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Coping with putting a dog down

ethanez

New member
Hi all. My dog of 14 years is finally getting close to passing. Unfortunately, he has been having health problems and can no longer control his bladder nor contain his poops. Wondering when you all decided it was time to put your dog down? And methods to cope with such a loss.
 

hladik

Member
When my dog was 18 years old, he could no longer move as much as he liked; he also developed a few other problems. The first thing we did was calling a vet. After a few test, she told us that he was sick but not in pain, still. What we arranged was that the moment he started suffering was the point where we should put him down.

The day arrived and the same vet went to our home and injected him, it was completely painless. I don't regret it, it was a good end, he didn't suffer and died sleeping.
 

Katie2100

Member
When our dog was 9 years old he got cancer and we weren't able to afford the treatment. We made him special meals but he stopped eating and was generally miserable. We decided it was time to say goodbye and went to the vet as a family and were there with him when they did it. It was hard but we felt like it was the right thing. We cried about him dying and said a special prayer for him. It was a sad day but we got to be there for him and he died a calm loving death instead of a slow painful death.
 

ericaanne

New member
I understand where you're coming from. It's especially hard when you have to witness your pet go through a slow health decline. My own Labrador was having breathing problems for a really long time. When she could no longer walk the entire route of her beloved 2x daily walk, much less go on trail rides with the horses, we knew it was time. Its so incredibly to put down a pet, and its not possible to know the exact right time. Talk to your vet and seek support from friends/family. When they can no longer do the things they love to do and seem not to be excited about life anymore, going to sleep is often better than prolonging suffering. If you can stand it, its best to be in the room with your pet while they get put to sleep, so they aren't frantically looking for you at the end. I wish you and your dog the best.
 

Akita

New member
Hi -- sorry to hear about your dog's health issues. I've dealt with a similar situation in the past. My 15-year-old terrier was experiencing incontinence and had a cancerous tumor. I decided to have her put down when the quality of her life called for it. The vet that put her down also agreed it was the right choice. Take solace in the fact that your dog (I'm assuming) had a great life and appreciated your companionship. Now, it's better for them to move on; for their own sake.
 

Edzky_18

Member
Oh, that's a sad story, and a hard one. Been there in your situation with our 10+ years dog named "King". And I was really young then so i cried and cried when my brother decided to do mercy killing. For days, I felt so guilty that I cried a lot and visited his grave at our backyard, and put flowers there. It was only when my mom said that everything was done for his welfare and that he is already in heaven with God that I gradually accepted his passing.
 

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