I had to put my best friend down last year. His name was Kona. He was a Great Pyrenees and he was a part of my family for 13 years. When they are with you that long, they are not simply a pet anymore. They become another child to you. I have had lots of dogs in my many years on this earth. Kona was the best of the best. He was the only dog that wasn't buried and now rests in a beautiful box on my dresser where he can be near me always. Letting go was not easy, but I couldn't hold on knowing that the longer I held on, the longer he suffered. In the end, the hardest thing for me, was the best thing for him. I know your pain, and I send prayers for comfort for your family.

I had to put my best friend down back in 2012. She was a German Shepherd that I had had for 12 years. I got her from a no kill shelter. She was definitely my best friend. I had that dog through moves and different girlfriends and she was always by my side. She always would come in while my band was practicing in lay right in front of my drum kit itself she was the one who was in charge.

No matter how many pets you have had or no matter how many times you have had to make the decision previously, it never gets easier. I have had to put 3 elderly dogs down this year. My one Dane had a very similar situation to what you are experiencing. We finally based it on the fact that he was just not himself anymore and not able to get around hardly at all. I still felt horribly guilty even though everyone told me it was time or was past time.
Fortunately we are able to offer our beloved pets peace and not watch them suffer. I am so sorry for your loss.

I completely understand your feelings. He is my "Obi" that we picked up at 6 weeks old 12 years ago. We had to put him down last year and it was probably the hardest thing I have done. The first pic was 2 years before he died. He was getting laser surgery and they put special goggles on him. Basically, when the quality of life for the animal is diminished you need to make the hard decision. I have had two Komondors now and probably won't get another just because of the end of life decision. It's just too tough.

2015-03-13 15.14.31 (resized).jpg

2015-05-01 20.24.03 (resized).jpg

2015-05-01 20.39.28 (resized).jpg

As much as I hate seeing this thread bumped, I do hope that posting helps ease the pain a little. Both of my pupperinos had surgery this year, luckily without complication. My heart goes out to you guys and gals.

She’s beautiful, i hope things turn around and get better for you guys.

I went through this in jan. with mine. still have days where i'll break down and cry about him, out of the blue.

Thoughts are with you in this tough time and to all Pinsiders that have had to deal with this gut wrenching experience. We do love our pets.

Hogey

<-- My avatar (Zoie). Behemouth sized dog topping out at nearly 3.5# and lived to over 17 years. Rode around on my shoulder like a parrot.
She went down hill fast in April and had to let her go. Very tough decision and hope to never go through that again.

Im in the same boat as many in this thread. Had to say goodbye to one of my girls Friday. We have had our black lab mix Assabelle for almost 14 years. Her health had gone down over the years and was on a pain medicene for arthritis. A month ago she was starting to breath hard. We took her to the vet to see what was causing it. Vitals were checked and he said she was fine, and that sometimes they will breath that way from stress and/or heat.

Luckily, we were on vacation for a week a couple weeks ago and she stayed the same then, I would have hated for my parents to have had to deal with it and call us while we were away.

So come to Friday. I get her food and she doesn't come to me, this is my girl that has been on a diet for years, so she runs as fast as she can when its time to eat. I knew something was wrong, I went to her and she was kicking her legs trying to get up and couldn't. I knew in my heart, this was her last day. I go to the fridge and get out some lunch meats, and set out a couple pounds of bacon to cook. I am going to let her go with a full belly and happy. My kids and I are all surrounding her and holding her at the top of our stairs, her spot that she always sat waiting on us to come home. She died with us surrounding her. One of the most painful things that I have had to deal with, especially when my four kids are there and their is nothing that I can do at all.

We talked about what to do with her and the kids wanted to bury her, but was afraid that our other dog (German Shepard who I got for the sole purpose of giving Assabelle a companion) would try to dig. SO we decided to bury her at my parents land. We did it in style, we each drove our cars, 7 cars, with our hazards on and in the style of a funeral possession. We even had a train stop us, and I think that was so that I could spend a couple extra minutes with my girl. We all helped dig, we laid her down, We each spoke of our grates memory of her, laid a few flowers on her and covered her up. When we were all done, we planted some flowers on top of her.

She will be greatly missed, and I really think that she did things for a reason. We have had the talks about having to put her down and such, and I think that she wanted to save us from making the decision, and that she wanted to pass laying in her favorite place with her loved ones around her.

Troy

IMG_0556 (resized).JPG

IMG_4290 (resized).JPG

I'm sorry for your loss.

LTG

As I read, one thing that I can easily sense, is that these Pets (Family Members) could
not have had better homes..

Wow. ....that was hard to read. Sorry for your loss. She was beautiful and Labs are the best!

Sorry for your loss.

