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| My dog is dying
Posted: 3/21/2008 5:23:36 PM | I have to share with you some words someone once said, when my pet died in my arms, after she touched my cheek with her furry white paw, as if to tell me it was going to be ok. This person said, instead of mourning her passing, you should be celebrating the year you had with her, the joy she brought to you and the love she gave you. And she did bring me such joy and laughter. Even when she went under the covers EVERY night and bit my butt. The vet couldn't even explain that one. I'll see her again, in heaven and I can't wait. Til we meet again dear friend. I love you. And I miss her terribly. So does her brother. Neighbors dogs killed her. As I watched the attack in utter horror, not being able to leap two six foot fences to stop them.
So each time you feel the soft butterfly kiss on your cheek, and you will, it will be Teddy saying hello, thank you for loving me...I'm so glad we had this time together... | |
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| re: My dog is dying
Posted: 3/21/2008 10:12:12 PM | I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. :-(
One of the worst days of my life was when we (my parents and I) took my beloved dog to be put to sleep. The worst part was not her dying - although I still miss her all these years later. She was a stray... my parents and I were shopping in Dallas and I saw her in the parking lot and dragged her into the car. I was 13 and she died when I was 29 - so this dog was everything to me.
The worst thing about it is that we didn't do it sooner. I have no shame that we did anything wrong - we thought we were doing the best thing for her - keeping her as comfortable as we could... we wished and prayed that she would just close her eyes and breathe her last - but rarely is anyone we love that fortunate to just pass peacefully in their sleep.
My sweet girl was 16, she had lost her hearing at 14 almost overnight - probably due to brain tumors. She had a large tumor in her belly that had enveloped her kidneys and liver and was inoperable and definitely cancerous. At age 12, the vets wanted to put her to sleep, we said no way - she was still climbing trees in the back yard, chasing birds, killing rabbits (we didn't encourage this, but if an unfortunate bunny made its way into her yard, she dispatched with it post haste) and seemed full of life. I have no regrets about that.. she had a lot of life left in her and she was enjoying it. They treated it w/ antibiotics and it shrank the tumor for a while and she rallied and did great for 2 years. At age 14, same thing - she had gotten very sick, this time went to a specialist where a sonogram revealed she wasn't just fat - she had a tumor that made her look heavy. Again, we refused to euthanize her - she was still wagging her tail and enjoying food and just being a dog.
At age 15, again the doctors wanted us to end it, we said no. She was suddenly starting to show her age, so we knew we wouldn't have her much longer, but we thought she would just go in her sleep one day. We also had all agreed that we had not given her life, and it wasn't ours to take it from her. No one in my family had ever been confronted with having to euthanize an animal - other family pets met their end by other means (being hit by a car, heart attack, etc.).
Let me just say, that if I had a time machine, and I could go back in time to do anything - before I would stock up on winning Lotto numbers, the very first thing I would do is to show up three months before she died and insist and plead w/ my past self and my parents to end it then instead of waiting far too late.
In the end, she mostly slept. We had her on stacks of down-filled comforters in the living room and were just petting her... then she let out the most horrendous sound of pain I have ever heard in my life. It was this wail of unbelievable pain and this is a dog that never cried even if you accidentally stepped on her paw. She wouldn't blink when she got a shot - her kidneys were failing and the pain had gotten so bad, she let out this sound that to this day, I will never get out of my head.
About 2 minutes later, when the cry had subsided, I looked at her and could tell that she had just gone blind from the kidney failure - she was breathing and sniffing, but her eyes were drying up and there was no light in them anymore. Now my poor dog couldn't hear us or see us and didn't know who was touching her or what was going on.
When my mother and I heard that sound, we both started sobbing - it was the worst thing I hope I'll ever hear and would do anything to purge that awful sound from my memory. We called the vet and put her in the car and took her there and I held her head and saw my father cry for the first time in my life. It was quick and her pain was over forever. We had made arrangements at a pet cemetery (very cheap compared to people - the whole burial was $75) by phone before we took her to the vet, so we didn't have the odd sensation of no closure of having her put to sleep and just leaving her body there to be dumped in a landfill or be cremated. We took her with us in the car and drove to the pet cemetery where my mother's dog had been buried 30 years earlier and had her interred with my mom's dog. I'm not a graveside visitor and haven't been back there since - but I think it made it easier for us to know where she was (well, her body, anyway) and that she was treated with respect even in death.
