Pet Euthanasia - Who's had to do it?

Pet Euthanasia - Who's had to do it?

Author
Discussion

boobles

15,241 posts

217 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
Sorry for your loss, It's the worst thing about owning animals.
My old mate (dog) was put to sleep 11 years ago now on the 13th December, he was 17 & had a brain hemorrhage but still tried to greet us as we arrived home. That day was awful & I still remember him on the 13th Dec every year.

Try to remember the "good old days" & after a while, it does help.

Edited by boobles on Wednesday 21st December 16:40

ehonda

1,483 posts

207 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
TDutchy said:
It was extremely quick and I had him in my hands as he went very calmly, couldn't have happened any better.
I found this very important when it was time for my cat to go, she'd been my shadow for 12 years and I still miss her 2 and a half years after she went.
You have my sympathy anyway, it's an awful but necessary thing which is part and parcel of pet ownership.

Spiffing

1,855 posts

212 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
Sorry, for your loss. 2 years ago to the day I had to have my old dog pts, It was so hard to come home and see his christmas presents under the tree that he would never enjoy frown

It was a tough decision, but an easy one if that makes sens in anyway. he had been ill for a long time with a form of mange, inflamitory bowel and he went downhill suddenly. I had the option of having him pts by my local vet or taking him to see a specialist the next day. I decided on the specialist and so glad I did. It gave me more peace ofmind that I was doing the right thing, but even more importantly it gave Todd the chance to do the thing he loved most once again SNOW.]

To think I was outside the vets (we arrived 1.5hours early as we gave ourselves ample time) with him digging in the snow like a pup and the vet even said that if he had cancerous tumours and it had ruptured he would not be acting like that. Anyway, he had, I was given the choice of not bringing him round, or him having surgeyr and him being in the vets for 6 weeks and the op would only give him an extra 6 months. He was a very stressed dog and having him in kennels at the vets for 6 weeks after never been kenneled before was selfish of me. So as I say it is always tough, but I knew it was time and I would be only keeping him alive for me.

Edited by Spiffing on Wednesday 21st December 17:09

andyd68

23 posts

150 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
We had to have our cat, Jasper, put to sleep in July this year and it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. He had developed a large tumour in his bowel and had become incontinent. After much dicussion with the vet my wife and I decided it was kinder to have put to sleep. He was nearly 10 and we'd had hime since a kitten. However we had him cremated and now have his ashes and a collage of photos to remind us of him.
On a happier note we now have another 2 feline friends in our home. Molly (2) and her 4 month old son, Cammy.

Pints

18,444 posts

196 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
Sorry to hear of your situation, OP. It's not a nice journey to have to make to the vets, but it's for the best. You'll want to remember your pet for the all the joy she gave you, and not for those last months where things are deteriorating.

clarkmagpie

3,567 posts

197 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
I shouldn't read these sorts of threads.
I now have a lump in my throat.
Jasper our cat is curled up on my knee snoring away, completely dreading that day when...

It's funny how a bundle of fur can have such a huge impact on our lives.

frown

Who me ?

7,455 posts

214 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
clarkmagpie said:
I shouldn't read these sorts of threads.
I now have a lump in my throat.
Jasper our cat is curled up on my knee snoring away, completely dreading that day when...

It's funny how a bundle of fur can have such a huge impact on our lives.

frown
Agree - Toby ,my recue Cairn Terrier 10 year old pup is curled up on settee .In the day he's always looking for walks , getting out with me ,whether in car or otherwise .But I look back about ten years to my last dog ,who died on the day I'd decided that perhaps today is time . She'd gotten more & more an object sitting on the carpet,except when I took her to vet ,who couldn't explain her problems .Turned out that she had lumps on her liver & kidneys caused by a car accident a few years previous -only cme to light after her death.I broke my heart ,as she'd been a rescue dog, looking for love ,which she found in our home .But now Toby is also at home - he' been a very loved pet ,who lost his home .I have doubt over his last home , someone who took him on ,only to return him . A dog like him ,prepared to defend his status is something that needs investigation . Now -he's a spoilt pup , doting on our grandson ,an every kid he meets .From a dog I thought I'd have problems with meeting kid - he's turned out to be a dog who look for dog frienly kids ,and goes to them.
Last injection time - turn out he's got very minor heart murmurs - but in a dog a active as him - it's not a problem - in our local park ,he's terrorising the local squirell population - an at times almost catching them - not bad for a ten year old (eleven next april) dog .

erdnase

1,963 posts

203 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all

This thread's making me well up! Anyway, here's my story...

