My 13 year old Springer Spaniel is blind and deaf, she walks around the house and has recently begun to bump into walls and furniture that she didn't before. She leaks urine in her sleep and has infrequent accidents in the house. She has also been waking us around 3/4 AM to go out and pee. The vet says everyday with her is a blessing, she is just an old dog. She eats when served! and I have begun adding a third meal during the say because she is looking thin. She has only lost a few pounds and her bloodwork is normal for a senior dog - a bit off. I don't want to give her meds for anything. I just can't tell if she's happy/content. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Oh, it is so hard when they get old. There are a few things to think about. First off: Is she in pain?
Second: How is her quality of life?
Third: (and I know some may not agree with this with the thinking that you make a comitment to a pet for life... including old age/ilness) Are you able to handle her care and upkeep?

My oldest dog who passed away last year at almost 14 was a full time job for her last 3 weeks. She was no in pain but could not stand and had no control ovr her "potty needs". She needed to be carried every where, taken outside every 45 minutes and bathed daily.

What my vet told me was to make a list of all the things she enjoys. When she looses interest or is inable to do those things it is time to let her go. I was lucky that she passed in her sleep and I did not need to make that choice for her but it is something to think about.

I am so sorry you are going through this, please let us know how things go.

[CorkyMax]

I have read that a dog will stay here longer than it wants to if the owner (and I know-it's hard not to do this) doesn't want it to leave when it is ready. I'm not saying 'Go put it to sleep right now but don't 'beg' it not to leave----just give it all the love and support it needs. Possibly the dog will give you some sign when it is ready but I realize this will be harder since the dog can't show his feelings through his eyes looking at you. I dread the thought of ever putting my dogs to sleep and hope when the time comes that they aren't in any pain and can just die peacefully in their sleep--but of course if they were in pain--I would have to make that decision and have them put to sleep so they were not suffering any more. It is hard to put all this in words--hope you can understand what I'm trying to say. Just don't be 'over clinging' so the dog has a choice if it wants to leave. I'm sorry for the situation you are in---just thinking about this makes me have a lump in my throat. I know there are books on this heartbreaking situation--maybe you could call your library and find out if they can find a book on this--They can get on the computer (if they don't have a book) and find a library that may have something and have it delivered to your library (free of charge) At least that is how it works here.:cry:

I know your dog is a senior and you have the vets findings (blood work),etc. But I have this in the back of my mind----I am wondering about diabetes (I have this myself and my daughters dog had it) Her dog went blind because of it and lost a lot of weight and was peeing all the time (and I personally know how diabetes can cause that) Anyway, because also you had mentioned that the bloodwork was near normal for an older dog I'm wondering how high the reading was for blood sugar and maybe asking vet about the possibility of diabetes--maybe another closer check for this disease.

That is a very difficult decision to make. But I don't think it's a good idea to put down the dog. I am sorry that you have this problem.

I was glad to find this thread--we're going through the same situation with our dog, where you wonder whether you're doing the right thing for the dog or for yourself. Unfortunately it doesn't get any easier with experience. We had a lovely vet who came to our house and put our old crippled blind dog, Wally to sleep, peacefully and quickly on our living room floor. Wally was so ill that it seemed a clear cut choice. On the other end of the spectrum, we had a beautiful female dog that was diagnosed with megaesaphagus and contracted pneumonia. We were so bent on saving her that we left her with at a vet specalist's office for intense treatment instead of putting her gently to sleep and she died there, hours later, of a heart attack. Unfortunately, with our current dog, Trixie, the choice isn't easy. She is not herself, has lost 30% of her body weight, has battled constant diarrhea, vomits a lot, and seems sort of "out of it" but still has moments of joy where she rolls around gleefully, plays with our male dog (who adores her). Other times she sleeps so soundly I swear she has passed. We actually took her to the vet with the idea that we would put her to sleep but on the way she surfed on the backseat armrest with her head out the window, total Joi de vive. She doesn't seem to be suffering but she is almost 14 years old and we don't want to put her through any unnecessary testing or treatment that will interfere with her quality of life. On the other hand, she is so happy just to sleep at my feet, follow me around, be with me, that I feel so guilty cutting her life short if she's not in pain. When I plucked a little fuzzy puppy out of the litter 14 years ago, I made a pact that I'd take the very best care of her for life.

I think if the dog is in constant pain, there is no other way to stop it than to put her to sleep. It wouldn't be an easy decision to make, but if she's in pain, that is what I see as a solution.

