Best Friends at the End

[Amy Vansant Brunell]

Having gone through the agonizing decision/day of having to put my last dog to sleep at 14, and with Gordon (now 5) being my current baby, this question popped into my head today.

Would you rather have your dog die peacefully in his or her sleep at age 9, seemingly relatively healthy, or have him or her live to 11 but have to watch the slow degeneration to the point finally you have to admit it is just more humane to put your pup to sleep?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I have gone through Jasmine, my GR, passing in my basement trying to go out her dog door from kidney failure. We were in the process of trying to find out why 'she just wasn't herself'. Of course, it was a long summer holidy weekend. I was devasted beyond belief in finding her. She was out 1st child, 3 years before we had our human babies. She was only 7!

I had to take my Maggie, Beardie Collie, to the vet for her to pass. She was 13, and had been diagnosed with Addison's Disease, when she was 1. Through meds she lived a very healthy life with just a few Addisonian episodes.

I believe that we humans, especially with the marvels of science and the internet, we can keep our Doodles healthy with proper nutrition and vet care - both through western and eastern sciences. It is our duty as their caregivers to do everything possilble to ensure that from puppyhood we do everything to keep them healthy thorughout their life.

I will let the girls tell me when it is time if nature gives me that chance.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Letting your doggie best friend go peacefully and naturally is much easier on all but having to make the decision on their behalf is part of loving him. When we take on the duty of caring for our canine pals, we should know they will probably go before us and there is nothing we can do to change that. When they are sick and suffering, it almost becomes inevitable in our minds that the time is coming. By prolonging it, they may suffer more. We have to be strong and send them to the Bridge where they will wait for us and have faith that we loved and were loved, by them.

[Jena ~ Dublin]

Lynne, I couldn't agree with you more.  I think as a animal owner just as we are responsible to feed, love and water them, we must take care of them too.  Taking care of them is in their ailments as well, including making this decision.  It's very hard having 14 years (or 14 days) with an animal(s), then having to make that decision, WITHOUT being selfish. 

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Thank you, Jena. Lifetime Commitment means just that. No matter how long we have with them, we have to do our best for them always. As we should for those we call friends - of fur or skin - it is our duty and responsibility.

[Shelley, Traveller & Zuzi]

I would prefer to have my dog pass peacefully in his sleep. I lost my Yorkie just about a year ago, on 7/25/09. I was on vacation. She stopped taking her meds for congestive heart failure the day I left and a week later my sister-in-law had to take her to the vet to be put down. If I had been there, it would have been a natural death. She wasn't suffering in pain, but was going at her own time and peacefully. I couldn't expect my relative to think that way so we made arrangements with the vet before we left on vacation. She saw the vet just 2 days before we left and she was doing fine at that time. Go figure.

I think if an animal is not suffering it does not need to be put down, but if it is, it's more humane to put your dog down. It really becomes a quality of life issue in the end. I put my cat 15 year old cat down a week after she broke a leg and we could tell that it was not going to mend. It's so very sad but necessary and our animals usually tell us when it is time.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think to find that your dog had died in their sleep would be a shock, but it IS a natural part of life. I found it much, much harder to watch the deterioration and have to make the decision myself. When is the dog suffering too much? What if their mind and loving personality is still the same, but their body has just given up? When is that specific time?
The grieving is the same in both instances.

[Kyoko]

I think about this pretty often as one of my dogs is nearly 16years old. I hope that he would drifts and cross the rainbow bridge in his peaceufl sleep, when the time comes......I would really hate to make that decisions.....Thankfully, he is doing really well, except for occasional leg ache.