What's your opinion on... euthanasia

[lv4dogs]

When it comes time to peacefully help your beloved pet dog/cat/pet to the bridge would you do it when your dog is having a good day or bad day?


I know it is a sad topic to discuss, but it is a part of life that most of us will have to face at one time or another.

It's something I've really been thinking about a lot lately with Nanook getting up there in age & his health deteriorating.

Most vets & articles say that it is best to do it on one of their good days. Which I can understand. That way your dog AND you will remember his/hers last day as a good day, a fun & loving day.

There is less stress on the dogs part as the dog is feeling better that day. (S)He's not thinking how awful it was to be suffering that day, having no fun, being dragged into the car, or having a terrible day, sitting on the cold exam table, etc.. etc... Instead when (s)he goes to the bridge (s)he can tell all his/her 4 legged furry pals that (s)he had fun with you on his last day, (s)he went to MC D's for a burger (or2 or3), a nice car ride, a trip to the park. And you will say the same.

But of course for us it has to be the worst time to set him/her free. We are thinking that because (s)he had a good day maybe they would continue, maybe (s)he would be with us longer, maybe it wasn't the right time.

What would you do?


I plan to do it on one of their good days but like I said it will be THE HARDEST thing to do. Even harder than setting them free on one of their bad days which is already an extremely hard decision to make.

[K9soul]

I guess I have a hard time imagining doing it if they are still having good days. Both Cody and Willie were helped to the bridge after they had strokes, and I don't think they were really in pain, but they did not seem really aware of their surroundings, did not respond to my voice etc., they just stared ahead and seemed to be slipping away anyway.

Cody was deaf, incontinent, half blind, and had some dementia, but he still loved getting petted and still loved being with us and enjoyed his snoozes. He cried if he woke up and was in a room alone, and I had to help him get up whenever he had been laying down for awhile, but I wasn't about to let him go while he was still able to enjoy life.

I am really not sure what I'd do if my dog had a progressively painful/miserable disease in which most days were bad and only a couple good here and there. Hopefully I will not ever have to be in that situation.

[lv4dogs]

I guess I have a hard time imagining doing it if they are still having good days.

I am really not sure what I'd do if my dog had a progressively painful/miserable disease in which most days were bad and only a couple good here and there. Hopefully I will not ever have to be in that situation.

Yeah, thats what I ment about having good days... if they only have one here & there. Of course if they are still having more good days than bad days then I think they have some time left here with us.

[K9soul]

In that case, I guess I just don't know. I probably would find the strength somewhere to do what was best for my baby. It'd be so hard to take them on a good day. It'd be a day that I'd want to spend with them, not let them go. I just don't know :(. I'd certainly try my best to do the most unselfish thing.

[Ginger's Mom]

Very hard question to answer. Like Jessica, my first dog did not have any good days left. She had some sort of seizure which left her with an involuntary head bob and an inability to walk. I carried her outside five times a day with the belief that she was going to get better, and she was in and out of the hospital for a month. I finally realized one night when I was sitting on the floor spoon-feeding her Gerber baby food and she peed all over herself (sorry for the graphic), that I could not do this to her anymore. So my answer would be a bad day, because if I thought she was still having any good days I am not sure I could do it. I don't know for sure what I will do in the future, it is a very hard decision to make in any case. I hope you have a long time before you have to make this decision. Give Nanook a great big bear hug for me.

[ramanth]

When we had Sable (cat) euthanized, it was on his bad day. We found him in the basement and he couldn't walk and merely peed where he laid, crying pitieously. We obviously knew it was time and took him to the vet. Up until that point it was all good days. I was young at the time so it was my parents decision in that case though I would of done the same had I been able to drive.

When it comes to Kia... I just don't know. I'd hate the thought of making her suffer but I don't think I could take her in on a good day if I had to make the decision. In my mind if one day is a good day who is to say the next isn't a good day, and the day after that?

