there was nothing the vets could really do except let her go. So I said okay, and told her how much I loved her and what an excellent kitty she was and that I was so very sorry but I loved her so much and this was all I could do. That was one of the more awful afternoons of my life, but the one thing I didn't feel was guilt.

It sounds like you're not quite there yet with your pup. Slowed down but still having a good time is very different from slowed down and suffering. You'll know. It'll be horrid, but you'll know, and do the right thing.

Have you had his mobility issues evaluated by your veterinarian? I cannot tell you how many patients I see go for years in pain without help they could easily have. Its no fun walking if your joints hurt.

A lot of us benefit from medicines such as omega-3 fatty acid supplements, tylenol, ibuprofen etc. if we have joint pain. So can our pets. JUST NOT THOSE HUMAN ONES. They need ones made for pets and prescribed for their individual situations.

-- A DVM.

I read that acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetimol) is NOT good for cats and can be poisonous so don't use this medicine.

Otherwise animals can mostly use the same meds as humans but people need to remember the weight differential. A cat may be 10 pounds, compared to say 150-200 pounds for an adult human. So you'd need maybe 10% of the adult dose. Almost impossible to split a human pill that small, that's why they make pet-sized doses.

AS I STATED if you read the message, TYENOL is not safe for pets.

Neither is IBUPROFEN.

Neither is Naproxen.

We rarely use aspirin. Dogs are 3x as likely to get a GI ulcer as humans. I have seen quite a few animals die from aspirin and dozens of near misses.

We most commonly use prescription NSAID medications that are specifically for the species we work with.

Cats barely tolerate NSAIDs at all, only special ones and for short periods...

Many medications we use are the same as human medications, but not all.

Yes, dosage matters a lot too, but it is not everything.

And yes, I've seen a whole lot of people give 500mg tylenols to their cats or their 5 lb chihuahuas. Kiss the pet goodbye. It is not pretty. I never understand the thought behind that. They wouldn't give a 500mg tylenol to a newborn baby.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2018 09:40AM by wwfsmd.

Try any treatments available,consult with your vet and then decide. A dog with mobility issues etc can be happy. It depends on whether they are in pain and how frustrated they are.Quality of life is the most important thing.If your dog isnt suffering and seems content,I would wait.
I recently put a dog down. He suddenly became lethargic and wouldnt eat. He had lung cancer which was spreading fast and he was having trouble breathing. I saw no point in waiting and giving him a few more days of discomfort and pain. On the other hand, I had a dog with liver failure who didnt seem to be suffering. He mostly slept. I hand fed him and kept an eye on him. I was prepared to put him down if he was in pain, but he died in his sleep. before it came to that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2018 10:39PM by bona dea.

You have my sympathies. Always tough when a beloved dog is nearing the end of it's life. I had to put down my 13 year old Cocker Spaniel female last fall. She presented with a harsh cough which is indicative of congestive heart failure and an x-ray showed an enlarged heart plus lung cancer in her right lung. I made the decision to put her to sleep as no amount of money spent on her would change her outcome. It was tough. I had too much on my plate back then to also watch her suffer. So thankful I have my 7 year old Cocker male for company.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2018 10:48PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

Usually a Vet will be honest with you when it's time as well. They usually say it's time when they believe that the animal's quality of life is suffering. As long as they can help your pet be comfortable, they'll usually let you know that it's not time yet.

There are probably exceptions, but it is usually obvious when it is a dog's time to go. We had a six year old medium sized dog that lost the ability to stand or walk gradually over a three day period. We spent several hundred dollars for a vet to operate and remove a lot of cancer in her. Before the operation, he said he couldn't guarantee that she would live, or that she would ever walk again. After the operation, we set up a daily ritual of putting a towel under her several times every day, with one of us on each side, and carrying her in and out of the house so she could go to the bathroom. Six weeks later there had been no visible improvement in her. We were sitting in the jacuzzi discussing what we should do next about her, when she went walking by us like nothing was out of the ordinary. The whole time there was hope, and she wasn't in pain.

