The house feels so empty

[SeeFive]

I have just returned from the vets after having had my dog put to sleep. I walked through the door and was expecting to see him come bounding up. He didn't. I feel like st.

He wasn't physically sick, he was mental. One minute he was fine, the next he would snarl and bite - anyone but me and my wife. He just got too unpredictable. He has taken to constantly growling at my daughter. It had to stop.

We have struggled with this for 4 years, and he has been getting worse. We have had all sorts of things checked at the vets to see if there is any underlying problem physically - we didn't care about the cost. He's been to behaviour classes and in the end we failed him. When I got his lead out this morning, he trusted me to be taking him for a walk, or a ride in the Vette. Instead I took him to the vet and had him killed.

I have had to be judge, jury and executioner this morning, and I can't begin to tell how that feels.

Sorry to lay this out before you, but I am struggling - need to unload, or more accurately get loaded. Any further posts from me today might be a bit slurred.

bks - sometimes I hate life and having to be the one in the household that does things like this.

RIP Charlie.

[Cookie172]

Putting a pet down is never a good experience

Had to put one of my cats down a few years back because of mental issues, the stupid little bugger kept biting through the hoover cable whilst it was on

[PhilLL]

Sympathies. I can imagine that's a very difficult decision to take

[Eddh]

Its never fun having to put a pet down. Although I find it hard to understand it as a lot of people do I can see why you are upset.

I live on a farm so my general attitude is an animal is an animal, still I think I would be upset if I had to put Taffy my ginger terrier down.

[PGM]

SeeFive said:

I have just returned from the vets after having had my dog put to sleep. I walked through the door and was expecting to see him come bounding up. He didn't. I feel like st.

He wasn't physically sick, he was mental. One minute he was fine, the next he would snarl and bite - anyone but me and my wife. He just got too unpredictable. He has taken to constantly growling at my daughter. It had to stop.

We have struggled with this for 4 years, and he has been getting worse. We have had all sorts of things checked at the vets to see if there is any underlying problem physically - we didn't care about the cost. He's been to behaviour classes and in the end we failed him. When I got his lead out this morning, he trusted me to be taking him for a walk, or a ride in the Vette. Instead I took him to the vet and had him killed.

I have had to be judge, jury and executioner this morning, and I can't begin to tell how that feels.

Sorry to lay this out before you, but I am struggling - need to unload, or more accurately get loaded. Any further posts from me today might be a bit slurred.

bks - sometimes I hate life and having to be the one in the household that does things like this.

RIP Charlie.

I know exactly how you are feeling having had to do the same thing about 9 years ago.

There's not much that can be said to make you feel better. I felt very guilty for doing it but have never regretted it.

It's better for the dog and certainly better for the family.

It's a very tough decision to make and even tougher carrying it through and it takes a strong person to do it, my thoughts are with you.

All the best
Paul

[blindswelledrat]

We had a cat put down yesterday.
Brother and sister cats put down within three months of one another with exactly the same massive growth in thier stomach.

Was saying this morning how quite the house seems even though you don't even realize cats make any noise.
Also pretty strange how attached you get to animals isnt it?

[Gooby]

oh god- that is awful. That is my every nightmare. If I come home and the dogs are out at the dog sitters, I feel lost in a big hollow house. Knowing they were never coming back would tear me apart. It sounds like you made a very brave decision. Give it a few weeks and see if you can in some small way fill the void.

[PGM]

PGM said:

SeeFive said:

I have just returned from the vets after having had my dog put to sleep. I walked through the door and was expecting to see him come bounding up. He didn't. I feel like st.

He wasn't physically sick, he was mental. One minute he was fine, the next he would snarl and bite - anyone but me and my wife. He just got too unpredictable. He has taken to constantly growling at my daughter. It had to stop.

We have struggled with this for 4 years, and he has been getting worse. We have had all sorts of things checked at the vets to see if there is any underlying problem physically - we didn't care about the cost. He's been to behaviour classes and in the end we failed him. When I got his lead out this morning, he trusted me to be taking him for a walk, or a ride in the Vette. Instead I took him to the vet and had him killed.

I have had to be judge, jury and executioner this morning, and I can't begin to tell how that feels.

Sorry to lay this out before you, but I am struggling - need to unload, or more accurately get loaded. Any further posts from me today might be a bit slurred.

bks - sometimes I hate life and having to be the one in the household that does things like this.

