When is the right time to put your dog down?

[What's Burning?]

Mambo has been with us for 12 years, he's a big black english lab and has had a good life running around an acre of land, barking at horse and buggies, chasing geese and the occasional squirrel. At this point in his life, he's got respiratory problems where he's always wheezing, his hips are gone and he takes a minute or two (literally) to get up. Often times he's unable to do so by himself and I have to put a towel or a sheet under him and lift him. He has a hard time getting in and out of the house now because we have a couple of steps that he needs to climb to get into his room.

We had a dog a few years back that was a rescue dog, and had him for about a year and he wound up getting to type of autoimmune blood issue and went from seemingly healthy to having to put him down in the span of four days. But we didn't have him long, Mambo has been a family member for a long time and so my question.

At what point is the balance between, love, suffering, difficulties, etc where you've had to put down a dog?

[geetface9]

I had a collie that my parents got around the time I was born. Her name was Shelly. I think I was about 12 or 13 when we put her down because she had some similar issues as your dog. Hip issues and she just started dropping deuces all over the house. She got to a point where she would just pull herself around with her front legs and drag her rear across the floor. No attempt to use her rear legs at all. That's when my parents decided to put her down. She'd had a long, full life and my sister and I played with her all the time growing up so she was entertained all the time and well taken care of. I feel your pain. It sucks but there is solace in knowing her suffering is over. As I said, I was young, so I'm not sure I knew the balance between her suffering, happiness, putting her down or not, etc. Maybe when he just seems to be done with it? Sorry to hear it. I'll have a for you and Mambo!

[Jabberwocky]

Swmbo says, if you are asking the question then deep inside you know it is time.



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[Jabberwocky]

Oh hang on she is not finished...

Does his pain out weigh you need for him to be around.


I have learnt one thing from this, I am never going to let SWMBO be the one to control my life support.

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[What's Burning?]

Swmbo says, if you are asking the question then deep inside you know it is time.

She sounds so much smarter than you and I.

[What's Burning?]

Oh hang on she is not finished...

Does his pain out weigh you need for him to be around.

And so much more indecisive than you an I.

[Jabberwocky]

Don't tell her that she would never let me down.

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[racechick]

Sad to hear about Mambo WB . It's a similar story to my gorgeous Roscoe, who was a Samoyed. He could hardly get up and had started weeing in his bed because he couldn't get up. So we took the decision that it was time. He was 15 and such a lovely dog. He had a good life and gave a lot of pleasure, I'm sure that's the same for Mambo. At the time I kept thinking, we could keep him a bit longer, and were we doing it for the right reasons, but looking back it was the right decision.

[sagi58]

I don't know that there is ever a "right" time, so much as "the time"!
Our Blossom was almost 18 when we finally had to put her down, after
changing our minds a couple of time over a period of three years.
She was suffering and we finally decided it was "the time"! Still sad!

[geetface9]

My parents just put down a dog today that they gave to our neighbors a few years ago. He was about 14 and had three seizures and wasn't recovering very well.

[LiamCatterson]

Fortunately I have not been around to have a dog of mine put down. Instead, my....Well insert swear here...of a dad killed him with rat poison. But that doesn't deny me from knowing what putting a dog down is like because I am aware it is a painful experience and it would hurt

[Hammer278]

Condolences WB. Had a dog for 7 years and we left her behind when my dad got a job transfer to another country, he's told me he still hasn't forgiven himself for it but even in hindsight we both agree there was no choice.

Yours being 12...damn, sometimes the best way to console yourself is probably by saying who's getting more hurt every day, you or the dog. Answer: Dog, from the sound of it. Maybe the best thing for your best friend is to ask you one final/toughest favour.

Btw, is this the dog on top or the one below in that video you posted before.

[What's Burning?]

We went through with it today. In the end, it would have been better for him had we done it earlier, but at least he didn't suffer any more, we gave him five burgers! He had slight cataracts, he had lost most of his hearing, the vet's opinion was that he had a terminal respiratory issue, perhaps lung cancer, and he had a bad case of arthritis, but he still had his appetite.

The fifth burger was consumed with just as much eagerness as the first! He is now properly buried in our yard, a pretty damned big grave since he weighed 113 lbs. For a big dog, he lived a long 13 years almost.

[racechick]

Thoughts with you WB. Remember all the good times. He was a lucky dog.

[zurich_allan]

Such a shame, but a kind thing to do. Not even a year ago, my wife's dog (she was still staying at her parents when they got it, and they kept it when we moved in together) passed away suddenly. I was properly cut up about it as I had went with them to get him when he was a tiny puppy. He was sad to leave his mother, and cried a lot, but I took him inside my jacket in the back seat of the car and he stopped crying, and cuddled in.

He had a good near 10 years, then my son was born last November and got to meet his 'uncle' Toby once. Toby was so interested in this new tiny human, then only one week later just died. I remember getting the phone call and tears falling as I changed my wee boy's nappy - he must have wondered what on earth was going on.

Dog's truly do become one of the family, and their lives are too short.

It'll take a while, but hopefully you'll get over it, it sounds like he had a good life.