When is the Best time to put down a Dog ?
- Thread starter FedAce
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Brighid's Mom
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Re: Chancellor
Lovely, it's so sad to lose something so precious to us. I unfortunately had the experience of having to make the decision of when to let go of each of my three cats. Over a period of 4 years, I lost all 3 of them after having them in my life for 19 years. First the youngest at 15 then the oldest at 19 and a year later then middle one at 19. It's an agonizingly difficult decision to make but with each one, I was able to be more at peace with it. I know that I waited too long with the first to go. With her, and with each of the other two, there was a very specific pattern of behaviour. For a couple of weeks, they were very clingy and almost overly affectionate and then one day, they just withdrew. I didn't really recognize it until after the second one had gone but I saw it happen immediately with the third. It was like they were telling me that it was time so for the third one, my precious Persehpone, I knew that as soon as she withdrew from me that it was time and I was able to be strong and at peace with the decision.
I mourned them for quite a while and then made a decision to bring a dog into my life and we got Brighid, our Sheltie. She is named after the Celtic Goddess of Healing for that is what to brought to me. Brighid is also the mother of the Celtic God of Spring which was significant since the youngest cat was named Persephone who was the Greek Goddess of Spring. Brighid carries a little of them all with her and keeps their spirit alive in my home.
Lovely, it's so sad to lose something so precious to us. I unfortunately had the experience of having to make the decision of when to let go of each of my three cats. Over a period of 4 years, I lost all 3 of them after having them in my life for 19 years. First the youngest at 15 then the oldest at 19 and a year later then middle one at 19. It's an agonizingly difficult decision to make but with each one, I was able to be more at peace with it. I know that I waited too long with the first to go. With her, and with each of the other two, there was a very specific pattern of behaviour. For a couple of weeks, they were very clingy and almost overly affectionate and then one day, they just withdrew. I didn't really recognize it until after the second one had gone but I saw it happen immediately with the third. It was like they were telling me that it was time so for the third one, my precious Persehpone, I knew that as soon as she withdrew from me that it was time and I was able to be strong and at peace with the decision.
I mourned them for quite a while and then made a decision to bring a dog into my life and we got Brighid, our Sheltie. She is named after the Celtic Goddess of Healing for that is what to brought to me. Brighid is also the mother of the Celtic God of Spring which was significant since the youngest cat was named Persephone who was the Greek Goddess of Spring. Brighid carries a little of them all with her and keeps their spirit alive in my home.
I bet it's because he can't see the steps for his snout. Seriously.Smudge had the same problem. I put a treat on the very edge of the step and tapped the next step with my finger. It takes a little bit of work, but he got it eventually.
I think he just doesn't know how to get started. If I put him on the 10th step, he hops his way down! The within a few from the top, he runs up them! My DH even tried to lure him with cheerios. It was adorable last night. He came home to Duncan upstairs, whining to greet him. I had left the little scamp up there for a half our while I was cooking dinner (he would just keep running up the steps and I didn't want to keep him in his crate, so he just sat at the top of our 17 steps). So my husband (in his dress blues, no less - he's in the Air Force), decides to sit at the top of the stairs and make little coaxing baby noises to our puppy, trying to get him to go down the first step, cheerios in hand. It was so cute. Especially with Pierre two or three steps below, offering up all kinds of tricks (sit, down, paw, cute tilty head that he knows we think is adorable) with his eye on the Cheerios.
It is really tough on us. We see his slow decline and talk about whether or not now is the time nearly every day. He has been especially affectionate lately and I'm not even sure how much of what he eats is kept down. I don't want to wait too long, but I don't want to deny him any life. When I got him, he was severely starved and missing fur patches. That was 7 years ago. He was an adult so we don't know his age - I just know the first part was hard on him. Thank you for your words. I know that when I feel it is time, we will do what is best for our boy.
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
Lovely,
As hard as it is to let go, sometimes you just have to. A few years ago, I had two 18 year old cats and my forever pup, Timber, who was just starting to get on in years.
