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my2angels 
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 Topic: OTT - what to do
Posted: 14 February 2007 at 4:38pm |
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I need some opinions please. As Ive said before we have a dog who is really old, he is a newfoundland and 11yrs old and they generally live till 8-10yrs. A few months ago he was in heaps of pain and we took him to the vet, it was an infection and got cleared up but he also has arthiritis. Lately he has been yelping every so often, some times he wakes in the night in obvious pain and some times during the day aswell but then 10 minutes later he will be right as rain and jumping round like a puppy. I hate seeing him in pain and its happening more and more often over the last few weeks. My other worry is of course the kids, I dont really trust him round them, well mainly Kobe cos he wont leave him alone and Max just isnt always up to being jumped on. So my question is when do I say enough is enough and have him put to sleep. I feel like Im trying to justify putting him down by the pain thing therefor dont want to put him down but then am I being mean for making him spend his days in pain????? He is a pain in the butt and to be honest things would be a lot easier if we didnt have him but he is also my first baby so I dont know what to do. Plus we cant afford medication all the time, last trip to the vet just before christmas was almost $300!!!!
Edited by my2angels
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miss
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 4:40pm |
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Arthritis is asful, look at the pain that people go through with it. What does your vet reccomend? I find that they are usually the best judge of when an animal has been through enough and it is becoming unfair to have them around.
Sad times :( Good luck with your decision.
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my2angels
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 4:44pm |
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well our vet just kind of asumes we have the money to keep him on drugs forever. Plus when we go in there max is jumping round like a little puppy so he doesnt get a real good idea of what hes normally like. When we took him last christmas he was in so much pain at home he couldnt move, hubby had to lift him into the car, get him to the vet and he was racing up and down all excited, get him home and he cant get out of the car again and was even worse.
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 4:57pm |
I'm from a farming family so we are generally a bit merciless when it comes to putting down animals... so I'd say that it's time to let the man go (If your vet agrees).
But then I am a bit of a cold heart and have never actually been terribly attached to animals. I just wanted to post this incase you needed someone else to take responsibility if your decision swung this way 
But in any case, hard decision and sad times. 
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Roksana
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 5:06pm |
Nah I agree with you Nikki, as much as you love him its time for you to let him go! Specially because you love him.
You are the best person to say that he is in paid as you see him 24/7...not the vet. And he had a good life with you and he was loved but he is old now and is in obvious pain.......Talk to your vet again and tell him that you dont have the $$$ to keep buying expensive meds and he is pain!
Good luck with what ever you decide!
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Andie
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 5:07pm |
[QUOTE=my2angels]well our vet just kind of asumes we have the money to keep him on drugs foreverQUOTE]
There's a reason your vet takes that approach! $$$$$$$$$
Sounds like he's had a good innings at 11 years old. Might be kindest to see him off. That said, I'm way too much of a sook to take a pet in for that.
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Andie
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miss
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 8:06pm |
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They are such big dogs, there would be so much pressure on his joints.
I am just so pleased that when we had a dog with arthritis the decision was taken out of our hands when the ultrasound showed he was riddlesd with cancer and he needed to be put down because he would have died terribly quite soon.
Hugs - it is an awful thing to decide about.
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Bombshell
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Posted: 14 February 2007 at 10:04pm |
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well i had to put my cat to sleep last year for similar reason...he collapsed one night and i tell you ive never sobbed so much in my life....set off entire vet surgery!
Anyways much like you i was advised that i could keep him alive by spending money on him...and that he might improve etc...but to see how much pain he was in was beyond my ability to cope and i chose to put him to sleep while he was suffering and telling me that he had had enough....he was 18!
I have two dogs - and know the oldest one is going to get athritis....and when her time comes i am not going to prolong her pain...i will let her have mussle pills etc but if not working then when she gives me the major sign (collapse etc) then her time will come too...and i tell you that will be just as hard if not harder than my cat....
You have to make the decision when you know...only you will know - it is in their eyes and in the way they look at you - its when your beloved pet says I cant take this anymore - please dont make me....and it is one of the hardest decisions you will ever make...
read the poem - the rainbow bridge - to help and prepare = it is a beautiful poem ....and know that the life that your loved pet has had with you was a good one when the time comes and he wont hold blame or hate you for letting him go....
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caraMel
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 9:21am |
My stepmum recently had her dog put down at 13 years old for the same reason. He was in so much pain and was having regular collapsing/yelping episodes.
It was such a difficult decision for her and she really grieved hard for him as he really was her baby, but I don't think she regrets letting him go as he had such little quality of life left.
I can imagine how hard it must be to be the one who has to make the decision, big hugs to you hun
Oh and my stepmum's vet was able to come to the house to do it, she said he was much calmer going off to sleep in his own basket, maybe that would help you if you're worried it would be too hard with him getting excited at the vets?
