I think I may have to put my Dog down.

[Averageman]

My Boston injured her back, more than likely she did it jumping off of the couch, I took her to the Vet and he wants 3K to do an operation that has a 50% chance of working.
I've hung in here a year with her like this, She kind of drags her back legs a bit and cannot control her bowels any longer. It's a bit more than I can deal with.
I hate to put her down, but I dont see another way around it.
Advice? I haven't delt with this stuff before.

[Don Robison]

It sucks, but do it. Don't make it suffer; we let our Chow/Akita mix go about a year too long and I've always felt guilty about letting her suffer longer than needed because I didn't want to let her go. It was selfish of me.

[g5m]

I've had to do that too many times. Hate it.
And I'm facing that soon for another.

Best wishes.

[Shorts]

Was in your shoes last March with my black Lab. It was very hard, I won't sugar coat. It hurts this day as much as then.

You're going to hurt, you will second guess yourself, you will cry, you will miss our pup. You will heal, you will turn the corner and you will know what you did was right. But it will take time to process. And you will get sick of hearing that "give it time".

You will have to lead your pup this one last time. You will as your pup to trust you and she will. Your pup will not want to go, may even fight to stay. Mine did and it broke my heart that I was given such loyalty and now I was losing him. But you must do what's best for her. You've always lead to what was good, acceptable, proper, healthy and kept your pup safe for her well being. You must do this final act.

[MBtech]

I've been in your shoes, we had a Rottweiler years back that had a brain tumor. Same deal a 3k surgery that may or may not make it through. It's hard but better for the animal to not suffer. Good luck to you.

[Whiskey_Bravo]

Go ahead and do it. It's a hard decision but it's what is best for the dog. We had to make a similar decision with our female GSD about a year or so ago. After 11 years with her it was a damn hard decision but I couldn't take her being in pain.

We actually found a service that would come to our house and do it so we wouldn't have to make her go anywhere when she was in pain.

[Don Robison]

We actually found a service that would come to our house and do it so we wouldn't have to make her go anywhere when she was in pain.


Our vet will do that too.

[Mr blasty]

Just remember that it's about your pup, not you. If it's quality of life is gone and odds aren't good then it's what's best. I've done it myself before and I can't ever do it again. I'll have someone else from now on. Sorry you have to go through this.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

[E-man930]

Sorry I'm in the other camp of thinking... I don't think the dog would choose death over living, no matter the issue it is dealing with. Dogs adapt, do you research and seek out possible other solutions to your dog's ailment. In my book killing your dog is not the answer.

[nova3930]

My 2 lab golden mixes are getting old and that's something I'm not looking forward to

[Averageman]

Sorry I'm in the other camp of thinking... I don't think the dog would choose death over living, no matter the issue it is dealing with. Dogs adapt, do you research and seek out possible other solutions to your dog's ailment. In my book killing your dog is not the answer.
I've hung in there a year with her, I have explored the options tried the meds etc.
Steroids helped for a bit until She got a raging case of the diarrhea from them. Believe me when I say if there was another way they could do something for her, I'm all for it.
Pretty much She is spending 16 + hours in her crate now, sleeping and making a mess on herself.
I will make the appointment Monday, I'm glad my Son is off in College and doesn't have to be here. She was his B-day present when he was seven.

[MBtech]

When I was away at school my parents had to put down my Beagle I got when I was 9. I was upset but also glad I didn't have to be there. It sounds like you are taking the right approach, a lot of people may not have tried dealing with it for a whole year.

For what it's worth time does heal. I had to make the decision with my Mother to take my Father off of life support who had been struggling with ALS/Lou Gherrigs. His wishes were if it came down to machines keeping him alive and there was no other hope to let him go. Animals are no different in my opinion.

[E-man930]

I've hung in there a year with her, I have explored the options tried the meds etc.
Steroids helped for a bit until She got a raging case of the diarrhea from them. Believe me when I say if there was another way they could do something for her, I'm all for it.
Pretty much She is spending 16 + hours in her crate now, sleeping and making a mess on herself.
I will make the appointment Monday, I'm glad my Son is off in College and doesn't have to be here. She was his B-day present when he was seven.

