How do you know when your old dog is suffering and ready to be put to sleep.?

Answer 1

When their quality of life is gone and you can see pain and sadness in his eyes.

You know when he no longer wants to play with his favorite toys or chew on his favorite bone. When he doesn't enjoy his favorite food and when he doesn't enjoy his favorite activities anymore.

He will let you know without words.

Answer 2

I am sooo sorry I can not give you this answer. Only your family who is around the dog all the time will be able to see with your own eyes if the dog is ready to move on to Rainbow Bridge,if old age is all that is wrong with your dog. Right at this very moment I am struggling with the same question in my mind. The only difference is my dog is sick & not really old. I do know in my heart that our time will probably be within the next week. My heart aches for you though!! Here is a beautiful poem you may like to read http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

Answer 3

When you have watched the dog and realize there is no quality of life left. Sometimes it's easy when they quit drinking water and/or eating food. Other times they can't see/hear or get up and move around easily. They loose control of bowels or are incontinent. It's a personal decision that is a tough one. I personally would keep any dog I had until one or more of these things happened. My cocker spaniel was dear to my heart but when she couldn't hear, was almost blind, incontinent, got up once a day to go outside for her daily BM and come in and eat I knew it had to be done. I feel badly for anyone going through this. If you have any doubts call your veterinarian.

Answer 4

when a dog gets really old , they have ways of letting you know they are suffering, such as refusing to eat or drink . It is almost like they know and have accepted that their time has come. If they no longer can enjoy any of their favorite activites that too is also a sign they are suffering. I have a 14 year old dog that loves to go for car rides. My husband and I joke that we will know when his time is up if he no longer gets excited just hearing the words "car ride"

Answer 5

This is a decision only you, or you and your vet, can make.

I had to put my dog down last August. He was just shy of 13 years, 9 months. When I put him down, he was nearly blind (severe cataracts), nearly (or completely) deaf, had severe arthritis (meaning he would fall walking from grass to sidewalk), was in renal failure (I had to give him subcutaneous injections), and, the final straw, he suffered the equivalent to a stroke (canine vestibular disease), which left him nearly immobile. If he was a younger dog, he could have recovered from vestibular disease, and I thought about fighting it. But with his kidneys shutting down, I knew that it was a losing battle. Plus, he seemed to have one thing after another. He wasn't going to recover. I could tell he was in pain and the life he loved was gone.

Some might argue I kept him around for too long, but my rule was that if he could eat, drink and walk, he would stay alive. When all three slowly became more difficult (or he couldn't do them without assistance), I knew the time had come.

I saw my dog's decline over the last year of his life, but really, it was the last 6 weeks where he slipped the fastest. He made a brief recovery, but when he fell trying to go up some stairs in the house (and it was a very minor fall), it seemed like that was it for him - he lost his will to live.

I'm not sure of the status of your dog, but hopefully some of what I wrote above will help you decide. I was mentally prepared for his passing, but emotionally devastated. I found petloss.com to be very beneficial after I had to put my dog down. They have a heavily moderated forum there where you can write and share about your dog and be amongst those who know of your pain.

I wish you the best during this difficult time.

Answer 6

I couldn't have said it any better than Dawn (1st post). Almost made me cry. I lost my beloved dog in January and still feel the heartache. You will know when its time because you know your old pal the best. Talk to the vet and think long and hard about your dogs quality of life. Hold onto your dog as long as you can w/o suffering of course. Once they are gone, they are gone for good (till we meet them again at The Rainbow Bridge). Best wishes for you are your dog

Answer 7

This is a very hard question to answer. If your dog's quality of life has diminished and they can't move around to relive themselves or moan when they try to move or they are reluctant to eat, then we have to ask ourselves are we being selfish. We hate to part with a beloved pet but we are the only ones that can help that pet move on to peace and no more pain. Your dog has always looked up to you for all his or her needs and this is their final request for you to help end their suffering. This is not easy because we are ending a loving commitment we have had with a member of our family. My heart goes out to you in this very hard time but later you will realize that you did the right thing for your pet.

Answer 8

If you dog constantly whines, or does when he/she gets up or lays down.

If it has lost it's appetite and has no energy.

They can be old and still have quality of life. I have a 17 1/2 yo dog who is still spunky and goes up and down stairs every day in spite of being about 90% blind. We have him on arthritis medicine and feed him houndenflocken for seniors.

Maybe see if your dog has something that can be fixed (take it to the vet...you may be able to extend that quality of life a little longer).

When you finally decide to do it, make sure you are doing it for the dog's benefit. Your asking means you realize that extending his life may be for your benefit...it's always sad to lose a friend, but it is sadder to let them live in possible agony. Good luck.

Answer 9

You don't say what is wrong with your dog, but pain can usually be alleviated with medication such as Rimadyl or Metacam or Tramadol so the dog doesn't have to suffer. If the dog gets to a point where it can't get up anymore or can't control it's bowels or something where it can't function, then maybe it's time to consider your options with your vet.

Answer 10

You will know, almost as clearly as the dog speaking to you. Life for the dog will completely change and just looking at him, you will just understand. Sadness and dispair will show clearly on his face and he will have a personality change.

Answer 11

the owner knows best most of the time. talk to your veterinarian and ask what they think is best. sometimes our love keeps us from wanting to let go. ask your self a few questions, how good is the quality of life? is the animal in immediate pain? What are the long term effects on keeping the animal alive?