Just recently, we had a fourteen year old medium sized chow-mix who started crying in pain through most of the night and his stomach bloated out a lot. We gave him pain killers and that didn't help much. The crying turned to hyperventillating for a while after we gave him the pills, and eventually back to crying out again. He could barely walk and we started having to carry him outside to go to the bathroom. Then he completely stopped eating. He wouldn't even eat raw hamburger when we offered it to him. Considering everything including his age, we decided he was done. I asked myself "if money were no object, would I want him to be operated on?". It seemed like at his age and condition, like that path was more for than me than him (to keep him around), because at best he would still suffer a lot and then probably die anyway.

Usually, your intuition makes it an easy decision. But if the animal is not suffering and you can take care of them adequately, there's no reason to put them down.

Amyjo,

I feel for you as I just put my black and tan dachshund, Dottie to sleep on father's day. She was 13 years old. I rescued her when she was 7 months old after having 4 pups and not being fed properly. She was still bleeding when I got her and she had to have a full hysterectomy. I have been rescuing dachshunds for 25 years and I am so glad she chose me to live her life with. She never did anything wrong and got along with everybody in her pack. Putting her to sleep was very difficult for me as she had a very aggressive form of Rectal cancer. The tumor had almost completely cut off her ability to go number 2. Other than that, she was full of life, ate like a horse and had energy to spare. My vet could not understand why she wasn't sick, as this particular cancer usually makes the patient lethargic, have no energy, and completely lose their appetite. The tumor was inoperable. It was very difficult for me to put her down because she was so active. I kept thinking, "Damn it Dottie, act like your sick so it will make it easier for me to help send you to the rainbow bridge!"
But she was showing signs of pain, and I did not want to get worse just to keep her alive for me. I found a wonderful organization in Salt Lake City called http://www.peacefulpetdepartures.com/. Dottie would pant and shake violently whenever we went to the vets office. These wonderful people came out to my house and helped her pass on without her being scared. It was totally worth it and will use them again. My Dottie passed away in my arms looking into my eyes not in pain, but with love. (Man, I am crying again)

QUALITY OF LIFE

That is the question you have to ask yourself and be honest about your pets quality of life. Is he in constant in pain? Does he eat, drink and go to the bathroom without pain? I have found elderly dogs love to snuggle more and just be next to me. Though they are not as active, they give twice as much love!! You know your dog better than anyone. Dogs can be pretty good at hiding pain and a vet can help you watch for the signs. A good vet will help you with the discussion of quality of life and what's best for your dog.

The one thing I hate about dogs, is they don't live long enough! Then again, I couldn't live without them.

There are tears on my cheeks, too, rosysam.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful story about Dottie.

We let our last one go when we found he had an inoperable spinal tumor. He was still eating, but had to take prednisone to be functional and, even then, he had trouble walking and was in excruciating pain. He would scream in pain if we touched him in the wrong place. It got so he would position himself in a way that was the least painful for him. Prednisone also causes nasty side effects like insatiable hunger, pot belly, and constant needing to pee.

It was a week before Christmas when we found out he had the tumor, so the timing was terrible. But we let him go, and on the way home the bluegrass song "I Will See You Again" by Rhonda Vincent came on my iPod. I kind of took it as a sign that we did the right thing. A month later, we adopted Arran, who has been a blessing to us.

I'm not particularly religious, but this song seemed very fitting... especially if you knew our MacGregor-- delightful beagle/basset hound mix, who was all country and all sassy attitude. Every time I hear it, I think of our sweet MacG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ10B_rlNE4



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2018 03:26AM by knotheadusc.

I've gone through this too. Then I read that the decision to end a beloved pet/companion's suffering is the one last act/gift of love and kindness we can do for them.

Thank you all for sharing your lovely thoughts and comments.

It is very warm and humid right now in our little corner of the woods. I'm hoping that the heat index played more of a factor on pooch's walks than his age factor.

One day at a time ...

I gave my elderly pup glucosamine. Worked eknxers and gave him almost 2 mord years of activity.

A good vet can prescribe a puppy pain pill as well for arthritis.

Supposed to say worked wonders. Tried to type and juggle kids and large dog.

There are good arthritis medicines for dogs which help. Have you talked to the vet about it?