Same here Superbee. Its been around a year for me as well and im still sad. We got a new dog that is the best dog anyone could ever ask for but i still can't get over the loss of my last one. There was a special bond there that can't be replaced ever. It sucks man really bad.

In the not to distant future when you think of your ol mate , you will smile while remembering the good times and the sadness will fade away.

Superbee,

There's a new buddy waiting to be adopted at a shelter, when you are ready.

Over the decades, I've adopted two shelter dogs (one at a time). Both lived long, full lives, and the friendliest dogs you could find. But both are gone now, with Bridgette being put to sleep about a year ago. Never a good day when that happens. She's still my screen saver. I'm still not ready to adopt a dog yet, but we adopted a stray cat that really 'adopted us' when he showed by our house about 5 years ago. So he's my pseudo dog for now.

Capture (resized).PNG

Capture (resized).PNG

Hard to believe its been a year already. I'm glad this thread has been cathartic for you
Its hard to explain but you, and everyone else posting, has somehow made my dogs and I even closer. Like I don't get upset at them as much or stay mad when they do stuff like get in the trash or poop on the rug n stuff. So, thanks.

I had to put my best friend, Moose, down about a week and a half ago. It has been incredibly difficult, I've never been this sad before. But I'm finally starting to realize he is no longer in pain and isn't suffering and that gives me a lot of peace.

I never had any dogs growing up so this is my first time losing a best friend like this. I don't know where dogs go after they leave us. But I hope there is a singles mixer wherever it is because he doesn't have any friends there waiting for him. Maybe he is playing pinball with some of the good pups posted in this thread.

We miss you Moose!

And for everybody else dealing with a loss of a friend - past, present, and future; my heart goes out to you. It's not easy but we are all here as friends in this hobby.

43462842_10102262992761873_1461798196572323840_n (resized).jpg

I struggled for a year with the decision to put my lab down.

What helped me was this quote...

Better to put your dog down a week too soon, than a moment too late.

That and this....

Going to have to let my 14 year old cat go tomorrow I think. Been my "ride or die homie" since a few years out of college. Almost lost her last year around this time. Vet told us she may have to be put down last year, but I didn't give up and kept trying foods and finally got her eating some grilled chicken or hot dog and she regained her appetite. In the end we thought *maybe* she had an allergic reaction to grain-free food or there were toxins in wet food we tried when she seemed disinterested in dry food. Switched to Meow Mix & she was good for the last 8+ months.

2 weeks ago, out of nowhere, she stopped eating again. It's now looking like it's her time. I've done everything I could to get her interested in eating more, but any response to foods is short-lived & she's now just eating a small handful of cat treats a day. Not active, not very social, mostly sleeps. I did take her outside a few times this week so she could "feel like a cat", which she seemed to like.

It's not easy being in the position of when to decide it's time. Hard too when you've helped them through another difficult time and they bounced back. Vet appt scheduled for tomorrow & I'm prepared to say goodbye.

cat.jpg

acebathound... So sorry for you to have to make that decision. It hurts, we feel your pain.

You guys have me thinking about our Winston, who we had to put down about a year and a half ago. I got so used to him looking old that i had forgotten what he looked like during most of his long 14 year old life. Here are two pics, the second one was taken just before the end... So sad. Remember the good times!

image (resized).jpeg

image (resized).jpeg

I have some pretty tough skin, but 'You Guys"..
I know forever is best, but it's fortunate that a Family Pet can give you the enjoyment
that they had for 14 years, and it's obvious, the enjoyment that you also gave them..

What is her name? I'm sorry you're in such a position. It's never easy....

My wife and I just went through this with our oldest cat Calvin last. We had to let him go after 17 wonderful years. The worst part was I was out of the country at the time for work. I never even got to say "Goodbye".

He was in the later stages of congestive heart failure. We tried everything possible, tests, supplements, medications, etc. We wanted to make sure we gave him every chance to push through, but in the end, it was just his time.

IMG_2206 (resized).JPG

Her name is Cadence. A music term cause when I got her I was exploring different hobbies in 2005, trying to learn guitar/piano. My mom shortened it to Cady pretty quick so we mostly called her that.

Adopted her as a kitten the same day we got the pug puppy for my wife. She was laying in a hammock, legs sticking out, chill. Found out when signing adoption papers she supposedly shared my birthday. What makes it harder is these pets were with us basically from the time we started out in the world. So lots of memories and events intertwined. Feels like you're losing a piece of yourself. But also keeping in mind It's all part of life.

Had to say goodbye to my girl last year. Hardest thing I ever had to do.
Didn't think I would ever do it again, then I started looking at dogs on our local rescue website. I went to look at one thinking I wasn't ready, but knew in the back of my mind, I'd be coming home with a new friend. He's been a handful, but has quickly become my boy.

h5 (resized).jpeg

zman (resized).jpeg

That's a beautiful name for a very pretty kitty.