I think in the end, our pets usually are able to communicate when it is their time if we ever have to make that decision.

[finn's mom]

I've only ever had to to euthanize one pet. His name was Bruno and he was 15. I had to make an appointment, so, I didn't know if it was going to be a good day or not. But, the thing with Bruno was that he always looked like he wanted to be happy. When I would hold him in my arms, he would wag his tail and lick me and he just looked like a puppy in his face. But, he'd gotten to the point where he could stand on his own. He'd lost control of his functions...so, he'd urinate and deficate and not be able to move away from it. Every day I'd come home and have to rinse him off, it was so sad. I sometimes still wonder if there was more that I could have done for him. But, most days, I think I made the right choice. All of his days were the same, though, that last week. Bah, this is making me cry. I can just picture him in the backseat, wrapped up in my beach towel. It was the only clean towel I still had because I'd covered the floors in my apartment with towels so that I wouldn't have to clean the carpet every day. :( I do miss my beautiful little boy, though.

[Corinna]

This indeed a hard question but as one of the few who had to make this decstion not to long a go with my Merlin Man. I really do beleive its better to pick the day and make it a good one . That way if possible its a good memory. The day I picked for Merlin(cancer) was a sunny ,very light breeze fairly warm spring day.He got a nice car ride and trip to the bank for a bone and last time visit the drive through gal. The vet has horses and a nice yard with trees , so we sat under the trees watching the horses and just hanging out relaxing. The vet and asst. both just sat for a couple minutes with us talking to and about Merlin , then just started petting his front leg and slipped the needle in . I don't think he even knew it happened . He just slipped in to my lap and was seamingly asleep. Since he had to go it was the best way I could have planned for him.
He was facing all kinds of drugs and horrible things , I didn't think he deserved all that pain just for me to try to hang on to him for my selfishness.
I really miss him espesally since he was my alert dog for my diabetes and he was only 8 years old.
I guess my opinion is if you can choose and plan it do so. It makes for a much better memory for you. I had him creamated and footprint made. Hubby is working on a nive little box for them so I can still have him around.

[finn's mom]

I had him creamated and footprint made. Hubby is working on a nive little box for them so I can still have him around.


That's so awesome. I had Bruno cremated and I have his urn with his photo on it. It's just a little wooden box, but, I love it. The footprint is a good idea, too. :)

[Glacier]

It's an extraordinarily difficult decision to make and the line is different for everyone. I expect that soon I will have to make that call for Preacher. My personal deciding factor is always "Can Preacher still be Preacher?" In his case, when he stops wanting to eat and he can't referree the young dogs' games anymore, it will be time. Those are the two things he still loves to do even with all his other problems.

In situations where I have the choice, my vet will come to my house. They will die at home in familiar, comfortable surroundings. I have all my pets cremated. I have a shelf in my bedroom with their urns on it along with pictures and other little mementos. I wear a small portion of Hoodoo's ashes in a pendant. When I die, their ashes are to mixed with mine and scattered in a special spot. I also make memorial stones for them all and am building a special garden for those.

[pitc9]

Corina.... omg... I can't stop crying after reading your post.....

I really don't know what I would do. I hope they would let me know... somehow. I'm depressed all the time and think about/worry about death and I always cry to my dogs and I ask them all the time to pleeeease let me know when you want to go. I know they hear me, I just hope they follow through!
Right now as I sit here and have two heathly dogs at home.... I can say that If I were faced with that decision to make I would like to do it on a good day. But once/if the situtation come to be... I don't know.

[pnance]

This is a hard question, which I'm not sure of the answer. I'm guessing I'll be facing it with Bear in the next few years. I'd like to say I'd do it on a good day but I'm not sure I can. I think I'd always wonder if he still had some good days left. :confused: I've never had to decide when it's time, Sandy my RB terrier took the decision out of my hands. He collapsed one night on our deck. After a trip to the emergency vet and then our own vet he passed away the next night from heart failure. The vet had recommended giving him 24 hours to see if he responded to treatment, but I knew the next day I'd have to make that decision. I like to think he knew how hard it would be for me to do it and he decided to save me that pain.

