Posted on 12/23/2018 6:35:14 AM PST by Chickensoup
When do we put Rover down?
I have always thought that when an animal becomes sick, old, diseased, and is in pain, senile or unable to manage that the kind thing to do would be to euthanize it.
However, it seems that I am in the minority with that opinion.
Our good dog of 15 years is now senile, is anxious and barks, has poor vision and little hearing. He barks almost constantly, cannot remember where he is or where we are. He is a sad old mess.
I have been advocating putting him to sleep.
Others in the family see me as advocating family murder.
I thought that was odd, until I discovered that acquaintances have approached the family members with NURSING HOME options for the pets that one can no longer care for. At a price.
that none of them can afford.
As the primary care taker of this animal I see that continuing his life is causing him undue suffering. I am also frustrated at the limitations on my life. I suppose I am selfish.
I now know people who have animals with joint replacements, insulin, cardiac meds and other complicated measures. I find it surprising. Perhaps I am just too old?
There was a time where the decision to put down a beloved animal was considered an act of courage. I thought it was a part of the process of maturation and acceptance of life's limitations.
Now I am faced with people telling me that the dog deserves to live out all of his natural life in whatever condition it presents.
Am I so out of touch? Is animal euthanasia no longer a decision?
One of the things I learned during my life is that when people ASK FOR ADVICE, it means they already KNOW the answer, they just don’t LIKE it.
I would say this is the case for you.
*****The thought of an “Old Folks Home” for pets is cruel beyond belief. They won’t know why they are being taken to a strange place. They won’t have any idea why their family, their “pack” has rejected them.*****
Great observation/comment.
My daughter paid a fortune in vet expenses and medications over several years - was told the little guy had ‘allergies’.
He never seemed to improve - licking paws, crying, itching etc., Finally diagnosed with terminal liver cancer - how come it was never caught early on?
Answer: money, money, money. They prey on our love for our pets.
It’s been almost two years and we still miss him.
Yep
They start hiding in weird areas of the house and then you know its over....
This is a hard decision to make. And your case is harder still because there are people around you who disagree with you. And they might carry a lingering resentment over the decision you make.
My advice: Take your poor dog to a vet whom everyone trusts, one who puts animals ahead of profits. Then ask that vet, “What would you do?”
i would think... when Rover is in too much pain for medicine to alleviate?
Thanks for including me.
For me personally, the time to put my cat down was when I realized that keeping him alive was solely based on my selfish wishes to keep him a while longer. The cat had cancer, and I knew once he decided to start hiding under my bed...a place he had never gone before, that it was probably time to keep him from any further discomfort.
My bottom line is dignity and quality of life. When they are suffering, in a lot of pain, or start losing control of their bodily functions, it is time.
Consult your dog’s vet and see if he will let the rest of the family meet with him so he can explain why euthanasia for your dog is a valid and kind choice. If you can’t afford the vet fee for euthanasia your local humane society may offer it at a lower cost.
It is not murder. It is the right thing to do if your dog is in pain, can no longer eat, is no longer housebroken, has severe mobility issues. You get the drift.
Who in your family does the dog belong to? That’s who makes the decision when to let them go. Part of owning one of these wonderful creatures is knowing you may someday have to make that decision.
He may be holding on for you. I agree with some of the other posters, bring in a younger dog, make sure it doesn’t bully the old guy, and he may just leave on his own or let you know he needs you to help him leave.
Order a copy of “Heaven is For Animals Too” by my friend Melinda Cerisano. It is well researched, non-sectarian, and will help with your decision. I bought a copy after I had to put our 16 hand, 30 year old Quarterhorse down after he slipped on the ice and broke a hind leg. I wish I had read it long before that chilly March morning.
And I’m with the sentiments of a previous poster about a pet nursing home.
If there is a worst idea on this planet, I haven’t heard of it. If the goal is to make sure the pup is rewarded for his years of love and devotion to the family by bewildering him via abandonment, you can be sure he’ll die of a broken heart.
He deserves to go to the vet surrounded by his loved ones.
I feel you....the last animal we had put down was a 13 year old Chow that woke up one day and his hips went out from under him and all he could do was drag himself....took him to the veterinarian and had him checked and was told that he wouldn’t recover....held his head while he got the shot and wiped tears on the way out. Selfishness can make one keep a suffering animal around for too long....
You put them down when they suffer.
I'm probably not the first and won't be the last to notice the irony we're actually more humane with our pets than we are to our human family.
If the dog’s quality of life is minimal and it’s just existing then likely time to humanely put it to sleep.
Is the dog in any pain? What is the quality of life for either yourself or the dog? Are any of these critical family members who don’t want you to put the dog down willing to personally (not paying for someone else) take over the chores of taking care of the dog on a daily basis?
Yes, I’ve gone through something similar recently.
I think the dog sharing idea is genius!
I visit people in their homes as a part of my job. When I see folks who live in the country, many of them have animals which were “dumped” in their vicinity. People have animals they no longer want so they just ride out into the country and put them out. Drive off and leave them. I think this is horribly cruel. It’s almost inevitable that the pet will be run over, eaten by coyotes, or die some other merciless death.
I suspect that at least some of these animals are pets which have belonged to elderly people who have died or who have had to go into nursing homes, and their families don’t want the pets. A lot of nursing homes will accept pets now, but the owner still has to be able to care for the pet, and the pet has to be of the right disposition.
“Sharing” a pet could be a wonderful option. I’m going to keep that in mind to suggest in the appropriate situations.
that is not life and inhumane to let it suffer
Sorry to hear of your dogs health...
We have had to put down several cats over the years and it is NEVER easy, but I am 100% certain it was the best thing on each occasion.
We have always had our vet make a house visit. The vet actually looks over the animal, asks a few questions and makes a practiced and professional opinion.
After each such evaluation the vet has agreed that prolonging the animals life would be inflicting suffering.
I have always been with the animal during the time to calm him/her and say good bye.
NOT easy, but I’m happy I did.
Since we live in the country I have buried all of these beloved creatures in our field in places they used to hunt or just hang out in. I plant a perennial on their grave and it’s nice to see the flowers come up in the spring.
Bless be to you in this difficult decision.
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