my last girl a boarder collie that lived a very long time .she was my world my every thing .at the end she had cancer the vet wanted to know how i got her to live as long as i did .i dont realy know what i do, i had a rabbit that was 13 years old when he died .i gess i have the touch or somthing .but at the end of my girls life the vet told me there was nothing he could do for her .he said put her down .i just couldnt i loved her so mutch i couldnt let go .i took her home and took care of her she was always there for me i thought now its my turn to be there for her .as it got worse she couldnt walk and would mess her self i had no problum cleaning her and keeping her wrapped in a clean blanket this stage lasted a few days i could see she was holding on for me i held her looked her in the eyes and told her i loved her very mutch and not to hold on for me i would see her again some day and i would be ok with out her and with that she died in my arms .alot of people told me that was cruel i should have had her put down but like i said i couldnt let go she was my world .10 years ladder im facing the same thing with my oldest g/s girl my question is would you have her put down when the vet sezzz there is nothing else to do or would you hold on and cherish the last days with her no matter what it takes or is this cruel what do you think thanks mop

This reminds me of when Steve Irwin lost his dog Suie to a second round of cancer. At the end, he had Suie on a morphine drip and stayed with her 24/7 until she peacefully left this earth in her sleep.

I'm not sure why some dogs live longer then others. It could be that some dogs have better genes and, therefore, live longer and healthier lives. It could also be that life for an animal is extended through proper care and exercise, and plenty of love and attention. I'm sure they all have merit.

I've also thought that animals that handle stress better, also live longer. I've known borders to stress out sometimes. If you had a particularly mellow one, I bet that did the trick.

I think that there's absolutely nothing selfish about what you did.

See if you can judge the amount of pain she's in. If you believe you love her as much as she loves you, ask yourself if you would hold on through it to spend a few more days with her. If the answer is yes, cherish your last days.

So sad...

My deepest, most sincere apologies.

Sorry to hear of your loss.You did what you thought was best for your friend.That is what love is about. Good Luck.

i hate pain. animals cannot always tell us when they are in pain. Sometimes its too much to whine, sometimes they are just too tired. If i were in pain, if i were tired, I would not want to suffer. I would like my life to be ended quietly. Its not always quiet. We don't know if they truly go in there sleep sometimes, or if they are in so much pain that thier body shuts down. Get a vet that does house visits, as the office is cold and sterile, and maybe consider putting her down at home.

My opinion: I would bear ANY pain for a few more days with someone I love.

Mindy,
Who can tell someone else what to do in that situation.... I had a Golden Retiever named Duke, when I lost him to cancer it tore me apart. for three days he lay by the stove unable to move. Earlier when in good health, and we brought my daughter home from the hospital he knew he had someone else to protect and love.. and he showed that many times. He saved my step daughter's life puhsing her out of the way of a car, only to have his tail ran over..
Such s loyal friend and devoted family member did not deserve to be "put down" by a stranger then discarded like trash. Like I told the kids, he deserved to die here among his family. He died during the night. and when we found him Thanksgiving morning... I wrapped him in his favorite blanket and took him to a place by a creek and buried him. I buried more then a dead dog that day.. I buried a friend and a big chuck of my heart.
Yes Mindy... he will be there when it's my time to pass, and he will be healthy, whole tail wagging....
I share your grief,
Warrior

As I am older than some I have organised my share of furerals.

We are no first name basis with our vets. We have had up to three. Mopar you are a kind and gentle sole, Your companions will tell you when its there time. You did very well and will do as well when needed again as our companions have sadly a shorter life.
Our vets will always come to us when we call.
We can all cry togeather.

Take care
PM me if you feel the need.

