Elderly Dog

[babygoose]

I know that no one can tell me what to do, but I think it will help to talk about it and hear what some others have done in my situation.

My 17 year old heeler mix has been on a steady decline for the past six months or so. She has been completely deaf for some time and is partially blind. She has been losing control of her back end and her hind legs will "sink" when she stands. She walks around okay, and still does chores with me. She stil has an appetite. I had her the vets about 3 weeks ago and all blood work came back really good. She had been having some loose stools so the vet did an abdominal x-ray and since she is small, it got most of her body. She doesn't seem to even have much arthritis in the x-ray. They gave her a steroid shot at that point that has helped some. She doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain and is still interested in stuff, but getting up is getting harder. Tonight she fell, I don't know what happened, I just looked over and saw her down. She couldn't get up by herself. She had got flat on her side and the ground was just uneven enough that she couldn't get her feet under her. Now I am worried about her getting stuck down while I am at work or something. She is in a big indoor outdoor kennel and I worry that she will get stuck down outside and have a heatstroke. I also can't watch her at night either. We have stairs into the house that she cannot manage any more and she hates to be picked up. She has always hated it and will sometimes snap. I hate having to make this decision because she still is interested in coming out and helping me with chores etc. But she is having more and more trouble getting up and keeping her balance. The steriod shot is a monthly, and it has only been three weeks. The vet said we could do it more often, but I am not sure that it is really helping her that much since she needs another one so soon. It won't make her better, and she is obviously going to keep declining. I just don't know if it is time for her to go now. I am going to call the vet tomorrow morning and visit with her, but she can't tell me what to do either.

Those that have been in my shoes, what was your situation and what made you decide it was time?

 

[Sixstardanes]

Sorry to hear this.

Its never easy to lose those that we care about.

For us no matter how much we love them and want them to stay in our lives we want them to enjoy life and leave it if possible with some dignity.

Before they deteriorate so much that their spirit wants to leave them first.

We are very lucky to have this option for our critter companions.

The best gift that we can sometimes give because even though it may tear us apart it can bring our friends comfort.

Perhaps one way to look at it would be if you were your dog in the state that they are in now what would you want?

 

[Marty]

I was in your shoes last year with my beloved GSD Tracey. Sure she ate ok and ate probably more medication in her food than food itself......... but her back and hips could not be repaired and I had to lift her back end with a towel to help her to walk outside to potty. She would go and not even feel it anymore. She became a full time job and I couldn't even go to the store unless someone would be home to watch out for her. It was not fair to her to have to get loaded up into my truck, dead weight in the back end, taken to the vet 2-3 times a week and given shots that only lasted a few hours and in the end actually did nothing except make sure she didn't feel pain. Your vet sounds very much like mine with the steriods but I think now in hindsight he did that more for me hoping I would make the right decision sooner than later. She always acted happy and still wanted to play ball like she didn't realize something was even wrong with her. That was the hardest part. But there was no quality of life left for her and it was dead wrong of me to be hopeful of recovery at her expense. I was in denial but I had to let her go before she felt pain. I loved her enough to let her go. She was my heart dog.

Your dog sounds like is in a very bad situation as well. I hate that you are facing this kind of saddness too and I guess you are writting because you realize how many signs you already have in front of you. All your fears are unfortunately on target.

You will wake up one morning and decide this is that day, but no one can decide that for you, except maybe your beloved girl. Take care. I'm sorry.

 

[Charlene]

my siberian husky began a steady decline at 14.5 years. getting up became a chore but laying down was even worse. he became almost totally deaf although he still had his sight. he ate fine, drank plenty (always dribbled that last mouthful across the floor

) but i knew his quality of life was going downhill very fast.

like sixstardanes said, i wanted him to cross the rainbow bridge with as much dignity as possible. my wonderful vet came out to the farm to help him go. it was a very sad day, as it always is. when i knew my vet was just minutes away, i took old flag outside, we sat under a shade tree and we shared a couple of hershey bars, something he begged for his entire life but never had.

i think the fact that you posted this here indicates that you already know it's probably time. under the circumstances, i think anyone who has loved a dog or any other pet would be behind your decision 100%. you gave him a wonderful life, maybe now it's time to give him a peaceful passing. dogs go to heaven, i'm sure of it, so you will see him again some day.

