What's your opinion on... euthanasia

[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:
[IMG][/IMG]

[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. 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.