Had to put my dog down today
- Thread starter lonestar50
- Start date
Very sorry for your loss, it is very hard. We have had to have two dogs put down and we currently have two 6 year old dogs that have always been together (rescue dogs). Hope you can remember all the great times you had with your friend.
😢This epitomizes the dog. best creatures in the world. so sorry. I will give my goldendoddle and extra kiss and hug tonight.
Had similar situation where mine was ok some of the time but getting worse & like you I felt guilty that it might’ve been a little soon but I say good on you for thinking about the welfare of your best friend and not letting her suffer!
sorry for the loss @lonestar50 , always a tough day saying goodbye like that, at least you have all those years of great memories to bring some happiness during this tough day.
I'm not sure why, but sharing this with a bunch of internet strangers feels like it will help. My dog Lucy has been having heart problems but with meds we have been able to get that under control. Recently for the last few months it has been her mind that has been going. Accidents every day, forgetting where she is, what she is doing. Went to the vet about the accidents and he said he wouldn't blame us for having her put down.
It was maybe to early but she wasn't going to get better and I would have hated to do this when she didn't recognize me. This was so hard because there were times when she was her old self, she still ate, she still got excited to go for walks and car rides but I was starting to feel like I was keeping her alive for my sake not hers.
I got her as a Christmas present from my sister (no pics). I went with her to pick out a rescue dog and I actually walked past her a few times because they had her seperate from all the other dogs because she had kennel cough. As we were walking out my sister said what about this one. She looked so pathetic but decided to take her out. This was in downtown Iowa City so we waked her to the Pentacrest and her personality completely changed and I fell in love.
She was my first dog of my own and I got her at kind of a dark time in my life and she was a bright light to get me through it. For the longest time I felt like she was all I had in my life and for a time after a fire she WAS all I had in my life.
I know people say the pain fades but holy shit the pain is so fresh and raw right now. Thanks for letting me vent and cry.
Rest in Peace Lucy. You were one of the best things that ever happened to me and I hope I was one of the best things that ever happened to you 😢
Sucks, man. Been there, done that. It's a shame that dogs' lives are so short.
Thanks for all the kind words everyone. I really appreciate it
Dawgs are always there for you. Tough story OP. It hurts to lose a close friend.I'm not sure why, but sharing this with a bunch of internet strangers feels like it will help. My dog Lucy has been having heart problems but with meds we have been able to get that under control. Recently for the last few months it has been her mind that has been going. Accidents every day, forgetting where she is, what she is doing. Went to the vet about the accidents and he said he wouldn't blame us for having her put down.
It was maybe to early but she wasn't going to get better and I would have hated to do this when she didn't recognize me. This was so hard because there were times when she was her old self, she still ate, she still got excited to go for walks and car rides but I was starting to feel like I was keeping her alive for my sake not hers.
I got her as a Christmas present from my sister (no pics). I went with her to pick out a rescue dog and I actually walked past her a few times because they had her seperate from all the other dogs because she had kennel cough. As we were walking out my sister said what about this one. She looked so pathetic but decided to take her out. This was in downtown Iowa City so we waked her to the Pentacrest and her personality completely changed and I fell in love.
She was my first dog of my own and I got her at kind of a dark time in my life and she was a bright light to get me through it. For the longest time I felt like she was all I had in my life and for a time after a fire she WAS all I had in my life.
I know people say the pain fades but holy shit the pain is so fresh and raw right now. Thanks for letting me vent and cry.
Rest in Peace Lucy. You were one of the best things that ever happened to me and I hope I was one of the best things that ever happened to you 😢
So sorry for your loss. Thinking of ya!!!I'm not sure why, but sharing this with a bunch of internet strangers feels like it will help. My dog Lucy has been having heart problems but with meds we have been able to get that under control. Recently for the last few months it has been her mind that has been going. Accidents every day, forgetting where she is, what she is doing. Went to the vet about the accidents and he said he wouldn't blame us for having her put down.
It was maybe to early but she wasn't going to get better and I would have hated to do this when she didn't recognize me. This was so hard because there were times when she was her old self, she still ate, she still got excited to go for walks and car rides but I was starting to feel like I was keeping her alive for my sake not hers.
I got her as a Christmas present from my sister (no pics). I went with her to pick out a rescue dog and I actually walked past her a few times because they had her seperate from all the other dogs because she had kennel cough. As we were walking out my sister said what about this one. She looked so pathetic but decided to take her out. This was in downtown Iowa City so we waked her to the Pentacrest and her personality completely changed and I fell in love.
She was my first dog of my own and I got her at kind of a dark time in my life and she was a bright light to get me through it. For the longest time I felt like she was all I had in my life and for a time after a fire she WAS all I had in my life.