 

[anoki]

I'm in somewhat the same position right now, though my girl hasn't gotten as bad as yours sounds....but I am constantly wondering when is going to be the right time. Sammie is a mutt that I rescued from the local vet clinic almost 13 years ago. I'm not sure on her age other than she is at least 13. She has a weak rear end, not hip displaysia, other issues, but she is just looking sooo old now....

She has been playing with the pups lately, but I'm just not sure about another winter...she doesn't do well in cold weather.

It isn't an easy decision, but sixstardanes put it very well

Before they deteriorate so much that their spirit wants to leave them first.

~kathryn

 

[minih]

When faced with this decision before, our pet always had a way of letting us know it was time to let them go. I don't know how exactly to put into words, you will just know. These darn animals just do not live long enough and they become a part of our family. It really is tough saying goodbye.

 

[Sonya]

I'm sorry. It's hard to watch a dog have so much will to live but their body just can't do it. My lab is 12 and has arthritis, his back end has deteriated away, he hardly has any muscle mass there. He still gets up fine, just a little wobbily sometime when he first gets up. (he is on rimadyl) He will also fall on linoleum occasionally cause he can't grip anymore (i've housed the kitchen with tons of throw rugs). When he gets to the lake on our weekends, he is like a two year old, playing in the water and such, but we have to limit him, as he will not stop and a few hours later be in terrible pain.

My vet and I were talking the other day and he said people always wait to long, hoping the dog will pass in their sleep (which rarely happens)....only you and your vet can know when it's time. If they can no longer hold their bowels is a huge indication. I too will be in your shoes soon, asking everyone...how do you know?((hugs))

 

[minimule]

I'm in the same boat right now. We have a 14 yr old (will be 15 in Oct) GSP. She is pretty much deaf, can't see that well, has lost her bladder control (pees if she lays down) but still runs and tries to play. My fear is I raise mules. They hate dogs. If she is in the turnout I fear they will get her. The big mule (16hh) hasn't gone after her.........yet.

It is hard when it seems they have some quality of life left but then you think about how they used to be able to run and play. We'll probably have to make the decision for her before the cold weather gets here though. With her inability to control her bladder, she can't be in the house anymore. The barns aren't warm enough for her to stay comfortable so....

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I just put my nearly 12 year old Rottweiler to sleep last week. It is a hard decision. She was happy and playing still ,with a great appetite, good hearing and sight, her weight was good, she looked great and no one believed her age.

3 weeks ago now she started limping. Aspirin and Rimadyl didn't help. Xrays showed a HUGE bone cancer tumor taking up her entire shoulder blade and upper front leg. It looked like it was starting in her lungs also.

I thought of 2 things... will I be able to control her pain, maybe but maybe not, and will she just be knocked out and sleepy for the remainder of her life? The other thing I worried about was, that when there is a bone cancer, it weakens the bone and fractures very easily. Suppose I was away for a long shift at work for 12 hours and she jumped off a step and broke her leg and layed there in all that pain with no one around.

It hurt me bad to do it and it still hurts really bad, but I let her go to the Rainbow bridge that day and told her to go find Pop)my dad that died on New Years day, they loved each other so much)

I did it for her, rather than keep her here for me. She died with dignity.

hugs,

Robin

 

[Magic]

I'm so sorry Robin, and to all those who have had to put their beloved dogs down as well.

