Sending a friend across the Rainbow Bridge

[Glenn Zamorski]

I'm a newbie here...joined last week while surfing for some new shop equipment. But that's not why I'm writing...

FYI - Unless you're a Dog\Pet person I'd skip this post...

After reading through some of the "Off Topic" posts its seems like their are some good pet/dog people on the list and as you folks can tell from the titile of this thread I'm getting ready to make a very difficult decision. So I thought I'd try to get a little insight.

My beloved 12 year old German Shepard is starting to fade. She's dragging her hind quarters around about 1/2 the time. She's having some "accidents" in the house. My wife and I know the inevitable is coming but we're having a REALLY HARD TIME making a decision. Our shepard's quality of life is important. I NEVER want to come home and find her lying in her own waste. But how do you know "its time"? How can I put a dog down that still responds to me in the way she always has?

Hope I didn't bum anyone out ... I know its a fact of life and we've got 2 other POOCHES (1 older than the Shepard)... but man this is tough...

glennz

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes Glenn, and it never changes or gets easier. We have 2 littermates that turned 12 last month. Both still doing pretty good, but the boy, MY BOY is starting to show some signs of problems. We lost their mom at about 13 1/2.
We have always said that they tell us when it's time. As long as they are eating and seem to enjoy being around us and being loved on, we think it's not time yet.
With the hip problems that Shepherds and the Irish have, you might look for something that is affecting the signal from the nerves. She might not know she is having a bowel movement. Another cause along the same lines is to look for spondylosis (spelling?) in the spine...again could be putting pressure on a nerve.
Make time to spend with her. When they get up in years, we never know how much time we have left. Jim.

ps. Welcome to the Creek. You'll find that there are almost as many animal lovers here as woodworkers!

[Jim Dunn]

Dog lovers can appreciate your concern. We had a sheltie put down at age 17. I thought he would last forever. "My" other dog is a Yorkie that is 16. I don't look forward to the day he gets down.

[Greg Peterson]

Welcome to the Creek Glenn.

We had to put down one of our cats a few years ago. We had the vet come to our home and were able to hold him while the injection was administered. It was calm and peaceful, and when they left, we were able to let our emotions out in the privacy of our home. The last thing I would want to do is drive a car after that.

We were at the point of having to inject him with a saline solution each night because his kidneys were failing. He wasn't having any of that and after a short time we knew that the inevitable was in our immediate future. Knowing his condition wasn't going to get better didn't neccessarily make the decision easier but we knew we were doing the right thing. Thankfully because the choice was so obvious I don't feel guilt so much as I do sadness. I still miss that darn cat. The kitten we eventually got to restore the natural balance of pets for our house (2 cats, 1 dog) is not a replacement by any means. Over time I'm sure she'll grow on me to the same extent that Sly did, only in a different way.

As for our dog, she sleeps on my side of the bed at night and sometimes as I lay there decompressing from the day I think about that first night when she no longer is laying there, curled up and snoozing.

God help me when that day comes to pass. I can only hope that she tells us when its time.

[Greg Crawford]

Glenn,

I had to have a corgie put down because she blew out a disc in her back. Some of the same symptoms you describe, and the vet said her bladder was probably distended and she would get a bad internal infection, even if the disc were fixed. She was a great dog, and I still miss her, but there didn't seem to be much choice. I feel for you!

Greg

[Gary Herrmann]

I went through this a few years ago. I was carrying my lab outside so he could go. I remember one morning he looked up at me and I just knew it was time.

Talk to your vet.

You may not want to hear this, but if your pup is dragging his hind quarters around half the time, his quality of life is already suffering. Dogs have a much higher pain threshold than we do.

Good luck with your decision. It's not an easy one.

[Phyllis Meyer]

Glenn,

Our Lab mixed with whatever was our 3rd daughter. She developed seizures when she was 3. A year and a half ago we had to make the decision, she gave us 9 years of total unconditional love. Her back end was not 100%, the medicine was not working anymore and after a long talk with our vet he said, "your dog cannot tell you the pain and confusion they are going through, she will continue to look at you for everthing she needs and to get those pets and hugs, you can hold onto her and we will help with meds,...but the best thing you can do is let her go".

