Putting a dog to sleep - when?

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It's a tough decision, Anna. I've had to put down several pets over the years. My last dog had a major convulsion, & although he sort of recovered afterwards, he was suffering from some neurological damage that I knew were permanent. Plus, it wasn't the first time he had one. The others had been minor, but at 15 1/2 years old, he was not going to improve. His dam also had convulsions at about the same age. I couldn't bear the thought of him going through more painful seisures, & made the decision to let him go. He had other health issues besides, heart enlargement, arthritis in his spine, & a collapsing trachea. There was no way to undo the ravages time had done to him. Please look at it this way.... Ask yourself these questions: Is my dog happy? Is he able to enjoy life? Is he just existing (living in discomfort or pain on a daily basis)? Is he grouchy? If you answer that your dog is not happy, is not enjoying his life, is just existing, or grouchy, maybe it would be best to say your goodbyes. It's always a difficult time, & it's hard to part with a loved one. But it's also not fair to let him live in misery either. Death is as much a part of life as living. We all experience it during our lives, some sooner, some later.

On the other hand, I don't think it's right for someone to want to put down an animal "just because." I think it's cruel to not take pet care seriously & as a lifetime commitment to an animal. That said, I also don't think it's right to let an animal suffer from illness or disease, especially if there's no chance of recovery or survival. My dad had a young lamb whom I named Shadow. He literally followed us everywhere. Sweet boy, but I found out he had a fatal illness. My dad finally agreed that he shouldn't have to suffer (it took time to convince him), & we took him to the vet & he was euthanized. It was the first time my dad saw how peaceful it was when he passed away. Dad would never take a pet prior to that day. Someone else (usually me) had to take the pet in for euthanasia.

Tomboy

This is a very painful decision and this year I was confronted with the same situation. I think that if it isn't needed to let your dog go, don't do it. If he doesn't suffer and is still enjoying life, why take it away from him? But I think that if he or she is suffering, can't move normally or has a other problem, I think it's time to let him go. It would be selfish to keep a dog alive that is suffering irreparable harm. Remember that 18 is a very good age for a dog, so he had a wonderful and long life.

It's a hard decision and it's up to you. Good luck Anna..

thanks guys for all your comments, unfortunately I had to put the little guy down a few weeks ago

your last dog sounds a lot like mine - was he a dachshund too by any chance? neurological damage was why I had to put my dog down in the end - he had a seizure and went into epileptic state for a long time, basically when it was over his brain was dead in large part. the vet told me that the seizures are not painful though Tomboy! the dog is not conscious during a seizure, just like human epileptics. it does look terrible and some dogs may bite their tongues and bump their heads and stuff but the seizure itself is not painful for the animal. so I think it wasn't the worst way to die, he just drifted away and then got a shot when he was already incapable of feeling anything more.



I think my main problem with the decision was in trying to imagine what my dog would have chosen for himself. animals can be very cheerful, even in misery. my dog lived through so many accidents and surgeries and each time he exhibited an enormous will to keep on living. every time I took him to the vet, the vet was absolutely astonished to see him still alive. and even on his last night when he was hardly walking because of the arthritis in his back legs, he still seemed really determined to keep all of his routines. I thought I had no authority to decide whether or not his misery was bad enough to deprive him of his life. I wouldn't want anyone to decide for me either, I guess.

Hi Anna,

As far as I know, he had no dachsie in him. His grand dam was a goodsized medium dog well proportioned with a really thick coat. Sweet dog. Part Aussie maybe? She was crossed with a min pin (my dog's dam) who was then crossed with a toy fox terrier. My little guy was lanky like a greyhound only he weighed about 7 pounds. His convulsions were awful. The last one had to have been painful because he cried out. Maybe your vet has never witnessed something like that, but my dog was in pain (at least at the beginning). I did my best to give him comfort, but he was so rigid & every muscle in his body was twitching. It went on for what seemed like forever, & when he came out of it he wasn't the same. His head & tail were pointed inward, & he could only walk in a circle. I could see that he had some brain damage & I just didn't want to let him linger like that.

Sorry to hear you ended up putting your dog down too. It's a tough decision to make.

{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}

Tomboy