Prague
Dogs are family. Spoil him and keep him happy as long as he is able to be. Best of luck with this. Ive been through it before too and it sucks.
(Topic ID: 200247)
I'm sorry to hear you are going through this, it's very difficult, our pets are family.
Last year I lost my cat who was 19 years old. When the time came to decide about putting him to sleep I researched in home euthanasia vets. After bringing my dog to the vet a few years prior to be put to sleep I will never go to the vet again to have a pet euthanized as I think its a very traumatic experience for the animal. My dog, a lab, was scared and I could see it in her eyes. I wish I knew about in home euthanasia at the time as she could have passed away peacefully at home.
My cat got to stay home, in the home he's know his whole life, and got to pass away peacefully on his favorite chair with his family around him. I miss him a lot but knowing that he got to pass away at home is comforting. I went through "Lap of Love", they appear to have a network of supported vets that provide the service. The vet even made the family a mold of ours cats paw print and took a small bit of his hair and placed it in a nice container for us.
Sorry to hear about Gizmo, my vote. If you have the money to keep him going vet bill wise, and he isn't in daily pain or suffering. Keep him going as long as you can. I think of it based on quality of life with the heavy emphasis on life. As long as they have a positive quality of life, I want them to enjoy every little bit they can, and that I get to share those last days, weeks, or months is just a bonus for me.
Take care, and good luck.
Newmarket, ON
Quoted from o-din:When we took our sick dog in, they didn't give us a choice. In fact it was quite the opposite. They decided what they thought was best before we had a chance to stop them.
Wow, i would lose it if vet did that to me !!
Im definatley going to look into to the at home service when its time. He is very scared and nervous when going to the vet and he deserves to be in the comfort of home whens its time. And yes, i dont care about the money put out at the vet or for meds. I will gladly shell it out until its no longer about that .
I also feel really sad for all the others here that have gone, or are going through the same .
I am so sorry about Gizmo. I have been through this so many times and it never gets any easier. 3 of our dogs we have had since puppies. The rest we take in because no one else will. Lost 3 in the last year and have 17 right now. You will know when its time to let Gizmo go.
Quoted from indy5mike:I am so sorry about Gizmo. I have been through this so many times and it never gets any easier. 3 of our dogs we have had since puppies. The rest we take in because no one else will. Lost 3 in the last year and have 17 right now. You will know when its time to let Gizmo go.
Thanks Indy. I must ask though...how in the hell do you take care of that many ? lol
Quoted from indy5mike:3 of our dogs we have had since puppies. The rest we take in because no one else will. Lost 3 in the last year and have 17 right now.
Maineville, OH
Dakotah, our domestic shorthair silver tabby classic and white show cat, is sitting on my lap as I type this. He sleeps about 20 hours a day so I'm honored with his presence. I don't envy you in the least. I have been through it before. The only thing I ask is that you do what's best for your companion and not yourself. We tend to hang on to our compatriots too long because we can't let go. I don't want to see him/her suffer because of that. Only a vet can answer that question. Reaching out to others can help. JLC
Quoted from SUPERBEE:Wow, i would lose it if vet did that to me !!
It's kind of a sad story but it has to do with the other comments I made.
My brother and myself were in school when my mom took our dog to the vet and specifically told him not to give the dog the shot until we were consulted about it so at least we would have a chance to say goodbye.
Got home from school and never saw Trixie again.
Quoted from o-din:My brother and myself were in school when my mom took our dog to the vet and specifically told him not to give the dog the shot until we were consulted about it so at least we would have a chance to say goodbye.
Got home from school and never saw Trixie again.
Thats such a shitty thing to do.
Sorry to hear.
Superbee... I feel for you and your family.
Our pets are like our kids. We had to put our sweet dog "Harley" down (14 years with us) 6 weeks ago. He was very special. I'm nearly 60, and cried like a baby for days. My wife is much stronger and she spent his last minutes with him and the vet.
Me, Harley and my sweet granddaughter reading books on the floor!
Quoted from Kerry_Richard:Me, Harley and my sweet granddaughter reading books on the floor!
That's cool. A pic that should be framed..
(And along with many others in this thread)..
OP, I lost my Basset Hound Millie who was the love of my life back in August of 2015. She was the most amazing dog ever and I vowed I would never get over her. She lived to be 16 years and a month. I look for another Basset Hound just like her but knew I wanted another Basset Hound right away or I would just be worse off especially since I am single. I read every single article I could possibly read, cried a lot, and finally had to choose another dog out of the litter or wait another 3 months. I picked Melvin. He is nothing like Millie but my God he's the absolute love of my life. He's so incredible and my family loves him to death. I'll never forget Millie but getting another dog helped my pain like 99.99%. I'm happy again and so should you be when it's time to let go of your current best friend.
Hope that helps.