This is a good thread giving me lots to think about once the time does come. Oh I shudder. I hope you can make the descion that gives you peace we are all here for you

This is definitely a difficult decision to make, and one that every dog owner dreads im sure. We've had one dog who died peacefully in her sleep, and another that we had to put down because he had very bad liver failure and did not have any sort of quality of life anymore. I just wanted to say that it was hard for me to stop feeling guilty about putting him to sleep even though it was the right thing to do. Remember that you've been a great owner to her all these years, and that if it comes to the point where it's better for her not to suffer or be in pain anymore, you'll know you made the right choice.

It is a comfort to hear from other posters here--just to not feel so alone in the heartache of trying to do what is right, but never being certain. I know there is no "perfect" ending. I heard my very macho husband sobbing behind his bathroom door this morning when we both realized that our doggie is not going to get better--not eating, doesn't want to be touched. Our vet, bless her, is coming over to our house tomorrow. My husband offered to "deal with it" himself, but I know that the flip side of getting a cute fuzzy puppy is having the strength to hold them in their last minutes and be by their side, loyally, like they stand by our side (the dog, not the husband... yet Thanks for the thoughtful input, it truly helps. -- Joan

Originally Posted by Hoghead

It is a comfort to hear from other posters here--just to not feel so alone in the heartache of trying to do what is right, but never being certain. I know there is no "perfect" ending. I heard my very macho husband sobbing behind his bathroom door this morning when we both realized that our doggie is not going to get better--not eating, doesn't want to be touched. Our vet, bless her, is coming over to our house tomorrow. My husband offered to "deal with it" himself, but I know that the flip side of getting a cute fuzzy puppy is having the strength to hold them in their last minutes and be by their side, loyally, like they stand by our side (the dog, not the husband... yet Thanks for the thoughtful input, it truly helps. -- Joan

I believe that if we are tuned in to our dog and not just our own selfish needs, we will know the right time. Last year, I went through 10 months of fighting for my dog's life. Several times I thought the time had come to "make the call" but she would perk up and give me a look that told me she still wanted to fight. Finally, the day came when there was no light left in her eyes, no fight left in her soul...the time had come. Being with our faithful friends at the end is incredibly difficult but, I believe, is their just due for all their faithful service. My baby went to sleep surrounded by the people who had cared for her, fought for her, and loved her. In the end, that's the best thing we can do for them.

Let me give you a heads up to something: no matter what, you will ask yourself later if you did the right thing at the right time. The doubts will come: "did I wait too long?" "did I give up too soon?" "should I have...?" ... that's just part of the grieving process...let yourself grieve but be kind to yourself...you made the right call...hold on to that knowledge...you did everything you could do for your friend.

Tina...still missing my sweet Libby--the best dog ever....

[Kingsbridge Cav]

Sorry for the late entry. but this one struck a chord with me. I put down my 15 year old retriever mix which i rescued from the humane society at the age of 6. She was sweet and had a great part of my heart. My vet told me that I would know when the time was right. Unfortunately, hind sight being what it is. I really did wait too long. Jazz was suffering from degenerative hips and could barely move when I finally agreed to have her put down. The thing that kept her around so long is that my husband has the same disorder and I haven't considered putting him down!
The procedure was very peaceful and I held her head as she was injected. She really did just go to sleep.
I am not convinced that your dog is ready for the final sleep. It is soooo hard to let go of a "family member" especially when we are making the final decision.
I recently watched an episode of "It's Me or the Dog". Victoria Stillwell trained a geriatric dog to be able to recognise where she was by changing the floor surface. It might work to put a pathway of rugs or a carpet runner on the path to the "potty place". Bladder control and blindness were both issues for this old gal and she adjusted well. Victoria used puppy pads in the preferred "Potty" spot and the dog was faithful in using the pads. She wasn't being disobedient and they really do want to please us. This seemed an acceptable solution to me, even though it required adjusting the families daily routine. Far better to know where the mess is going to be!
Good luck with your old pal, and don't rush into a decision that you may regret for years to come. I may have waited too long to relieve Jazz, but I'll never wonder if I did the right thing when I was convinced it was time.

It very very very sad thing when you have to put down your dog.

However, sometimes, it might be better if you put down your dog when they're in a lot of pain. Especially so when it is terminal.

I believe most of us would know when the time is right.... i know i did...