There have been several loss of pet threads lately, and a member asked how or why someone knows it's the end.

In my case, with the two dogs we've had to take to the vet for the last time, it was clear. They were old, getting sick and loosing weight and one just started wasting away suddenly. Puppy mill dog.

Our first dog lived to 13 and up until the last winter of his life was fine. He was a 90lb Alaskan Malamute. We fed him Science Diet, I won't use that again, but he was healthy and strong. The last year of his life he developed hip problems and I carried him in and out of the house and shoveled the yard because he could no longer turn around in the deep snow. He was loosing muscle and just didn't have any pep or really a good response to his favorite things. He struggled to stand up and got to where he would flip down. We decided then it was time, you could see the look in his eyes he was just tired and worn out.

Our second Malamute was a rescue, grew up changed to a tree and scared of his own shadow. It wasn't until we got him neutered and he was drugged up to get him settled inside, he would sit in his Dogloo and just roast. He soon found the A/C vent... We only had him a couple of years, but he was never super healthy, his anxiety was really bad and he got sick one final time and couldn't get up. He was struggling to even breath. It was obvious it was time. In fact, some days I feel I waited a day or two too long and it hurts to think I may have let him suffer.

We just had TPLO done on another dog, $4,000, money well spent. It has giver her her spunk back and a will give her a few more pain free years.

For pet owners whose pets are in the house and family, you'll know. Only you will know, but a vet should be involved if there are questions or concerns.

I truly believe it's one of the best things we can do for our pets, is to relieve them from their pain. It may sound harsh, but think of the push to let humans have the same option.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Riley,

The only thing I can add to what you said is just that not only will you know, they will tell you.

You can see it in their eyes.


I never posted about it here, mostly for reasons of not wanting to relive it. But back in June of last year my chocolate lab Dino (who I've posted pics of here before) developed a slight cough one day. Vets treated as kennel cough, but the cough never subsided so I took him to the emergency vet. Heart rate in excess of 180bpm and still coughing, they gave him an aggressive cough suppressant that should have knocked him out, but it didn't. Long story short the heart rate didn't come down over the next couple days and his regular vet did xrays. Fluid on the lungs, take him in. He was admitted, and a day later I got the worst news I possibly could have: it was primary heart disease. The coughing was a result of CHF being caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, enlarged heart. Dino had stopped eating or drinking, lost a lot of weight, and eventually became totally dependent upon external oxygen to live. It was a week and a half between him being his usual lazy, goofy self to us making the absolutely crushing decision to let him go.

On that last visit, I had brought him some boiled ground beef and rice to try and get him to eat. He was far from himself, but I had to keep the hope. He wouldn't eat, but stayed near me. In that moment I looked into Dino's eyes, and I knew. It was almost as if he was telling me he was tired, and just couldn't fight anymore, without saying a word. I literally sat in that animal hospital crying like a baby for a good 15 minutes before leaving and informing my fiancee about what the two of us and her (at the time) 7 year old daughter were about to have to do. He was her big brother, and I honestly felt that he was like my son. The most amazing dog anyone could ask for. I wasn't right for weeks, and it still brings a tear to my eye.

I'm happy in that I know he's in a better place and not suffering any longer. But my god did it kill me to make that decision and see him that way. I knew the minute I saw it in his eyes, he was ready to go.

When our sweet shelter rescue kitty got a recurrence of a lymphosarcoma over the summer of 2016, we knew that her time was coming sooner rather than later. I did some web searching online about how to tell when the time is coming near. I found a vet named Dr. Karen Becker online who did two videos about the signs to watch for, and her experience with helping animals to die "well".

I watched the second video several times, the one that deals with giving our animals that last gift of ultimate kindness in helping them across, weeping each time, knowing that it was going to be time to take my senior citizen kitty to the vet for one last visit. I commend that video to you to prepare for the eventuality. Our kitty went to the other side in the fall, with me and my wife holding her as she fell asleep and took her last breath.

God bless all those who love their animals, who weep at the thought of losing them, and to those who have lost and who honor their memories, my heart goes out to you, as I walk in your shoes and I cry with you.

I just lost my 9 year old yellow lab a month ago. I had taken him to his vet that morning because he wasn't acting quite right and they did some blood work and a UA but no results would be ready until the next day.

He was happy and his normal self until about 1am and I knew something was very wrong. Thankfully we have a 24 hour vet about 5 miles from our house and we rushed him there. He had cancer. The hardest decision I ever had to make was having him put down but he was suffering and surgery wasn't going to help and I loved him to much to let him go on. My daughter and I held him as he passed from this world to the next.

He was my constant companion and even now I feel like a piece of my heart is gone. I miss him every day.

About a week after his passing I got a card in the mail from the vet and it had a paw print from Oscar on it. Just today I sent a copy to Dave Truong to make a silver pendent out of it. I just happened to see one on Facebook that was made by Dave and I thought it would be a nice touch to place on his urn.

Losing Oscar was like losing one of my family members. I'm going to start looking for another yellow lab after the summer. It's tough but all pet owners are going to have to face the same thing one day.

Spot on. Quality of life is no different for pets than humans IMO. Also agree those that don't welcome pets into their families just can't really understand IMO. I feel traumatized every animal I have had to put down but in the end the good always FAR OUTWEIGHS THE BAD! We have been fortunate to have found a great animal hospital we have been using for the past 25 years. They all love animals and understand exactly how I feel about them. Over the years I have had many quality of life discussions with them.

Sorry to all those that have lost loved ones human and animal.

Our Shelby is a 15 year old Boxer. Her rear knees are swelled to three times normal, we carry her up and down the stairs to go out.
A recurring growth on her chest we've had removed three times, the last time a few months ago was pretty hard for her to recover. Now it's growing back faster than ever.
She still eats ok but has no play left in her.
I dread taking her back to the vet next time.
I haven't cried in 40 years. Best dog ever!