"We are going to just keep him happy and comfy as long as we can". . .you're doing it right. I don't even want to remember when I was with Russell when we took him to the vet for the last time. I've never cried so much in my life. 17 years you're doing good!
This isn’t easy...My black lab had a cough for a few years chest ex-ray after chest ex-ray nothing. Then one day again concerned another and well it was cancer. We hunted together and man that dog was just a great friend. We all said our good bye’s and we made the drive to the vet. I didn’t want to put him down. He had always minded my every command but that walk to the room he didn’t want to. I called again and he did as I asked 1 last time. I held him, as long as they would let me. What I would give to hold him again. Just another day...We have gotten a new lab we love him just as much. However, I still miss my buddy after 6 years....Unfortunately, the pain and in this time hurts deep now, but in time you’ll just be thankful you got a once and a life time chance to love gizmo. Trust me he loves you just s much. It’s hard to say goodbye. Try to look at the joy he brought to your and your family. Opportunities, and the love he brought through your door over the years. Hold on to that. Sorry to hear that your family and friend gizmo are having to say goodbye. Peace be with you in the hard times ahead.
Quoted from Swainer80:"We are going to just keep him happy and comfy as long as we can". . .you're doing it right. I don't even want to remember when I was with Russell when we took him to the vet for the last time. I've never cried so much in my life. 17 years you're doing good!
Sorry to hear you're going through this. I've had to make this decision as well a few times in my life and it unfortunately never gets easier.
I'm not too far from these decisions myself with my 11 year old pup. I hope things get better for you.
I am a little late to the topic, but as a practicing veterinarian and pet owner I know first hand that an aging pet can be an emotional rollercoaster. One of the most difficult decisions I have had to make was deciding it was time with Earl, my cattle dog buddy that had been with me for fifteen years (He is next to the Power Wagon in the Avatar). I used the same advice that I try to give to owners on quality of life. . .
1. Appetite. Its almost instinctual with our pets. If there is no appetite you know they do not feel good.
2. Mobility. Usually more of an issue in big dogs. Arthritis, nerve degeneration, muscle weakness, etc. can all occur with age and make getting around difficult. This can be one or the more frustrating ailments because a lot of times the mind still wants to work but the body just cannot.
3. Continence. Usually (but not always) goes with mobility. I think it goes without saying that no one wants to be covered with their own waste, our pets included.
4. Interaction. I always tell people that they know more about what is "normal" than I ever will. While some changes in home life can be normal with the passage of time other behaviors are usually consistent. Is your pet hiding/wandering off to be alone when they normally enjoy your companionship? I try to suggest that owners compare good days vs. bad days. When bad days start outnumbering the good I start giving euthanasia a little more consideration.
Typically vets/owners can compensate for one of the above areas in some ways, but when you start noticing changes in several of them quality of life may be deteriorating. I felt that after 15 years of faithful companionship I owed it to my buddy that he not experience unneeded pain or suffering, even though it killed a small part of me on the inside.
I wish anyone in this situation the best going forward and appreciate/love them as much as you can.
Earl's picture holds a prominent place in the lobby of my clinic. A rescue dog has since been added to the family, but he nor his memory will ever be replaced.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:It's always tough to know when to make the call. For me it was when he really couldn't stand anymore. I mean, he wasn't in any pain yet really, he could still see...but I mean when you can't fucking walk across the kitchen floor without slipping and falling it just seemed like the right time. At that age you know it's not going to get any better.
You are definitely not the person I thought you were years ago. I never would have thought you were the dog type. No, that is not a cheap shot but I never thought of you as one who would take the time to attend to a dog's many needs.
Dogs are better then people. They have no guile and have unconditional love for their owners. Amazing what we can & should learn from them. As someone who gets chronically depressed and refuses to take pharmaceuticals, they are the only Godsend miracle in my 39 years of life that have kept me from from ending it all.
I lost my best friend Jersey a year ago. The pain of losing a family member is unbearable. I completely sympathize with the OP's situation. I'm so sorry.
My wife brought home a new best friend for me almost immediately because they truly bring nothing but joy & pure happiness to our lives.
Had my new best friend Princeton for a year now and we go & do everything together. Although Jersey will never be replaced & I think of him daily, the painful memories of the pain he endured toward the end of his life are now replaced with joy in thinking of the amazing times we had together. My new buddy has truly helped me cope. They understand us more then we'll ever know.
Quoted from zr11990:You are definitely not the person I thought you were years ago. I never would have thought you were the dog type. No, that is not a cheap shot but I never thought of you as one who would take the time to attend to a dog's many needs.
Damn right James. I carried that dog up 4 flights of goddamn stairs for months.
Actually, I think there is something wrong with people who don't like dogs.