[beeniesmom]

I am reading these posts and crying.
I don't know what I would do... :(
I've never had to make such a decision.
My poodle Dee Dee died in her sleep 2 yrs ago when she was 15 yrs old.
I hope you and Nanook have countless wonderful days together.

[anna_66]

I honestly can say that as long as they were having good days and not in pain I would wait for a bad day.

With Angus he was getting worse, but by no means was he ready to go before he did. I just got up one day and his leg and foot was swolen. The vet did everything she could but his poor body just couldn't fight the infection so we made the decision to let him go. It was a bad day, but that boy was so happy to see us when we got there that morning. We just petted him and talked to him and he slowly faded away.

[ParNone]

Maddie had a lot of health problems and I had people tell me I should put her to sleep, because she was blind. But my thought was as long as she was running to greet me, when I got home and puppy play bowing to me, it wasn't her time. I've got pictures of her playing with her stuffed mouse, the week she died, so I didn't feel it was time for her yet, even though she had Cancer.

She took the decision out of my hands though. Maybe she knew it would be too hard for me. I got home really late from work that night. She waited for me. I think she knew I'd have been crazed, if I'd come home to find her dead. So she held on, so that she could die in my arms, with me telling her I loved her.

With Murph now 15, I'm having to look for signs again and dreading finding any. I was getting worried about him, since his hearing and eyesight are bad now. But we got a new dog next door and Murph's got a new lease on life. He's almost puppy-like in his zeal to run up and down the fenceline, marking every post and hurling curse words at the dog next door. So alls right with the world now.

I don't think I'd take him on a good day though. Unless he's suffering, if he still has good days, then I feel like he's still meant to be with me.

Par...

[PJ's Mom]

I've only had one PTS, and it wasn't under the best of circumstances, so it doesn't really apply here.

However, I can say with certainty, that there's no way I could let one of mine go on a good day.

[Corinna]

On Merlins bad days he was Not Merlin he was a snapping grumpy monster, for me I didn't want to remember that Merlin.
Ps You people have no idea how many rolls of tp it took for me to write my earlier post. It was the first time I ever talked about it even with my family. I feel much better now. I felt I would be selfish to wait until he felt bad. I wanted him to have a fun day for his last. Thats just me Each of you must make your own choices if you have the opputunity.

[lv4dogs]

On Merlins bad days he was Not Merlin he was a snapping grumpy monster, for me I didn't want to remember that Merlin.
Ps You people have no idea how many rolls of tp it took for me to write my earlier post. It was the first time I ever talked about it even with my family. I feel much better now. I felt I would be selfish to wait until he felt bad. I wanted him to have a fun day for his last. Thats just me Each of you must make your own choices if you have the opputunity.

I'm sorry it took this post, but I am glad that you feel better. I tend to keep things bottled up & yes talking about it does hurt but it helps the healing process.
Thats how I feel too. As HARD as it will be to let him go on a good day I feel that it is best for him & me in the long run. Like I said before I'd rather have BOTH of us have a good day & have that as our last memory together than a bad one. It WILL be THE HARDEST thing to do but I believe it is the right thing to do.
HUGS to you sweetie!

[anna_66]

Corrina, I'm glad you were finally able to post about him and let some of it out and share it with us. I feel privileged:)
And I hope none of us upset you, I don't think there's anything wrong with taking them on a good day...we all deal in our own way.
{{{HUGS}}}
Anna

[Alysser]

I like it and I don't like it. For one, you lose you best friend but they don't suffer. I have had to put two dogs to sleep. My Great Dane and my BloodHound. Yes, I MISS THEM SO MUCH! But it was better to let them go then to suffer. Much better. It made me feel better but not much. I mean I am stll very sad but it was for the best.