Calvin was found outside in a thunder storm without a mother by a friends dog. According to the vet at the time, he was too young to be without his mother and was probably abandoned. We adopted him shortly after her and I met.

In a way, I think we do.... But without the bad times, there can't be any good times.

Good luck and stay positive. Sometimes cats live much longer than 14 years so its possible that maybe they can help her. I hope things work out ok for you guys.

I'm sorry to hear of your buddies problem, hope for all involved it works out in your favor, they become so unreplaceable in our lives in such a short time.

I always take comfort in knowing my dog Johnny had a great life. We spent 15 great years together Towards the end, I made him eggs every morning and made sure he was comfortable no matter what. He was a rescue and followed me around everywhere. Super hard to let him go last year but that was the best thing for him. He was the only person in the house that never argued with me and the first one to greet me when I opened the door. Letting him go was brutal but he had a great life and I got to be part of it.

Just had to put my best buddy Wrigley to rest 2 months ago. House was too quiet and my daughter missed him, so now Jack has joined our family. So hard to lose a great friend!!

1st pic is our new dog, 2nd is our old buddy Wrigley.

9680936C-14B2-4AE0-AB74-06C4E9319F0C (resized).jpeg

FFBB143B-15A5-49A6-BE75-63ABDC959804 (resized).jpeg

We had to let our 14.5 year old Lhasa Apso, Arie, go at the end of March and it was difficult. She was a smart well mannered dog and lived a great life. We were lucky to have her that long.

Man's best friend is just that.

My story is short. Was married. Wife brought a cat into the house, then proceeded to bring in two more for a total of three.

She had affair and moved out.

Months later we reconciled and she brought back with her a little Yorkie. Man did I fall in love with that dog.

Towards the end of our second marriage (yes, another affair) I knew my time was short with that little fella. One day he was just gone. I never got to see him again (or her for that matter, but that was a good thing).

I miss him to this day and it's been years. Nothing is better than coming home to an anticipating dog. Nothing.

Yes indeed..
This thread makes me realize that I worry too much about little things, and that family and friends are the most important.

This Jimmy Stewart poem has aged well over the years. Always worth a re-watch if you love your dog.

That's a cool story! Sounds like he lived a very full life!

Thanks! I did take her in on Monday, in the pouring rain. Had the option of putting her down or running bloodwork.

$243 later for bloodwork, fluids & an appetite stimulate, I left in the rain with the cat.

Not sure if it was the right decision. This is different than last year, but worse in its own way. Last year I could actually have made the call easier since she looked a lot worse in her eyes and wasn't able to move around much. I'm not even sure how she pulled through that, the vet had all but given up on her. But that experience makes it hard to call it for her this year because she seems alert enough at times, normal-ish enough in some of the behavior. Yet with only eating maybe 20 calories a day when for her weight she should be eating 150 calories, I know where that's headed too.

Regardless of what needs to happen, I'm just going to be relieved when it's over. This in-between stuff and not knowing what's best for the animal is tough.

Welp made the mistake of opening this thread while at my desk at work not realizing I was about to cry. Love my dogs so much.
paradise (resized).JPG This is me and my girl Paradise in college. She was a Great Pyrennes mix that I got from the humane society. The poor girl lived in a 3 bedroom apartment for 4 years with 4 guys. She was about 110-120 lbs of pure love. Man did the girls love her. Friends would argue over who was going to get to take her for a walk around campus. I had to put her down when she was about 10, almost 6 years ago now. I cried all night, made the decision that I should go to work the next day (I'm a teacher) so that I could retain some normalcy. Worst choice ever. I told the kids I had been up all night crying, my dog had died, and if they agreed to sit there in silence we would do nothing that day, no homework or anything. The first two periods of the day thought I was joking as I'm usually pretty laid back and fun teacher, by the time the 3rd period kids had showed up the word had spread and kids just came in sat down and didn't do a thing. I felt terrible for a few weeks and then I finally went and got her name tattooed on my chest which for whatever reason helped me.

During Paradise's life, she had a little dachshund sister named Layla who we still have, she is going on 12 now. After Paradise passed Layla would howl all night until we let her sleep with us so we decided to get another dog so she would have a friend and settled on a Bull Terrier since I had always wanted once since I was a kid. Enter April, a brindle Bull Terrier. Layla did not take to her the way she had Paradise, but the howling stopped. April always wanting to play we decided we should get another Bull Terrier friend for her and enter Daphne, the white Bull Terrier who looks like Spudz Mackenzie or the dog from Spring Break pinball machine if you prefer. april and daphne (resized).JPG

When the Ex and I split she kept April and I kept Daphne. At one point April escaped from her new home and even though we strongly disliked each other I still had to go and look for the dog because I couldn't stand the thought of her being lost. She was eventually found stuck between some fences. She was missing for several days and we were fortunate it rained a lot so she had a source of water.

