What's your opinion on... euthanasia

[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.

[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. 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.

[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.

[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.