We had to put our dog to sleep the beginning of September. Ellie was nearly 18 years old and beloved family member. We did everything we could with at least 10 pills a day for the past 4 years, monthly check ups to monitor liver levels and blood pressure. She had better health care than most. We had insurance for her (pays up to 70%) but everything still wasn't cheap. She stopped eating and wasn't herself so we gave the girl her dignity. Still painful to think about it.
Lots of fun and funny moments with this lady. She was our shadow wherever we went.
I feel your pain, I love my dogs more than most of my family members. Death is an eventuality, that's why you have to make the most of every day. Sounds like you love your puppy and that's all that gizmo is ever going to care about. I know the day will come when both Yuki and Cammy will put me in the same spot that you are in now, and I loathe the day that it happens and honestly know I'll be a fucking mess. Just do what you think is best for Gizmo
We lost our first dog, Gibby, a littler over a year ago to cancer. He was only a couple months away from turning 5. Despite the short time we had with him, he was still such a huge blessing to us and lived way longer than we ever though possible. We found out he had cancer when he was a little over three years old, but he pushed on, with a great quality of life, for a long time. I remember my last words to him were "see you later," as I was heading to work, but while I was away his health started quickly declining and my parents knew it was time. I wanted to be there for him, but perhaps it was best that I didn't have to see him like that.
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Like everybody else here has said, just take as good care of him as you can until you know it's time.
I know exactly what you are going through, I am dealing with the same exact thing right now. My dog (15 years old shihtzu) did a pulmonary edema last May. We almost lost her then, her hearth failed and liquid went into the lungs etc. The vet wasn't very optimistic and thought the chances of recovery were low. She still prescribed some medication and my dog pretty much went back to normal after this episode. It costed us a few thousands worth of xrays, blood tests, keeping her on oxygen for a few days and more but we were happy to be able to spend more time with her, especially since she still seemed to enjoy the same quality of life as before.
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Last week, I took the dog out and she fell on the side and screamed, then passed out. I thought she dropped dead.. 1-2 minutes after she was back like nothing happened but more mellow. Went to see the Vet and she did it 4-5 times, apparently it's a syncope and she runs out of air, either a congestive hearth failure or a lung problem. They recommended seeing specialists at an Ottawa emergency hospital, but the cost for them to keep the dog in care is close to 1K a day which is a bit crazy. I told the vet to do what she can at the clinic and if it doesnt work there wont be another way. They have a cardiologist coming today that will do a scan of her hearth to confirm for sure the exact issue so they can then provide us a proper prescription of something that may help. She is doing better from the medication they provided us, but she sometimes still get syncope and she loses her breath and cough when she moves too much.
We decided to still do the scan with the specialist, it's not cheap 400$ but usually at the emergency hospital it's close to 2K to get the same consultation. Then we will see what is the problem and if medication will help her or not. We realize she wont be back to normal but if the medication help and she still enjoys life we will be happy to spend a few more months with her. However the time we will need to let her go is coming fast. I never had a dog that passed before.
I have 2 small dogs, that shihtzu 15 years old and a Pomeranian that is 14.
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I knew that time was coming and we also adopted 2 giant malamutes 3 years ago so it's not as painful when we lose the little ones. It is very sad, especially after spending more than a third of my life with them. We keep the small dogs upstairs and the big ones downstairs, otherwise this would add too much stress on the little ones.
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I will know more after the exam today, the hearth specialist is coming from Montreal. Then by next week we will have to decide what we do. I dont want to see them suffer, but also want to give them a chance. That will be the hardest decision I will need to take.
Good luck with your dog and I hope things get better.
Again, thank you everyone for all your kind words. I'm in tears just reading a lot of these stories. Well Gizmo took a turn for the worse last night. My wife and I had just gotten into bed and Gizmo was in between us like he always is and the suddenly he had a major seizure. He has never had this happen to him till now. I was in tears as I was certain that he was dying in my arms. He came out of it and is now weaker on his right front leg. I've been a mess all day at work thinking about him. I'm on my way home now to discuss what we are going to do now. Man this is brutal !!! No matter what we decide I plan on spending the evening on the couch with him watching the hockey game as we have always done that.
Really sorry to hear you're going through this, but there's a lot of good advice in the thread. Our 18 year old cat, Statik, passed away back in July, so I can relate. We noticed she was losing a lot of weight and was having a hard time eating and drinking, so brought her to the vet, who thought it was probably a bad tooth giving her trouble. Because of Statik's age, the vet said the surgery would be dangerous, but we decided to go through with it instead of having her starve to death. 
