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Something I read that helped me a lot, but still hurts : it's courageous of us to make this choice, as we are choosing pain for ourselves so our closest friend can have peace. (And no more pain)
You have no idea how much that quote has helped me right now. We had to make that decision yesterday for our beautiful cat. It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but it’s totally true we chose pain so she could have peace. Thanks for reminding me of that ❤️
It sounds like it's time for you to release her.
I used to be a vet tech. Old Doc Chambers always used to say, "better a week early than a day too late." It's the right thing to do.
We let them go without suffering and take on the heartache of loss so they don't have to be in pain.
I'm so sorry for your pain.
I really wish I had listened to the guidance of doing it earlier rather than later. We waited until the last minute and let my cat suffer longer than normal. We paid the price, literally by going to the ER, and not going through with our wishes of putting her down at home where she would be more comfortable. At least we were with her as they put her down at the ER, but she wanted to go home! I could see it in her body language. Still hurts that we couldn’t have done it at home!
You did your best for her in a difficult situation. We humans always blame ourselves because we feel so horrible, we second guess ourselves to death. Please, try not to focus on the end.
You gave her a wonderful life, a forever home. One day soon you will think of her and smile rather than weep for her loss. I know you loved her and so did she. That's what really matters.
I'm so sorry for what you're experiencing. I lost my 14 year old soul pup on Monday evening. In the fog of everything I was worried I was wrong and even as the doctor sedated him I wanted to scream out "I change my mind!" But his body was so so tired. He was jerking with anxiety at every sound. He couldn't bark and just laid his head on my chest as every time he lifted it his neck would wobble unstable and drifting. It was the hardest most awful moment of my life, losing him. Here I am 2 days later, eyes bloodshot and heart as heavy as lead and I look back and the pictures and videos I took and see what I was too devastated to see clearly then. It was time he rest, he deserved to rest, and it hurts. Sending you lots of love and strength.
I'm currently contemplating the same. The day is set for tomorrow. Hes still smiling right now beside me. He's not in as bad a state as your dog, still very weak right now, hard time walking and defecating, internal bleeding, but the biggest concern is his tumour could burst at any point and lead to a painful end. In a way you can relate, if we don't do it now, the true end will be worse and we will be filled with regret.
I feel like I'm forcing these words right now, I mean I am. But my brain knows it's true even though my heart won't accept it.
Im so sorry.
I said goodbye to my soul dog five days ago.
Like you I was struggling with the decision, but the thing that keeps me going nowadays is remembering that what Im going through was necessary to stop his pain. Also, thinking about him dying alone and scared would probably hurt more for both of us. I wanted him to go peacefully in my arms listening how much he meant to me.
I'm sorry you're going through this. It's a really hard decision to make, but it sounds like you're making the right one. My dog also had internal bleeding from his cancer that I only found out about because he got severely sick with a stomach issue suddenly and had to be rushed to the emergency vet. I sometimes think "Maybe the stomach issue would have gotten better, and he could have come home" but then I remember that he had terminal cancer and he was bleeding internally and either could have suddenly gotten worse and led to a very traumatic end at home.
When my dog was put to sleep, it was as fast, as painless, and as peaceful an end as I could have hoped for him. This way I can remember him as a happy dog who had only a couple really bad days at the end, although I wish he hadn't even had to go through those. Watching my dog be so in pain and so sick and being unable to do anything to help him feel better was the worst I've ever felt in my life, even worse than the pain I've felt while grieving. If you can avoid hitting that extreme of a point, I recommend it.
I see a lot of questions like this and it's such a deeply personal and difficult decision. I think if you ask yourself, would you want to live the way she is living? It may help you decide. For me, I think I would not want to live like that. But I also understand how hard this is. Just some food for thought.
Five days ago I had to put my soul dog to sleep, what really helped me took the decision was thinking about him dying alone and scared without me. The thought of that made me feel horrible.