Poochie goes to the vet in August for his annual exam and vaccinations.

I'll ask the doctor what he thinks. He doesn't seem to be in pain. Just more tired than he was before, I think because of his advancing years. He is slowing down. His appetite is good.

He got a bath tonight, and is basking in the livingroom with me with the air cooler blowing on his doggy bed.

He's a pampered pooch. :)

If he tires easily he could have heart issues. There are meds for that too.

He was born with a heart murmur. He'd been returned to the lady who sold him to me at twelve weeks old because the first buyer found out only after taking him to the vet at eight weeks. She didn't want a puppy with a heart murmur, so she got her money refunded in full.

And I bought the little guy for half-price of what he'd have normally sold for because of his heart murmur. He was my daughter's sweet 16th birthday present. She didn't take to him though, so he became officially my dog for all intents and purpose.

Lo and behold, he outgrew that heart murmur! :)

My first dog had a heart murmer and it showed up when she had pups. She had it all her life, but was healthy and lived until 18. Since your dog is older, he could have an enlarged heart or be in heart failure. There are meds for both and it doesnt necessarrily mean they should be put down.

The vet will be able to check that when he goes for his exam.

He's been fit as a fiddle most of his life. He's only needed dental work done in all his 14 years. Nothing else.

Our beagle had a heart murmur his whole life. It never bothered him. He lived to be 15.

Oh, I'm glad he had such a long dog life.

Amyjo, I'm sending SO many hugs to you! We love our furbabies, don't we?? My next-door neighbor is a vet, and a good one, and she has no problem making house calls to us. She sent a few of our furbabies over the years to the Rainbow Bridge.

Funny, I have more faith in the Rainbow Bridge than I do in any kind of religion.

I had one cat actually die at home. All of my other fuzzies have been euthanized when their times came. I think the love in your heart will tell you when it is time to let go.

Thanks, Catnip.

He's the last in a succession of dogs and cats we've kept since my children were youngsters. Most of our pets have been euthanized when the time came, but he will be the oldest dog I've had thus far.

One of our cats died at home, in my arms. She lived to be 17. Her body literally gave out, I just didn't have the heart to have her euthanized. She wasn't suffering other than from old age. She was my children's Valentines present one snowy winter day in 1994. So we named her Lace Valentine, Lace for short. After we rec'd her pedigree papers in the mail some weeks later we discovered her mother's name was Blue Valentine. She was the purrfect furbaby for my children. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2018 08:11AM by Amyjo.

When my last dog (Pekingese named Catfish) got quite old (we were never sure how old he was, as he followed my daughter home from school when she was 7) and he was having arthritic pain, and having accidents in the house, we went to the vet and I asked him what he thought. He said that yes, we were at that time where it was not too soon, but it wasn't so late that he was suffering much yet. I said I think we're closer than you realize, but I am not capable of planning it ahead of time..to make an appointment to do it...to know that on this day, at this time, I'm going to kill my best friend in the world. My vet said, "We all love Catfish here, too. He's one of our favorite patients. So you give it a little time and watch him, and you'll know when it's the right time. Then you call me, any time of any night or day, and I will meet you here at the clinic and we will do it then, and you don't have to make an appointment and know it ahead of time." So we went home and about a week or so later, Catfish had an accident on the floor in the family room, and he looked at me with such shame and despair in his eyes that I could hardly bear it. I patted him and loved on him and told him it was okay and that he was a good boy, and accidents happened to all good boys, and then I called the vet's office (and I remember that it was a Big Ten football Saturday, opponent Notre Dame and I was afraid it might have to wait until nighttime or maybe even the next day) and asked the answering service to have that doctor call me as soon as he could. He called back right away and said he would meet me at the hospital in 30 minutes. I called my sister and she said she would drive, and it was the right decision. Dr. B. did everything right. He gave us time alone together to say goodbye, he gave Catfish a sedative to relax him before the send-off, and he cried so much himself both during and after the procedure itself that I knew why he had become a veterinarian. And of course, I'm crying now, again, just thinking of that dear, sweet, smart, funny, protective and loving dog. It's so, so hard, but you'll know. Hugs and condolences to you.