When do I say good bye to an old dog? (breeding, wound)

[CALGUY]

Springazure, Knowing when, is never easy.
Perhaps it is not meant to be easy.
Some say when it is time you will know.
I don't put any faith in that statement.
Like you, we wonder, when is it time?
My heart and prayers go out too you, for I, like many before us, have had to ask, and deal with the same situation.
The not knowing, and constant pulling at your heart strings only compounds the problem.
For the most part, I guess we never know "when it is time", so we reach that point when common sense dictates the time for us, and when that time is upon us, we can only hope and pray we have made a right decision.
I remember when I had to make the decision with my first German Shepherd.
I had him since a pup, spent thousands of dollars in two major operations during his ten years, and when the doctor informed me he had lung cancer at age ten, that really caught me off balance.
None of us had ever suspected this, including the vet, who saw him monthly for the last four years of his life.
He was being treated for mostly joint problems.
We could never understand how, or why he contacted lung cancer.
He was never near anyone who smoked, ever.
When he contacted this cancer, the vet said it did not look good, and advised against any treatment because it was so advanced that there would be no sense in doing anything.
He advised me to bring him home, and allow him to live what ever time he had left, in his own surroundings.
He seemed fine for about a week, it was as if nothing was wrong with him.
Then one night, he had a bad time trying to get comfortable, and his breathing was labored.
I stayed by his side through the night, and he slept for the rest of the night.
In the morning I called the vet and asked him to come to the house because I felt the time was at hand to let him go.
While waiting for the vet, I was amazed that Baron seem to have made a remarkable recovery, to the point he was out on the back deck watching the squirells and birds
I began to wonder, am I doing the right thing?
I prayed for help to guide me to the right decision.
I didn't know if I should call the vet and tell him to postpone his visit.
Baron gave me the answer almost immediately.
He came in, laid down on the carpet, and had such a blank uncaring look on his face.
He was obviously beginning to feel uncomfortable, and once again his breathing was labored.
He knew, and wanted me to know, it was time.
The vet showed up about ten minutes later and administrated the sedative.
With Baron's head in my lap, he closed his eyes and within seconds his suffering was over, and mine was just beginning.
It was the hardest decision of my life, but it was the right decision.
I loved him far too much to see him suffer, and with his medical condition, with no hope of getting better, there was no other decision that could have been made.
So Spring, your time is more than likely at hand, and you too will have to make that all important decision.
Upper most in your mind, you MUST think of the dog first, and put your own hurt and depression behind.
You want what is best for your beloved pet, and sometimes what is best for them winds up being the worst for we who are left behind, to wonder if we did the right thing.
Time usually proves that we did.
Trust me,as someone who has been through it a couple of times, I feel your pain, and I will pray that you will be strong through this tough time ahead for you.
Bob.

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by springazure

Thank you everybody...... I did take her to the Vet AFTER I typed this. I'm gonna spare the whole conversation, but it ain't looking the best. Unless of course I can afford a small fortune on her.

Anyhow.... I work a very bizarre schedule compared to the rest of the country. I'm a 40 hr WEEKEND WORKER.... and my <monday> starts tomorrow. I work Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon.... and have the rest of the week off.

Soooo...... they gave her a shot of penicillan and 1 wk of penicillan and they gave her a shot of steriods and a 1wk of steriods. Just maybe.... <just maybe> she will respond to something sooooo simple??????

I mean... she does have a bacteria infection happening.... but will this stop the mini strokes and seizures? Will this somehow give us just a tad bit little more time???????

I DON'T KNOW.... My gut tells me that next week I will have to make the decision, and it's killing me. I just had to give it one last try..... TRY TO DO SOMETHING!!!!

Here's the deal.... I took care of my elderly Mother till the very end. I KNOW WHAT MINI STROKES/SEIZURES ARE LIKE. The Vet is starting to agree with me. I suspect mini strokes/seizures are starting to happen at an alarming rate. Maybe the anitbiotics and steriods will help?????????

I just NEED TO KNOW I TRIED SOMETHING BEFORE I MAKE THE DECISION.

Monday morning is my Friday night.... then I'm off for the rest of the week. THAT WILL BE MY DECIDING FACTOR!!!!!! I got a really really bad feeling that Tuesday morning I will make the decision. At least then I will have several days off from work, before I have to return to work.

I'm going to take a shot in the dark that the vet mentioned CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)? I'm not a vet, but that is what it sounds like to me and I've witnessed it first hand and I'm sorry you're going through this as I know it's no fun. She might going into a labored breathing, more so than typical of the breeds she's mixed with and then start seizing.

Thank you for rescuing her and giving her a good life for more than half of her life.

[Snarky Prof]

My dog was very ill with an inoperable brain tumor. We decided to take him home and make him comfortable with steroids and chemotherapy drugs. It bought us two months.

On his last day, he was deteriorating quickly. He could barely walk, let alone stand. But, he struggled to sit up, rest his head on my lap and look into my eyes as if to say "It's time to go to the Bridge."

