Having to put your dog down f-ing sucks. I got 7 years with her. Told myself my whole life I wouldn’t get a dog because I knew how bad it would be when it was time for them to go. The time is Saturday and it sucks.
Dogs
- Thread starter ExileOnPerkinsSt.
- Start date
My wife had Togo on the other day and I just lost it started balling and everything. It’s been a few months shy of 3 years for me. Dogs are great and the love they give is awesome. Remember all those good years not just this one day.
Thanks man. That’s definitely what I have been trying to focus on.
the dogs that we've had to put down were on their way to a better place. Either some chronic disease or old age. Doesn't make it any easier but watching them linger was painful as well. Go get yourself another dog.
Just remember. You are giving them the greatest gift you possibly can. Release from pain and suffering.
Think of all the people in the world who don't have that option and spend their final days (or weeks/months/years) in misery, because they (and their loved ones) have no other option.
You gave that dog a fantastic 7 years of security, love and happiness. Now you are sparing him/her from continuing life that is not what he/she knows and enjoys.
Think of all the people in the world who don't have that option and spend their final days (or weeks/months/years) in misery, because they (and their loved ones) have no other option.
You gave that dog a fantastic 7 years of security, love and happiness. Now you are sparing him/her from continuing life that is not what he/she knows and enjoys.
Thanks man. That really means a lot especially knowing your profession. I know it's the right decision and the vets here have been fantastic with her and that's all I could ever ask.
Fortunately, for me, when I euthanize a pet, what I typed is accurate about 95% of the time. Unfortunately, that other 5% can be very difficult for me and my employees. For example, if we are talking about a dog that attacked a person, or other dog, and can't be trusted not to seriously injure someone in the future. Or, if we are talking about a patient that can be fixed/cured but the owner is unable to afford medical care and chooses to euthanize.
I can't imagine how tough that 5% must be. Man...
Thinking about it, 2% might be a more accurate estimation.
I have had a couple of great dogs, workers, hunters, etc., but I have never been so close to a pet that I get the same feelings some do. I was discussing this the other day due to a friend who said it was like losing a family member. I cannot for the life of me ever get that attached to an animal. Maybe it's the ag life and what I have grown up around. Maybe its the fact that I despise pets in the house therefore the closeness never gets that tight of a bond. Maybe I am just abnormal but I know the struggle is real for many and I hate that you lost your friend.
Surely there are others in the same boat. I love my pets and hate it when I have had to put them down but I just know that's life. Sorry for being a downer.
There are a lot of people like that. In my experience, they are mostly husbands of wives who dote on their pets.
I'm just busting your balls.
I know you are and no offense taken. My wife thankfully shares my same feelings with pets . We have raised our kids to accept death around dead pets, cattle, etc.
The last couple of years I've been dreading putting down our heeler/Dalmatian mix. She's the best dog we e ever had. She's now 14.5 and doing quite well. Instead we had to put down our little Jack Russell, Scout, in August. She was 9 and was seemingly in great shape up until 6 months before. She wasn't as good a dog as Josie but she was my shadow and an incredibly good friend.
Mine got Cushing’s about 4 years ago. The vets were great and I started feeding her raw duck with some medicine drops mixed in and it helped a lot. Her skin sores cleared up and her fur came back like normal. But the last six months the sores started coming back and she was having trouble walking and lately some pretty labored breathing. I knew what the answer probably was but the vets telling me was and still is a kick in the gut. She’s exceeded every expectation I had about having a dog. Just knowing at this time next week she won’t be here is just a killer.
Our vet could never say for certain what was wrong with Scout. All of a sudden she acted almost like she had Alzheimer's or the people in the movie Awakenings. She would just stand like a switch had gone off and stare. At first it was kind of periodic beginning last February or March. She was still pretty active on army in the summer at times around the pool, etc. The episodes grew steadily worse. And she just began zone out, she would stand in the corner and stare at the wall. Sometimes seemingly drift off to sleep, but she would always snap out if it when I called her name.
She never acted like she was in any pain or discomfort for the longest time. One odd thing was, she stared almost always peeing at n either the pool deck or the paver piazza between our back porch and a gazebo we have, instead of in the grass. But never in the house until mich closer to the end. Our vet diagnosed her with cataracts but that didn't really explain it and certainly wouldn't explain the sudden change.
A few weeks later we took her back to our vet hospital and one of the younger vets worked with us. She diagnosed her with Cushing's based on her heightened liver enzymes, which were quite high and some other blood readings. But she admitted Scout did not have most of the classic symptoms: no sores, no loss of fur, no excessive thirst. She started to get a little sensitivity around her belly the last 3-4 weeks. We figured she probably had a tumor. But the vet said she would very likely never be close she to normal again no matter what we did so we just decided to live with her and watch for signs she was getting worse/beginning to suffer.