RIP Charlie.

I know exactly how you are feeling having had to do the same thing about 9 years ago.

There's not much that can be said to make you feel better. I felt very guilty for doing it but have never regretted it.

It's better for the dog and certainly better for the family.

It's a very tough decision to make and even tougher carrying it through and it takes a strong person to do it, my thoughts are with you.

All the best
Paul

Edited to add that after being a dog lover we struggled with the concept of having another.

We eventually got another dog last year after a long gap and it's the most fantastic one we've had and loves the kids.

So what I would say is there is always a time later on to enjoy things again.

[roboxm3]

As you said OP, you tried every avenue possible, I'm sure he had a great life with you up until this point, walks, rides in the Vette etc.
Be content that you did all you could, made him as happy as possible and shared some great times.

[richyb]

Bad situation to be in. I feel for you. Like all these things you've just got to take a bit of time to get over it.

[L100NYY]

I really feel for you on this one, I had to put Rex (black lab') down about five years ago and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

My heart goes out to you but it cetainly sounds as though it was the right thing to do.

[SeeFive]

roboxm3 said:

As you said OP, you tried every avenue possible, I'm sure he had a great life with you up until this point, walks, rides in the Vette etc.
Be content that you did all you could, made him as happy as possible and shared some great times.

The only avenue that we did not try was to re-home him. We thought that it might be that he was protecting his territory.

We've had him stay with my parents while we have been away for a couple of weeks over the last 5 years or so. They have huge fields, he got lots of walks (even more than we give him!) and thoroughly spoiled (they have a mutual love with him) and this year, he even bit them! It was clear that re-homing him would just push the problem somewhere else, and put others at risk. There was also the risk that the new owners would not accept that kind of behaviour in the way that we have, and be cruel to him. So not an option.

Thanks for the kind words. Where's that bottle of rum?

[Munter]

Good news SeeFive. You made a good decision. A hard one yes. But from your post, the right one.

Losing a long term family pet is a big blow. We'd have them live forever but it's not to be. Give it a bit. See how you feel and possibly you'll want another. Or something smaller like a Hamster.

[SeeFive]

Munter said:

Good news SeeFive. You made a good decision. A hard one yes. But from your post, the right one.

Losing a long term family pet is a big blow. We'd have them live forever but it's not to be. Give it a bit. See how you feel and possibly you'll want another. Or something smaller like a Hamster.

Heh Heh - nah, no more pets, it's too difficult at the end. We have a cat - whose quality of life is about to improve dramatically it would seem.

[Vesuvius 996]

SeeFive said:

Munter said:

Good news SeeFive. You made a good decision. A hard one yes. But from your post, the right one.

Losing a long term family pet is a big blow. We'd have them live forever but it's not to be. Give it a bit. See how you feel and possibly you'll want another. Or something smaller like a Hamster.

Heh Heh - nah, no more pets, it's too difficult at the end. We have a cat - whose quality of life is about to improve dramatically it would seem.

I bet the cat's over the moon.

[missy-a-k]

Never a good expierence, but you've obviously had good memories with said pet, so difficult choice but the right one.

[Eddh]

Vesuvius 996 said:

SeeFive said:

Munter said:

Good news SeeFive. You made a good decision. A hard one yes. But from your post, the right one.

Losing a long term family pet is a big blow. We'd have them live forever but it's not to be. Give it a bit. See how you feel and possibly you'll want another. Or something smaller like a Hamster.

Heh Heh - nah, no more pets, it's too difficult at the end. We have a cat - whose quality of life is about to improve dramatically it would seem.

I bet the cat's over the moon.

Reminds me of an episode of the Simpsons when the dog falls ill and they have an operation done to make it better. Once it comes back they are all fussing over it and Homer is complaining that he wants another go.

Think one of them turns round and says 'Why don't you pet the car instead?'

'The car pffff whats the point in that?!'

[B.J.W]

You feel awful.

But you have done the right thing.

You have not failed your dog.

You have helped it and reciprocated the trust it had in you.

Not doing what needed to be done would have made you feel a lot worse in the long run.

Trust me, I speak from personal experience of this.

[ascayman]

how old was he if you dont mind me asking?

[SeeFive]

ascayman said:

how old was he if you dont mind me asking?

6