for what reasons have you or would you euthanize a dog?

Question

and if you never would euthanize an animal for any reason, keep it to yourself. i'm looking for reasons, not for general approval or disapproval of the act. so save the "that's so cruel!", and "how would you like it if someone killed you just because you got old or sick?" stuff, because it's not wanted here. and by the way, i hope they do put me to sleep once i'm too old and/or sick to enjoy my life. thanks in advance to everyone who answers sensibly.

Answer 1

Thank you!
I too want to be euthanized before I suffer. I don't mean getting older, I mean excruciating pain with no hope of a cure.

Dogs who attack people. There is no reason in the world for an unprovoked attack on a person by a dog. EVER!!
The only exception is law enforcement who carefully train the dogs.

Same for dogs. If there is no quality of life, and in some of those "no kill" shelters, life gets pretty bad, euthanasia is kind. Anyone who has seen "cage madness" in dogs knows there are worse things than death. Like weeks, months and years stuck in a cage without anyone to love them, little food and less attention.

Ideally, euthanasia should only be for end stage illness, and extreme suffering (car accidents, etc.), but until people stop breeding dogs just because they're "designer" and have cute names (puggles are an abomination, they're going to be the next abandoned pet at shelters), or want "just one litter before we spay her", we're going to see millions of pets killed in shelters.

Thanks for reading.

Answer 2

I have had to put two dogs to sleep in the past. The first, was only 2 years old. She had cancer and it progressed so quickly that after awhile, she wouldn't eat and could hardly move. The second was only months after the first. My 11year old boxer had what we guessed was a stroke. Her eyes went "dull" and she didn't have a sense of who she was. If you called her, she just stared blankly. She started urinating whenever and wherever, even in her sleep. When she stopped eating too, we knew she wasn't happy here anymore.

I used to be a vet tech and I've seen some really stupid reasons for putting a dog down-the dumbest I've heard-"we got a new puppy and don't need her anymore" This kills me-why not take it to a no-kill shelter or put an add in the paper? Just because your dog is old, doesn't mean it's useless. On the other hand, I've seen people keep animals alive that are suffering (or rotting from the inside out) because they don't "believe" in euthanasia. You shouldn't let an animal suffer just because you don't want to "kill" it. Some people don't look at the big picture.

Personally, I think euthanasia should be used when the quality of life of the animal has diminished. If they can't walk or eat or go to the bathroom, etc, it's not going to be a very happy life. Those are my thoughts on the topic.

Answer 3

I have no problem to help an animal out of this life if it is done responsibly without causing suffering to the animal, if
(1) it belongs to me, and
(2) is suffering due to ill health (the vet`s assesment) or
(3)if the animal is a danger to me and my family / just the kids playing in the street, or
(4) is causing damages to someone else (Had a boxer which used to jump a 7 foot fence and killed the sheep from a nearby farmer - I have no heart in keeping a dog chained).

I prefer taking it to the vet and have the vet take care of the dirty business. If that is not possible I would I shoot it myself. I have done so before with a .22 caliber rifle - head shot from behind the ear. The short of the story -They were in a fight and were badly hurt with broken jaws and legs and very agressive probably due to pain, (Great Danes) and there wasn't a vet available for the next 12 hours. I am not one for having animals suffering.

My family and I currently have three lovely dogs, a cat, two horses, two parrots, a koi pond with a zillion koi (and know each by the name) a fish tank in the house with different fish.
Pets are not the higher species, and should be kept by responsible owners. They are there for our joy and we will manage them responsibly.

Things go wrong when the animal has more rights in the household than its human counterparts, or when they get abused or ill treated.

Answer 4

When it comes to euthanization its a personal choice on your own about what reasons are right, there are many reasons a dog might need to be put down:

1. The dog is in constant pain
2. The dog is very old and cannot have a happy life
3. The dog attacks other dogs or children

By this last answer (FYI- I used to be a vet assistant) I have had my own personal experience with a dog I loved very much who would attack other dogs, this attacking can with age become aggressiveness to humans. The best thing to do is ask your vet, if the vet says euthanization is not the answer they will usually provide you will no kill shelter numbers for you to surrender your animal too.

