Euthanizing a pet sucks. :( | GTAMotorcycle.com

Euthanizing a pet sucks. :(

PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

Ironus Butticus
Site Supporter
It always sucks. It sucked the first time I had to do it in my mid 20's. I couldn't even be there when they did it, I had to leave the room after a long goodbye in his kennel. It haunts me to this day that I wasn't there in his last moments. But I just couldn't do it.

We had 2 cats since then pass away naturally at home and that was a bit easier as we knew their time was coming, they weren't in pain (kidney issues, after a few borrowed years post-diagnosis and treatment, they just fade away until one day they don't wake up) and as much as it sucks, it was easier than having to make the decision to euthanize.

And it really sucked yesterday. Because we had to make that decision.

Our 7 year old (too young) tabby developed a drooling issue a few weeks back. Thought it was just a dental issue or an abscess.

Long story short...mouth cancer. No hope of surgical resolution. And he was going downhill fast. It was heartbreaking watching him desperately trying to groom himself but he couldn't. And in the last day he couldn't even eat.

We visited the vet on Saturday and got the bad news. We made the heartbreaking decision to see him off the next day. So we had 24 hours to say goodbye.

I didn't want to make that same mistake again that I made the first time, so I ensured I was there with all of us around him, and tried to not turn into a puddle.

Watching him pass away in our arms is something I will never be able to get out of my head. And watching my (adult) kids have their hearts broken as well was even worse.

Next level was watching my son lose his best buddy (they had an absolute special bond, I don't even know how to explain it) was absolutely gutting. And still is. I about lost it when he took one last picture holding his paw back here at home before we buried him.

As much as it was the right decision to relieve his pain and suffering, it is always incredibly heartbreaking, especially at such a young age. And it happened so fast.

I know the pain will lessen for all of us. Time heals all wounds. But wow, pets get deep into your heart.

Ugh.
Sorry, just needed to clear my head.
 
Thanks for sharing

Our dog is only 3 years old and I understand that no one including pets live forever. I hope we never have to make that decision.

I know when the day comes when Leila is not longer here. My kids especially will have the hardest time.

Hopefully she lives a long life so they are older and maybe understand better.


I joked a few times that she needs to go back to her permanent family. (Story was that she was borrows to try out due to sons allergies)

They didn't find it so funny and already stated crying.
 
Sorry for your loss, PP.

My dog is now a year and a half old now.
I try and give him the best life possible every single day - all full well knowing that his lifespan is much shorter than mine.
Its also why I give in and let him have a bit of my food if he gives me the puppy eyes lol.

Hard as it was - your pets die happy knowing they shared all that time with you every single day.


Damn ninjas cutting onions again....
 
We had to put our cat down a number of years ago. He too had kidney problems and my SIL, a vet, said there wasn't much to be done. It's amazing how he would know our daughter was sick and he'd stay in her room. He knew when my wife was due home from work and would be at the door to greet her.

Condolences.
 
Ours are 10. I dread the day we need to think about this but also know it will be the kindest thing we could ever do for our pets even if it’s likely to be one of the worst days in our lives.
 
Putting a pet down is an incredibly sad experience, my sympathies PP.

Our experience .....
10 year old Boerboel, laid down on his bed and we sensed that his time had come. He refused to eat and after four days, was too weak to stand, weighed 130 lbs, so we got a vet to come home and do the needful. The hardest part was carrying his body into the vet's car
 
Sorry for your family's loss PP :cry:

Had to put down our 17 year old cat due to diabetes last Dec. I went in to comfort him while the vet administered the drugs that would end his life. I think he knew it was time as he just laid there on the vet bed and made no attempt to even move. Very difficult time but we also lost an elderly cat a few years back who died at home. We think he had cancer but was not yet diagnosed. He was going down hill and I had made an appointment to have him put down Sat. morning. He died Friday night and it was anything but peaceful. Cats hide their pain well but in his final hours there was no doubt he was hurting big time as he yowled for nearly 3 hours on the couch before dying..
Having experienced both pet death experiences, I will always put a pet down before they get to that very late stage. I never want to see one of my pets suffer like that again!
 
We have a cat and dog pair that gave been with us for 13 years. Neither has had any health issues do far, but time isn't on their side. The dog went stone deaf suddenly about a month ago, the cat is slowing down. Despite both still being spunky and healthy, they are past their typical lifespan.

I dread the day we have to make that tough call.

@PrivatePilot, sorry for your loss.
 
Sorry for your loss PP . I’ve been down that road many times and it’s never easy.

One thing you can count on , someday every pet will break your heart .




