I’m afraid we may be at that point with my 17yo Belle. She seems very confused, lays around most of the time now, has difficulty getting up and down the 2 steps on and off the porch when she goes out. The poor thing can barely hear and see. She is very unstable and at times stumbles as if her back legs can’t don’t want to work right and when she gets up in the morning it takes her a long time to get moving and is very wobbly.

The thing is her appetite is still very strong. The appetite seems to be the one thing that everyone mentions as a sign that it’s time but the girl will eat everything still.

I’m struggling with when it’s time. I don’t want the poor girl to suffer at all and it doesn’t seem like she has any quality of life left but I don’t want to do it too soon. Any words of wisdom are appreciated.

Man, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. I had to put our 12 year old Doberman down last summer. With her, her back legs were failing and she had a hard time walking. It was a hard decision because the rest of her was healthy but she was in pain and her quality of life was impacted.

Very similar to our 17.5 year old Brittany last summer. She was doing well for about 16 years, then started to slow down. It got noticeably worse in her final two months. Final two weeks she was acting about like you are describing, and then stopped eating. Two days later she didn't even want to stand so we took her in. She was a great dog (as I'm sure yours is too) and we have great memories.

For us it was when their cognitive abilities were gone. Seizures, stuck in a closet bumping into walls.

If their appetite is still good, and they are alert (even only part of the time), I'd be inclined to let it play out.

Being in pain walking is something all older beings deal with. If she doesn't appear to be in pain ALL the time then that's still a happy pup.

Sucks all around, but if she's eating and using the restroom appropriately (no accidents) then I think you're right now.

Just last month I put my 15yo shih tsu down.She started having seizures.Vet said she most likely had a brain tumor she also had a large mass on her spleen which was cancerous,the medication worked for a couple of weeks then she fainted a couple of times and had another seizure.I rushed her to the emergency vet she always acted normal after each seizure the vet said I could take her home but would probably be back in a couple of days with her vet also said the mass could rupture.I couldn’t let that happen to her and made the decision to put her down.It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made,she was always there for me.The vet said I made the right decision.The whole time her appetite was great which I thought was good but I guess there is always underlying health issues.

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The thing is her appetite is still very strong. The appetite seems to be the one thing that everyone mentions as a sign that it’s time but the girl will eat everything still.

My last one was also 17, same kind of weakness and all, but his appetite was still strong. I didn't have to do anything. But on his last day, he was no longer eating. I was getting ready to take him to the ER that night, but he went very quickly. That was at midnight Christmas morning 2022.

Our 17 year-old dog had the back leg thing for a long time. She had arthritis for years, and was pretty stiff, and her last year she would occasionally stumble or fall, but she'd get back up and seemed plenty happy, and was eating well.

When the end came, it came pretty quick. Her second to last day she couldn't get up because her hind legs wouldn't support her. Even if we helped her stand, she'd fall over. We had to carry her outside and hold her up to pee. We probably should have called then, but we were holding into a thin shred of hope that she would get better. That night she started getting shakes, and could barely hold her head up. She wouldn't eat or drink, and was whimpering in obvious pain. My wife and I were up with her all night, and there was nothing we could do besides sit there and pet her. It was horrible. We called the next morning and had to wait until that afternoon to take her in. She got progressively worse by the time we got to the vet, and could barely move at all. She never even twitched when they pushed the chemicals.

In hindsight, I wish we'd taken her in a day sooner so she didn't have to go through that last night. But there's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that we didn't jump the gun and she was ready to go.

We're going through the same issue with a cat we adopted from a terrible situation, 135+ cats in one house, the rescue people lot count.

Her symptoms are similar, so I'll ask what your Vet says. Ours says it's most-likely brain damage but can't diagnose for sure without our spending $3,000 at another Vet for an MRI. He assured us that nearly everybody declines this option since it rarely is treatable.

It's probably different for dogs, so I'd at least try the Vet before making a hard decision.

We're treating with a couple different anti-seizure drugs, but it takes so long for one of them to start working that it's tough to stay positive.