I still miss that dog, I loved her and it hurts even a decade later to not see her tail wagging when I come home - but I only wish we had put her to sleep earlier. We hoped against hope that it would just end before we would have to make a decision. I don't know what your personal beliefs are - I'm a Christian, I know from what I have read in the Bible that animals are in Heaven, and I know that mankind has been given dominion over the animals. No dog was more loved than our dog... and she knew it. She gave back more than she took and she had a good, long life for a dog - granted dogs don't live long enough. A dog is a child you know you're going to outlive. It's an awful thing to be confronted with it. Friends who knew from experience were gently telling us to have her put to sleep, but we wouldn't hear of it. We wondered, maybe she would rally and be better, and we were just showing a lack of faith by giving up so early... but knowing what I know now, I would do it sooner if I had it to do over again. No dog should ever have to go through that kind of pain. I have two dogs now and when it is time, I will not delay. And I know it is truly sleep - I will see my dog again. I hear a bunch of folks talking about the rainbow bridge and such - that there is a doggy heaven. Uh - no, there is a real Heaven - I will be there, and so will my dog... who is likely right now playing with the animals she sent there before her. It's awful and one of the most difficult decisions you may ever make - but in retrospect, I can say my only regret is not doing it sooner. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 3/21/2008 10:15:43 PM | | I had to put down my cat who was 17 and a few years later my dog who was 18.5 and as others have said, it was the hardest decision I've had to make. I am now faced with making this decision again with two elderly dogs I took in. I'm struggling with the decision daily because I am so worried that maybe I am cutting short some time they still have left. They both on occassion still play and they eat ok but they both have other issues that have progressively gotten worse. I plan on calling the vet Monday and taking them in to see what she thinks. I feel for you, I truly do and am in the same boat. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 4/25/2008 8:04:30 PM | A friend of mine is the spiritual leader for the group of Zorastrians living on the North Shore,,,they believe in reincarnation.
Shiamak described how his father was suffering with alzheimers but Zorastrians believe in the natural course to passing.
He explained to me that if I put to sleep my dying dog, she would reincarnate as a puppy but live a very short miserable life,,,hence my dog did pass away on her own, (in my arms), the following week and she did not seem to be suffering.
Bless all pets and their Moms and Dads | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 4/25/2008 8:19:12 PM | | wow ya i just went through that about three months ago it was one of the hardest thing i have ever done i had come home from work and brutis had chewed a hole through the fence now this was the second time in two weeks and this time he killed a cat the time befor i chewed up another dog now i know what u are thinking and yes he was a pitbull but in all the years i had him brutis never showed any behaver like this befor i got him fixed and after that he changed so much but back to having to put my dog down . so i went to the pound to ck if he was there and he was they told me what had happend and that i was going to have to put him down wow the problem was when got out he took is son with him so when i had to make the call i had to take the puppy out and leave him the in the cage with a ball in his mouth looking at me like where are u two going he began to cry out as i walk away from brutis now let me tell i i had to pull over to the side of the road because i was crying so hard that day was one of the hardest days of my life | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 4/25/2008 8:23:04 PM | I havent had to, but my mother did, and she was very upset and did have alot of emotions with regard to the situation, dont feel guilty, it has to be done and is the reality of having pets, they will not last your enitire life time.......
Death is part of life unfortunatley and we simply are never prepared for it, we should be, its ineveitable for everything living to die at some point......
That being said I hope you can understand how important it is for your pet not to suffer and to have someone like you to take care of her and make this wise choice
Spend last loving moments with your pet, she will sense what his happening anyway as pets do, so enjoy some precious moments and lay her to rest, It may take a couple of years for you to warm up to the idea of another pet but eventually you will, I had to let my x have the puppy I raised, and I missed the dog more than him, but after four years I now have a puppy, I was worried I wasn t getting attached to him, but as each day goes by he wins my heart more and more, its a good feeling....... I love my new pet... | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 4/26/2008 1:37:54 PM | our family had to put 4 dogs to sleep in one year; They all were fantastic and loved everyone. They lived from 14-18 years. They had great lives and we loved them.
It's hard but its not about you. I see people keep their animals alive because they will miss them and I want to beat the crap out of them. How selfish to let a poor animal suffer because someone will miss them.
I'm very sorry for your pet's health; its so hard; but if they are suffering show your love for them by ending the suffering; they will love you for it.
Be there, grieve and remember the good times. We have fur from all of them and kept it in a picture frame. I love my dogs so much but I would never allow them to suffer. Do the right thing, for your pets sake. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 7/16/2008 8:01:40 PM | Gotta get my 2 cents in here too! Response 300 or so!
The bottom line here is that you loved your pet and ultimately had to do what you thought best for your ill pet. It hurts, I know! No one should challenge your judgment or dispute your decision to euthanize. A big factor would be your financial tolerance as the vet bills mount up too!
As a single guy all my life and without children, I've always had a strong bond with all my pets. They all offered unconditional love to me in exchange for food and caring attention. We all try to do what's best for those we love.