I know people say the pain fades but holy shit the pain is so fresh and raw right now. Thanks for letting me vent and cry.
Rest in Peace Lucy. You were one of the best things that ever happened to me and I hope I was one of the best things that ever happened to you 😢
We don't deserve dogs. Lucy knew more about you than any person on earth. At least you told her more about you... Hugs.
Lonestar, I'm going to message you when it's time to put my 15 year old Jack Russell down. He's slowing down gradually and I can't imagine loading him in the car and driving to a place where he leaves my life. I don't know if I'm that strong. I've never had to do this before.
Sorry for your loss . Went through it last October with my Lab . She was part of the family . cherish the memories my friend .
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My husband is going to be home soon and is going to wonder why I’m a blubbering mess. We had our last dog 11 years and it tore us up when we had to put her down. She had cancer and could no longer breathe. It took 3 years for me to be able to get another. He just turned 4 and is much more clingy and my baby baby. I don’t want to think of life without him.
I’m so sorry OP. Dogs are the absolute best and we don’t deserve them.
I’m so sorry OP. Dogs are the absolute best and we don’t deserve them.
Actually I knew time was getting short but this trip to the vet today was just to talk to the vet about it. When he said we could wait until next week or do it today I knew I couldn't go though a couple more days of crying so I knew at that point we were going to do it today. So I didn't do the whole give her all kind of treats, take her to her favorite places kind of things. When I put the leash on her she was all excited to go for a car ride
I never thought about it like that but you're absolutely right
Find a "hospice" vet. Now, now later. The hospice vet will come to your home or even just to tele-visits and prescribe any medicine needed. When the time comes they will come to your home to put him down and take him away for cremation if you wish.
That’s really good advice even as a backup plan. We had to put our boxer down after hours which was horrible. She LOVED going to our regular vet clinic, pulling us into the office. They loved her there too. But the after-hours vet clinic scared and stressed her out and it still bothers me that that was her way out of this life. She had pancreatic cancer. The cancerous cells crank out insulin uncontrollably which caused her insulin levels to skyrocket and glucose to crater. We were waiting for the shipment of a med that might have regulated that and extended her life 6 months, but the package got delayed. She suddenly started having violent seizures every 20 -30 minutes on a Saturday night and we couldn’t let her go on like that all weekend. Really bad experience for her and us. At the normal vet she would have gone easy. A hospice vet would have been a blessing.
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Sorry for your loss @lonestar50. Losing a dog is incredibly hard. In the way that you speak of Lucy you can be assured you were her best friend also. Peace be with you as you go through this.
We put down our last one in January of 2019. We started looking around and got a other in May. She’s a terrier mix, wide ass open, and the smartest dog I ever had. I have pics of my Yorkie and Maltese in my office and will never forget them, but Layla has filled a void for sure.
Here's a tribute to a dog ... Rest Well ... Otis.
So touching, I had to have my Baby girl ( Black dog in my avatar) put down 5 weeks ago. Dogs are simply the best!
I love what SVP said about how he looked into Otis' eyes and saw his dog's soul.
Once, my dog had cuddled up to me and was soon half-in my lap and just looking at me. He gazed into my eyes so long, so intently, and so deeply I felt he was searching out my soul. Incredible, really.
Now obviously, I'm not a real bright bulb. Hawk fan and all that. But at least on this occasion, I know my dog saw the brightest of lights in me ... all the years of his love being reflected back at him.
Once, my dog had cuddled up to me and was soon half-in my lap and just looking at me. He gazed into my eyes so long, so intently, and so deeply I felt he was searching out my soul. Incredible, really.
Now obviously, I'm not a real bright bulb. Hawk fan and all that. But at least on this occasion, I know my dog saw the brightest of lights in me ... all the years of his love being reflected back at him.
This is spot on and made me cry like a baby here at work. Now that it's been 2 months I'm starting to realize that the pain will lessen but there will always be a hole in my heart where she was.
There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about her. Sometimes I cry when I think about her and sometimes I laugh but she's always on my mind
Your memory reminded me of this moment with Lucy
Nice.This is spot on and made me cry like a baby here at work. Now that it's been 2 months I'm starting to realize that the pain will lessen but there will always be a hole in my heart where she was.
There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about her. Sometimes I cry when I think about her and sometimes I laugh but she's always on my mind
Your memory reminded me of this moment with Lucy
Have to ask, is she just resting there or had she already begun to lose her vigor?
I think this was about 6 months before. So she's old and resting but it's not like it was imminent. She climbed up on the couch to curl up like this with me which she hadn't done for awhile.
Has to make that pic all the more meaningful. Glad the pain is starting to lessen for you.
