My puppy of 12 years past away today, i was by his side when he took his last breaths. His name was Petey, and I've known him from the day he was born. His major grandmother was a purebred Blue Tick Coon hound, and him and his brother loved to hunt. I'm gonna miss him forever.
Give the dog some time, maybe he will get better. If not, at least you KNOW you're doing the right thing. Killing the dog so soon, before he has a chance to recover would be wrong.
My parents and I went through a similar deal less than a year ago, our dog Brandy who is 3 years old now was almost put down. The vet recommended it, but we didn't we borrowed the $8,000 to do everything that could have been done. My friends called us stupid, and so did family members. You know what, she's outside right now running around the yard. You can't put a price on love.
Well, I've stalled long enough. My dog had been getting along pretty well only needing a pain pill once in a while for comfort, but it's just not working anymore. He's still just as excited and happy as he ever was, but he's taken to biting at his hip where the pain is, and he's chewed a big sore over the past couple of days.
Anyway, I've got a pretty good supply of his pain pills left and I looked up the effects of overdose. Suppressed pulminary and cardiac systems. Patient will go into a coma and not wake. Seems like a good way to go. Damnit.
Its your decision to make and its not an easy one. I would like to offer some advice. Take him to a vet and have him put down. Its very quick, one shot in the leg and he stops breathing. He doesnt even feel bad for more than 2 seconds. Thats alot better ending than pills that release slowly into his system. the 2 seconds it took him to die was the longest 2 seconds of my life. He looked into my eyes and somehow knew what I had done to him.
The only thing I regret about taking mine to the vet is that he couldnt die at home where he is most comfortable. The ride to the vet was the worst for me knowing it was a one way trip for him but thats a pain I can live with knowing he went very quick.
I know you have whats best in mind for him but its just something to consider.
I feel your pain, I've had two black labs die in the time span of about 4 years, one died of a Brain Anurism (?) on Christmas day, the other while we were on vacation to Sunset Beach, NC (of a heat stroke I think.)
Now, I work for a Vet and have had to help the doc. put down alot of dogs. It is very hard for me to do my job knowing how the owner feels, because I've been there.
Do whatever you think is best.
very pretty setting. ironic that you posted this today, because i happened to read the entire thread for the first time today. he made it 3-4 months past your initial expectation though. that's at least one thing to be thankful for. sorry for your loss
Now, I work for a Vet and have had to help the doc. put down alot of dogs. It is very hard for me to do my job knowing how the owner feels, because I've been there.
Do whatever you think is best.
I used to work for one last summer and I know what you mean. Just knowing that some of the dogs had to be put down because there was nothing that could be done kept making me think of when I finally had to make that decision a few years back. In addition, seeing the other dogs that had the serious diseases and had been abandoned by their owners made me feel horrible.
I used to work for one last summer and I know what you mean. Just knowing that some of the dogs had to be put down because there was nothing that could be done kept making me think of when I finally had to make that decision a few years back. In addition, seeing the other dogs that had the serious diseases and had been abandoned by their owners made me feel horrible.
My hat's off to you guys. I love animals, usually more than people, but i dont think I would enjoy woking for a vet and having the job of putting them down. I guess there are plenty of gratifying days to go with the bad ones though.
I can usually turn off the emotion when I need to. I've put several other dogs down in the past, and frankly I was glad to be rid of "that damn German Shorthair" when I put her down.
This dog was different, he was like one of the kids.
My hat's off to you guys. I love animals, usually more than people, but i dont think I would enjoy woking for a vet and having the job of putting them down. I guess there are plenty of gratifying days to go with the bad ones though.
I'll never forget the day we had to have Jed put down - I was 16, and me and my dad drove him to the vet's office in my XJ. I sat in the cargo area and held him in my lap, wrapped in a nice soft blanket as the vet came out to the parking lot to administer the shot....I held him all the way back home too while dad drove.
Saddest day of my life - even to this day. I had known him since I could remember (dad actually got him the month before I was born) and he saved my life when I was 4 years old (killed a rattlesnake while we were outside playing together). I still carry a picture of him in my wallet...14 years later.
My heart goes out to anyone who has ever lost a friend like that.
Just know that you did him a great favor by putting him down. No more pain, no more suffering.
I have watched a few of my beloved pets die of natural causes (to late to get to the vet, they were already well on their way), and can say that I would rather have put them down then to to have seen them pass naturally.