My two cats, one after the other became hyperthyroid and senile at the same time. I had to put the oldest down first. It broke my heart and I could not even do it myself. I was already seperated from my ex-husband and he did the deed for me. She was declining so rapidly and it was evident that her quality of life was no longer there. She just did not seem to care anymore.
My second cat, Spud, went nuts! One day she was fine and then the next day she went crazy. My "new" partner came over one day - and she knew him well - and she went down into the basement and started to self-mutilate herself. I went down to see what she was doing and found blood everywhere. She was literally tearing the skin off her legs. It was time. This time I went with her and I'm still teary about her last moments. She was again the gentle soul that I knew as she quietly passed away.
With Timber, he became ill very quick and very fast. He was diagnosed and died of a tumour on the same day. But even when I heard the diagnosis and the vet walked me through the possible treatments, I knew that it was not the way to go. At the time, I still thought I had some weeks but as it turned out, I had only 1 hour.
In the end, you really have to think about your pet and not yourself. It's a tough call, because many of us think of our pets as family and would not dream of euthanizing a human relative. It is, in some respects, an ethical decision, but one that I'm prepared to make.
If treatment, surgery, whatever will signficantly extend the lifespan of the pet, then I'll bring out my checkbook. But if the end is inevitable, I'll hug my baby close and hold vigil as he quietly passes away - without further pain.
As hard as it is to let go, sometimes you just have to. A few years ago, I had two 18 year old cats and my forever pup, Timber, who was just starting to get on in years.
My two cats, one after the other became hyperthyroid and senile at the same time. I had to put the oldest down first. It broke my heart and I could not even do it myself. I was already seperated from my ex-husband and he did the deed for me. She was declining so rapidly and it was evident that her quality of life was no longer there. She just did not seem to care anymore.
My second cat, Spud, went nuts! One day she was fine and then the next day she went crazy. My "new" partner came over one day - and she knew him well - and she went down into the basement and started to self-mutilate herself. I went down to see what she was doing and found blood everywhere. She was literally tearing the skin off her legs. It was time. This time I went with her and I'm still teary about her last moments. She was again the gentle soul that I knew as she quietly passed away.
With Timber, he became ill very quick and very fast. He was diagnosed and died of a tumour on the same day. But even when I heard the diagnosis and the vet walked me through the possible treatments, I knew that it was not the way to go. At the time, I still thought I had some weeks but as it turned out, I had only 1 hour.
In the end, you really have to think about your pet and not yourself. It's a tough call, because many of us think of our pets as family and would not dream of euthanizing a human relative. It is, in some respects, an ethical decision, but one that I'm prepared to make.
If treatment, surgery, whatever will signficantly extend the lifespan of the pet, then I'll bring out my checkbook. But if the end is inevitable, I'll hug my baby close and hold vigil as he quietly passes away - without further pain.
The other issue with this is Monday Morning Quarterbacking.
Whether you choose cling to your pet's life or put them to sleep, it always seems as though there is angst with either decision.
I should have had Tinkerbell put to sleep. She was almost 16, and now I wonder what was going through my head. There wasn't going to be any "miracle," she was old and her quality of life wasn't good. But there I was, laying on the floor feeding her rice and ground beef, scooping water into her mouth. I had been up for well over 24 hours with her when I finally couldn't even think or walk, so I went to bed. 4 hours later I woke up with a start and ran to Tink. She was dead. Looking back, I think she waited for ME to leave so she could die in peace.
I won't do that again, won't prolong the suffering. What I do think about is that I wish people were as compassionate with people as they are their animals.
Whether you choose cling to your pet's life or put them to sleep, it always seems as though there is angst with either decision.
I should have had Tinkerbell put to sleep. She was almost 16, and now I wonder what was going through my head. There wasn't going to be any "miracle," she was old and her quality of life wasn't good. But there I was, laying on the floor feeding her rice and ground beef, scooping water into her mouth. I had been up for well over 24 hours with her when I finally couldn't even think or walk, so I went to bed. 4 hours later I woke up with a start and ran to Tink. She was dead. Looking back, I think she waited for ME to leave so she could die in peace.
I won't do that again, won't prolong the suffering. What I do think about is that I wish people were as compassionate with people as they are their animals.