I am torn about putting my dog to sleep..?
He is a 17 yr old Boston Terrier, He is incontinent of bowel and bladder, he has cancer in his bladder, and has tumors on his right hip/ sternum, he limps when he walks, has been falling, can't do steps, limps when he walks, some blood in the stool, seems to be hurting more, getting up every hour on the hour at night. We are not sleeping because he is always needing to go out at night. I need reassurance that I am doing the right thing. He has been such an important and special member of our family for the last 8 yrs, before that I got him from one of my hospice patient's when she died.
Time to put dog to sleep?
Hi, I'm really sorry about your dog. I know how you feel since I just had to put my 12 year old dog to sleep today. He was very sick and I have been struggling with the same questions -what and how I should do it - for a while. My advice to you - DEFINATELY DON'T DO IT YOURSELF. First of all, the vet will sedate your dog to make him comfortable and less painful - something you cannot do by yourself. Second of all, the RIGHT DOSAGE has to be delivered straight in the VEIN. Otherwise you may put your dog through terrible pain and suffering. He may be dying for hours. The best way to do it is either in the vet's office, where they have trained personnel to gently handle your dog (they were really great to my dog) or you can make the appointment for the vet to come to your house. Another thing is this - they usually give two shots - one is the sedative, which makes the dog calm and kind of sleepy, the other is the actual shot, which will put him to sleep. I requested another shot - the anesthetic, which was given to him after the sedative. I asked for the same anesthetic, which is given to the dogs before the surgery. This way I was sure he was asleep and did not experience any pain when the final drug was applied. I requested that because my biggest fear was that even though they sedate the dog, he can still suffer when they inject the actual "thing" into his vein. With the anesthetic I made sure that he was completely out before they gave him the final shot. I would recommend it to any pet lover. The vet and her staff were great; they gave the sedative first, which make my dog sleepy. Finally he just lay down and I keep petting him. Then, they put the catheter in the vein of his leg. The catheter helped in administering two remaining shots. Then, they gave him the anesthetic, which put him completely to sleep (like in the surgery). Then, she applied the last shot. The dog just stopped breathing even before she was done. He did not cry, did not take any "last deep breath", and did not move. It was very peaceful and, although I cried my eyes out, I know that he is in a better place now and he is not suffering anymore. So if you really love your dog and money is not an issue, make a house appointment with your vet and ask him to give your dog an anesthetic, so he does not feel a thing, but don't ever try doing it yourself. You can really hurt your dog. I hope that helps. Kate
Is this a sad poem about putting a dog to sleep?
i think its very good poem it made me cry when i read it and reminded me of my puppy who died and was only 6 weeks :( its not mine btw PUT ME TO REST Time to let me go my friend, Because my life no-one can mend, Its better to let me go this way, Than watch me suffer night and day. I'm happy to go, my time has come, My quality of life is no longer fun, Ive been so ill, so its not a bad thing, To let me go forever resting. Stay with me till I drift away, Fast asleep forever I pray, To relieve me from suffering and pain, What more can I ask from my best friend. Don't be sad, I'll be free from pain, Never to be ill ever again, I know you'll miss me being there, But all the memories you have to share. Thankyou for being my best friend, And all my needs that you did tend, Try not to be sad, try not to cry, Now's the time to say GOODBYE
I put my dog down today, did I do the right thing?
Thank you for the A2A.I'm so sorry your dog died today. Responsible dog ownership often ends up in the place where the dog is suffering and it has gone beyond the owner's abilities to relieve that suffering. Sure, we would all love for our dogs to be active and healthy right up until the end, eat a big dinner, lay down for the usual after dinner nap and never wake up. But that doesn't happen very often.When that day comes, a responsible trades the dog's pain for their own.You are feeling terrible pain and doubt now. Maybe this pain and doubt that you feel is for the best because if you were not capable of feeling that way, you would not have been as good and loving an owner for so many years. It sounds to me like you did your best for your dog, even up to the point where you had to make a decision that you knew would lead only to your own grief. I believe that when we take the lives of our pets into our hands, from the very beginning it is incumbent upon us to make the right decisions for our pets. I think you did that today.Again, I'm so sorry. I wish I had the magical words that could comfort you.
We had to put my dog down today, how can I overcome this pain?
I am sorry your pet passed. It has always been a hard thing for me to go through, but I also accept that humans normally live longer lives than our chosen pets. Let yourself go through the grieving process. It is normal to miss a pet who has been a part of your life for many years. Up until 5 years ago, I always had at least two dogs. Even when one would pass, I still had the other for company, who also helped me through it. A new dog would enter our lives when the time was right for it to happen, usually when I least expected it.The longest I was without a dog was when my old Border Collie, Blue, finally had to be euthanized. He was deaf, nearly blind, very arthritic and incontinent. His quality of life was not good and it was just time to ease his way on. Blue was a special guy, so I was in no hurry to get another dog. I knew one would come into my life when it was time to. It was nine months before I found my little buddy, Paco.I do not consider it a betrayal of Blue, or Paco a replacement. Blue is Blue, and Paco is Paco.BlueJust as all of my other dogs (and cats!) over the years were individuals, none could replace each other. Instead, I regard each life as a testament to the one who came before. Each memory of a past life is honored by receiving a new life to share with mine. Don’t feel guilty about getting another pet. A time frame cannot be set for this. When you are ready, one will show up. Sometimes when you least expect it.I find I get pretty emotional if I see my old pet’s belongings about. I gather them up, give them a good wash and place them in their basket. All bedding gets washed and put away. When I brought Paco home for the first time, the second thing he did after goosing the cats, was make a dive for the toy basket and pull every single one out to give it a test run. I was happy to see another dog enjoying Blue’s favorite toys.Paco chewing on Dozer’s (another Border Collie who passed before Blue) favorite squeaky toy.Remember your old pet, the times and fun you shared. Talk about him with others that knew him. If they are good friends, they will empathize with you and understand your need to talk. It will pass. You will always remember your pet, but time will ease your loss. If you took pictures, look at them if you want to. Let yourself have the time to heal. It is a very real loss in your life. It is okay to cry.
We had to put our dog to sleep due to a stroke and wondered if we made the right decision?
Sorry i meant 30th August 2009. Thank you all for your kind words. No one knows what it feels like to lose a dog until you have done so yourself. I will eventually get another dog but it will never be a replacement for Kip. The hardest thing is coming home to an empty house with no Kip here to meet me at the door. Its amazing how you can miss being woken up at 6:30am by him moaning cause he needs a wee! I even miss having to walk him everyday. I am sure he is up in doggy heaven and happy as he could ever be!
What is the drug/chemical used when putting a dog to sleep?
I'm very sorry about your loss. It could be any of the following; Sodium Pentothal, Phenabarbitol or Demerol.They will slowly stop the heart beat. The sedative is given to avoid any waking up of the dog, or any pain it may get. Mostly the drugs won't make your dog have pain at all, but the dog may suddenly wake up and see you there and afterwards run around and cause itself some pain. This is why the sedative is given. I'm so sorry about your loss, you can't imagine how sad it is to have a life in your hands, that you know you will have to put down. I'm sorry,