When is the right time to have my dog put down? :(?

Question

I've had my dog for 14 years now. He's been my best friend. Last year he snapped one of his rear tendons. He was bad for a while crying and howling in pain in the middle of the night and dragging his back legs--But now... ( w/excersize and protein powder) He's rebounded and been doing good for the last 4 months with no pain. He limps when he walks and moves very sloooowwwlllly. Long story short- he's not ready to die but he can't survive another winter outside and can't hold his bladder/poo for more than about 4 hrs. Eats good drinks TONS. Wags his tail- kinda runs, falls down sometimes when he tries to get spunky. Sleeps a lot. All in all he's OK but this winter will kick in his arthritis and be painful for him- but I don't want to make the wrong decision and cut my best friends life short. I just don't know what to do... Should I wait till he's in unbearable pain to put him down? Do it now? I feel so guilty.

Answer 1

It depends on the person.
Some people wait until a dog can't get around very well on his own.
Others wait until the dog shows signs of pain.
Either way this is a very personal decision that only you can truly make.
I am so sorry. Just try to make him as comfortable & as happy as possible.
Please give your precious pooch big kisses for me.

Answer 2

You can get arthritis meds to help your pal through the winter months.

I have a 13 year old Pomeranian mix, she's old and stinky and rarely leaves my side. I give her baby aspirin everyday.

I lost her brother in January, he didn't want to leave my lap and when his breathing got labored I gave him morphine knowing he would fall asleep and not wake up.

I have a 3 year old Yorkie, a one year old Yorkie and a one year old chihuahua. She runs around with them more during the summer months but during the winter she is less active.

She still barks loud and has first dibs on snacks. I give her cottage cheese or scrambled eggs a few times a week.

I tolerate her potty accidents because she has been a faithful friend. I have hardwood floors so it's not a big burden.

Personally I feel if I can medicate her and keep her pain in control then I won't put her down. When I think it's her time to go I will give her a morphine and hold her in my arms until she sighs her last breath.

Maybe I'm crazy but the thought of taking my much loved pet to the place she fears most, with it's cold sterile environment, and a stranger is a white coat seems cruel.. Just her annual health exam and shots are very traumatic for her.

Whatever you decide, my heart goes out to you...

Answer 3

Is there any reason why the dog has to stay outside in the Winter? Can't he stay inside with people and a furnace and heat? Keep him in a cage when you are away so he won't poo on the carpet but don't do anything yet. If he gets that bad then make the decision which I do not think is cruel if the dog is in pain. I feel for you man, good luck!

Answer 4

I have an 8 year old chow/ lhasa. He has hip dysplasia. In the winter, he can't even get his back legs up. He has arthritis in his hips. My vet has prescribed a pain medicine called Rimadyl for a short period of time. Long term use can cause liver or kidney failure. Then the next winter she prescibed Previcox for that winter. All pain medicines come with risks, but you vet should be able to answer any questions that you have. I feel that if a dog still enjoys life, then if pain medicine can control the pain let them live as long as their not in pain. I hope I helped.

Answer 5

Do you have any pain meds for him? Cartrophen ( pronounced Car-tro-fen) and Metacam are great, my dog is on a course of the cartrophen right now. After the 3rd shot you can really see a difference. The course of shots runs one shot per week for 4 weeks.
The Metacam I give daily in his food.

I have been struggling along with my dog for a few years now, come each winter he gets worse. He cannot run, he cannot lay properly, he has a special soft bed, each winter the vet says it is close, but we manage through.

The vet also said dogs can be very stoic, meaning they will not show their pain even if they are in pain. Your dog is limping, he is in pain. I would recommend another vet visit, and ask their advise.

Hugs to you at this difficult time. It is never easy to make this decision.

Answer 6

I understand that he can't hold his urine/feces for long periods of time but it sounds to me like he would be fine if you took him inside and got him on some pain meds. I don't remember where I saw it but it was Dog Fancy or Dog World that they have a new med out for arthritis. Talk to your vet about it and see what they say. That he drinks "TONS" isn't normal sounding. Might be some kind of infection. I would talk to your vet about that as well. All things considered, with a little TLC I think your baby boy could have a few years left. I would give it a go, but then I always say where there's life, there's hope and nothing can shake me from that viewpoint.

Answer 7

It's a difficult answer. This past June I spent $ 3,500.00 to have stomach cancer removed from my beagle (He was also my best friend). 2 months later it came back. It cost me another $ 1,200.00 for tests and they determined that it came back and I HAD to put him down. I won't lie to you, It was horrible to put him down and I felt guilty as well, however, I was with him when they did and I wanted to be with before he passed. 14 years is long life for any dog. If you keep him outside, you may want to have an area where he can stay warm this winter without the problems of urinating and so forth. I'm sure deep inside you know how his quality of life is at this time in his life.You may also want to talk to veterinarian and see what he/she says. Also, obviously, make him as comfortable as possible and spend some quality time with him. Good luck in whatever decision you make!

Answer 8

I'm sorry about your dog. Have a heart to heart with your vet about when the right time would be. Your vet is more familiar with the dog than we are, and with the vet's experience, he/she should be able to guess how taxing the winter might be on your baby, and maybe give him a prescription to help with the pain of arthritis. With the right kind of treatment, your dog could still have a few more good years left. Best of luck!

Answer 9

Well ask yourself these questions

1.) Do the good days outweigh the bad?
2.) Are you thinknig about euthanasia because it makes life easier for you?
3.) Is he eating, drinking, pooping, and urinating good?...and for pooping and peeing, i mean having good bowel movements, no diarrhea, no blood or anything like that...not having to go every few hours. Geriatric dogs have to go more often same as puppies.



It's a hard decision, but when you look at his life as whole and you see that he's hurting, and losing weight, and doing just plain crappy then maybe it would be time, but now i don't think so. It's your decision however.

Answer 10

Please talk to your vet, and ask if your dog is in pain. It's not always easy to tell, because their instinct is to hide the pain. In the wild, you can't show weakness ti the pack.

Whatever your decision, now or later, you're going to have one more difficult decision to make, and that is whether or not to stay with him while the vet puts him down. My brother just went through this with his Lab Kramer, and he chose to stay, so that Kramer could pass in the comfort of my brother's presence, rather than dying among strangers. It happens very quickly, just a few seconds.

It's a difficult decision that I don't envy. Whatever you decide, cherish the 14 wonderful years you've had with him.