Dog might not be coming back :o(

[OlberJ]

I'm only writing this because i'm looking for some suggestions of what to do 2moro should the worst happen. I don't want sympathy votes or to make folk unhappy.

Basically my dog, 13 year old chocolate labrador, Murphy, is in a bit of a nick. He's definitely the runt of the litter, epileptic, has a twisted spine, problems with his stomach and these fatty lumps appearing all over his body. He seems as happy as he did when he was a puppy and bounds about when he can. Too easily gets out of breath though and has problems breathing in his sleep as we think there's a lump in his throat.

Now we've decided that when he goes to the vets 2moro, if there's nothing they can do for him and he is actually suffering like i think he is then he is going to be put to sleep.

I definitely don't want to know the out come until i get home. Should the worst happen though, how do i go about saying goodbye etc?

It's not as if we will have a funeral for him, bury him in the back garden or the likes. I'm never going to see him again.

so what would you do to honour someone (yes i'm personifying him) who's been your friend since a week after they were born and for the next 13 years?

I'm going to miss him and have a lot of regrets about not taking him away up north with me as i always said we would.

This might sound ridiculous but is it possible to have your dogs ashes returned to you and then go spread them?


Feel free to tell me to "man up", it's only a dog.

[Parrot of Doom]

It isn't only a dog, its your much-loved companion of many years.

You do whatever feels right, and fk what anyone else thinks.

[Penny-lope]

Fingers crossed you get a few more months

I had to have my cat out down after 9 years, and it really was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But at least I got to bring her home, and bury her in the garden.

Edited by Penny-lope on Thursday 29th July 01:06

[RDMcG]

I had a boxer who got lymphoma when she was 6. I was very fond of the dog. When I came time for her to go, I went with her. I held her and the vet gave her the injection. She was gone before the injection was over. Before hand i had taken here for a short walk outside the clinic. It is never easy to say goodbye to your dog, and I spent another minute holding her. we are each of us different, but I wish you the very best. The dog will always trust you to the last breath.......

[Broccers]

13 is a good age even without problems.

Nothing makes these things easier I'm afraid. Just prepare better for the next dog :-)

[clarkmagpie]

Topics like these always bring a lump to my throat.
Dreading the day when i will have to make the same choices

It makes me appreciate every minute with our Jasper a little bit more.

Feel for ya matey.

[Smiler.]

Mate, I had to do this when my Retriever/Setter cross had to have the jab. His spine collapsed, he wasn't in a great deal of pain, but he couldn't walk on his own.

The vet said that he could operate, try steroids etc, but no quality of life & for how long.

I remember him lying on the table, looking at me with total confusion because he couldn't understand what was happening & why he couldn't get up & bounce around like usual.

What really did it for me, was he could just flick the end of his tail, like dogs do when they're lying down.

I bawled

My mum had him for a while after my dad died & he was a real comfort to her. She had him cremated & he now somewhere in the Chilterns.

Might be a bit early, but her next door neighbour breeds Labs & has just had a litter of chocolates (not the neighbour breeding with the dog, the not the dairy milk type of chocolate).

Chin-up

[bdx]

Murphy has been loyal to you for 13yrs, your his only loyal friend in the vets.

Stay with him through the termination. Just talk to him and keep him calm.


Put my own 14yr old weimaraner down last year. Some of his ashes went up a chimney of a steam loco beside his favorite/local park. At least everybody that day had a taste of weimraner.


It is 'very' hard.

Edited by bdx on Thursday 29th July 01:52

[MGZRod]

OlberJ said:

This might sound ridiculous but is it possible to have your dogs ashes returned to you and then go spread them?

Yep, our 14 year old lhasa apso was put down this year, had the ashes put in a little woven case, scattered them and we have the case looking out the window where she used to sit

[Rollcage]

The vet will give you the choice of what you want to do with him - if you want his ashes, that will be fine.

I stayed with my female GSD when I had to have her put down last year - as Ronan said, it is over VERY quickly. I didnt want her to be alone when she went - same with my male when he died at home not many weeks after.

