Our almost 9 year old dog has had joint issues for years now, including 2 torn ligaments which we have treated with meds since that occurred. She also has calcification of the lungs. She is still happy to see us, is eating but it is just very sad to see her almost fall down the stairs from her joints hurting her. She barely wants to walk in the yard to go to the bathroom, and most of the time I carry her down and up the deck stairs. She weighs over 80 lbs and that is taking a toll on me and my aging joints. She used to be one of the fastest dogs we have ever owned and really struggles to get up and walk at times. We know the time is getting close but we are torn as to exactly when we need to put her down. She is one of the toughest dogs we have ever had and the only time I have ever heard her whine is when she tore the ligament.
Thanks ahead for any help/opinions.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. I've been through it too many times.
My wife and I probably push it a bit too long for ours but our saying is when the dog isn't "smiling" any more.
It's always hard but in the end its ususaly the most humane.

Very sorry to hear about your family member. I’ve not found any good solution to knowing for certain when the right time has come and I wish you the best in resolving that dilemma. One medical note, for whatever it’s worth:

Our 12-year old pup has had surgery for torn leg joints and now pain from arthritis. We have her on Gabapentin which has helped with quality of life and her mobility. Takes a little while to work as it initially causes them to sleep all day as their system adapts to the medication, but it might be something to ask your vet about if they haven’t already considered it. Just a thought.

Having had to put down 6 dogs in my life with the last 3 all by the age of 6 which was heart wrenching I understand what your going thru. Just remember it's not about you but the dogs quality of life. Dogs tend to try and hide their pain. When they start wanting to be left alone/isolated it's time, if you've done all you can and the dog is not improving it's time..Sorry what you are going thru.

When the time comes, there are veterinary services that will come to your home. That can be much less traumatic for both the dog and it's people.

My girl friend had to have her 16YO Schnauzer/Poodle put down a few months ago. She used Lap of Love. They were very sensitive and professional.

My own dog turned 16YO in February. She's doing fine now, but the day is coming...

I've only had to do it once and it's heart breaking to do so I feel for you.
It can come on all of a sudden also like my dog.
I would say that if you look at your friend and they struggle to have a good quality of life, it's time.

Very sorry to hear of your situation.

We've had to put down 2 of our dogs and the others have passed naturally. Our decision was always based upon the dog him/herself. Ask yourself two questions;

1) "Is my dog in pain?".


2) "What is his/her quality of life?"

Then ask your vet the same two questions.

Compare the answers and then make your decision.

Regardless it will be hearbreaking. If you decide to put your dog down, personally, I held them while they received the injection. They then laid their heads down on my arm for one last time.

Sorry, the screen is getting blurry as we have two more that are nearing that same decision, gotta go...

Then asek

H2oys has the two basic rules:

1) The dogs quality of life.
2) Is the dog in pain.
I am going to add 1 more: your quality of life. I will explain.

I have said goodbye to 5 great dogs over the course of 30 years. Each one was a difficult decision, each one heartbreaking.

Rufus, our first Golden, developed Lymphoma. Despite attempts to address the disease his quality of life diminished, his time had come.

Jaeger, our German Shepard, became mentally unstable. At 1 year old he was 125 lbs and a beautiful looking dog. But he was extremely timid to the point we sought the help of a canine psychiatrist. When he was about 1 year old, Jaegar moved to attack a family member. I was able to stop him and that prompted consults with our vet and the psychiatrist. They agreed the best course of action was to euthanize, that was very hard. This is my point on your quality of life: I could not allow Jaeger to injure anyone.

Sheba, Rufus' sister, lived to 13. She couldn't see anymore, had difficulty walking and was senile. Her quality of life was gone.

Wilburbud, our Chocolate Lab, was 12. He tore his ACL at age 12 and was not a good candidate for repair. He could no longer get upstairs so I slept on couch the last 3 months of his life. He was starting to develop trouble breathing, it was his time. My wife and I slept with Wilbur between us his last night.

Spark, our rescue, we lost him this past May. He was a frequent flyer at the emergency vet. He developed a swelling on his face and was in pain, there was nothing the vet could do and we lost him. My biggest regret was trying to hard to save him which involved his last night at the vet. I am so sorry I did that to my poor boy. I still feel guilty.

All my dogs passed with my wife and I holding them. That is hard but they gave us so much love, we needed to comfort them at the end.

Sorry for the long winded answer. In short, I would select a good vet and rely on them for advice. It is your decision in the end, it isn't easy, you will cry, it will hurt but remember the years of love.

