Your opinion....

[Big Muddy]

I have mentioned this before to ya'll, but the situation has worsened....my wife's dog is going blind at only 9 years of age....it's has gotten to the point where it's pretty much like caring for a newborn baby.

Pretty sure it's related to either diabetes, brain tumor, or catarracts....regardless of the cause, my wife says any surgical procedures are out of the question....just enjoy her companionship, while she's here.

However, her quality of life has been reduced to only sleeping in a corner because of her fear of movement....so, there's really not much companionship or joy, watching her just sleep her life away....she doesn't even enjoy, being walked outside on a leash, any longer....whenever she does get up, and try to navigate throughout the house, she bumps into the doors, walls, and furniture....it's heart-breaking.

It's really a pitiful situation because she's totally healthy, other than her blindness....we've briefly discussed putting her down, and I'm going to let my wife make the final decision.

My question to ya'll is, at what point do you consider putting her down???

Sunny, since you've got your show dogs, I'd especially appreciate your opinion???

[HideHunter]

This isn't going to seem like much help, eddie.. but when my old Brittany was fading I asked the vet that very question. He told me, "You'll know". He was right. Now this doesn't work for everyone. I had a friend and his wife who took one waaaaaaaay past any logic. Both say now - they'd never make that mistake again - but. It's an emotional issue.. good luck.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Agree with Gene. I think it's something you'll know when its time. We had to make the same decision with our old 16 year old a couple years ago and it was tough. But like HH said, we knew.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

I knew with Jack I knew it was time, but I needed to hear the vet say it as well. A good vet will pick up on that.

[Sunshine]

Man I hate that decision, but when the time comes you already know it.

When the dog no longer is happy because of pain, can't feed itself, can't walk, there is no possible way the dog can get better and its quality of life is not good, then its time.

If your dog is cowering in a corner and biting, its quality of life is not good! The dog is scared!!! It's biting to try and protect itself. Must be terrible to be that scared.

If there is no possible way the dog will regain its sight and quality of life, then the only kind thing you guys can do, for the dog, is put it to sleep.

Being an animal owner, our pets expect us to make the right decisions for them.
This is the one decision I hate to make, but must be done.

Sorry your dogs quality of life has degraded to this level. You already know what needs to be done.
Just the worst decision a dog or pet owner has to make.

I still miss every single one of my animals, that I had to put down.
Never gets easier, but doesn't hurt as bad, as time goes on.

Sorry couldn't give you an answer you didnt want to hear!

P/s my suggestion is to pay the extra $ and have the animal put in a surgical sleep first.
Say your goodbyes and leave the room when they finish it.
That way the dog will not feel anything.
I had one dog screech from the overdose. Can still hear him and will only put my animals to sleep if they are in surgical sleep first, from that day forward.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Gee, for a bunch of republicans, y'all sure are empathetic!

(sorry, just funnin')

BKB

[Thumper]

"Surgical sleep"?? WTFO? I've had to put down dozens of animals and I always hold them in my arms when the shot is given. EVERY one has been almost instantaneous ... they simply went limp in my arms before the injection was completely administered even. I may be wrong ... but I think I'd be looking for a new vet if I were you Sunny. SURGICAL SLEEP? Sounds like he's hittin' you with a double whammy. Is business slow out your way?

[Sunshine]

I did get a new vet after that happened, over 20 yrs ago. I was holding him and it was horrible.
I still hold all my pets, but have them put in surgical sleep so they feel safe in my arms, when they go to sleep.
Once they are asleep, I go out and they finish it.
I bring all of them home, in cardboard caskets and bury them on my property.

It's the worst part of being a pet owner, but to have all that unconditional love and time with my pets, is worth the one bad decision I have to make.

[Thumper]

That may be a "tough" decision Sunny, but that doesn't mean it's a "bad" decision.

I still don't buy into that "surgical sleep" thing. Sounds like a bunch'a malarky to me. So you "put them to sleep" so you can "put them to sleep"? And your vet charges you EXTRA for that? How 'bout he pushes the hypodermic until the pet dozes off, pauses for a few seconds while you leave the room, then he finishes pushing the plunger?

[BarryBobPosthole]

Not to be too graphic about this, because I still have the mental image of the light going out in those eyes, but my vet actually did take her down gently (my last dog to have to go through this with, and it seems to me that she just slipped away and never felt a thing. I also know that dogs have no experience with anesthesia or drugs and often don't know what to make of the feeling and struggle against it. I've seen it happen when they've put my dogs under for surgical procedures and so forth. My guess would be that with your experience Sunshine, perhaps the vet hit the dog a little hard with the drug and the dog was aware that something wasn't right. Done the right way, it doesn't have to be that way I don't think.

This makes me sad to talk about. I like my dogs more than I like most people.

BKB

[LJ3]

My golden was the two stage deal. I would do it that way again if I had to. Sorry aboiut your situation Eddie. No words can really help how that feels but when you know it's the right thing to do, it hurts a little less.

A good friend of mine just had to put an animal down that was hearbreaking for him. As I tried to think about why I feel so differently about putting animals down, vs. a human person dying it occured to me that animals have no pretense, they give everything because they just do.

[Big Boy]

I have a friend who rescued a blind dog - the dog eventually learned where all the furniture was and where the door was. Still bumped into things occasionally but got around pretty well with sounds, smells, and moving slowly. Lived about 5 years with him I think, seemed happy enough.

That being said - I'm not a pet person, thought I was, got a dog when I graduated college, took another one in for a friend. Never again.

[johnboy]

You'll know when it's time. You'll just know. When Bonnie got so bad with the cancer I knew the night before that the time had come. We got up in the morning and I fed her a whole roast chicken and spent some time with her then said to the Missus that it was time to go. The vet gave her a tranq shot to calm her down as she was very agitated (pain, stress) and that worked very well. He said he gave her the same dose as he would have given a horse and she just relaxed to a semi concious state and the final injection wasn't even noticed, I don't think.

I still miss my girl but I don't think I can ever do that again so don't know if I'll ever get another dog.