What's your opinion on... euthanasia

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Originally Posted by jackie

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.

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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.

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.

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Originally Posted by cali

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.

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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.

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.