I cried as I typed this, I miss my dogs everyday.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
When the time comes, there are veterinary services that will come to your home. That can be much less traumatic for both the dog and it's people.

My girl friend had to have her 16YO Schnauzer/Poodle put down a few months ago. She used Lap of Love. They were very sensitive and professional.

My own dog turned 16YO in February. She's doing fine now, but the day is coming...

+1 for Lap of Love. We'll use them from now on after using them a few years back for my last Dalmatian. It's more peaceful for everyone to be in their own home. The other dogs were present & I think it signals closure for them. They knew Zeke was gone.

Our last little girl died tragically on the way to the vet & I think the other dogs never really understood why she wasn't coming back. They continued to look for her for a long time & seemed to be very depressed about it.

Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing their behavior, but I think not.

I can't say when the time is right for you & yours, but looking back, I think I selfishly kept a couple of mine longer than I should have done.

I can really appreciate your hesitance. It is so difficult to let go of a loving pet. We had a great vet and he said it best when our Rotty was diagnosed with bone cancer in her front leg. She was still very active at the time and showed no pain but had an occasional limp. He said she would downgrade over time. I asked how we would know when it was time. He said owners hang on too long and do it for their emotional needs. Remember the pet and do what is best for them. It will never be too early. Your dog is suffering and still has the smile for you because that is what they do.

My $.02

SPSHOOTER

There is a joint supplement for dogs and cats:

https://products.mercola.com/h...702&et_rid=694281067

Usually, owners know their dog best. They know what they used to be and what they are now and can best judge the quality of life of the dog.

Sometimes it's not easy if you haven't been there before because dogs are typically very stoic. They don't show pain they way we do. They do their best to hide anything that's wrong with them. That's ingrained in their canine DNA.

If there is any doubt, there is nothing wrong with consulting your vet.

Prayers to you and your buddy!

We have taken her to her regular vet numerous times and several specialists. She is currently on two medications, one of them being Gabapentin. We were hoping the Gabapentin would relieve some of her discomfort, but we just think she is getting worse. We will probably make the call sometime in the near future.

We appreciate all of your responses.

quote:

Originally posted by tsmccull:
Very sorry to hear about your family member. I’ve not found any good solution to knowing for certain when the right time has come and I wish you the best in resolving that dilemma. One medical note, for whatever it’s worth:

Our 12-year old pup has had surgery for torn leg joints and now pain from arthritis. We have her on Gabapentin which has helped with quality of life and her mobility. Takes a little while to work as it initially causes them to sleep all day as their system adapts to the medication, but it might be something to ask your vet about if they haven’t already considered it. Just a thought.

We have a almost 16 year old that is approaching the same situation for similar reasons.
The vet prescribed Rimadyl and Gabapentin (as mentioned above), once a day each and that has definitely extended her quality of life for a while. The Rimadyl has been especially helpful. Ours has some spinal issues so a little different than your case but it's worth a try.

Back to your original question, each time we have dealt with this you just seem to know. The dog seems to know too. When the dogs quality of life and prognosis say it's time, it's time.
I have been at the vets for other routine stuff before and seen other people with an animal that was clearly past that time but the owner just couldn't let go. That is very sad.

{Drift} Be careful with the Rimadyl. It's flavored so they will like it. If they get ahold of the bottle and overdose, the result can be really bad.

My recommendation is to try to take a step back and assess objectively.

If you are concerned about how much your companion weighs, that's an indicator something needs to be done.

Whether it's to put her on a strict diet or to make the difficult decision to put her out of her misery, do it sooner rather than later.

It's tough but I believe you will know when it's right.

My lab was in a similar place. He got to the point I had to carry him outside. He was just over 100lbs. While he couldn't really get around much on his own he was always so happy to see me which is what made it so tough. He never acted like he was in pain even though I think he was when he would try and move. We had him on pain meds near the end.

Sorry, your at that point. It's always tough and just writing this still affects my allergies.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
There is a joint supplement for dogs and cats:

https://products.mercola.com/h...702&et_rid=694281067

This or try CBD oil first.

I would say the time to put her down is when she can no longer function at all (walk etc.) or she is in so much pain that she doesn't look happy.

Check out the Lap of Love site referenced above. It contains a couple of good essays about knowing when the time has come. They will also give individual consultations/evaluations.

I can't imagine having that job. Wonder if they suffer from psychological problems after a while.

We decided to use a vet from Lap of Love this coming Friday. It is a tough choice but just watching her the last couple of days was tough. She barely wants to walk in yard and seems to be completely unhappy just laying on her bed. We could swear by the way she looks at us now, it is time.
Thanks for all of the input and help.