How do I know when it's "time"

[Ryan_V]

She's not a hunting dog, but she's been a great dog to have around. My old German Sheppard is getting pretty slow. Her back wheels aren't working well anymore. Sometimes she can't even get up the steps to her "spot" on the deck. Once in a while they give out all together. It breaks my heart to see her like that. I've never had to make this decision before. She doesn't cry/whine in pain. She still gets around fairly well...some days are worse than others, she still eats just fine.... Anyone have any advice? I'm going to have the vet come out here. She's been my farm dog and it would traumatize her to try and get her in the truck/to the vet to have it done. It really does hurt me to see her like that, but I don't believe she's in pain at all, that's why I haven't done it yet. Thanks

[Sumander]

Ryan_V, I just got done dealing with this very issue. Ended up putting our 14 yr old Golden down yesterday! Wrestled with the very issues that you are talking about. Ultimately it came down to a quality of life issue for us. She would only eat occasionaly, the other dogs had started to ignore her, like she wasn't even there. She displayed the same symptoms you described, back end giving out etc.

Our oldest came home from school, He had been the closest to her. He said it was time. She wasn't the dog he remembered and said she didn't want to be like this. She is now in a place with no fences and can run like a kid again!

Like our vet said "it's ok to let go"!

Good luck with your decision. I still tear up when I think about her!!!

[Ryan_V]

Thanks, yeah, I just sit by her at night and tell her how much we appreciate all the protection she's given us over the years. Life isn't too tough for her quite yet, but it's not long at all now. Then the question is whether to get another one, my shorthair will be very lonely without the sheppard. I've had offers from friends to do it for me...but I owe her more than that, she deserves better, plus I don't want that to be my last memory of her either. I'll have the vet come out here, then I'll just bury her here. She was a rescue from the pound, I'd like to think i gave her a pretty good life!!

[Sumander]

This quote is pretty appropriate:

Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog; it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big." Erica Jong

[mojoputter]

This quote is pretty appropriate:

Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog; it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big." Erica Jong

How does that quote not put a lump in your throat.

[setterguy]

Just went through this last March... I decided that once life was a hassle for him, I would ease his burden. I felt like I owed him that.

[Hookmaster]

Our near 14 year old Golden Retriever had a tumor on her lung and her hind end muscles had atrophied. She couldn't do stairs. She slowed down eating dry dog food and I switched to the moist stuff in pouches. She perked up for a while and then slowed down again. We put her down before a week long vacation because kenneling her would not have been good for the dog, us or the kennel. The vet agreed it was time. She had only had dry dog food for the majority of her live except for some food droppings when the kids were little. She would sit by their chairs because she knew she might get something. For her last meal she got a McDonalds cheese burger which she devoured. It took 4 years, but we got another dog, a female yellow lab. She is just over a year old and is at the dog trainers as I type. My son and I are very excited for this coming hunting season.

[musky5555]

"A dog's life is too short. Their only fault, really."

I lost my 7 1/2 year old lab in January to cancer, and I still get choked up thinking about it. The vet's prognosis wasn't good, so it made our decision a little bit easier. The hardest part was the shock involved... he was an over grown puppy just days before, until the tumor on his spleen ruptered causing him to bleed internally.

I am thankful in the sense that I didn't have to watch him get old and weak, and ultimately decide "when the time is right." As long as you make the decision out of love, it will be the right decision. The night we put our dog down the vet asked if we wanted to be present. Of course I did! After all the times he stuck by my side, I couldn't imagine him being alone when he died. Good luck, and I sympathize with your situation.

[Ryan_V]

I made the appointment today. My vet is coming out to my place do it. I'll get her a burger from BK and she'll sit next to me when it's happening. I owe her that much for all she's done for us. She's starting to get sores on her feet from dragging them, so I decided it's time. It breaks my heart, even though she's just been a farm dog. My kids grew up with her around the farm. at this point I'm comfortable with my decision, but if I see her have a "good" day, I'll second guess it between now and then. This stinks!!

[Todd Caswell]

Having gone through this a couple times all I can say is keep your appointment with the vet, if you cancel it you will be doing it for yourself and not the dog, I know because I have been there, and sadly if you wait too long the dog suffers, it will cost more in the long run and you will be kicking yourself in the arse for not doing it when you made the decision.

I have a clf that turned 10 in May and I swore after the last one that I would not let her go on the down slide I would make the decision for the both of us befor it got bad. And I promise her every night befor bed that I will keep it.

Keep your promise to your dog as well, you owe it to her/him

[UNIT]

I have a 14 year old lab who is displaying some of the same characteristics. Weak back legs, trouble breathing, and now an abscessed tooth. I don't want to give up on him because of the tooth but I am trying to determine if it is time.

UNIT

[reinhard1]

when i brought our 15 year old male [with simialar simtums] to the vet to put to sleep she took an x-ray and discovered he had a twisted stomach. she said it is common with larger dogs. its never easy, i had to put his sister to sleep 6 months later. we haven't had any dogs since. but i never say never. good luck.

[BLACKJACK]

As I was reading thru this post my eyes teared up, I was thinking about my 14 year old lab at home, she gimps around, one of her shoulders is bad, she no longer wants to go on long walks, I know her time is coming soon. She still seems happy, still eats good, still will chase dummies, but when life gets to be miserable for her, I know it will be time.

[WaveWacker]

I'm in with the rest of you. Just made the decision to make my 14 1/2 year old springer's life more enjoyable this past Sat. It was a very tough decision as it wasn't like he was completely a wreck. He'd get out of the garage in the morning and do his typical "loop" with glimmers of a slight hop still left in his step. During the day he'd rest a lot but nother all that major. He couldn't hear worth a darn for the past couple of years and would have the occasional stumble but a couple of weeks ago he'd occasionally have one of these stumbles and then have real issues in trying to "right" himself. Alright not a good thing but still couldn't justify ending things. Then on Thurs. night and Fri. he just just didn't have the strength to get up in the evenings. Mornings were fine.

So here I am at the unfortunate crossroads that us dog owners all go through at some point. Some new "quirks" have begun but he's still not really falling apart so to speak. Then, while looking into his eyes on Friday night, some things began to ring in my head. Am I now keeping him around for him or for me now? What I mean is how fair is it to him to extend the progressing problems (and obviously inevitable) so that he becomes completely miserable and so that only then I'll feel good about my choice. Selfish in my mind or at least that was and is my justification.

This and the fact that last fall was the first fall that he completely stayed at home when I went a field. The thoughts of watching him again get all excited as I gear up only to then have to disappoint him in telling him he's staying home. I couldn't go through that for another fall.

Well he's not staying home any more. His body was put to rest out in our cattail slough. Giving back to the place that he took from. Nose turned into the predominate N/NW winds of December with a pheasant tail feather marking his grave. He now is running with his mentor that he hunted behind in learning the ropes and his other forefathers. That's what now puts a smile on my face.

"Hunt Em' Up Duke"..."Hunt Em' UP!!"

(I thank you allowing me to turn this into a little memorial)