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 9:46am |
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Yeah, we had vet come to our house to put our dogs down. It was quite nice (well... as nice as it can be!)
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Lucy
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 3:06pm |
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I think it would probably be the best idea to let him go. I hate to see animals suffer and i just think its best to end it for them
When i was younger (about 12 or 13) my friend had to put their dog down. He was around long before she was born so we loved him to death (i had known her and the dog since i was 4) and they came to her house to put him down. I was there. It was kind of trumatic i thought. As soon as he pulled out the huge needle and purple liquid we just burst into tears and it was really awful. We had to leave. He started to fit kind of and gasping for breath. Maybe i just had a bad experience but i thought it was terrible.
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my2angels
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 4:22pm |
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OH god dont tell me that Lucy!! I thought it would be all nice and peaceful and he would just go to sleep nicely. Still in two minds, its hard cos he isnt in pain all the time but when he is in pain its pretty bad.
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Maya
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 4:24pm |
Oh I wish I had some advice but just reading this thread gives me goosebumps remembering when we had or 22 year old cat put down. We had been told a few years earlier that she had cancer so we were amazed she lived as long as she did but I soooo wasn't ready to let go.
And now for purely selfish reasons we don't have pets - I get waaay too attached and get too upset when I have to say goodbye 
Thinking of you Robyn and I know that you'll make whichever is the right decision for Max ad your family.
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caraMel
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 4:47pm |
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I just rang and asked my stepmum whether Lukey just went to sleep or if it was hard to watch and apparently he just nodded off in her arms and was breathing slower and slower until he didn't take another breath. She said it was very very sad but very peaceful.
I hope that makes you feel better Robyn.
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miss
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 5:12pm |
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When Josh was put down he was standing and we were both patting him, as the injection started working we helped him lie down, and he jsut stoppe dbreathing. He was quite happy through it all as he was with us and we were both patting and tlking to him. It was heartbreaking for us, but he died so well.
I have also had a pet die at home, which was the worst experience ever. He was a cat with kidney diesase and had been in for treatment, but came home because the vet through he was stable. That night he went into a coma, but throughout the night yowled hideously, which was so upsetting as there was nothing we could do (no emergency vet nearby and we had no car anyway). We know that he wasn't feeling any pain because of the coma, but the noise he made haunted me for so long and I felt so powerless. He finally died about 3 or 4 in the morning.
I really think it is better to make the choice sometimes before it is taken away from you like that.
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BaAsKa
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 8:34pm |
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We had a big rotweiler called Max and he went much the same as your dog is - bad legs, yelping etc but then he would be so happy and bouncy! we decided it was time to put him to sleep when he became incontinent and we felt it was the best thing for him to be at peace and comfortable.
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jack_&_charli
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 10:40pm |
 Bombshell wrote:
only you will know - it is in their eyes and in the way they look at you - its when your beloved pet says I cant take this anymore - please dont make me....and it is one of the hardest decisions you will ever make...
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this is what i was going to say....and thanks for making me cry bombshell
my nana has just had her little dog put down after months of everyone else telling her too. until now, my nana just wasn't ready to say goodbye...well you never really are but you know what i mean.
robyn, i got the impression from your post that you were looking for people to tell you it's time to part...i feel you already know that, but, until you truly feel that it's time to let max go....
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jack_&_charli
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Posted: 15 February 2007 at 10:46pm |
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shaz
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Posted: 16 February 2007 at 2:26pm |
We had our beautiful dog put to sleep on the 5th of Feb he was 15 years old and had had a pretty good life. He was the most amazing dog you could ever have. He had really bad hips as big dogs tend to have and we had been down the medication road for many years. But he collapsed that morning and we could tell that was it for him. We had the girls say their goodbyes and then hubby and I took him to the vets. Our vet was so great he was so caring and explained exactly what would happen. We were very lucky I cuddled Rebel while the vet injected him and he passed very peacefully. Then we were left to spend some time alone and when we were ready after a big blubber we left. Although it was heart breaking (and still is) we knew it was time, I think you just do with these things.
My heart goes out to you they really are part of the family but it's just too hard to see them in pain.
Big Hugs
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Bombshell
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Posted: 16 February 2007 at 3:23pm |
I should also say that I could not - as much as i loved him - could not be with him when vet did it!!! a personal choice but I asked DH to do it - hes only known him for 2 years..and I felt that richie and i had said our goodbyes...and he understood...
Personally as much as I love my fur babies I cannot watch the vet do it - nor do i want to see them afterwards...i was offered but I cannot do it...
again a persoanl decision...and sorry i made you guys cry!!!
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OTT - what to do