We took him to the vet that night.

I don't know when the right time will be for you. But, I do believe that they have a way of telling us it is time.

Sending you hugs....

[PullMyFinger]

I think it may be time for you to give that love to another dog who needs it. You have done all you can for the little one.

I wish you the best and well done with the care you have given. I believe in my heart you will be rewarded someday for it.

[brightdoglover]

No vet will put a dog down if s/he thinks it's the wrong time. My vets have told me this when I panic "the day after" and ask if I was too quick. (I adopt seniors and have gotten better at knowing when it needs to be done).

OP has loved this little dog long and well and saved her from a hell life and given her a heaven life. As one wise poster on this board told me, "It's the last best way we take care of them."

Know that many of us have been in the same place with these beloved pets.

[halfabuck]

Less than a month ago I had to let my sweetheart pitt bull Spanky go. He was going on 15 and while outside in the yard his time came. He could not get up and we needed a sheet to get him to the car. My daughter and I took him to the vet that night and we were told that his stomach had turned cutting off and possibly damaging other organs. An opertaion would have been $4500 which was expensive. I couldn't see having such a major operation at that age and what his life would be like afterwards. We made that very difficult decision to let him go and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It was like losing a very important member of the family. Spanky meant so much to me and was truly a very good boy. Spanky got to see us one more time and he wagged his tail while on the gurney. The vet put him to sleep and I'm sure he did not feel anything and his pain was finally gone. I will never forget him and can only advise that I find great solice in knowing what we all had together for all those years and how well Spanky was taken care of. They live much faster than us humans and as long as you can say that your pet has had a good life what else can we ask for? Our day will also come someday. Better to have been born and lived than to have never been born at all. Good Luck and I am so sorry for your pain. There are so many of us that share your dilemma and grief. You will do the right thing and you will know when to do it. Good Luck.

[skins_fan82]

I am so sorry that you've got to go through that. Reading the original post almost had me tearing up. As others have already said, it sounds like you've done everything you could to give your pup a long and happy life.

I know exactly what you mean when you say "the joy is gone," that's exactly how my childhood dog was when it was his time. Most of his time awake was just dealing with pain, to the point where it was no longer fair to him to keep him alive.

It definitely sounds like the time is approaching to where letting her pass on might be in her best interest. Sending warm thoughts your way.

[CALGUY]

Originally Posted by halfabuck

Less than a month ago I had to let my sweetheart pitt bull Spanky go. He was going on 15 and while outside in the yard his time came. He could not get up and we needed a sheet to get him to the car. My daughter and I took him to the vet that night and we were told that his stomach had turned cutting off and possibly damaging other organs. An opertaion would have been $4500 which was expensive. I couldn't see having such a major operation at that age and what his life would be like afterwards. We made that very difficult decision to let him go and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It was like losing a very important member of the family. Spanky meant so much to me and was truly a very good boy. Spanky got to see us one more time and he wagged his tail while on the gurney. The vet put him to sleep and I'm sure he did not feel anything and his pain was finally gone. I will never forget him and can only advise that I find great solice in knowing what we all had together for all those years and how well Spanky was taken care of. They live much faster than us humans and as long as you can say that your pet has had a good life what else can we ask for? Our day will also come someday. Better to have been born and lived than to have never been born at all. Good Luck and I am so sorry for your pain. There are so many of us that share your dilemma and grief. You will do the right thing and you will know when to do it. Good Luck.

Once again, when reading this post,and similar, like the original post in this thread, I am reminded of the words two loving friends shared with me when my Baron had to be put down.
These words will burn in the memory of any one who has been through this.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal".
"Love leaves a memory no one can steal".
Bob.

[NM posts]

Hugs to you OP and to all who have gone through it or will.

It was such a hard decision for me to make about my shih tzu. She had been struggling for quite a while with many ailments, but when the end came, it was a sudden decision; a trip to the emergency vet showed a kidney and urinary tract stone and my regular vet thought the recovery would be too tough on her. She was 15 and really had already been through a lot. I took her home from the vet that day for one last afternoon while she was on heavy pain meds...took pics, videos, gave her some of her favorite foods. She (like Bob's dog) seemed that day to be very healthy again, to the point where I wondered if I were doing the right thing...then the pain meds wore off and I brought her back to the vet a couple of hours early.

It was the worst moment of my life. She was like my child and my own personal little old lady.

But, it was the right thing to do for my girl. I couldn't put her through that recovery. Prior to the stones she was eating like a champ (still was during, actually) - still would play a bit though not as much, her tail was still nicely curled. She slept most of the time though and had gone incontinent. I think I probably did wait a bit too long but it was so hard to tell. She'd really perk up at times.

She had horrible hip dysplasia too - I figure now she's able to run around whereever she is...

[TheBeagleLady]

Thinking about you, OP. It is never an easy decision, but you will know when it's right.

I said goodbye to my 12 year old beagle yesterday. She had a stroke, and I had to let her go. My heart is broken.