My 14 year old lab passed away last September. She went downhill fast that last week. I was out of town for work and my poor wife had to deal with it all. There were moments when the spark returned to her eyes and we had some hope, but when I got back home it was obvious it was time. We called our vet who was going to come to the house in the morning. Our girl passed away at 7:15 am before the vet got there. I think she was holding on for me to get back home.

I've got a 15 year old mutt that's got bad kidneys. We have to give her subcutaneous fluids every day and about 5 medications. Shes also incontinent and she can't have the medication to control that since it will make her kidneys worse. But, she is still a happy dog. She still follows us all around (falling occasionally), runs around looking for a toy when we come home, fishes rocks out of the lake, and seems to be her normal self. I know the time is coming when she will lose that fire/spark. When it does, I won't let her suffer. I know I will do what is right by her.

Do not keep them around because you are too much of a wuss to do what is right and humane.

I ask not to be ghoulish, but only because one day I'll have to do the same.

Do the Vet staff let you hold your dog until the end?

Ours did, I held their head in my lap. Oddly, they got heavier after it was over. We bring in a new collar and tag set for after, and have them individually cremated and keep their ashes with their original collar and tag set.

Some vets will make a house call for that last visit.

Saddest thing I've ever had to do was make the decision to end our pets life. Wife and I both stayed with our dog to the end.
Spokane our Vet let us stay and hold our dog to the end. He provided us a private room to say our good byes. Hope that all Vets would be so kind.

just last spring i had to put down my keely she was 9yrs it happened in a matter of weeks she was off so i took her in had some tests they treated her for urinary tract infection then her leg blew up twice the size so they took an x ray and just caught some of her chest and she was missing bone it was cancer of the sternum. i knew it was time she stopped eating anything i would give her steak chicken pork chop all her favorite stuff the vet was good he came to the house she went on her favorite pillow with her family by her side

quote:

Do the Vet staff let you hold your dog until the end?

The 24 hour vet clinic went beyond what they had to. My daughter and I held Oscar until he was gone and then for a few minutes after. The vet was very caring and even shed a tear.

Boris was about 11, not sure because he was brought to the local animal shelter I adopted him from as a stray. He was inside at home for a few hours and when we returned, his abdomen was full of fluid. The vet drew a sample and said it was blood.

Nine months earlier, the same thing had happened. He had to have a splenectomy. One of three tumors on his spleen had ruptured. The tumors were benign. The recovery was about three months.

This time, they said they'd have to bring in Great Danes for blood transfusions and do exploratory surgery to see what was going on. It was going to be thousands of dollars. As much as I loved Boris, I could't justify the expense for an uncertain outcome and another recovery. For eight years now, I've second guessed myself. I'm glad many people know when "it's time".

When the vet starts talking about blood transfusions, exploratory surgery, advanced age and uncertain outcomes, the stress and pain to the pet has to be factored in. If it's any consolation, I think you did the right thing for Boris.

I have a Pomeranian I bought for my daughter 16 years 4 months ago. It was just a puppy when I got it and my daughter never bonded with it,because it hated to be petted and refused to be a lap dog.

The dog loved to hike and could easily do 6 miles in a mountain terrain.Guess who ended up with the dog? Fast forward to today and the dog is very old,has been diagnosed with a heart murmur and congestive heart failure.

She still wants to walk daily,although a lot slower and shorter distance,and coughs a lot. I have been contemplating having her put down.

Damn it is a hard decision.

OMCHamlin

Thank you so much for posting the graphic. It is so very true, and stirs a lot of emotion in me.

And I think you telling of Hope tells a lot about your depth of caring.

The worst thing an owner can do is prolong their pets misery. If you know your pet has an uncureable, un-pain relieving condition, do not let it go on. I have done that in the past, and regretted it to this day.

Everyone wants to cling on to their pets to the last breath , which is understandable. But , we do not know the ,limits and scope of the pain that pet is suffering.

You know it in their eyes.

Slightly OT but my almost 8-year old Canaan almost died last Fall. She was of high show stock but we never had her spayed because I kept contemplating her having puppies. Vet thought she had a UT infection. It turns out she had multi-antibiotic resistant infection of her uterus. Vet did not figure it out until she sent me to the ER vet (textbook pyometria says ER vet; our former Vet blew it big time). 4K to have a "good chance" of full recovery. This was after 4-5 days of her getting sicker and sicker and more and more miserable. I got the bill, looked down at her on the floor, her eyes said "either fix me or let it be over." She's doing great.

My brother Steve recently put his 18-year old rescue named Bruiser down. It was a long, long decline but the day after they left for a Christmas vacation he was no longer able to stand-up and move, even with assistance. My adult niece put her down. Maybe it was a blessing the rest were on the road to Florida.

The worst ones are when you get mixed messages -- a pet in unending pain, for example, that just can't stop fighting for life. I've dealt with that and have to live with the decisions I made, never sure that I did the right thing, and realizing that only God can answer that question. It's the first thing I'll ask when I meet Him myself.

One of our Balinese cats went through breast cancer surgery, first one entire side, then the other, with chemo after the first. It was heart-wrenching to watch her endure the pain which went on for several months. She fought like the devil. Finally, we thought it was time to end it for her, she was lethargic, wouldn't eat or sleep...

At the Vet she perked up, almost back to her old self. It was amazing! The Vet warned us that it was temporary, but we could maybe keep her for another few days or a week, and as hard as she fought to stay alive, we owed it to her.

We took her home with us, and she died on our bed between us about 1-1/2 hours later. The last 20 or 30 minutes were excruciating, and I'd give anything to have been able to relieve her of that final end.