When I was 14 or so, our old family dog was going to be put down. She could barely walk, was in massive pain, could hardly eat, etc. You know the type of symptoms. On the day of the appointment, my mum and sister were going to take our dog for one last walk through her favourite field and asked me if I was coming along. Being 14 and too cool for all that, I said I didn't care and was just going to stay in my room. My family tried to get me to come along, I didn't want to, and the last words my faithful canine friend that I grew up with ever heard me say was "Just go, I don't even care!" or something stupidly adolescent like that.

I stayed in my room, acting disinterested, but in actual fact crying my eyes out. I was trying to be cool, but just couldn't deal with the fact she was being put to sleep. I regret to this day not being with her during her last ever walk, and more so what I said as she was being taken out the door. I regret it to this day. Everyone in this thread has my sympathies!

tit with snakes

44 posts

169 months

Sunday 25th December 2011
quotequote all
Hats off to you for making an incredibly difficult decision.

I cant read all the thread, it certainly touches a sensitive nerve!
I have been there many times, on a couple of occasions i have had to do it myself with rats and rabbits, only when we couldnt get to the vets, and it was always done humanely.
That said, even after everything i have done, it never gets any easier, and having 3 lovely cats, i am dreading the day that we need to make that choice, seeing as the oldest is 2, i hope that its a long time before that happens!

It takes a completely unselfish person to make a life choice for someone or something and not delay because of your own feelings no matter how tempting it is.

moosepig

1,306 posts

243 months

Sunday 25th December 2011
quotequote all
Been there - not even my cat but a friend's. I was in pieces afterwards, I'd gone along to keep my friend company and she ended up looking after me! I'd never seen anything larger than a fly actually die before, it was humbling, frightening in its finality and it took me days to get over it. Hats off to those of you who are brave enough to do what's right when it's right.

Merry Christmas everyone, btw wink

Flanders.

6,377 posts

210 months

Monday 26th December 2011
quotequote all
My cat is being put down today after it collapsed yeasterday. frown.

tit with snakes

44 posts

169 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
Flanders. said:
My cat is being put down today after it collapsed yeasterday. frown.
Sorry to hear that.

ATB

TDutchy

Original Poster:

661 posts

197 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
tit with snakes said:
Flanders. said:
My cat is being put down today after it collapsed yeasterday. frown.
Sorry to hear that.

ATB
+1

Hope all went as well as possible.

Flanders.

6,377 posts

210 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
To be fair she was in pain and it was the best thing for her. The vet Injected her Paw and she was gone in 30 seconds. Completly pain free smile.

Medusa

301 posts

229 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
Had to do it three times over the years, first one was a little mongrel dog, mongrel or pedigree it still is a terrible thing to have to do, second one was a pedigree German shepherd he got to nine before his spine gave up, last one five years ago over the Christmas holidays, he was my Great Dane, twelve and a half stone, not a bad bone in his body, I was devastated, still miss him now, I use his picture as my avatar on a few other sites, just nice to see him every time I log on. A few plics of him on this link should you like to see him, I am biased but he was the best !

http://www.terrysphotography.co.uk/Animals/Dogs/83...

strikingtheiron4

25 posts

150 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
sorry for your loss, its really hard to let go of something had for so many years.

for me, i sense that my pet is going through that phase when he rarely eats, doesn't really get out that much and stays on the same place. what they do, dogs and cats, mainly if they feel like its the end, they refuse to give you a hard time, so they find a place and stay there.

for my part, my dog dug a hole in our backyard under a shed, and stayed there for a couple of days, won't eat and do stuff. then 1 day, he's just there, motionless. sad, but that's the way it goes, i guess. i feel you bro.

Japveesix

4,493 posts

170 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
TDutchy said:
Just home from the vets, he's at peace now.

It was extremely quick and I had him in my hands as he went very calmly, couldn't have happened any better.

Thanks for all the advice and kind words, it really has helped.
Glad to hear it was relatively easy and clam, never a nice thing to do.

We had the same decision to make last week and our cat Jasper/Jazz was put down on Friday. He'd had similar symptoms (losing weight, bit of incontinence, likely kidney problems, muscle wasteage etc) and just seemed to deteriorate last week rapidly. We'd had him over 15 years (was aged about 20 as he'd come from a cats home at 5years) and it was gutting to see him so weak.

Possibly the last cat my parents will ever have, as they're gearing up for retirement and want either more freedom to travel or a dog instead. Almost certainly my last cat for a while as I've moved out and am likely to be moving regularly for jobs etc. Never been without a cat since I was born for more than a few months so very seriously missing having one around :'(

Jazz in slightly healthier times:




RIP Jazz, RIP Kitty


Ps. Lots of Jaspers in this thread, good name choice! smile

Steelnads

171 posts

275 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
Sad day... Our Lovely family dog judy had to be put to sleep this morning after 16 years.