Putting My Dog to Sleep....

jimbob3785

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Hi there,

I have an 18 year old terrier mix. He is a very tempermental dog but has become part of the family and part of our home.

At the moment, I am between two minds as to what to do with him. He is completely blind and is walking into furniture/doors/walls etc. He is also completely dead in one ear. He is starting to go to the toilet all over the house and has become incontinent. He is also constantly sneezing.... I don't know why.

We brought him to the vet a fortnight ago just to get him checked over. The vet wouldn't even look at him. We asked him for a worm dose and his regular injections and the vet said there was no need to give him anything as dogs of "his age don't get anything". He also said that we would just wake up one morning and the dog will have died from kidney failure.. Only slightly insensitive!!!!

I was so unhappy with the vet, but I am not sure what to do with my dog. I don't want to put him down but I also don't want to see him suffering. I don't know if the time has come or not? Can anybody offer me some advice please?

andreac

Bring him to another vet that actually cares about their clients.

Disgraceful behaviour from the vet you went to.

Just get another opinion from a different vets practice.

DBB

Jesus swept OP, that is outrageous behaviour from your vet, definitely go and speak to a more sensitive, professional vet
Bloody hell, I'm sure you're upset enough as it is without the one professional you're meant to be able to rely on at this point of your dog's life being so bloody insensitive.
Everybody has their own "lines in the sand" when it comes to signs that it's time to let go. I would be happy for my dog to keep going if she was blind and/or deaf, as long as she was happy and coping well.
But one of my absolute lines in the sand is this:

jimbob3785 wrote: »

He is starting to go to the toilet all over the house and has become incontinent.

I think that once an elderly dog loses control of bladder and/or bowel (and it is untreatable), then they're losing their dignity, they're very often distressed about it, and for me at least, this is one strong sign that their quality of life has gone beyond what I would be happy to live with. I've been through it with one dog, a GSD x terrier. I had him from when I was 7 years old until I was 23, he saw me from primary school all the way through to my post-grad years:o
Like your fella, he became blind and deaf. Then he became incontinent, and started walking in his poop and pee, walking it all over the house. He was visibly "embarrassed" by it, and I admit it now, we let him go a little longer than we should have.
I hope that helps... though it is a very personal thing and you know your dog best, but I think the critical things are dignity and quality of life. If they're slipping, or gone, then it's time to say goodbye

SingItOut

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. In 2009 I had to have my 19 year old dog put to sleep for the same reasons although she was not blind. In 2008 When she was 18 she started having problems with her kidneys yet our vet put her on dialysis for one week and when her treatment was done it was like having a puppy back she was full of life! She was fine for another year but then stopped eating and drinking and we didn't feel it was fair to put her through dialysis again. She was wetting and soiling herself and was so stressed about it. As Andreac said get a different vet to look at your dog

ShaShaBear

Straight to another vet with you! As someone who has recently had to put an elderly dog down, do not make the decision lightly until a good, understanding and sympathetic vet has looked over your dog and assures you there is nothing that can be treated. I know of several people on here with elderly dogs who seemed to be failing, only for it to be something as simple as a UTI.

Get a proper vet, get a second opinion, and then make a decision.
Best of luck!

uck51js9zml2yt

Unprofessional of the vet but I'm not sure what's needed to be considered or second opinioned.
Your dog is blind, deaf and incontinent. It's doesn't have a good quality of life and doesn't deserve to be left in that state and get steadily worse.

Bring it to another vet and get it put down for its own sake.

DBB

Louie Quaint Slab wrote: »

Unprofessional of the vet but I'm not sure what's needed to be considered or second opinioned.
Your dog is blind, deaf and incontinent. It's doesn't have a good quality of life and doesn't deserve to be left in that state and get steadily worse.

Bring it to another vet and get it put down for its own sake.

Sensitivity from the vet is never as important as at the moment your pet has to be put to sleep.
For this reason alone, the op would do well to go to another vet.

AlanS181824

That's awful OP, must be awful having to make such a touch decision about your beloved friend.

aonb

OP that vet was totally inappropriate. I would never darken his/her door again and make sure to tell anyone you know with a pet about it :mad:

I recently had my dog put to sleep. It is the hardest decision you will have to make for your pet. Only you know when the time has come to have him put to sleep. Dont feel bad about making the decision - if you are even thinking about it, it sounds like you know deep down that the time has come or is not far off. If you love your pet, and you have him/her put to sleep, it is the final act of caring and kindness you can do for your pet. They rely on you for everything, if their quality of life is so poor that you are considering letting them go then its probably the right time.

Cloyne man

2 weeks ago we had to put our 2 year old dog to sleep. Complete kidney failure . She was born with 2 bad kidneys. it is a hard decision but we decided that her quality of life was not great. I held her and talked to het as she was been put to sleep. The last thing she saw was me and my wife. Great closure for us.

Spent the last 4 days , not eating / no playing with kids etc. Our vet found the problem about 18 months ago when we went down for a check up. The results of blood test / urine were off the wall. So the decision was a hard one but a peaceful one to make.

Sometimes we have to let go and do what's best for the dog.

OldNotWIse

Disgraceful behaviour

OP I think you will know when the time is right. But if you do decide, there are some vets who will give you a sedative to administer a couple of hours before, and then come to your house to administer injection. Dog is relaxed, sleepy and surrounded by family in his own environment. I can PM you details of one we used. Don't want to post clinic name here in case it is against rules.

DBB

Hi folks,
Just bear in mind that this thread is 4 months old.
Thanks,
DBB

Mo60

DBB wrote: »

But one of my absolute lines in the sand is this:



I think that once an elderly dog loses control of bladder and/or bowel (and it is untreatable), then they're losing their dignity, they're very often distressed about it, and for me at least, this is one strong sign that their quality of life has gone beyond what I would be happy to live with. I've been through it with one dog, a GSD x terrier. I had him from when I was 7 years old until I was 23, he saw me from primary school all the way through to my post-grad years:o
Like your fella, he became blind and deaf. Then he became incontinent, and started walking in his poop and pee, walking it all over the house. He was visibly "embarrassed" by it, and I admit it now, we let him go a little longer than we should have.
I hope that helps... though it is a very personal thing and you know your dog best, but I think the critical things are dignity and quality of life. If they're slipping, or gone, then it's time to say goodbye

I know this is an old thread, but I missed this before.

The exact same thing happened to my 1st dog. She was an active medium terrier x and she was 16 years old. She too, started messing around the house and one morning I came down to find she had messed and walked it all around the room. I can still picture the look on her face when she saw me, even though it was about 20 years ago.

I also felt she had lost her dignity and made the decision to have her pts. I have often wondered, even now, whether I made the right choice and now reading your post you have put my mind more at ease.