I'd like to think that all the deceased animals are up there somewhere and from time to time are recycled a bit. Call it reincarnation if you want. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 6:57:53 PM | | I am so full of sympathy for you. I have a sixteen year old cat with these gorgeous big peridot green eyes and she just looks at me and almost begs me to do something. I know what I have to do and am struggling with taking that final trip to the vet. But I had to this about five years ago with a cat with kidney disease and know in the end it will be the right decision. It hurts just thinking about having to put her down but I know it is merciful for her and she will be out of pain and suffering. The best to you on your struggle. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 7:48:26 PM | | I am very sorry. A poem that helped me when I had to make this very tough decision in Nov 2005 was 'The Rainbow Bridge." I still miss my dog so much, almost three years later but I know I did the right thing in ending his suffering. They don't understand it, and don't express hurt the same way as people. I could not have imagined it at the time, but I have another canine companion which helps a lot. Thinking of you. - Sharon | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 8:00:42 PM | Seems like the OP is gone too!
I put down my twenty one year old cat recently and it was was one of the
worst feelings I have EVER had. The cat was in failing health, but it still
didn't feel right! The death was anything but peaceful either! Shaving a
cats paw and trying to find a vein, resulted in three people holding the
cat down while it hissed!
A week later, I gathered the remains of another cat of mine that was in the
care of an ex GF , off of a highway and buried her. That hurt too, but was not
nearly as bad! | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 10:37:16 PM | This is the "poem" I was thinking of before, the one that helped me make the decision to let my old dog go in peace:
TREAT ME KINDLY
Treat me kindly, my beloved friend,
For no heart in all the world is more
rateful for kindness than the loving
heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick,
For though I should lick your hand
between blows, your patience and
understanding will more quickly
teach me the things you would
have me learn.
Speak to me often, For your voice is
the world's sweetest music, as you must
know by the fierce wagging of my tail
when your footsteps fall upon my ears.
Please take me inside when it is cold
and wet, For I am a domesticated
animal, no longer accustomed to the
bitter elements. I ask no greater glory
than the privilege of sitting at your
feet beside the hearth.
Keep my pan filled with water, for I
cannot tell you when I suffer thirst.
Feed me clean food that I may stay well,
to romp and play and do your bidding,
to walk by your side, and stand ready,
willing and able to protect you with
my life, should your life be in danger.
And, my friend, when I am very old, and
I no longer enjoy good health, hearing
and good sight, do not make heroic
efforts to keep me going.
I am not having fun. Please see that my
trusting life is taken gently. I shall
leave this earth knowing with the last
breath I drew, that my fate was always
safest in your hand.
--- By Beth Norman Harris 1968 - | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 10:48:07 PM | | "I work in a vet office and euthanasia is part of the territory. I don't know what is going on with your dog but here's how i feel about euthanasia: It is a hard decision... but if you really love your pet you will not let them suffer" I disagree you can say what you want but I let a dog I had and loved for 20 years die a natural death. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/13/2008 10:59:06 PM | The Rainbow Bridge
There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land of meadows, hills, and valleys with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food, water, and warm spring weather. The old and frail are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special person who loved them on Earth. So, each day, they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The nose twitches! The eyes are staring! This one suddenly runs from the group.
You have been seen, and, when you and your special friend meet, you take him or her into your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never to be separated.
-- Author Unknown | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/14/2008 1:51:54 AM | I can't seem to get why loss of a pet seems to never go away? Is it because we can't replace the unconditional love we had that we do not seem to offer a mate. Because heartache has hurt, but not like the losing of a pet? If we are in tact with humans, we grow, know we will survive and live to find love again with the human kind...With pets, we never replace them. We find new energy but part of our heart can feel the ache just with a memory. I find with heartbreak and men I remember happy times and evolve. With the pet I wish I could clone or bring it back, not replace or move on... Maybe my loss is too raw . Just one month and it was tragic and unexpected so wish I had answers??? | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/14/2008 2:57:13 PM | May I first offer my hand to you filled with condolences. I am a BIG pet lover. I love my pets so much. I love them so much that NO man could ever tell me to get rid of them for him. No man is worth it!
I personally do not believe in euthanasia unless the animal is dying. Most people feel differently than that I understand, however, I just can not do it. I will do it if my beleoved pet is going to die that day but the death is going to be long then i will help them over the bridge.
I'm weak. I'm just too weak to put an animal down. I just can't do it. I have lost many pets. I almost lost my dog last night. A rattlesnake was on the trail as we turned the corner and my dog took the bite from the snake over me. We were far out from my home and I was so scared I was going to lose her. Today her face is swollen from the bite but her prognosis is good. I don't know what I would have done if she were to die. I get so wrapped up in my pets to be honest.
