old dogs, when is it time?

[Flybye]

I had a different experience altogether when I put my life long buddy down. She was old and I knew that it was time. She was wetting in the house because she couldn't get up fast enough to make it out the dog door. She was blind. She was lumpy. She did nothing other than sleep. She was eating very little.
When I took her in I was relieved for her and happy to be able to do this for her. It was a bittersweet but a good decision that I have never looked back on. I knew that if I kept her alive it was for my benefit and not hers.
One piece of advice - when vets put some dogs to sleep the shot can cause brief, physical pain accompanied by yelping. If I remember correctly, this happens if the medicine goes anywhere other than the bloodstream. I could not bear that. My vet gave my little doxie an anesthetic just like he would if he were performing surgery. After that, he administered the shot that put her to sleep.
Sorry that you are facing this decision. ((HUG))

[ginny]

Oh Beth! I am shortly behind you in this tough decision. I have a 13 year old boxer who is currently doing great. Though, he has seizures occasionally and I know that at some point, he will begin his decline. When I look at him, I see him through his whole life. He is my buddy and my best friend. He recently decided he had eaten enough dry kibbles during his life, and promptly stopped eating. I added wet food and he's back to gobbling down his feed. He has gained weight and is back to his spunky self. I can totally empathize with you. I think Oak gave you phenomenal advice. You may know *when*, you may not know. But you love your friend, and you have his best interest in your heart, so whenever you arrive at your decision, it will be the right one. We do the best we can for our animals while they are in our care, and that is the best we can do. Somehow, I think they know this. When I look into the eyes of my furry friends, I know they understand our intentions, and somehow that makes it better for me. I'll be thinking of you...

[sgtiger]

((((((Beth + Nala))))))

[Ana]

I always like to ensure they live a happy and full life. My policy is that once their life is no longer enjoyable, or the pain/suffering outweighs the positive, it's time. I know that pets, especially dogs, are viewed largely as companions for humans so I know it's extremely difficult to let go sometimes. I hope someone will show me the same kindness and not let me suffer in my old age :P

[andtckrtoo]

We had to let our poor American Eskimo go when we came home from work and found her crying in her own mess. She could no longer get up and she had cancerous lumps on her neck and face. It was time.

We cleaned her up, gave her a huge meal of her favorite foods (another Cushing's pup who was ravenous to the end), had her family and friends come over to say good bye (two of our kids are out of the house, and the neighbors knew her, too), then took her to the vet. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do.

[surgtech1956]

We had 2 dogs, Tosh, a springer/cocker mix was 14 1/2 and had to put her down 2 weeks ago, she got sick a month before and was in kidney failure, given medicine, and then couldn't walk, stand up, it was time. The other dog, Kelly, a lab mix is 16 1/2, doesn't have the best appetitite, give her table food, whatever she will eat, some days she eats good, other not so good, she's on medication because of incontinence, she doesn't hear or eye very well, but she's comfortable, still excited to see me come home from work. Sometimes stumbles and falls. But she seems happy and she's doing OK. When her quality of life is not there, then it will be time. I think most of the time you will know when its time. You will see it in their eyes. Its a hard decision to make.

[Aquila]

Our thoughts are with you, Beth.

For me, I decided when my dog no longer had any joy in eating or going outside, two things that had always been total joy for him. In retrospect, I think I was a week or two slower than I should have been, but I'm sure he'd forgive me.

Take care of yourself, too.

[Bike Chick]

Hugs to you both. My thoughts are with all you who have posted here with their own experience. I'm looking at my own little guy laying at my feet and wiping a tear from my eye. I know someday this decision will come for me. I've had to make it before and it's not an easy one.

[Deborajen]

My heart goes out to you, Beth, and to Nala.

Last summer, we had to have our 13-year-old Siberian Husky put to sleep. She was nearly blind and deaf and had arthritis so severe that one day she hopped off of our back deck and then couldn't straighten out her hind legs. The vet x-rayed her and she really had no joint space left in either of her hips. I know that it was her time, but it was still an awful thing to decide.

Sometime after that, I read an article about making that decision. I don't recall where I found it or I'd attach the link, but it explained that dogs don't understand that they can take medicine and feel better, they just understand pushing on through so that's what they do. It also said that dogs aren't afraid of death - they don't know what it is. So I guess if a dog is no longer "pushing through," he doesn't want to go on, and he won't hate or resent you for putting him out of his misery- or not.

I hope that doesn't sound too matter-of-fact. It was a good article and I know I'm not doing it justice.--

You and Nala have had a lot of good years together. She loves you for that I'm sure. And I hope she gets to feeling better. I don't know your dog, and they're all different, but maybe the appetite loss is temporary.

Deb