Euthanasia and your pet

[Reaper]

I'm so sorry, Flamesguy_SJ.

[activeStick]

Don't currently have a puppers right now, but when I do again, these guys have a new customer

https://twitter.com/user/status/1536930380082728961

https://twitter.com/user/status/1537291307479142400

https://twitter.com/user/status/1536931327987134464

[TorqueDog]

I hate that I have to bump this thread.

We're getting close to the end with our boy Thor. He's a Bernese Mountain Dog, turning 7 in August. You can tell he's mentally all there, but his body -- at least everything from the hips, back -- is starting to give up. He's had a whole host of problems for a while now, but because they weren't causing him any pain and it was manageable for us, we've dealt with it.

It started with surgery for a herniated disc after another dog jumped on him from the side at the park one day and we found he had spinal stenosis. It took months for us to realize it had happened, with his legs getting weak and he had an accident on the hardwood one day. Once this surgery happened, everything started going down-hill. He's now incontinent, so he wears diapers like a 90 lb toddler. He's on a cocktail of drugs due to a recent lupus diagnosis after he started getting unexplained nosebleeds. His hind legs are getting weaker with his walks going from 20 minutes to ~7 minutes tops. I started putting small sticky pads onto his paw pads so he has an easier time on the hardwood floor, those have helped.

Yesterday after my wife took him for a walk, he just collapsed onto his butt in the front yard, like the way a human would sit -- legs flat and pointed forward, not a controlled gradual sit. She came into the house and broke down because it's finally hitting her that he's not going to be around much longer and we're going to have to make a very, very painful decision in the near future. We were watching TV last night after dinner and she started crying again, and showed me that she looked up a questionnaire called "Pet Euthanasia – When Is It Time?" We went through it together, and he's at the low end of the 'Quality of Life Requires Attention' range... one more point lower and he'd be at the top of the 'Quality of Life Justifies Hospice/Euthanasia' range.

He has been my wife's dog since he was a pup and he has gotten her through some very hard times prior to us getting married. In return, she has done everything for this dog to give him the best care for the best life he could possibly live, he is basically her four-legged son. I cannot be the one to make the final decision, it has to come down to my wife, but it is going to be devastating, made harder by the fact that he is 'with it' mentally, and presenting as happy as he has ever been.

Saying goodbye to a furry family member sucks.

[TorqueDog]

I have been ugly-crying all weekend. It was our 3rd wedding anniversary on Wednesday, and we took Thor for a walk that day. Not even an entire lap around our block and he could barely make it home under his own power. My wife had to support his back end while I supported him up front and we got him home. My wife, unbeknownst to me, called the vet to make arrangements. We went for our anniversary dinner, and then she told me when we came home; Friday, 2 PM. That gave us about 36 hours to spend as much time with our boy as we possibly could.

We took time off work and made sure we spent all the time we could with him. On his last day, we got him a McDonalds cheeseburger and a vanilla cone before taking him to the vet. By 2:20 PM, our oldest son was gone, and our hearts have been fully and completely shattered since. We couldn't even go home immediately after. It has been utterly devastating. We waited a couple days to say anything to friends and family as it was just too painful and we needed some time to mourn.

We will miss him so, so very much.


Click for obituary.

[ben voyonsdonc]

I’m so sorry for your loss. Sounds like you gave him a great life and a wonderful last few days.

[WhiteTiger]

So sorry for your loss, TorqueDog

[8 Ball]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I have been ugly-crying all weekend. It was our 3rd wedding anniversary on Wednesday, and we took Thor for a walk that day. Not even an entire lap around our block and he could barely make it home under his own power. My wife had to support his back end while I supported him up front and we got him home. My wife, unbeknownst to me, called the vet to make arrangements. We went for our anniversary dinner, and then she told me when we came home; Friday, 2 PM. That gave us about 36 hours to spend as much time with our boy as we possibly could.

We took time off work and made sure we spent all the time we could with him. On his last day, we got him a McDonalds cheeseburger and a vanilla cone before taking him to the vet. By 2:20 PM, our oldest son was gone, and our hearts have been fully and completely shattered since. We couldn't even go home immediately after. It has been utterly devastating. We waited a couple days to say anything to friends and family as it was just too painful and we needed some time to mourn.

We will miss him so, so very much.


Click for obituary.

It smashes a hole through your heart, but in time it really does get better.

[activeStick]

I'm so sorry for your loss... Sounds like he had a great life with great parents

[EVERLAST]

Damn onions reading this thread. Heart breaking to lose 4 legged furrbabies who wait for you to get home from work for some love.

Sorry to all losing them

[bigtmac19]

I’m so sorry for your loss. All his life all he knew was love and he gave that back in spades. What a wonderful gift that you will always cherish in your memories.

[PaperBagger'14]

Hey Torque, my wife and I were in the same situation with Hades (from a few pages ago). He was 100% her dog and I came in the picture wayyy later in his life. It still hurts all the same, but he looks happy and dapper as #### in your photo! I'm really sorry he's gone now. I hope your family deals with it as best as you can.

[TorqueDog]

Thanks guys. I’m just gutted, I don’t think I’ve been this sad about anything, ever.

[PeteMoss]

Sorry to hear that Torque. You gave him a good life.

[Nyah]

It's genuinely one of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to make, but when they reach that point it's the kind decision. Our animals have such a huge effect on our lives. We had to euthanize our 14 year old cat a couple of weeks ago and I still get weepy every few days. I don't know that I'll ever truly stop grieving for him. I think in a way that's a good thing, and maybe it shows us that we loved them even a fraction of the amount that they loved us.

Thor looked like such a happy and handsome guy, and I have no doubt he was happy & spoiled up to the end. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Old Yeller]

So sorry TorqueDog, my heart breaks for you man... I know exactly what you're saying, it's tough to go home to an empty house.

Gawd I shouldn't have opened this thread today...

[redforever]

Originally Posted by 8 Ball

It smashes a hole through your heart, but in time it really does get better.

My goodness...what a handsome fellow!!!

[Reaper]

I'm so sorry, TorqueDog. It truly is one of the worst experiences of life to lose our unflinching companions. My deepest condolences.

[octothorp]

Hate to be the one to bump this thread, but this weekend we had to say goodbye to our 16.5 yo cardigan corgi, Percy. The last couple weeks were pretty rough, knowing that he was so close to the end. Since he didn't seem to be in pain we were patient and hoped that he'd pass peacefully on his own, but as soon as that started to change we had to make a call.

So much wonderful time spent with him over the years and he had a tremendously full life, but it'll be a long time before I'm not a little heartbroken at the thought he's not around.





I also need to give a big thanks to Paramount 24-hour clinic. I thought it was going to be awful having to get this done in the middle of a long weekend, but they made sure our family had the time and space we needed.

[WhiteTiger]

I'm so sorry for loss

[bigtmac19]

I’m so very sorry for your loss.