Answer 5

I am very impressed by the answers that many people have given, truly heartfelt and honest. I believe that when the pet no longer seems to enjoy their life due to the pain and suffering they are going through that it is time to euthanize the animal. It is truly the only humane option. Every time I have lost a pet, for any reason, I have cried, some times more than others. And I still miss the animals that I have lost, but I would not wish for more time with them if it meant they had to endure the amount of pain they were in when they were put to sleep. We owe it to our loyal friends to be strong for them when they need us most.

Answer 6

My guidelines are generally if the quality of life is such that the animal is suffering (not eating, not enjoying the things they used to), and the hopes of a recovery are slim, then euthanasia is preferable to letting the animal "die naturally". Some examples:

Peri - rat with inoperable tumor. Euthanized when quality of life was such that she couldn't climb her ladder, because she usually spent all her time in the upper levels of the cage.

Whozit - 16 year old cat with diabetes. Euthanized when her quality of life was such that she spent most of her day in one spot and had no interest in eating.

Pearl - 12 year old dog with liver failure. Euthanized when it became evident that her liver was too far gone to have a hope of recovery (we had been treating her for two months in the hopes of her having a good quality of life after recovery from gall bladder issues and pancreatitis).

It's never an easy decision, and you often have the "did I wait too long? Or did I not wait long enough?" guilt and uncertainty. But to me it's more humane to end the suffering of an animal (or person) who has nothing to "look forward to" than days or months of slow decline in pain and misery.

Answer 7

I have two cats, and i know that i am going to have to make this decision some day. I would euthanize them if they were suffering more than they were enjoying life. An example would be if they were in severe kidney failure, and were no longer able to get up and walk around, groom themselves, or even get up to use the little box. There are many reason, i just wouldn't want them to suffer. I work at a vet clinic, and i see animals get euthanized a lot, and i see owners who refuse to euthanize their animal, and it really is heartbreaking.
We have one cat come in everyday, because she can't go to the bathroom on her own. She gets an enema EVERY DAY! She is miserable, and cries every time we do one. And she can't walk so she urinates all over herself also, and she can no longer groom herself. If this was my cat, i would euthanize her, probably before it got to this point of severity.
I have also seen animals with very advanced stages of cancer. They get to the point where they don't want to get up, they don't want to eat, and they no longer respond to their owners. When they get to the point where they no longer want to eat, or even get up for any reason, i would think about euthanizing.
There are also things that happen, like getting hit by a car, where its to the point that they can't make it, not even a chance. And what is happening is they are drowning in their own blood inside their lungs. I would euthanize them because the overdose of an anesthetic relaxes them, so they can be relaxed and unworried before they die. Really any reason that they are suffering to a severe point and they are in great pain. I hope this is what you were looking for.

Answer 8

1. If the dog is suffering, and recovery is very unlikely.
2. The dog is so old he can no longer hold/control his bowl movements AND walk to the door to go outside.
3. If the dog is overly animal aggressive.
4. If the dog is human aggressive, or has ever bitten a person "unprovoked."
5. If the dog is overly shy/fearful and does not respond to positive behavior modification.

Those are my reasons.
http://www.libertydogtraining.com

oh, and by the way, I'd hope that if I were way to old or sick to have a "normal enjoyable" life, than I would like someone to put me out of my misery humanely....

Answer 9

The only reason would be if the dog was in so much pain and could not walk or eat and was suffering.

Frankly, I have seen many old people suffer and I think everyone should sign a living will if they want to be kept alive on machines or if they want to have the plugs pulled.

In most cases people cannot afford to have a dog's life sustained by artificial means.

Answer 10

I have had to put down two dogs so far. The first had a lifetime of illness but it was always manageble with meds. Once she could no longer be controlled comfortably (she had IBS), and she was in pain, we made the heart-ripping decision to let her go. She was 11 and 1/2 years old. She was ready but I wasn't. Dog #2 died 11 months to the day later. she was a flame out, not any problems until that night-I came home from work and she was very lethargic. I rolled her over and she was black and blue from her neck to her bottom. She was bleeding internally from some unknown source. I took her to the vet and considering her age 12 and 1/2, he felt she wouldn't survive the exploratory surgery as she had lost much blood. She was fighting it, but she only had a few hours anyway, so why torture her? Both of my dogs were my children and even 2 years later I miss them both still. they love you then they rip your heart out when they leave.