It is in the darkest hour that light shines the brightest... Hang in there. Have you thought about making the dog a FB page sharing the issues, story, etc, and ask the page be shared w/ $1 donations for the surgery?
You will be surprised how quickly folks will help a canine in need. Maybe even reach out for advice on what vet can do the proper surgery? This way you can get some real world feedback and maybe find other dog owners that have already gone down this same path...

[TXBK]

It's definitely a tough thing to go through, Averageman. I have felt your pain several times, and hope to do so many more times in my life. There's a reason that dogs are considered man's best friend. You will always have all of those good days that, hopefully, make up for all of these bad days.

[223to45]

Sorry Hear man, I had to go through this a few times, it is not easy.

The thing that get you through is that you know it is for the best.

And I might have to go through it again soon.

[MountainRaven]

I've hung in there a year with her, I have explored the options tried the meds etc.
Steroids helped for a bit until She got a raging case of the diarrhea from them. Believe me when I say if there was another way they could do something for her, I'm all for it.
Pretty much She is spending 16 + hours in her crate now, sleeping and making a mess on herself.
I will make the appointment Monday, I'm glad my Son is off in College and doesn't have to be here. She was his B-day present when he was seven.

As someone who was off in college when his cat was put down... it sucks. I mean, then as now, I would rather that if it needs to be done, it is done, whether I'm there or not. But I'd rather be there than not.

That being said, I feel your pain 100%. I still tear up when I think about my parents' Great Pyrenees that was put down when I was about 13 and I don't want to think about the day that will come when I will have to do the same with my 14-month old pitlab mutt.

[kwelz]

Very sorry to hear about this. I understand completely how you feel. It is never easy, even when it is the right decision.

We had to put down Sherlock, one of our cats, a couple months ago. It was the first Pet my wife had ever had. So you can imagine how hard it was on her. I have cried twice in the last 15 years. When we put him down and when I had to put down Milo a few years ago. Not much affects me. But that does.

[LoveAR]

We had to put our 14 year old Lab down due to cancer in his shoulders. So sad... I saw him fall flat on his side off the back steps because he could not turn sideways. He cried all night under a bush. Our Vet also makes house calls and we put him down together. It was one of the saddest days of my life.

[BIGUGLY]

I have to admit I have gone through some pretty screwed up stuff growing up. But besides losing a brother and grandmother I have not cried so hard as when I had to have my English Pointer put down after she was injured and it caused a massive case of heat stroke or when younger my folks had to put down my first dog a English Springer Spaniel. Pretty rough having to bury my pointer. Only solice in that is she was buried with all my father in laws hunting and family dogs on the farm. The other rough part was explaining to my 5 year old son where Liz went to and why she wasn't sitting next to him on the ride home.

Its tough and it makes you appreciate all the times and things dogs do for us as companions, family members and guardians.

Best of luck and its always a tough choice but by the info you have given I would say you are making the right choice.

[SteyrAUG]

Give your buddy as many "good days" as she has. When she doesn't have any more "good days" it's time to do the right thing. The absolute best thing that can be done is for the vet to come to your home and take care of things in familiar surroundings where you can be there with your buddy until the end.

I don't think I'd be strong enough to drive to the vet. I don't think I'd be safe enough to drive home after the fact. My sincerest sympathies to anyone going through this.

[SeriousStudent]

Sometimes the last, best gift you can give is freedom from pain and suffering.

Some gifts are very expensive for the giver. This is one of them.

Always remember the love she gave you. She has earned this gift from you, you will have paid for it together.

[Vic303]

You have my sympathy. I made the call to have my Charlie put down. It broke my heart. But truth be told, better a day early than a day late. He had earned that from me. I couldn't be selfish.

[cbx]

Sorry Average... That sucks big time. We have a Boston also. God what great dogs they are. Only kind of kick me dog I've ever really loved and enjoyed.

Pound for pound they have the biggest heart out there. They don't act like little dogs either which is what makes them so dam cool.

Sleep on it. Don't make a sudden decision. You will know what'll be the best thing to do. I've done it both ways with all kinds of livestock..... there is no right answer. Ask yourself if it were you what would you want, if you were in your dogs shoes...