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I'm not looking forward to this. My lab is 13, covered in tumors and pants almost non-stop though she still seems happy and not in pain so we're still enjoying our time with her but the day is coming.

I feel like it would be nicer to just give her a whole bottle of sleeping pills in a really nice steak and let her fall asleep on the couch. Is there anything that says I can't do this? my wife is opposed. My dog is always terrified at the vet and I think it will be really hard taking her to be put down if she is really stressed and resisting going in.
 
woot said:
I'm not looking forward to this. My lab is 13, covered in tumors and pants almost non-stop though she still seems happy and not in pain so we're still enjoying our time with her but the day is coming.

I feel like it would be nicer to just give her a whole bottle of sleeping pills in a really nice steak and let her fall asleep on the couch. Is there anything that says I can't do this? my wife is opposed. My dog is always terrified at the vet and I think it will be really hard taking her to be put down if she is really stressed and resisting going in.
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Go to a different vet when it's time. Makes it easier on the dog. If the dog knows every car ride is scary, vets will come to you. As for the pills, do your research. You need to get the right medicine and dosing. It would suck to wipe out their liver and have it die painfully over days. If you fed it high dose narcotics to trigger respiratory depression, would it barf them up?

Pp, it sucks and never gets easier. Our 10 yo lab had cancer but was happy and doing pretty well until the end. Wanted to go out for a walk at 05:00 (not normal for him), couldnt stand anymore at 07:00. Poor guy. Peed all over when I carried him into the vet and looked so sad about it.

I dont know if it is better or worse but I was the car behind when a dog got hit hard this summer. I helped the owner wrangle her other dogs and get them to safety while she looked after the hit dog. Driver was bawling, owner was crying, $^@% everywhere. That sucked too. Dog passed away pretty quickly and then helped to load it in the owners car. That dog had apparently been running out onto an 80 km/h road for its whole life and it was just a matter of time.
 
Mad Mike said:
We have a cat and dog pair that gave been with us for 13 years. Neither has had any health issues do far, but time isn't on their side. The dog went stone deaf suddenly about a month ago, the cat is slowing down. Despite both still being spunky and healthy, they are past their typical lifespan.

I dread the day we have to make that tough call.

@PrivatePilot, sorry for your loss.
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One thing I find interesting is how adaptable pets are. My cat and dog are best friends. The sleep together and pretty much hang out together all day long. We walk the dog twice a day, when it's warm the cat follows along.

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Since the dog went deaf, my wife has been teaching her sign language, she replaced a few commands we always use like 'walk time', 'dinner time', 'treats', and 'daddy's home'. When we're try to rouse her the cat jumps in and nuzzles the dog to get her attention.

They also know my standard home from work time, both sit at the front window around 5:30 every day waiting.
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woot said:
I feel like it would be nicer to just give her a whole bottle of sleeping pills in a really nice steak and let her fall asleep on the couch. Is there anything that says I can't do this?
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Don’t. Do it the right way. They administer a massive dose of propofol before the actual med that euthanizes them. The propofol almost instantly immobilizes them and puts them out. Then they administer the other drug.

It makes for a fast but peaceful passing. No thrashing. No crying. No pain. No twitching after they’re gone.

It’s just a better memory in the end than the possible alternatives. They go peacefully.

But I’m sitting in a Taco Bell right now eating lunch almost in tears thinking about his head dropping instantly when he got the first shot, and then quietly fading away until the vet listening with a stethoscope said he had passed.

I will never get that out of my head and it has been on replay for me for 48 hours now, keeping me up at night and popping back into my thoughts every time there’s an idle moment through the day.

But it was the right thing to do. And I would do it again if it meant a pet didn’t have to suffer.

But it’s heart wrenching.

I look forward to being at peace with it all, because right now I’m still very much not.
 
Last bit of petting before the big sleep.
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Absolutely the worst thing to go through. I have had dogs all my life and it never gets any easier.

The first pet I had to put down was the family Beagle. I could not bring myself to go in at the end, I was 14 at the time. It is still one of my biggest regrets in life, making a beloved pet die alone.

In 2017 our family dog had a stroke and we had to put her down. I insisted that my kids come in with us so they do not have to live with the same regret.

I'm not crying..... you're crying.

My condolences @PrivatePilot

On a happier note, here is a pic of the current shaggy lump of joy.

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Sorry for your loss, it is tough.

We have lost four in the last 10 years, one died at home. I always have to deal with it, I always stay with them to the very end, it always ends up my call. My wife cannot deal with it. Two to cancer and two due to vet screw-ups with routine surgery (we no longer use that vet....).

One was my wife's cat from before we lived together (the cat had cancer), the cat liked me plenty but she was not looking for me at the end...
 
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