[.sarah]

I am so glad that euthanasia is available. I can't tell you how many animals have been euthanized at work who were suffering and simply would have been strung along had it not been available. My boy Buttons was euthanized in February, on a bad day for him. It was just his time to go, his organs were shutting down, and we felt it should be a fast, painless death. He was getting extremely disoriented, he had already started going senile, and he just wasn't happy anymore. I could never euthanize my pet on a good day, unless if he/she had to be euthanized because it needed a sugery that was nearly impossible to recover from. In that case I would try to make it's last day a good day, but in most situations I would wait until my pet has no quality of life yet, because one good day can always lead to another one.

And I truly wish that euthanasia was available for suffering people. I wish Terri Shaivo could have been euthanized instead of starved to death -- how cruel!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I'm not sure whether I'd put them to sleep on a good day or a bad day, both Echo and Jesse were really sick and didn't have a whole lot of good days so they both were euthanized on a bad day. I was really young when we've had to put our other past dogs to sleep so I'm not sure what my family did...

[cyber-sibes]

Reading these has me in tears. it's finally hiting me that I may need to make this decision for real in the coming weeks/months. I don't post often about my cat, Chow Chow, but his health has been failing since last winter.. He's going on 17. All summer I've been giving him sub-q fluids, which he's now resisting. He's less than half his former weight. But I just can't see myself taking him in on a good day, like many of you, it would keep my hopes up that he still had a few good days left. I know if he became incontinent or couldn't get around it will be time. I've asked him to stick around the house, though, because if he went off into the woods I would always wonder about him. Not really a problem now, I don't let him out much now that it's getting cooler. *sigh* I guess I needed to read this for a reality check. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. Here's my sweetie-cat:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/cyber-sibes/sigs/Chowdiesig.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/cyber-sibes/Chowdieme.jpg

[PJ's Mom]

He's a pretty kitty! :) I'm sorry you'll be faced with such a difficult decision in the near future. I can only imagine how much it hurts. :(

[jackie]

It took me three tries to read this thread all the way through. I really don't know how I could find the strength to make that decision. My biggest fear is that my dogs will fall ill in the same time frame They are five, two, and one and a half, which are pretty close together. I don't know if I could handle losing one dog, let alone two or three in the same year.

[cyber-sibes]

He's a pretty kitty! :) (
Thanks, I've always thought so, too. The picture is from last spring, he's much much thinner now. My friend that helps me do the sub-q fluids says he's "circling the drain" now.

To those of you who have had to euthanize, did you feel guilty? Even though it was undoubtedly a kind decision? I felt guilty just thinking about it the last time he was having problems.

[Love4BCs]

I didn't go to the vet when we put Wolfgang down. We weren't allowed. Luckily, it was done on a good day. But everyday was a good day for Wolfie. Even through his pain, he was always happy... *happy/sad tear* :(

It's going to be so hard for me when Mickey goes to join Wolfie. No matter how much I cry, no matter how much it hurts, I'm going to go with him to the vet. I owe it to him. After all he has even given me so far, I'd go willingly.

I would like to see if the vet could come to the house and do it. I think it would be much more less agitating for him as he is terrified of the vet.

[.sarah]

I would like to see if the vet could come to the house and do it. I think it would be much more less agitating for him as he is terrified of the vet.
That's what I'm doing from now on, unless if my pet is in excruciating pain and needs to be euthanized right away. We would have done that with Buttons but it was really like we just realized that he wasn't getting better, and we weren't going to wait even a few more hours to have it done because he was just shaking like you wouldn't believe, and you could tell he was suffering.