My Siberian Husky, Shadow, was put to sleep when he was 13 years old; he was BIG for a Siberian, about 100 pounds in his prime, when he was part of my Step-dad's eight-dog sled team (he spent a couple of winters with Pa so that he could pull the sled, he LOVED that). At the end, Shadow was on canine aspirin and mega amounts of Glucosamine/Chondroitin, and he sometimes would be unable to get up on his own, like if he were lying in the irrigation ditch when it was empty but damp since it was so cool there, and need help up, but the day came when he couldn't stay up when we helped him, and we called the vet. Even my macho husband and the male vet were crying as Shadow got his injection, but Shadow wagged his tail as if to say he knew it was time to go, and thanking us for letting him not suffer any more. Is it hard? Oh yes. I'm crying as I type this, and it's been many years since Shadow has been gone. But as others have said, it is our responsibility to let our animals go when it is time, and the best person to know when that is, is you. It's probably best to let them go just a little too early, than a little too late, IMO. {{{Hugs}}}

 

[babygoose]

Thanks everyone. I left a message first thing this morning for my vet to call me. Bailey went with me to feed as normal this morning. But she hadn't eaten anything overnight. She wasn't interested in her breakast, but wanted dog cookies. Later that morning she had a very difficult time getting up. So when I talked to my vet finally early afternoon I told her it was time, and she said she could come out later that afternoon. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Bailey. Fed her all the cookies she wanted to eat. We walked out to the barn together and I gave the horses a snack so she could help me feed one more time. The vet was wonderful and Bailey left very quietly. The hardest part was watching the life fade from her eyes. I knew she was gone before the vet even checked for a heartbeat. I feel like I did the right thing. I would have hated myself forever if I let her get to the point where she couldn't get up anymore. And I knew I couldn't risk her getting stuck down while I was at work or something. And being a heeler, she would have never given up on her job of looking after me and helping me with the chores. They take their job very seriously! It was my job to let her go.

RIP Bailey. I love you and will miss you so much.

Taken about a year ago. She always hated to have her picture taken!

 

[Keri]

Sorry to hear. Its a tough decision. Our old brittany had a stroke about a month ago and she was doing alright. Her head tilted a bit, but overall, she was still there. Then this week, she had some more. Stumbled when she walked. Then last night, she lost use of her hind end. We were going to take her in today, but she passed late this morning. It was hard becuase her mind was still there, but her body wasn't. So I guess it was good she made the decision for us.

 

[becca]

So sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet Bailey, may she rest in peace now. We've said good-bye to several long-time pet family members recently. Extra hugs when you feed without your buddy close by...may you still feel the strength of her spirit... Hugs, Becky

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.” ~ Winnie the Pooh

 

[Sassy'sMom]

I am so sorry that you had to go through this. You made the right decision. Your dog is up there right now, running around with no pain, thanking you for what you did! I know it wasn't an easy decision, and one I have to make in the near future myself, so I hate to see the pain you are feeling. Just know we are all with you and support your decision.

 

[Sonya]

((HUGS))

 

[loveminis]

I am so sorry

I know how hard it is, we have had to put 3 dogs down in the last 3 years. You did the right thing to help her out of her suffering {{{hugs}}}

 

[Pepipony]

((((( BabyGoose))))) Bailey sure is a purty gurl

I just went through this , this last week with our 14.5yo Heeler, yes you are correct about them being stoic to a fault. These dogs become such a part of our family and it is so very hard to decide when its time, but they always let us know dont they? It takes a very strong and loving person to ease their pain. Hugs to you. Heather

 

[Candice]

HUGS!! I am so sorry!!

 

[babygoose]

Thanks again for all the kind words. Today was a weird day as I kept expecting her to be there and there is a big empty space. I have never had to put a dog down before and Bailey was such a big part of my life for so many years. I got her just out of college, so she was with me when I started my career, through failed relationships, when I got married. And she was MY dog. She was my velcro dog and went everywhere with me, and wouldn't let me out of her sight. It is just so weird without her.