[brushy bill]

The only thing I will offer that has not already been said is choose the vet very carefully. We went with a well known/reputed vet for lodging and day to day care, but something went wrong and Henry did not go quietly. He literally gagged with tongue out as I held him and didn't die for longer than normal. The vet said, "that doesn't usually happen". I believe it was because they did not use enough "sleeping medicine". At any rate, it wasn't pleasant, and I will never forget it. Haven't used that vet since. Make sure you have this discussion ahead of time. Ensure they use enough meds to make it quick.

[texasgunhand]

Iam so sorry, be brave..

I agree with most here in saying ,,if you were in his shoes,would you like being like that? The one thing about animals is they dont feel sorry for themselves. Ive been there it makes me so sad even thinking about it. Be strong and be brave,you will be sad who wouldnt. But things will be ok. You have my sympathy. Lose of any kind is tough..

[Watrdawg]

Sometimes the last, best gift you can give is freedom from pain and suffering.

Some gifts are very expensive for the giver. This is one of them.

Always remember the love she gave you. She has earned this gift from you, you will have paid for it together.

I think this sums it up best. She has given you and yours a long happy life with her. She has endured pain and suffering now for a year. It really stinks but it may be time to free her of that pain.

I was in the same boat 3 years ago and it absolutely sucks. I have labs and we run field trials and also guide waterfowl hunts. My 2 1/2yr old lab came up limping on his first duck hunt of the season. I gave him some baby aspirin for a couple of days and he came out of it. 2 weeks later it happened again. This time the aspirin didn't help at all. I took him to the vet and Xrays showed a tumor between the ball of his femur and the socket of his hip. The vet said he couldn't get all of the tumor and that it would come back. My dog was still dragging his leg and in obvious pain. As much as I hated doing it I couldn't see having him get worse each day and finally pass away. We put him to sleep right then. I still catch a lump in my throat sometimes thinking or talking about him.

[jwfuhrman]

This thread was really hard to read without tearing up..... My dog is my best friend. 2 year old Australian Shepherd. She lives with my parents as she is technically their dog but moving was one of the hardest things for the simple fact I don't get to come home every day to see her and how excited she is to see me. All she wants to do is be in your lap and cuddle or play. Luckily I moved 1/2 mile down the road to a house I inherited from the grandparents so I can see her any time.

[exkc135driver]

On a Saturday night in late 2007 our then-12-year-old cocker spaniel, Sam, couldn’t get up and was in obvious pain. We took him to the emergency vet who examined him and told us that he had (in layman’s terms) a slipped disk and that surgery was indicated right away if he was not to lose the use of his rear legs. The only facility which had the expertise to treat Sam in time was a university small animal clinic in the adjacent state. So the vet called the clinic and off we went. They were waiting for us when we arrived at about 0130 Sunday. After examining Sam, they told us that corrective surgery would cost $3000-ish, and they required a $2,500 up-front deposit. Since Sam would have completely lost the use of his rear legs and would have had to be euthanized, we didn’t have much choice, nor did we have time to think about it. We couldn’t really afford it, but fortunately we had access to a line of credit. So we told the clinic vets to do whatever was indicated.

A week later we drove back to the university, paid the balance of the bill, and picked Sam up. He was happy, healthy, and ready to get back home. We had our running, jumping, mischievous Sam back, and we were delighted.

Six years later, Sam had become an old dog, almost blind, and had (again in layman’s terms) canine Alzheimer’s. Clearly the end was approaching.

Finally the time came, so we made arrangements with a vet who specializes in at-home euthanasia to come to our home. We put him on his favorite couch, said our good-byes, and -- crying like babies -- hugged him as our beloved Sam slipped away from us.

It hurt then, and it hurts now. But we have learned to do everything possible to maintain a beloved pet’s quality of life if it is possible to do so. The $3,000 we spent on Sam’s surgery gave us six more years with him, and it was worth every penny. Do what you can, and when you can't do any more, hold him while he leaves you.

[GH41]

Please listen to me and the others that recommend doing it at home buy a vet that loves animals! It still hurts but it will be better for both of you if done in familiar surroundings.

[Caeser25]

It's a tough choice but when it's time, it's time. I had to put mine down 2 years ago.