My heart is heavy right now for you and still for the loss of our baby. Glenn, we were holding her when she crossed that rainbow bridge...we did make the decision. We really prayed that we did the right thing and as much as it hurt and we still miss her terribly, we do know we made the right decision. We chose to be with her and that might sound odd for some, but we didn't want her to just be with the vet and assistant.

May you have peace with the decisions you will make!

Sincerely,
Phyllis

[Mike Cutler]

Glenn.

It's a tough decision to make. I've sent two across the rainbow bridge, neither was easy.
Dogs, and pets, become such an integrated part of our lives that we take for granted that they will always be there. Unfortunately this isn't the case.

From your post, it seems as if the time has come if there are no meds that can improve the situation, and allow her to maintain her dignity, and quality of life.

Talk to your vet, and see what they have to say, and or suggest.

Mike

[Scott Moore]

Glenn,
I don't envy your pending decision & task. I respect your interest in your freinds quality of life.
When I had to put down my St. Bernard due to bone cancer it was one of the toughest things I've ever done.
I spent 48 hours with my freind doing all the things she loved the most. We went for short walks, drove around with her head out the window, I cooked her a steak & a couple cheeseburgers, etc. She told me it was time and we went.
I still get choked up writing this, All of my dog freinds are special, but Nellie was the most special of all.
It never gets easier but I know we'll be together again some day.
Best wishes, Scott

[Steve Clardy]

Talk to your vet and get his opinion

[TYLER WOOD]

I'm having to make the same decision coming up shortly with one of my dogs. I got the Basset hound just after I got married as Christmas present for my wife as well as a companion when I was at work. We were about to move to Dalls and knew nobody in town, this was her best friend for the 2 years we were there. (yes, probably even above me, because I was a jerk back then). Anyways, when we moved back to Brownfield he got put outside. We still visit all the time, just not the house dog (he has the worst body odor in the world).

Well he used to be huge and fat (95 lbs) Basset Hound. Now at 10 years old, you can see his ribs most of the time, as he no longer eats very often. He hobbles around a lot, and is starting to go blind as well. I think senile too as he barks incessantly as tnights where he used to only bark when he heard nioses. I know he is in pain, but as he is my wife's dog it is her decision on when to let him go. I am really not attached to the dog, but I know it will be devastaing to my wife the day comes.

[Jude Kingery]

Glenn, our hearts go out to you as we, too, are dog lovers. They're our family! Everyone's offered kindness and good suggestions of course, I'd agree with Steve - talk with your Vet and see what he/she says. We had a 17 year old Aussie, beautiful dog, my best bud for all those years. Had trouble with his hind quarters when he was about 14 and the Vet put him on Rimidyl, then Adequaine (not sure on the spelling) and it surely gave him new life, pain-free, no limping nor dragging at all. Then at 17, he did develop a malignancy and it was time. Very hard to say good-bye. My most sincere sympathies are with you. Jude

[Ken Garlock]

Welcome to the Creek, Glenn.

I nursed an Abyssinian cat with diabetes for nearly 5 years. His kidneys were failing and he got the Ringers I.V. weekly. Twice we had him crash and had to rush him to the hospital. I think you get even more attached to a pet that you have been nursing.

Our Vet, who only treats cats, said that the indicator is is the animal enjoying life? When he isn't, he will let you know. The day we took Bob (as in Bob Cat) to the vet for the last time, he was listless, had wet on the floor, something he had never done, and wasn't interested in food. That was his way of letting us know that he wasn't having any fun, and it was time to go. When we got to the Vet's examining room, he just laid down on the table as if he didn't care. In less than 10 minutes it was all over. He now rests in his oak box in our kitty cemetery.

You never get over the loss, but you will have good times to remember.