[QueenScoopalot]

I think it's a blessing that we're able to help our pets out of this world, and over The Bridge. It's (and it always will be) a tough thing to do, but if an animals time is near, I feel honored to help them get there. My border collie, a rescue found with 6 female pups next to the commuter tracks, developed vestibular disease, and multiple other problems in her elder years. My back was out, so the day she had to be put down, my husband had to take her in, and I felt so awful I couldn't move to be there with her. :( Her runt of the litter passed away with a single whimper on her bed next to the couch. Took me by surprise, but Booties went so fast! I was on the couch watching TV and thought she was having a dream...but she had passed away within seconds. :eek: And Max our coon hound mix went much the same, although he made it to the vets beforehand. Vet drew blood, took a urinalysis, and went into the back room to run the test, and Max laid down and just died. :( No suffering, no warning, even went for his usual run with the pack in the woods earlier. I think making an animal suffer for human's unwilling to give in to the facts of death, is far more selfish. I went through it (as a child) watching my families cats die one by one of FeLV and made a resolution to never let an animal wither away and die. :( ;) At my age, I've helped many a critter over to The Bridge as it's the humane thing to do. ;)

[Glacier]

To those of you who have had to euthanize, did you feel guilty? Even though it was undoubtedly a kind decision? I felt guilty just thinking about it the last time he was having problems.

He is a lovely kitty! I adore the senior feline!

I've never felt any guilt about the actual act of euthansia, but I've always been completely sure that there were no other options and it was the right thing to do. I've felt guilt about all sorts of other things after the fact, but never that final decision. I'd suggest that you felt guilty last time because you knew it wasn't time yet.

[Glacier]

My biggest fear is that my dogs will fall ill in the same time frame They are five, two, and one and a half, which are pretty close together. I don't know if I could handle losing one dog, let alone two or three in the same year.


I have similar thoughts sometimes...I have 2 12 year olds and several who are 8 or older. I've lost 3 in the last 18 months and I know there will be more over the next year or so. I sometimes look around the yard and house and think, I can't do this 30 more times (31 after tomorrow). After Hoodoo died, I said to my hubby that I didnt' think I could handle this. He pointed out to me that the alternative to grieving for them is to not have them at all. That is even worse. Everything they bring to my life while they are here is completely worth the broken heart when they leave.

[cali]

I am not into euthinizing, but it really depends, for example, I am not going to give a million medications so my dog can live a longer mediocer life, nor would I prevent my dog from doing something they loved for the sake of them living longer, I would much rather my dogs passed on while doing something they loved. I remeber what one person said, her dog had heart murmer and the vet told her not to let the dog run and keep her calm so she will live longer, the response? "I would rather my dog died while running through a feild then force her to live longer not allowed to do what she loved" this fits my veiw perfectly, I want my dogs to die naturally while doing something they enjoyed, then forcing them to be calm, while shoveng meds down their throats, and eventually taking them to the vet to be killed. there ARE some cases when its inhumane to not put then down, but I dont belive there are very many truly genuine cases of this.

[K9soul]

there ARE some cases when its inhumane to not put then down, but I dont belive there are very many truly genuine cases of this.

I disagree. I think there are MANY genuine cases of this, and you are making quite a broad (and I think hurtful) assumption by saying this. There are MANY dogs that suddenly have severe cancer show up or a sudden severe infection that leaves the dog in pain, with internal bleeding or unable to eat or function at all. Certainly the dog is in no shape at that point to go run in a field. I'd say the heart murmur situation you mentioned is the rarer case and I'd much, much rather my dogs went naturally somehow than having to take them in. I think after you've experienced some losses, you may better understand how it often really is. Mine were content and living life to the best of their ability to function until their strokes. I wasn't going to hook up IVs and revive their failing bodies so they could lay there alive but disabled or paralyzed. I also wasn't going to leave them lay there lingering when they might hold on for a few hours or even another day getting further dehydrated and drawing out their death.

I think most often, rather than your heart murmur scenario, animals have a slow decline as they age. The decline gets further and further along until either they contract an illness or have a stroke such as in my case, that takes the decision out of the owner's hands really, or reaches a point that "how much is enough?" becomes the question.

[wolfie]

Hopefully I won't have to think about it for a long long time. We've only had birds, hamsters, and fish before, who all died at home. :( I hope our girls live long healthy lives.