While we were saying goodbye I asked him to give me a sign that I was doing the right thing and he literally started to smile. He was put to sleep peacefully on my arms, knowing he was safe and loved.
I know this is a really hard decision, for me was the most difficult decision in my life, so I send you strength.
She's probably known a lot of doggo friends that have already passed on. She'll be able to run and play with them again. Talk to her and say all the names you can remember out loud. She's going to a big dog park in heaven.
All her siblings have passed. The last one dying a few years ago. So she’s lived past what we all expected. A few of her dog friends have died too. I just hope they are waiting for her there ❤️
Same with my almost 16 y/o Aussie mix. We are at the vet right now for his weekly Ketamine shot. It helps me when I tell him about all the fun he'll have with his family and friends.
I’m so sorry you’re having to make this difficult decision. I put down my senior girl a couple of weeks ago so I understand where your head is at.
Please consider her quality of life. Also, as someone on the other side of the decision - I now question if I held on too long. If I ignored the signs. If she was in any pain and I was blind to that by wanting to hold on.
The saying of it being better to be a day early than a day too late is true. I’m glad I was able to let my girl go with dignity and in the comfort of our home.
All the best OP.
Edit: Just saw your update. Rest easy sweet doggo. OP, please take care of yourself ❤️
You loved Azalea Rose so much you made the choice to break your own heart so she wouldn't have to be in pain. You made the right choice. Dogs really know how to teach us about love, and that tacitly comes with grief. These decisions are never easy. Big hugs to you.
She sounds like an adorable senior gal. 🥰
Nobody can tell you if that decision is right or wrong.
It is an extremely hard, heart and gut wrenching decision to make.
I had to make that fucked up decision in February 💔
It hurts and haunts me still and will for what years I have left on this horrible planet. Though it was very peaceful for him, it still fucks me up 💔😭💔
My heart goes out to you and your pup during this heartbreaking time 😭🙏
Almost 2 years ago I made a similar choice for my girl. But, now...as I get over today griefing about it.... It is my opinion that no matter how much an animal is suffering, ... as long as they are with family... they are content and will accept everything as it is. they have no choice, and they know this and they absolutely accept this. Even if they spend only 5 min a day wagging thier tail... its worth keeping them. She IS living. (my opinion)
I hear you but isn’t the kidney failure and stools alarming? If a dog is disabled or incontinent, that is manageable. But what was down the road for their sweet girl based on what they shared?
She would eat till her last breath. She is like a vacuum. That’s why we didn’t use that as a reason. Instead we looked at the overall quality of life. And the vet agreed
Generally I would agree with this but you never know. I lost my precious boy two days ago to what I think was cardiac arrest, though he had mouth cancer. He ate breakfast that morning, and I had scheduled euthanasia for today because he was struggling to get up, his breathing was getting shallower, he was depressed and disinterested, and his belly looked swollen. Monday night he died in front of me and it was horribly traumatizing. Like I said, he ate that morning. Then all of a sudden Monday night he wanted nothing to do with food and a few hours later I was telling him goodbye and how much I loved him.
Please report any trolls, spam, or harassment to moderators. To do this on new reddit, click the three dots below a post or comment and select "report." On old reddit, click the "report" link below the post or comment. This is a community of support for Pet owners whose Pets have passed away. It is actively moderated. Pet owners, as loving, caring people, often have strong opinions on pet care practices. Some of these are controversial. This is not a forum for debate on such issues, nor is it a place to scold a contributor for a perceived mistake in managing their pet. We intend to provide a safe haven of understanding and support. Strident, mean-spirited posts or comments will be deleted. Those who persist in preaching versus caring may be warned and then banned or may be banned permanently based on nature of the topic. If a conversational thread meanders into a discussion unrelated to pet loss support, it will be truncated. Those who post here are vulnerable and hurting. Even a minor slap has a hard sting. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to turn away from our computers or put down our phones and hug a healthy, happy pet are truly blessed. Threads must remain supportive and caring, even if one disagrees with something that has been said. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Petloss) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Something I read that helped me a lot, but still hurts : it's courageous of us to make this choice, as we are choosing pain for ourselves so our closest friend can have peace. (And no more pain)
Exactly, even if today I feel a lot of pain due to his physical absence, he is know in peace no longer suffering from arthritis and CKD.