I am so sorry that you are losing your pet. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/14/2008 8:25:04 PM | | I lost my cat of of 16 years a year ago. He was there for me for my marriage and divorce, marriage and birth of my first child. He was like a child to me. I understand completely what you are going through. I have made a memorial spot in my house for him and now it brings me happiness that i can still him everyday. If you have read the poem, "the rainbow bridge" you need to. It is about losing a pet and where they go. It will bring you happiness and peace. May you feel better. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/14/2008 8:35:21 PM | | i know it is hard i have lost pets more then one before and i am love animals a lot and your doing the right thing it wont be sruffering anymore and your going miss it a lot but sometimes you have to do what right for it if you love it even thought it is hard and i am sorry about your dog | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/14/2008 8:38:05 PM | Hi
My heart goes out to you, I have done this a few times, it never gets easy.You have to think of your beloved pet, who at times is a very big part of your heart, when the quality of their life fails them & you know they are in pain you have to do the right thing for them, its very hard & sad be cause you miss them & love them. For my self I like to think they have went to a better place & are waitting for you.
Blessings always, be safe | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/15/2008 4:16:13 AM | | My sally said goodbye to me ....that morning she died! Look me in my eyes and took 3 breath and she died in my arms! I was shattered!!!!!!!!! I still miss her........ | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/17/2008 8:17:42 PM | I had to put my cat to sleep yesterday afternoon. Defiantly one of the hardest things I'll ever have to do in my life, I'm sure of it.
But to know that she would no longer be in pain and to know that I was there with her made it a bit easier.
I noticed the OP posted this thread back in February and if you are still on POF, I send my condolences to you.
I hope you're doing okay today. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/18/2008 12:32:16 AM | I inherited the family dog, Heidi, a salt-and-pepper Miniature Schnauzer with about 10 nicknames (The Woof, The Schnauz, Angel Face, Lil' White Face, Ruffian, Highlight, etc.) so I was technically her brother. A dog is practically another human being in the family and is afforded all of the same benefits, aside from having to go outside for business.
Heidi went blind very suddenly in January 2003 and started walking into walls. I still have nose marks on the wall eight inches from the floor from that. Then, over the course of that spring and summer she started to lose control of her bodily functions. I had her in dog diapers (they do exist) and would come home every day at lunch to take her out. There were also a few occasions of her falling over during that time, but she didn't have any seizures. All of this dominated my life that summer. I did everything I could do. But when it came down to putting her in the kennel for four days while I went on a trip with my girlfriend at the time, I just could not bear it any more. She would have needed extra special treatment, and I doubt that happens in a kennel. So that made up my mind after dealing with her declining and impossible situation for nine months.
I spent that whole day before taking her to the vet just putting her and holding her. The vet recommended I stay with her during the process, but there was no way I was doing that. My girlfriend at the time did stay though while I went out to the car. As soon as she turned the corner out of the vet's office I knew it was over.
Extremely difficult to deal with, but after you've done everything you can for the dog it's best for them to go in a peaceful and painless manner. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/18/2008 10:52:10 AM | I'm an animal nurse, have worked with animals all my life.
I've assisted on TONS of euthanasias.
They never get easier.
There are times when we leave the examination room, go in the back, and cry.
It is the most painful thing to do.
It is also a gift for your animal.
Look up the poem "Rainbow Bridge" online, it's amazing.
The fact that you are debating doing it shows the depth of your love.
I don't believe that animals' spirits "die" with their body. I believe they move on to someone else and help them. It helps me anyway.
Big hugs for your situation, been there, it sucks. | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/18/2008 12:19:18 PM | | I sure am sorry to hear that, sunrisen, I can't imagine how hard that must be. My dog, Rocky, is my BEST friend in the whole world. He was right there beside me when I went through my divorce, he never told me I was whining too much, and he didn't mind if I cried on his shoulder over, and over, and over......well, you get the picture! I know he is just a dog, but he is almost like another part of me now. I hope that if he was in a lot of pain, that I would be strong enough to put him down, rather than leave him in it, I just don't know.... | |
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| My dog is dying
Posted: 8/19/2008 10:29:24 PM | | a dog will let you know when it's "that" time. My rottie let me know when the time had come. And I had to put her down...she wouldn't allow anyone else near her, including the vet....go figure. This is going to sound weird, but she watched me dig the hole (she picked it out, by the way), then laid down in it....and waited. She got up for a few minutes , comforted me, then lay back down in her hole....I didn't have the heart to refuse her. She had better sense than I did...she used to roll my ex out of the bed every nite. I should have taken the hint. | |
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