Discussion
Well tomorrow I take my faithful companion of 16 years to the vet for a journey I shall travel back alone from. Tomorrow will be a s
t day, giving her a big send off today full of fuss and treats. Kids have all said goodbye although I don't think they understand yet. She's become incontinent and her back legs and hips are so stiff, we agreed with vet to try one more painkilling solution but alas it really is the end.
Not sure why putting this in here but with machismo I am setting my stiff upper lip now.
t day, giving her a big send off today full of fuss and treats. Kids have all said goodbye although I don't think they understand yet. She's become incontinent and her back legs and hips are so stiff, we agreed with vet to try one more painkilling solution but alas it really is the end.Not sure why putting this in here but with machismo I am setting my stiff upper lip now.
Edited by leedogg3 on Sunday 17th November 20:23
Oh boy this is horrid
Neverf forget the day we made the final trip
Just keep in mind that you are doing the kindest thing you could do for the dog, she will thank you
Personally I found the dog going sader than some family members.
Hopefully it will be easier this time tomorrow
All the best
Neverf forget the day we made the final trip
Just keep in mind that you are doing the kindest thing you could do for the dog, she will thank you
Personally I found the dog going sader than some family members.
Hopefully it will be easier this time tomorrow
All the best
Yep, Been there a few times too
last time was 2 and a bit years ago.
was not looking forward to telling the breeder of all people, who we still kept in touch with,
one of the things she said was " better a day to soon than a day to late"
she also did not want long term suffering for the hoond
thoughts are with you
last time was 2 and a bit years ago.
was not looking forward to telling the breeder of all people, who we still kept in touch with,
one of the things she said was " better a day to soon than a day to late"
she also did not want long term suffering for the hoond
thoughts are with you
We went through the same thing on Friday. She was 15, and we bought her just a couple of weeks after moving into our current house, so we have no memory of being in the house without her. And now it just seems a bit empty. She wasn't a big dog (Jack Russell x Patterdale), so only around 11kg, but her just being there seemed to make all the difference.
We kept her going for as long as was fair, and didn't want her to get to the point where she was really suffering - we owed her more than that. We had the vet come to the house on Friday morning, so her final moments were in familiar surroundings, with all her "pack" there to comfort her. All she knew was that she went to sleep very calmly - it's us that are suffering. We took her to the crematorium a couple of hours later, and now she's in a heart-shaped urn on the mantelpiece.
I've recently read a lot on the internet on this subject, and a good quote from one vet was that they had never heard anyone say that they made the decision too soon, but numerous people admitted that they probably waited too long. It sounds like you're doing it at the right time, so don't be tempted to beat yourself up by asking yourself whether you're being too hasty.
Keep telling yourself that you've looked after her for many years, and what you're just about to do is your final act of looking after her - what you're doing is in her best interests regardless of how you're feeling about it. Also, don't be too quick to throw anything of hers away, as you may regret it later.
Surprisingly, we found that looking at some of the hundreds of photos we've taken over the years made us feel better, not worse. It reminded us of all the fun we had with her, and all the things she used to do, and above all, what a full life she had. It also brought home to us how she had aged, and how she could no longer do many of the things she loved to do when she was younger.
I really hope all goes as smoothly as possible tomorrow, and that you can find the strength to hold it all together until she's gone. Good luck, and our thoughts are with you.
We kept her going for as long as was fair, and didn't want her to get to the point where she was really suffering - we owed her more than that. We had the vet come to the house on Friday morning, so her final moments were in familiar surroundings, with all her "pack" there to comfort her. All she knew was that she went to sleep very calmly - it's us that are suffering. We took her to the crematorium a couple of hours later, and now she's in a heart-shaped urn on the mantelpiece.
I've recently read a lot on the internet on this subject, and a good quote from one vet was that they had never heard anyone say that they made the decision too soon, but numerous people admitted that they probably waited too long. It sounds like you're doing it at the right time, so don't be tempted to beat yourself up by asking yourself whether you're being too hasty.
Keep telling yourself that you've looked after her for many years, and what you're just about to do is your final act of looking after her - what you're doing is in her best interests regardless of how you're feeling about it. Also, don't be too quick to throw anything of hers away, as you may regret it later.
Surprisingly, we found that looking at some of the hundreds of photos we've taken over the years made us feel better, not worse. It reminded us of all the fun we had with her, and all the things she used to do, and above all, what a full life she had. It also brought home to us how she had aged, and how she could no longer do many of the things she loved to do when she was younger.
I really hope all goes as smoothly as possible tomorrow, and that you can find the strength to hold it all together until she's gone. Good luck, and our thoughts are with you.
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