R

are you keeping her alive to keep her happy or you happy :huh:

I don't know what I would do. That's one of my... not fears, because I know it will happen to me someday, but the choice is something I dread. I would rather my friend have a quick, painless death, but putting a dog down would break my heart. And if it were me dying, how do I know I wouldn't want to live as long as I could? I just don't know.

mopar, I'm so sorry you have to face this decision. :(

DarkShadow









:unsure: Dogs are people to me, and we don't euthanize people... :thinking:

well ,i looked into her eyes many times and told her my true feelings for her.we shared so mutch .i just couldnt be the one to end her life .my german shepherd girl is not doing good .but i will be there to the end for her just as she has always bin there for me .thanks every one .

There's no way she would've wanted you to mourn for her. Every day is a gift to them, so should it be to you. They bear pain far better than we can.... living in the moment often makes them far stronger than we could ever be. Know that she held on for you.

All this being said. When you see it in their eyes, you have to release them. All of us that have lost know that look. There's no ambiguity in it. Never ignore their last request. The ONE thing that makes us 'evolved' is that we euthanize. Death isn't something that someone who is loved by someone should ever have to bear face on. To drift off peacefully is far better than fighting for your last breath. I've seen both and I would much rather slowly take my last breath and close my eyes looking at someone that I love. Truly, the final gift we can give for all of the love that they give us.

Hi Mop. I'm really sorry to hear of your situation, one in which all pet owners find themselves at some time. There is no right or wrong answer and I suppose our opinions are moulded by the experiences we have.
It sounds as though you have made your decision, but for what it's worth I'll relate my own events which have given me a firm view on how I will react if/when I'm in this situation again.

I had a very special friend, a horse not a dog but that's not important. He is immortalised in my profile and my username. He developed cancer of the pituitary (Cushings Disease). My vet said it was incurable, but there were drugs which would help the symptoms and prolong his quality of life. He deteriorated slowly, over more than a year. The drugs had no noticeable effect. It was so slow that there was no decisive point where I felt it was time for him to go. I knew I would have to make that decision but I kept putting it off. Finally, one morning he couldn't get up. If I had let nature take it's course he would have lay on his side for many days, unable to eat or drink, and would probably have died of dehydration. That was never an option and I had him put down then. That I let him suffer so long is the greatest regret of my whole life. His final months were miserable for us both.
The following year our boxer dog was diagnosed with cancer. He was passing blood in his urine and losing some control of his bladder. We were told it had spread and nothing could be done, but he was mostly his usual cheerful self and we could convince ourselves he was ok. We knew what lay ahead; he didn't.
I had learned my lesson. The last time I saw him he was grinning widely (see Sarx's avatar!) and dragging the vet down his corridor. He loved being at the vets for the attention. You could argue that we could have given him a few more weeks, where he would have become miserable and began to suffer. I'm very content that he had a very happy life up to and including his last day, then he went to sleep. I think I got it right, and it's what I would do again.
This is one area where we are allowed to treat our pets better than our human loved ones.

Maybe this is a subject we should all think about before we are in an emotional situation.



:friends:

Many of us on here are owners of large breed dogs so we understand. I am very sorry to hear the loss of your pet, I have had several of my Bernese Mountain Dogs go from bone cancer, and instead of allowing them to suffer I let them cross the rainbow bridge. I have always felt that this was kindest thing to do, and someone mentioned that they don't put people to sleep... if you have watched someone in your family die from some form of cancer... you only wish there was a way to let them go to the otherside...

Here is the Rainbow Bridge Poem.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

two nights ago my smallest girl woke me up i knew somthing was wrong with my oldest g/s girl because there never apart .they always stayed to them self and away from the pack so to speak i had 7 female dogs as i said in other posts .i raced to her but she was already gone .i got all my girls together so they could say there good byzzz and i carried her out the door while they looked on .my eskimo girl has not left the door since .i let her out to pee and she raced out to the place i put her and layed down on the grave .i let her there for awhile then called her in she still has not left the door .she is 9 years old i hope she dont get depressed and i loose her two .so fare so good thanks every one for taking the time to post its just nice to have wonderful people here to talk to at times like this .thanks again mop.