Would you put your old dog to sleep?

Our dog is abt 16 yo, has arthritism cataracts, loss of hearing, and other problems associated with old age. It is not easy to see her coping with her deteriorating health and many ppl hv said its time to put her to sleep. Somehow we just cannot do that cos she is such a caring dog.Would you put her to sleep to save her sufferings?Some of you are trying to be smart and started calling us selfish or cruel to make the dog suffer.She can still go out to potty, she still plays with our sheltie, she barks when ppl call at the door... it is just that at times she stumbles and falls, she cant hear and see well. So it not easy to made a decision at this time. She has arthritis and is in pain but we wldnt know if its unbearable. We are watching her how she copes and i dont know if its the right thing to do now. My said he cant do it now and i also understand him. My daugther, husband and I, we just love her to let her go. We know we hv to do it someday... we really dread to make that decision.Alyssa's answer made me think that she might be in more pain than we know. She limps and occasionally knocks into walls. She tends to get confuse which direction to go for potty. This is my first experience with dogs. I hv always thought my husband knows better as he has had her for 10yrs+ and also he has lived with numerous dogs. I always wondered if the pain was too much for her and wld ask my husband if he wld consider putting her to sleep. He said he cldnt do that and i know he is hoping she dies naturally. I was thinking of her suffereings and didnt know if my husband was doing the right thing. If i push the issue too much, i feel guilty that i am hasty in getting rid of her.It is not easy to tell my husband to let her go. So i thought i posted it on YA and see what sort of feedbacks i wld get.Sorry for being so long winded ... lol

If any of my dogs get to that point I will put them to sleep I am not going to keep them in pain just because of me! That would be selfish.But if the dog is not having pain & Still goes day by day without issues the I am not sure.

That is so sad. I'm really sorry about this If it were my dog I think I would put her out of her missery. Poor thing. I'd cry so hard.

do what's best for the dog and you will know when without someone else's advice.. It sure does hurt

Ive put all of my dogs to sleep as soon as they cant make it outside to use the bathroom, Now I ask you this-your one hundred and twenty, and your suffering, would you want to suffer?

Depends on the individual dog, and only YOU can make that call, not people on the internet!

I would only consider euthanizing if the dog were in pain and extreme discomfort. We all experience deteriorating health from the day we are born; it's called aging. An aging dog does not mean it has no quality of life. Until that time (when there is no quality of life) I would take care of and cherish my dog.

Unfortunately, this is something I have had to deal with many times...it's never an easy decision, nor a pleasant one. But when it comes down to it...it is a case by case situation. If the dog is in actual pain and is not living life like it used to enjoy...then the answer would probably be to put her down. If it is more of a nuisance for you but she seems to be content and not in much pain...than the answer might have to come down to how much you are willing to put up with.Good luck...it's such a hard decision

yesas much as i would hate it, it would be in the best interest of my dog not to suffer through all that pain so i can see it alive everyday. be sure to take plenty of photos and memories before your decision thoughdont want to forget the pretty thingxx

If the pain and suffering is ruining her quality of life, yes. If she isn't enjoying her time on earth, it is crazy to keep her here. Or if you could aquire pills from the vet for pain and keep her comfy until she goes to Rainbow Bridge (aka puppy heaven), then that would be good too. It may be harder for all of your family to see her suffer opposed to a nice peaceful passing with your family around to say goodbye. The end of a dogs life can be sad and very scary too, if she starts to lose control of her body the effects can be so deppressing.

If her quality of life has diminished and you are keeping her going for your OWN sake because you don't want to part with her, it isn't fair to her.She's given 16 yrs of unconditional love, let her be at peace with her dignity.

Take your dog to the vet. Let the vet evaluate her. If she seems to be in pain then don't let her suffer. If not, let her go on for a while longer. She will have ways of telling you that she is in pain or suffering.

If the dog is suffering.............yes I would. I know it is not easy. I have done it in the past and will have to in the future. I have held and comforted them as they have past. But deep down no matter how hard it was for me I knew it was best for them.

If she is not suffering now no I wouldn't due to poor health, eyesight,etc.. Arthritis the can give meds to help with the pain and stiffness. If she is coping I would let her live. If she is in pain and can't cope then yes I would put her down. I would not worry what others are saying. No one knows the dog better then your family and you will know when the right time is. Good luck and hope all is well. So sorry, these are the toughes decisions to make about our companions.

We had to make that same decision 3 years ago. While it is not an easy one, it truly is the best. Our dog was like our child. We miss him everyday and often wonder could we have done it different. But, in the end, they was nothing else we could have done. We loved him dearly in life and death and we gave him a very nice farewell. That was our last gift to him, to truly put him out of his misery. Like I said, it was hard but we know it was the best thing for him. To keep him around for your benefit is a very selfish thing to do.

But it's suffering a lot more with all those sickness

I've never had to choose to put a dog to sleep (our dog died naturally), but I have had to put other animals down and I can tell you it's one of the toughest decisions to make. My sisters dog (who is about 17, and EVERYBODYS favorite) is starting to get really sick, and theyre thinking of putting him to sleep. Its a heart wrenching decision and i'm glad I'm not the one who has to make it, but I dont' see anything wrong with putting an animal down if they're in constant pain and suffering. I know it's hard, and I feel bad for you that you have to make such an awful decision, but sometimes, it just needs to be done.

I have done so a couple of times & it is a very hard decision to make. I just tell myself this is the last act of love & kindness I can give to my beloved pet. Of course I have to put their feelings before my own & stay by their side & hold them till the proceedure is complete.

If the dog was in a lot of pain and living was a struggle for it then yes, I would put her to sleep.Believe it or not, we had to put a parakeet to sleep. It got a tumor on its back and it's health got so bad it couldn't even stand on a perch. Sometimes it's kinder to put an animal to sleep than to let it suffer just because you can't let go of it.

If you have to ask, you're not ready. It's just that simple. The dog will tell you in no uncertain terms that she's ready to go. If you have even the slightest question about, don't do it. I've been there. The guilt nearly killed me.-MM