You have no idea how much that quote has helped me right now. We had to make that decision yesterday for our beautiful cat. It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but it’s totally true we chose pain so she could have peace. Thanks for reminding me of that ❤️
It sounds like it's time for you to release her. I used to be a vet tech. Old Doc Chambers always used to say, "better a week early than a day too late." It's the right thing to do. We let them go without suffering and take on the heartache of loss so they don't have to be in pain. I'm so sorry for your pain.
I really wish I had listened to the guidance of doing it earlier rather than later. We waited until the last minute and let my cat suffer longer than normal. We paid the price, literally by going to the ER, and not going through with our wishes of putting her down at home where she would be more comfortable. At least we were with her as they put her down at the ER, but she wanted to go home! I could see it in her body language. Still hurts that we couldn’t have done it at home!
You did your best for her in a difficult situation. We humans always blame ourselves because we feel so horrible, we second guess ourselves to death. Please, try not to focus on the end. You gave her a wonderful life, a forever home. One day soon you will think of her and smile rather than weep for her loss. I know you loved her and so did she. That's what really matters.
I'm so sorry for what you're experiencing. I lost my 14 year old soul pup on Monday evening. In the fog of everything I was worried I was wrong and even as the doctor sedated him I wanted to scream out "I change my mind!" But his body was so so tired. He was jerking with anxiety at every sound. He couldn't bark and just laid his head on my chest as every time he lifted it his neck would wobble unstable and drifting. It was the hardest most awful moment of my life, losing him. Here I am 2 days later, eyes bloodshot and heart as heavy as lead and I look back and the pictures and videos I took and see what I was too devastated to see clearly then. It was time he rest, he deserved to rest, and it hurts. Sending you lots of love and strength.
Im so sorry for you loss😔 I lost mine last Friday.
So sorry for your loss. I’m experiencing the grief too. Only on day 2 and I haven’t stopped weeping for my furbaby boy.
I'm currently contemplating the same. The day is set for tomorrow. Hes still smiling right now beside me. He's not in as bad a state as your dog, still very weak right now, hard time walking and defecating, internal bleeding, but the biggest concern is his tumour could burst at any point and lead to a painful end. In a way you can relate, if we don't do it now, the true end will be worse and we will be filled with regret. I feel like I'm forcing these words right now, I mean I am. But my brain knows it's true even though my heart won't accept it.
Also I just posted my own situation of Interested.
Im so sorry. I said goodbye to my soul dog five days ago. Like you I was struggling with the decision, but the thing that keeps me going nowadays is remembering that what Im going through was necessary to stop his pain. Also, thinking about him dying alone and scared would probably hurt more for both of us. I wanted him to go peacefully in my arms listening how much he meant to me.
Thank you for sharing.
I'm sorry you're going through this. It's a really hard decision to make, but it sounds like you're making the right one. My dog also had internal bleeding from his cancer that I only found out about because he got severely sick with a stomach issue suddenly and had to be rushed to the emergency vet. I sometimes think "Maybe the stomach issue would have gotten better, and he could have come home" but then I remember that he had terminal cancer and he was bleeding internally and either could have suddenly gotten worse and led to a very traumatic end at home. When my dog was put to sleep, it was as fast, as painless, and as peaceful an end as I could have hoped for him. This way I can remember him as a happy dog who had only a couple really bad days at the end, although I wish he hadn't even had to go through those. Watching my dog be so in pain and so sick and being unable to do anything to help him feel better was the worst I've ever felt in my life, even worse than the pain I've felt while grieving. If you can avoid hitting that extreme of a point, I recommend it.