Then just about a year ago my now current girlfriend decided she loved my current dogs so much Layla and Daphne, that she really wanted to rescue another Dachshund. Enter Pippa, the tiny brown rescue girl. She is the first dog I have ever had that is yappy, but she is also really cute and sweet at times. She had a rough life before she was brought to our home by a volunteer pilot from a rescue service in Michigan. They flew her directly in to the Purdue airport where we picked her up about 10 minutes from our house. dacshaund army (resized).jpeg

Just a few months ago we decided we would try and be foster parents for a dog after a Great Pyrenes showed up on my Facebook feed needing rescued. It turned out it was being given up by a former student of mine and our application was chosen by the rescue group. We had Maya at our home for about a month before we found her a forever home. She was so big and so sweet, it really made me miss Paradise again, but also realize how much easier it has been having small and medium-sized dogs, especially with pinball machines taking up so much space in the house now. We learned that we are not cut out for the foster life because we got too attached in just that month. My girlfriend cried so hard and I was sad as well. maya (resized).jpeg

Regardless, I feel anyone's pain who has to go through this but keep giving these animals great homes and lives they are far better than us humans that's for sure.

I haven’t posted this before but I lost the guy in my avatar last August. He was my first puppy and we were besties. He started having trouble walking last year but the vet told us it was normal. I disagreed as he was only 8. But I listened.

Then in August he rapidly lost mobility. I had to carry him outside to pee the day it really took a turn. I helped him up so he could relieve himself and he just slumped over after. I laid with him and looked into his eyes. He was so lost. I balled my eyes out laying there next to him in the grass like we’d done so many times before.

I took him to the emergency vet and the vet said we were going to need to make a tough decision. That he was basically becoming paralyzed from something neurological, but the tests said he was doing okay otherwise. They were setting up more tests for a few days later. I went to work the next day and got a call from home... I didn’t tell anyone but I knew he was going to go after I left for work. He was my BFF and I felt him leaving.

I spent the next two days with my family digging out rock after rock in our yard to give him a good resting place.

Still go out there from time to time and sit with him or have a talk.

You did the right thing Ace. You are giving her a chance. The bloodwork results hopefully will reveal what is wrong and what path that you should take. Its too bad that all pets in this world cant have an owner as good as you. Thank you for trying to help her.

Thank you! I got the bloodwork results and it's not looking good. Anemia and indications of liver disease. Compared to last year's tests I was told these do look worse. Of course there's always options to possibly help them hang on longer, no guarantees though & you have to ask yourself is it for you or your pet. Without eating much, I don't want to see her continue wasting away while things are tried and getting to the point she's really looking like she's suffering which may happen in days not weeks.

I'm going to let her go tonight. I'm sad about it, but at the same time trying to keep in mind this is feeling like what will be best for her rather than starving herself to death or not being able to live a normal life. So fortunate to have had another 8+ months with her.

Yesterday was great weather so she had a full afternoon outside with me.

I wasn't doing much writing though..

cat1 (resized).jpg

cat3 (resized).jpg

She seems to love it outside. Last night I had her on the couch with me during a movie, got up and set her down on the floor & she ran to the sliding door door, between the blinds... wanting to go outside, but finding out it was dark. My wife and I got emotional.. it was awesome to see she loved being outside that much these last few weeks.

We'll be making a day of it outside again today. Vet appointment isn't until the evening.

I'm trying not to be way upset with all of this. I've had emotions all over the place and sentimentally it's very hard, but it comes down to what's best for her for quality of life. If I'm pumping her full of medications and running invasive tests and prolonging things while she wastes away, I don't see it as being for her more than it is for me. I'd rather see her go out still seeming somewhat comfortable and knowing I did what I could to make some of her good days even better.

This cat has provided me with so many laughs and so much companionship over the years. I could kneel down on the ground and show her I was excited to see her and she'd make a sound of recognition/happiness just about every time. That hasn't happened in a few weeks, she's really not been very social, but just seeing her walk over to me yesterday some outside and lay down.. it's been a nice way for both of us to say goodbye.

So yeah, I'm glad I waited a few days. Monday wasn't right. Pouring rain the entire day, pouring rain a few days before that. And just knowing the test results helps too. With yesterday's sunshine & today looking good as well, this way I can feel like I did something for her even up to the very end and we had a bit more time together.

Thanks to those that offered support & listened. Really to the OP & anyone posting in this thread with stories, memories, kind words. This isn't a forum for pets, but it's great to see the kindness, compassion and support here for people that have lost pets or trying to decide what's best for them.