The direct answer to your question is, I don't know when I want to let go. She's suffering from confusion, ataxia (lack of coordination), sleeplessness and a couple other things, but these could be the seizures, a form of stroke, or side-effects from either of the drugs she's getting. If it's side-effects, the Vet says they will diminish over time and she may get better, so for the moment, I can't let go.

Like your dog, she's eating, drinking, using the litter pan, and interacting with us, so I know she's not totally lost, and I'm not giving up.

I really hope this helps you, and that you know you're not alone with this dilemma.

This has always been a difficult decision for me and my late wife. Nearly ten years ago, we found one of our German Shepherds at the foot of the stairs when we got up in the morning. She was over 13 YOA and had blood cancer, so we knew it was time. The next morning our other Shepherd was on his mat and did not get up to greet us. We agreed I would take him to the vet for an exam; vet found fluid in his abdomen and said to get him to the emergency vet immediately. Turns out he also had blood cancer and was bleeding out from multiple organs. While very difficult, we then knew it was time to say goodbye. I had to say goodbye to one of my cats just as COVID started, due to advanced kidney disease; in her case, probably waited a bit too long. Each situation is different and often hard to assess. Treasure your memories of the good times you have had together.

When the bad days outweigh the good ones, and they are truly struggling.
It is never an easy decision. But there is only one out of many that I truly thought I could’ve kept going a bit longer.

I wish you and your pet peace.

One of the absolutely most difficult things about owning a beloved and loyal pet / family member is having to make a decision like this.

It is never ever easy, and no matter how much thought and reasoning that you put into it, you very well may carry some regrets and guilt.

After 17 beautiful and wonderful years together with your Belle, it will be the worst thing ever to say ‘goodbye’.

As you and others have said / mentioned, it really is about your pet having a meaningful, enjoyable and happy quality of life.

Because a dog will usually always want to please their family, they will by nature always want to do their best, no matter how much they may be hurting.

Such a tough choice and so difficult to overcome the desire to want to spend more time / just another day with your pet, but you will know when it’s time.

My heart goes out to you and Belle, and your family.

It almost sounds trite, but I think your dog will tell you. Obviously, the time is drawing near, but after 17 years you pretty much have telepathic communication. I really think you’ll know, with certainty.

Our 16 year old Brittany started having anal tumors. We had a few removed but they kept coming back. He started to get very lethargic and had a constant cough. It was obvious that life had gotten too painful and miserable. It's never an easy decision.

I have a 14 year old Brittany that sounds similar to yours. Senile, has some serious anxiety attacks at times, but still eats well and bounds out of the truck when we get down to the lake. Takes him awhile to get going but once he is, he's fine. His senility includes accidents in the house and restlessness at night which is frustrating. But we're definitely not there yet.

TMats is correct.

Get alone with her and sit with her a while, then ask her out loud if she wants to go.

You will know.

I am sorry your going though this.

Reading the original post and all of the replies is both sad and heartwarming---they show how much our pets mean to us and that we care enough to do everything we can to help them through life from beginning to end.

Peace to all on this forum who are or have been faced with making the difficult final decisions.

I too agree your pet will let you know. So sorry this is facing you, cooger.

We'd kept our old cat too long. I told the vet he eats and purrs, the vet said that doesn't mean he isn't in pain.

Just be sure your not keeping them alive for your own sake. Many people just can't give it up and that's really sad and sad to see as a third party. I've been in the vets waiting room with people like that and it's really awful to see.

As long as the dog isn't in pain, eats and processes food OK, and has a reasonable quality of life it wouldn't be time for me to do it.

Towards the end they seem to go downhill much faster than the last six months or so.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It sucks. When her quality of life is no longer acceptable, you'll know.

I'm with TMats & sigmonkey.

I've only had the option/choice once. Every other time tragedy made demands that took that choice.

That one time, he was no longer able to eat/process food. Walking and standing followed within 24 hours. We did it the next morning. He had already lived 6 years longer than the vet said he would.