On the day of the surgery, the vet called us and said it wasn't a bad tooth, but rather cancer of the throat and tongue -- her tongue was so devastated, it was half gone, which is why she couldn't eat. :'( They called my wife who made the call to not bring her back from being put under from surgery, and she still feels like "she killed" Statik because she made the call, even though we both know it was the right thing to do. Just sucks all around. Statik loved hanging out with us, walked me to the door every morning when I went to work, greeted me at the door when I came home (until we got a dog, then she stopped 
). I had ankle surgery back in February so couldn't even get up the stairs for 2 weeks - she hung out in the middle of the night with me on the couch. She also liked to sit on books when my wife and I were in graduate school, just to hang around us while we studied. She was awesome... RIP, Statik.
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Sad to hear super, I know what your going through it's a very tough spot. I even second guessed myself months after my Dinky girl was gone, it's horrible. She loved to wear sweaters and this spongebob one she has on was her favorite.
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My first cat lived 25 years and when she started to fail from Leukemia her back legs gave out and the vet said I should put her down. Watching her drag herself around the room by her front paws made me a wreck. I concocted a platform and some wheels from a toy to help her but it was quite a sad sight watching her fail. She lasted a few weeks like that and I knew I had to put her down, best I could do was go in with her for euthanasia.
Another cat had a tumor on her head and she stopped eating. I had an idea and went on you tube and found a veterinarian who had a video showing how to put the cat food in a blender and used a turkey baster syringe to squirt the food into her mouth. I did this 3 times a day for 3 years to keep that cat alive. One day she collapsed and I knew it was time.
Another cat had a thyroid condition and I got him treated and he lasted a few more months. He started hiding in the closet and then one day he let out a shriek and started convulsing, the scariest sight and sound that I can still feel in my bones to this day. The vet told me I waited too long (obviously) and that's what happens when animals are about to die.
My current cat was diagnosed with IMHA ( auto-immune disease that kills red blood cells ) but with medication he has been doing well. I came close to putting him down but the vet kept him alive with numerous transfusions until we found the right medication. I would like to share some wisdom. When an animal starts hiding, changes it's behavior and becomes less playful, or stops eating, take it to the vet immediately. Watch the gums, if they lose their pink color and turn pale it's serious. There is a fine line between waiting too soon or too long to put them down. Animals hide pain VERY well, unlike humans. Make sure you're not keeping the animal alive for selfish reasons. And do your homework when buying from unscrupulous pet mills.
Best of luck to all of you animal lovers and thanks for sharing these personal stories. It made me feel like I'm not unique about how I feel so strongly for animals.
Hobo - The NY Pinball Mascot and supervisor/helper
Quoted from NYP:My first cat lived 25 years
Wow that's a long life for a cat, dog, hell any domesticated animal you must have taken very good care of her.
Quoted from RWH:Wow that's a long life for a cat, dog, hell any domesticated animal you must have taken very good care of her.
Funny thing is, I only took her to the vet once when I first got her, for her vaccinations and spaying, that's it, until 25 years later when she was failing. The vets tell you a small percentage of animals actually can get sick from vaccinations but that it's still better to get them vaccinated, sometimes I wonder. Indoor cats obviously live longer, which she was. According to my vet, pet illnesses have increased in recent years, makes you wonder if it's vaccinations or something in their food, who knows. Hope Gizmo is doing ok.....
I would like to thank everyone who has posted here for there compassion and advice for me and everyone else who posted here who is going through or is soon going to go through what our family is going through. I'm sure this thread is going to help many others down the road.
It's an extremely sad day for myself and my family. We had to let Gizmo go this morning. He had another seizure last night and it seriously affected his brain. I won't get into details but I knew it was time. It was without a doubt one of the hardest things we have ever had to do but I know it was what was best for him. It feels pretty surreal right now and I'm in and out of tears. He will be sadly missed. My heart goes out to all those that are at this point with there beloved pets as I truly now know how you feel.
RIP Gizmo... you were soo loved and will be missed.
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Sorry for your loss. Sounds like you did wonderfully by Gizmo and I'm sure he appreciated the comfort and compassion in his hard time. Lost my buddy <- 6 months ago and still haven't completely accepted it. I'll be thinking of you and Gizmo in these tough days
Sorry to hear, but as hard as it was for you it was the right thing to do and not make him suffer. I wish you and your family the best while dealing with this.
RIP Gizmo....
I feel for you my friend
I lost my Best friend Kole a few years ago.... i lucked out and was able to get a puppy from the same family line, which helped me cope ( knowing that I had a Blood relative) meaning that A part of Kole was still with me, hence why I named him Kolton
Wishing you and your family sympathy for your loss.
It will hurt, but it will get better
Kole (Blue Surf Board)
Kolton (Red and Yellow Surf Board)
lost both of ours within six months of each other.... it sucks i was given this poem from a family friend, and we shared it with our kids. it has helped not only them but me through the hard time.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
RIP Gizmo
My sympathies - this is the downside of loving a pet. I've been through this multiple times now with dogs and cats and it never gets any easier.
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