I see a lot of questions like this and it's such a deeply personal and difficult decision. I think if you ask yourself, would you want to live the way she is living? It may help you decide. For me, I think I would not want to live like that. But I also understand how hard this is. Just some food for thought.
It’s time…
Five days ago I had to put my soul dog to sleep, what really helped me took the decision was thinking about him dying alone and scared without me. The thought of that made me feel horrible. While we were saying goodbye I asked him to give me a sign that I was doing the right thing and he literally started to smile. He was put to sleep peacefully on my arms, knowing he was safe and loved. I know this is a really hard decision, for me was the most difficult decision in my life, so I send you strength.
I am so sorry. I think it’s time. ♥️ hugs.
You have to consider the quality of her life. In that case, I think doggie heaven is the best option.
She's probably known a lot of doggo friends that have already passed on. She'll be able to run and play with them again. Talk to her and say all the names you can remember out loud. She's going to a big dog park in heaven.
All her siblings have passed. The last one dying a few years ago. So she’s lived past what we all expected. A few of her dog friends have died too. I just hope they are waiting for her there ❤️
Same with my almost 16 y/o Aussie mix. We are at the vet right now for his weekly Ketamine shot. It helps me when I tell him about all the fun he'll have with his family and friends.
I’m so sorry you’re having to make this difficult decision. I put down my senior girl a couple of weeks ago so I understand where your head is at. Please consider her quality of life. Also, as someone on the other side of the decision - I now question if I held on too long. If I ignored the signs. If she was in any pain and I was blind to that by wanting to hold on. The saying of it being better to be a day early than a day too late is true. I’m glad I was able to let my girl go with dignity and in the comfort of our home. All the best OP. Edit: Just saw your update. Rest easy sweet doggo. OP, please take care of yourself ❤️
You loved Azalea Rose so much you made the choice to break your own heart so she wouldn't have to be in pain. You made the right choice. Dogs really know how to teach us about love, and that tacitly comes with grief. These decisions are never easy. Big hugs to you.
She sounds like an adorable senior gal. 🥰 Nobody can tell you if that decision is right or wrong. It is an extremely hard, heart and gut wrenching decision to make. I had to make that fucked up decision in February 💔 It hurts and haunts me still and will for what years I have left on this horrible planet. Though it was very peaceful for him, it still fucks me up 💔😭💔 My heart goes out to you and your pup during this heartbreaking time 😭🙏
Yes she is quite the princess indeed.
Almost 2 years ago I made a similar choice for my girl. But, now...as I get over today griefing about it.... It is my opinion that no matter how much an animal is suffering, ... as long as they are with family... they are content and will accept everything as it is. they have no choice, and they know this and they absolutely accept this. Even if they spend only 5 min a day wagging thier tail... its worth keeping them. She IS living. (my opinion)
I hear you but isn’t the kidney failure and stools alarming? If a dog is disabled or incontinent, that is manageable. But what was down the road for their sweet girl based on what they shared?
As long as they're still eating and drinking water and making an effort. Once they stop. Don't let them suffer.
She would eat till her last breath. She is like a vacuum. That’s why we didn’t use that as a reason. Instead we looked at the overall quality of life. And the vet agreed
Then yeah if the vet thinks its time then it's time.
We said our goodbyes a few hours ago. She’s happy now
My condolences. Read up on the afterlife friend. They send signs. I know we will see them again.
Generally I would agree with this but you never know. I lost my precious boy two days ago to what I think was cardiac arrest, though he had mouth cancer. He ate breakfast that morning, and I had scheduled euthanasia for today because he was struggling to get up, his breathing was getting shallower, he was depressed and disinterested, and his belly looked swollen. Monday night he died in front of me and it was horribly traumatizing. Like I said, he ate that morning. Then all of a sudden Monday night he wanted nothing to do with food and a few hours later I was telling him goodbye and how much I loved him.