Ever Have To Put A Pet Down?
 

I'm going to have to.

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This is Sadie - she's been in my family for 14 years. She's outlived my sister, survived being hit by two cars, a leg being amputated because of cancer, and a very bad inner ear infection - but after 14 years, she's getting to be much to old to be carrying on this way.

Sadie usually gets stuck on the stairs, and often has to be carried outside to go to the washroom, but recently she's lost bladder control; and after talking with the kids, mum and dad think it's a good idea that after Christmas, when all of the family will be together for the first time in a long while, we're going to show her an unforgettable Christmas. In early January, we're going to go to the vet, and anesthetize her.

....(><)

It's hard, but sometimes better for everyone. While I don't agree with killing of any sort, well, they aren't suffering anymore, and it's less intensive than taking care of them. Until we have nursing homes for animals, there's really no good alternative. :(

I'm sorry. Saying goodbye is always hard... we used to have a dog. We now have a couple of cats, one of whom is getting on in years, he's just about 17 and age is taking its toll. He might last one more year but probably not two. I grew up with that damn cat, I mean, I don't want to let him go ever. But I guess he had a good life, and so, I imagine, did your dog. And she won't have to keep suffering. But it is really hard. So you have my empathy.

We had to put down the cat I grew up with when he got cancer when I was eight. It wasn't very fun.

Don't be afraid to get a new pet, though - if you've gotten used to having one around, there's nothing wrong with that. Just give yourself some time to get over the loss, first.

My dog Misty had to be put down when I was about 9. She was also 14 and suffering from a liver infection. She also started losing her hearing and eventually became so weak she could barely stand or eat.

Really the only thing that could be done was put her to sleep and end the pain.

I recently had a dog put down myself. His name was Mac, and he was a sable Merle Shetland sheepdog. Had him in the family for over ten years, but he had an advanced case of bone cancer and, even if he went through chemotherapy, would never be able to walk again.

It's hard though. The pet becomes more than that, a pet. They become family.

Good god no! Argh! I could never think of, I hope they would never think of...

I mean, maybe if it was gonna die anyway and this method was more "kind" but grah!

One of our dogs' ears just broke and is now swelled hugely. Guesses are: Plain old swelling or cancer. Given that we can't take him to the vet because he is kinda mean around people he doesn't know already, we're just letting it go. He still acts like he always does but he flaps his ear around a little more and doesn't like you touching it.

I've had pets put down, and I've had them die naturally... Both ways suck, you lose a member of your family.

My dog Obi is 14, he's been with my family for over 12 years, this summer my dog Sparky died in her sleep at the age of 15. Since then he has gone deaf, is losing his balance and is developing cancers. We believe he has actually gone senile, he goes out at night to look for Sparky, we know this is what he's doing because when they would go running together and one of them would get back first, the other wouldn't come inside and would wait for them. It cracks me up almost to the point of tears... Ehh, yeah, good luck.

I had a dog named Sammie Joe for about 14 years of my life. My parents had her put down because she could barely stand and eat anymore (and I think that she was becoming death also). She started becoming ill when I left home to go live in Montreal and study; I was the one who took care of her most of the time, took walks with her, gave her fresh water like everytime she was thirsty, brushed her hair and talked to her. Before dying, she tried to hide herself in a hole and she didn't come to us when we called her...I found her hideout and she followed me home, but then she died a few weeks later.

I think that sometimes, the bond between a pet and a person becomes so strong that the pet, feeling that it will soon die, cannot bear its master to feel sad for him and tries to flee to die alone...at least, this is what my dog tried to do a few times, but I always found her anyways.

She was really like a member of my family and it hurt a lot when she left us :(