Then about 2-3 weeks later, on the weekend, she just really started laboring breathing and standing staring and now was having some trouble keeping her head up. We had to put her down. I will say that Josie is kind of arthritic but still gets around well most of the time thanks to her K9 glucosamine and also being tough as a boot. And she seems much better since Scout passed away, like she had been worried and stressed out about her little friend.
Man that is rough. I think the toughest part for me has been the deterioration. She sleeps almost non stop and just has no energy. She still has a good appetite and sometimes will have an accident in the house but for the most part it is rare. She’s always been pretty happy and loves attention but even now sitting here watching the Thunder game and watching her more than the game, I almost feel selfish for not doing it earlier but at the same time I know I will miss her like crazy.
We put our 13 year old wiener dog down last week. He lost motor/function of his back end for the second time. First time this occurred (2 years ago) he had a lumbar decompression and recovered well but we couldn’t put him through that again. An emergent trip to the vet in the morning to empty his poop/pee followed by a pain injection and he was back to “normal” but we went ahead and scheduled the vet came to our house to put him to sleep. We made the best of his last day with 2 trips to McDonalds, new toys from Pet Smart, a neighborhood wagon ride and an early birthday celebration with cake and song.
Was so grateful to get that last day.
Big hole in our hearts and an empty house.
Hope to rectify that in the coming months.
Was so grateful to get that last day.
Big hole in our hearts and an empty house.
Hope to rectify that in the coming months.
I've had to put down four now. It never gets easier. All are just like my children. I hear people say after having to put one down that they'll never have another due to the pain. But, I've learned that you just have to accept that they are not going to live as long as we do. They usually have anywhere from 8 - 15 years. I know they'll have a wonderful 8 - 15 years if I get them while their life could be spent at the end of a chain tied to a tree if someone else did. Just accept the fact that it is something you'll have go through, go get another and love it as much as you loved this one.
we had to put our 16 year old Dalmatian down 2 years ago. we probably waited too long to do so as she deteriorated over many months. she always had a good appitite.
our vet explained that a dog will hang around way too long trying to please it's master. it took awhile for that to get through to me and my family. still it was a very hard thing to do.....
our vet explained that a dog will hang around way too long trying to please it's master. it took awhile for that to get through to me and my family. still it was a very hard thing to do.....
Today has been the first day without her. Put her down yesterday afternoon. It’s not been a good weekend
Man reading your post takes me back to about a year ago. Mine had Cushing's and the last few weeks were just painful for us but like BJ said you know it's for the best for them. We ended up making it about a month before my wife couldn't take the silence around the house before we got another. I really feel for you all today. We were the 2% that BJ talks about, the vet we were using at the time had to call someone else to put her down because my wife and daughter were so hysterically crying. So the guy (me) with the medical condition that makes me tear up for the slightest thing was stuck trying to be the emotional rock. Then had a two hour drive to Oklahoma to bury her on the family farm. Awful day.
Man that is incredibly rough. I’m a single dude so it’s just me and I don’t have to be the rock for anyone else. Even today I subconsciously feel the need to see if she needs to go outside or if she’s hungry. I can’t even get rid of her food and water bowls yet.
heck our dogs food bowl is still where it always should be!
I had a Catahoula for 16 years. She always slept in the same spot at night. After she passed, I found myself walking around/jumping over that spot when I would walk through the house at night. I just did it without thinking about it for another 3 years. Then we moved to a new house.
This morning I woke up, got in the shower and it felt so weird. Normally I was putting her outside first then jumping in the shower. It really sucks. Then of courtse driving to work and trying not to be a sad sack which is also hard.
Hang in there. You never really get over it but as time goes on you heal. I had to put mine down on my wife's 30th birthday. My other one on valentines day. Took me a year to get over my first dog as she got cancer and after they found out, only made it two weeks before we had to put her down. My other one he made heart issue and so I had over a year and half of warning. My boy dog was my shadow and I will never get over losing him. I still can't even entertain the idea of getting another one because of the bond we had. The hurt you have shows you loved the dog and were a good owner. Hang in there man.
Thanks man. It comes and goes. At work when my mind is preoccupied it's cool but at home it really sucks. Especially when you walk in the door and they used to just be there waiting for you.
Hang in there man, it sucks now but like others had mentioned it sounds you really cared for her and gave her an amazing life.
Been in your shoes when we had to put down the family dog when I was a teenager, she was like my shadow for 10 years and I was the last person she saw on this earth but know she's having a ball in doggy heaven.
Time will heal. It took me a year before I didn't think about her on the normal daily routine but she will always have a piece of your heart and that's a good thing. We don't deserve dogs...