Oh, and @Scott559, hang in there too (Didn't want to give your loss a "like" exactly, but I - we I'm sure - sympathize).
Condolences to all that have had to put down their best friend, companion, and family member(s). Dogs are the best friend a man or woman can ever have.
They make a bad day great when you get home. You are their world and they can’t wait to see you after a long day that feels like a week to them since they last saw you.
We had to put down our lab many years ago and it took me three phone calls to muster up the words, it’s time to the vet. It was the hardest thing in the world to do but the right thing for her after almost 16 years of love, fun, and enjoyment. A hole was left in my heart that day but I knew she was in a better place. No more hurt, pain, and suffering for her as I took on those feelings without her in my life. Dogs are family and anyone that says otherwise, has never felt the unconditional love they give everyday.
They make a bad day great when you get home. You are their world and they can’t wait to see you after a long day that feels like a week to them since they last saw you.
We had to put down our lab many years ago and it took me three phone calls to muster up the words, it’s time to the vet. It was the hardest thing in the world to do but the right thing for her after almost 16 years of love, fun, and enjoyment. A hole was left in my heart that day but I knew she was in a better place. No more hurt, pain, and suffering for her as I took on those feelings without her in my life. Dogs are family and anyone that says otherwise, has never felt the unconditional love they give everyday.
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Dr Seuss
Dr Seuss
@lonestar50 I’m feeling your pain today. Our 11 year old Boxer-American Staffordshire Terrier mix has a tumor on his heart (ascending aorta) causing arrhythmia. Yes, there are dog cardiologists and he imaged the tumor. It‘s non operable and chemo is obviously not a recommended/reasonable option for an 11 year old dog. Doc says one year max now that it’s affecting his heart function. Just went on meds to regulate the heart. Hopefully, they help. Sudden death is the prognosis.
He’s lived a long and damned good life. He will get plenty of cheese and sardines (my God they LOVE ❤️ sardines) and steak now. Still we love him and the two dogs work like velociraptors in the backyard and caught a rabbit last week to my wife’s chagrin.
He’s like Scott VP’s dog: $12K in surgeries over his lifetime including both knees (one pretty recent), multiple tumors under the skin (last one is where they discovered the heart issue) and an emergency resection of his bowel to extract chewed up plastic sprinkler pipe when he was a pup. So glad they saved him from himself and me leaving the pipe in the yard at 18 months. No other of our dogs have had a surgery other than spay/neuter.
I really appreciate this tread. Because of you all, I got a euthanasia service to come to the house if we are lucky and get to pick the time. That probably won’t be our option w this prognosis.
We do BRAN and RAGBRI, I sag for my wife and 3 brothers and our two dogs. Carrying a shovel in the truck just in case.
Any advice on how to deal with the inevitability of this is appreciated. It’s like an anvil over my head. He’s a dog, but he’s my dog and I love him!
He’s lived a long and damned good life. He will get plenty of cheese and sardines (my God they LOVE ❤️ sardines) and steak now. Still we love him and the two dogs work like velociraptors in the backyard and caught a rabbit last week to my wife’s chagrin.
He’s like Scott VP’s dog: $12K in surgeries over his lifetime including both knees (one pretty recent), multiple tumors under the skin (last one is where they discovered the heart issue) and an emergency resection of his bowel to extract chewed up plastic sprinkler pipe when he was a pup. So glad they saved him from himself and me leaving the pipe in the yard at 18 months. No other of our dogs have had a surgery other than spay/neuter.
I really appreciate this tread. Because of you all, I got a euthanasia service to come to the house if we are lucky and get to pick the time. That probably won’t be our option w this prognosis.
We do BRAN and RAGBRI, I sag for my wife and 3 brothers and our two dogs. Carrying a shovel in the truck just in case.
Any advice on how to deal with the inevitability of this is appreciated. It’s like an anvil over my head. He’s a dog, but he’s my dog and I love him!
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I'm really sorry to hear this. Lucy had a heart murmur and a enlarged heart. The meds the vet prescribed probably added 8-9 months to her life before it finally caught up with her. Although knowing it could come at any time and suddenly sounds horrible. I guess suddenly or extended decline are both terrible.
As to how to deal with it, there's no easy answer. It will suck hard and unfortunately there's really nothing to make it easier. The waves of grief come and go but they're always there just under the surface.
Sometimes I feel the memories begin to fade and the pain and emptiness is my last connection to her I don't want to let go. But holding on to it isn't healthy either so I'm not sure what to tell you to get through this. Some days I definitely ride the struggle bus.
The best thing we can do for our dogs, our friends, is to make sure they don't suffer. They count on us for this. This have no way to communicate how they feel. They believe that we love them as much as they love us, and trust us to do what's best. They feel bad that we feel bad about what we have to do.
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