Should we euthanize or wait it out?

Question

We have a 15+ yr old yorkshire terrier. It's a long story, but here are the bullet points.

He was rescued from the pound 6 years ago and already had heart murmor and bad teeth. Approx 9yrs old then.
He has kidney disease and urniates on the carpet daily,
He's on meds and special diet dog food, costing $60.00/mo.
Our children are 2 1/2 yrs and 5mo old baby. He bit the 2 1/2 yr old yesterday, unprovoked.
He sleeps all day and can't climb stairs

It's hard to come to terms with the fact that he's probably not well. To look at him he looks fine. And he's still relatively social. Yesterday was the first time he's shown any aggression to the children.

Answer 1

Poor thing!

If he is starting to get irritable toward the children, it's time to let him go. 15 years is a long life for a dog, and he doesn't look like he's having much fun now.

Yes, it is hard. It is the hardest thing you will ever have to do. But it is better that he can go with love instead of hurt.

Feel better.

Answer 2

A couple of items to think about. I am involved in Rescue, so we see a lot of dogs that are about to be put down when it may not be necessary. It may be time in this case but here are a couple of things to consider.

1. Kidney disease and urinating on the carpet- Not a reason in itself to euthanize. Kidney disease can be controlled and the urination can be controlled by the use of a relatively inexpensive doggie-diaper ( available through many pet outlets- we use Foster and Smith)
2. Special Diet and Meds- When you get into your late 70's and early 80's you will probably be on meds and need a bit blander diet. Dogs age- so do we.
3. The biting is a concern, but it is a rare thing that a dog bites unprovoked or without a warning. Not knowing what the dog was doing when he bit, I wonder if he was sleeping or if he was inadeveratantly startled. 2 year olds are curious and not always the best with coordination. This does bear watching and a consult with your vet may be in order.
4. When we take on a dog, we make a lifetime committment. What message will it send to your children that as soon as a family member becomes a bother we get rid of them? Loyalty and committment are learned traits.
5. What does your vet say? Most vets are pretty good when it comes to knowing if a dog is at the end of their life.

No judgment here, just some things to think about

Answer 3

Euthanasia is a personal decision that only you can make. It's hard to put an end to an animals life even when they are suffering. I had to put my 17 y/o cat down because she mourned the loss of her buddy so much she got sicker and sicker till there was nothing left for the vet to do. And still it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Both my cats suffered from kidney disease and I treated them for it, unfortunately it is incurable and it will only get to the point where his kidneys will shut down. The only way you will know for sure is to ask your vet if he is suffering in any way, if they tell you yes, then it's up to you to end his suffering. If they tell you no, and you find it hard to put him down, get him a crate or a small carrier that he can go into to sleep and tell the children that when he's in his crate he has to be left alone, confine him to a room with vinyl or tile flooring (so he won't keep urinating on your carpet) and that's where he should stay for the most part until you feel it's time to ease his pain.

When my cats were diagnosed with Kidney disease and one kept urinating on the carpet and sofa, I confined them to the outdoor patio during the day and only allowed them inside at night when I was home so I could prevent them from urinating on the carpet, I kept them until it was time to finally say goodbye and I was told by the vet that it was time. Your dog will let you know when it's time to say goodbye, it's subtle and you might not realize it, but they will let you know.

I'm sorry you are going thru this, it's difficult to make this decision and I agonized over this decision when my eldest cat went into a coma when her kidneys finally shut down. I decided to keep her at home and comfortable and pass away there, had I known then that the toxins in the kidneys cause convulsions when it reaches the brain, I might have been more inclined to have a vet end her suffering.

I wish you luck and I sympathize with what you are going thru.

Answer 4

At that age, in that condition, it's fairly likely that he is in a lot of pain and discomfort. If he can't climb stairs, it probably hurts him to move at all. Dogs that urinate frequently that way usually get some on themselves, and urine actually burns the skin if not wiped off right away. His mouth probably causes him great pain as well. The bite was a clear signal to you that he is not happy or well and doesn't want to be around people.

It's sad, but he's had a long life, and you made his late years good ones. I think it's time to let him go. There comes a time when the least cruel thing to do for a dog is put him to sleep, and from the sounds of it, your pup has reached that point.

Good luck in your decision, all the best.

Answer 5

It becomes a quality of life issue over quantity of life.

If he was never aggressive towards the children, but now is acting out unprovoked, he could be in a lot of pain. It is hard to tell with animals because it is their natural instinct to hide pain until it is just impossible to do so any more.

From what you described, he sound like he's in pretty bad shape. And if he is now in pain and suffering, it might be time to think about easing that pain. It would be unfair to him to have him act in a way that isn't is norm because he's not feeling well. And you do have two young children's welfare to think of also.

It might be time to start thinking about saying good bye. As hard as that is, sometimes the hardest things to do are also the things that are the right thing to do.

Good luck and prayer so you all...

Answer 6

If he is suffering or in pain euthanize. If not, keep your child away from him. He is old and may not know where he is or who came at him and bit out of fear or he is just cranky and not in the mood to be bothered any longer. Since you rescued him 6 years ago, I am hoping his last 6 years have been filled with love and joy thereby making euthanization a kinder solution. Being that he is 15 years old, sending him to a new home or adopting him out may be more traumatic for him and again euthanasia would be the kinder response. If you do decide to euthanize make sure you are with him until the very end. Hold him and assure him he is going to a "better place."

Answer 7

I have been a vet tech for over 7 years-It's very hard to come to term with what's happening to your little yorkie, but as a vet tech the answer that I tell clients who ask this same question is what are his 3 favorite things to do...i.e. eat, play ball, snuggle, chew toy, etc. When he shows no interest in doing those things anymore it's time. Other signs that it's time is aggression and uncontrolled urination/defication. The aggression will get worse and more frequent(most likely this was not a one time thing). Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Do you think it's all medical? Could it jealousy from the 2 newer addiontions to the family? I know my dog got very jealous when I had my daughter. If the dog is urinating on the floor, that's really unhealthy for the kids (even though you clean it up). If he's biting now, it's out of pain and/or frustration. Your vet should be able to tell you about how much pain your dog might be in, and advise you on the best action to take.

Answer 9

I am sure the poor dog is in pain and does not feel well. Most likely that was the reason for the behavior. I have had to have two of my dogs put to sleep about a year ago. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. I couldn't stand it to see the dog the way it was and remember the way it used to be. I would go ahead and put the dog out of its misery.

Answer 10

What a tough decision to make. I had a cat that had a blocked urethra (hope I spelled that right) and even after spending hundreds on the surgery to fix him, we still had to put him down. I agonized for weeks before I decided. While I was agonizing, he was getting worse and in more and more pain. (He couldn't urinate.) It is a horrible decision to make but the pain and suffering your dog is experiencing is evidenced in the bite your child received. My vote would have to be to put the dog out of his/her misery. It may not be what you want to hear but is probably the best thing for the dog. Best wishes in whatever your decide. I'll pray for you and your family.