When to put your dog down?

[isItFallYet]

I’m pretty sure it’s nearing the time to put my dog down. She is a boxer and is coming up on thirteen years. To date, she has had 23 teeth removed and I’ve had to wet her food or feed her soft food for at least the past two years. She lost her hearing about three months ago. And now, I have to get up every hour of the night to let her outside. She seems to be doing great sometimes, but other times I can tell she doesn’t have long for this world and is in rapid decline. I don’t want to do it too soon, but I also don’t want her to suffer either. Is there a moment that you just know?

 

[GrayGoose]

Thread 'When to put a dog down?' https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/when-to-put-a-dog-down.147320/

Lots of advice and opinions in the thread.

Tough decision but you'll know when its time.

 

[isItFallYet]

Thread 'When to put a dog down?' https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/when-to-put-a-dog-down.147320/

Lots of advice and opinions in the thread.

Tough decision but you'll know when its time.

Thanks, I did a search but did not see this thread.

 

[NB7]

That's always a tough and very personal decision. One of the best dogs I've owned was a boxer we were forced to put down at age 10. As you might already know, 13 for a boxer is extremely old. It's old for any breed, but especially that one in particular. We just put our 12 year old Chessie down two weeks ago. She had internal bleeding from cancer complications so it was imminent and made the decision easy, although still painful. In all the dogs we've lost over the years, sadly there was always a time when we "just knew". One of the big landmark indicators has always been when they stop eating on their own.
It sucks and I'm sorry for what you're dealing with.

 

[willtim]

Oh boy, I feel for you. She will let you know.

 

[Jethro]

Yes there is a moment, and you will see it in her eyes and know.

Our 1st boxer has been gone about 5-6 years now. At age of 10 was diagnosed with cancer and given 3-6 months. 1 prednisone a day and 4 years later we celebrated his 14th birthday with grilled salmon. 2 days later he could not get up, could not get outside by himself and had to be held up to do his business. When he looked at us, you could see it in his eyes. He knew it was time and was letting us know. It did not make the decision any easier, but we knew it was the correct one.

 

[rclouse79]

I put my dog down in December. She made it to 16, and I believe most people would have put her down before I did. I had to work hard the last year to get her to eat and she was very skinny. I believe wild game fat and scraps I saved during butchering kept her alive that last stretch. It was mostly all she would eat. Her last day, I let her out and looked out back and she was laying down and couldn’t get up. I tried moving her to a comfortable spot, but she kept trying to get up and couldn’t. That is when I knew it was over. It is never easy taking them. I was being selfish, waiting and hoping she wouldn’t make me do it.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

We have had too do it way too many times, and it never gets easier. When her quality of life has declined too the point she can no longer live a comfortable life, do her and you a favor and say goodby. Sorry.

 

[Wyobohunter]

If she has to go outside every hour I would personally consider it time. Her internals aren’t working right. We had to make the same decision with our girl last year and we miss her like crazy. Now we have fond memories and didn’t have to see her suffer.

 

[cnelk]

Its about 'Quality not Quantity'.

The reward for having a good dog is a broken heart in the end.

If you're asking.... its time

Its the last nicest thing you'll do for them

 

[Kevin Dill]

You'll know when it's time. NO....this didn't work for me. When you truly love a pet like a family member it can be nearly impossible (for some of us) to recognize the right time. I still haven't forgiven myself for allowing my dog to suffer a week or more simply due to my inability to accept what should have happened sooner. I was too weak to do the right and best thing, so she paid for that with extra suffering.

The very hardest of all things...if not impossible...is to put your emotions aside: 1) early enough to make a good, cogent decision, and 2) well enough to reward your dog with a caring and easier end on that day.

 

[bushangler]

You’ll know, the worst part of having a good dog is the good bye. Dogs become a part of your life but you are your dogs whole life with that come a very important responsibility at the end to not make them suffer.


I just wish our society would let us do the same with humans. I watched my grandmother suffer for 2 years either in pain or too drugged up to know her own name. All she wanted to do was die.


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[IdahoElk]

This is the hardest part of owning a dog and will rip you apart but for all the joy your buddy has given you it is now your job to help you buddy pass in as painless a way as possible, when your dogs quality of life has gone to a point where it is in constant pain or can't get around it is time.

 

[Scoot]

Yep- it's tough! The "you'll know when it's time" didn't work for us very well. The biggest mistake (in my opinion) I see people make is that they wait too long because it's just too tough to make that decision. No fun and good luck.

 

[Agross]

Not trying to be harsh, But it’s already time.

 

[ben h]

The last 2 dogs I've got "lucky" and the decision was really easy. My chocolate lab had terminal tumors and was really lethargic and would barely eat. He ate rib-eyes and rice for "steak week" as I called it and then put him down. My last lab was getting old, but still happy and still played a little, but then he had a stroke or something and lost function of his legs, so I had to put him down. I thought he was going to live a long time because he was otherwise pretty healthy. That would be really hard to put down a dog just because it was old and that was my fear for Mr. Coal.

 

[McCrapper]

Does everyone take their dog to get Euthanized or do people do it like Old Yeller? This is not a calloused response, I have a two year old pup that we love. What’s most fair to the dog? Death at the hands of a stranger or their best friend?


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[left field]

Two thoughts.

Dogs don't have the expectation of tomorrow, so there's no benefit to the dog in prolonging its life so it can have one more whatever.

With that in mind, in her article "Oyez a Beaumont", Vicki Hearne said that you put a dog down while there is still something to it other than it's wounds. While it is still more dog than illness. I can't disagree with that.

I have seen far too many dogs "living" a half life for far too long.

https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Hearne_OyezABeaumont.pdf

 

[KurtR]

Does everyone take their dog to get Euthanized or do people do it like Old Yeller? This is not a calloused response, I have a two year old pup that we love. What’s most fair to the dog? Death at the hands of a stranger or their best friend?


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No way in hell i could do it. So i go to the vet and stay in the room and held them while they peacefully went to sleep bawling my eyes out.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Does everyone take their dog to get Euthanized or do people do it like Old Yeller? This is not a calloused response, I have a two year old pup that we love. What’s most fair to the dog? Death at the hands of a stranger or their best friend?


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I think most take them to get put to sleep. I have a really close friend who took his up into the hills and took care of it himself - best dog he ever had and the hardest thing he has ever had to do according to him. He said he felt like he owed his dog a peaceful death after everything it gave him and he knew that wouldn’t happen at the vet. I totally get that - my dog hates the vet. Tough decision and one I hope I don’t have to make for a while.