old dogs, when is it time?

[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.

[bmccasland]

Thanks everyone.

My biggest concern is that Nala has been off her feed. Things she used to like, she barely nibbles at.

Well.... yesterday evening I brought home a roast chicken from the grocery store and she was wiggling her eyebrows. Now most of her life she ate kibble. She was not fed "people" food, and I fussed at her to "GET OUT of the kitchen!" But hey, she's old, and interested in food, so I forgave her for being underfoot in the kitchen. So I pulled out some cooked brown rice, cooked a sweet potato, chopped some of the roast chicken onto a plate, and she ate - trying to pick out the chicken. So when there was rice and potato left over, I added more chicken, cut up even smaller, and mixed it all together. She cleaned her plate. Meanwhile I had some chicken thighs poaching on the stove for future meals....

So this morning, I fixed her a small plate of chopped chicken thighs (in the broth), brown rice, sweet potatoes, with blobs of ricotta cheese on the side - total volumn of about 1 cup. And she ate all of it. So hopefully she'll hold it down (she had been vomiting last week, which was part of the reason we went to the vet), and this evening I'll fix her another plate.

Her life is pretty good, if she'll just eat. She lets me know when she needs to go out, and hasn't had any accidents in the house. My biggest concern was that she wasn't eating, or eating and then throwing up.

I've left a bowl of dry kibble out, just to see if she nibbles on it, but I'm not counting on it. I know she isn't a morning dog any more, and our colder weather isn't helping very much.

[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