I figured that they had given me many years of absolutely unstinting devotion, so the least I could do was be with them when they died.

Took me several weeks to get used to losing them, and probably longer to get "over" it - it is such a difficult time, but anyone who has a dog will understand.

[Solitude]

Chocolate labs are very prone to all sorts of probs i hear because of the cross breeding thing ???? my mate had one and it suffered blindness, hip probs and a number of degen issues causing them a lot of distress.
Sorry to har about your companion fella, maybe don't jump too quick to get another choc tho !!!!

[Rollcage]

Solitude said:

Chocolate labs are very prone to all sorts of probs i hear because of the cross breeding thing ???? my mate had one and it suffered blindness, hip probs and a number of degen issues causing them a lot of distress.
Sorry to har about your companion fella, maybe don't jump too quick to get another choc tho !!!!

Choc labs are not cross breeds - its down to dominant and recessive colouring genes.


Black labs are often viewed as the "purest" of the colour lines.

[ymwoods]

In terms of how do you say goodbye...I asked if I could stay with my dog after it had been injected. It was a weird experience but something which allowed me to say goodbye. He went from his normal self (doped up so no pain) and then just seemed to get sleepy. Towards the end I think he knew but it was as if we both knew we were both saying goodbye to eachother and eventually he just laid down on his side looking up at me and drifted off whilst I was stroking him.

Felt like the best goodbye, to be there until the end.

And yes, you can get ashes and if your willing to splash out they will put it in a small coffin like wooden ornament...I chose just to spread the ashes though.

[Motown Junk]

bdx said:

Stay with him through the termination. Just talk to him and keep him calm.

Edited by bdx on Thursday 29th July 01:52

That's all you can do, then raise a glass or three to him.

[Don]

Parrot of Doom said:

It isn't only a dog, its your much-loved companion of many years.

You do whatever feels right, and fk what anyone else thinks.

This. Absolutely this.

[Vipers]

Penny-lope said:

Fingers crossed you get a few more months

I had to have my cat out down after 9 years, and it really was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But at least I got to bring her home, and bury her in the garden.

Edited by Penny-lope on Thursday 29th July 01:06

We were lucky, our lovely little Tabby lasted 20 years (20 of our years), and died in her sleep bless. What made it worse though, we had just put her in the home whilst we went south to attend my uncles funeral, when the woman from the cattery phoned to say she had died during the night,

Edited by Vipers on Thursday 29th July 07:40

[scirocco265]

PW said:

OlberJ said:

This might sound ridiculous but is it possible to have your dogs ashes returned to you and then go spread them?

Yes, we did this when our trusty hound conked out, and had a ceremonial scattering in a quiet part of his favourite woods.

This is definitely a good option. Although pricey, there are also pet graveyards around where you can go visit your dog afterwards.

We scattered in his favourite field so he could spend the rest of his days running about. Hard though, as it's like saying goodbye all over again.

My mum has kept the ashes of her dog and her horse so ultimately they can all be scattered together.

[road hog]

when we had the english setter ,his ashes are in an urn in the hallway so he can still checkout anyone coming into the house , and also put some of his ashes under a pear tree (used to go pear munching round the garden ).

still miss him after 6 years ,and we have 3 gordon setters now too. another dog in the house does make it easier ,but it is like saying goodbye to a loyal friend.

[Mexic0]

OlberJ i know how you feel trust me

[Jasandjules]

13 is a good age for a dog with those kinds of problems. IF he is suffering then you know it will be the kindest thing to do. Yes, if you can just stay with him and stroke him whilst he drifts off, that would be the best thing for him IMHO.

Yes, you can get ashes back if you cremate him. The vet will not mind this at all and most of them (the good ones IMHO) will keep the animal for a few days after they are put to sleep so that you can decide later and not have to worry about this at the actual appointment.

I really, really, really wish to offer my sympathies at this time however, I know how hard it is.