How do you decide when to put down your beloved dog?

My 16-year-old dog had probably a couple of strokes. She has now mobility problems, she sometimes moves in circles, she cannot focus, she has difficulty in eating etc. She is disorientated but i cannot tell if she suffers. I cannot bear the idea of putting her down, though it will probably come to that. The vet said she might get a bit better, though she is not very optimistic. In any case she is old and lived a good life with us... Any advice of when is the right moment? Do I keep her in life only because i do not want her to die?

A Good life deserves a painless death. Let your friend go, and ease her suffering. If you allow her to deteriorate and waste away because you want to keep her alive, I think that is just a bit selfish.My 17 year old cat is nearing his time, and I have made plans for Thanksgiving...A last decent meal and then let him go. He has had an excellent life, as has your friend.

Just because you don't want her to die doesn't mean that's the best thing for the dog. It seems to me that you need to put her down. If she has trouble eating she must be suffering. Most of the time I would say no to putting animals down but in this case I have to say yes.

I understand how you must feel,but don't do what I did and will never do again.I let my cat die in my house of a stroke just because I did not want to let her go.She suffered and died a horrible death.When your pet can no longer enjoy life and function as before, it's time to say goodbye.Please take my advice,as you'll always regret not helping sooner while you have the choice.

why dont u take the dog to a vet again and if she is still not better then good luck in the bestof all ways

We had grooming shops for 20 years and all the dog's to go with it...the hardest thing in the world is to put your loved one asleep..but, which is harder in your mind, putting her down, or watching her go thru pain and agony every day? I'm sorry to hear this cause we have dog's and they are considered our children no matter what anyone say's...they are family...Please dont let her suffer any more than she can bear....

I don't think its time just yet. If you can not tell if she is in pain, than perhaps she isn't.Me and my partner are going through that right now. I hope Chico dies in his sleep because I know my partner won't have the courage to do what has to be done if the cat starts suffering.I wish you well. Make sure you do special things for her. No need not to give her favorite treats now in abundance. Make her feel loved. Its all you can do. Pet her while she sleeps perhaps.When/ if the time comes, you will know..

I am sorry to hear about your beloved dog, if it was me i would have to put her out of misory, i cant stand to see an animal suffer. what i did was put my dog down and i had her cremated then i went to www.adirondackpeturns.com and ordered a this beautiful hand made, hand painted cremation urn to place my beloved dogs ashes into it now sits on out mantle where everyone can see how much i love my doggy.

if there's pain meds available you can always do that.but once your dog's ailments get to the point where its suffering is beyond what pain meds can help.. you'll be able to tell...then it's time.it's the great circle of life..

i'm sorry to hear about your dog's situation..think of it this way.. by prolonging her life, you're prolonging her suffering. dying is not always bad..all good things come to an end and she has had a good 16 years with a good owner like you.. although it's hard to let go of her, you will have to one day..she'll be in my prayers and you & your family too..be strong..

My parents dog was the same way. At the end she was almost completely blind and kept running into things. They did not put her down and on her last day, she was howling and whining. It was SO sad. I would avoid that feeling at all cost. If your dog starts to suffer, the sounds and feelings will stay with you forever. And I am speaking from experience.

Well my dog is the same and eventually when she gets as bad as your dog then we will put her down becuz she has lived with us for ever nd she DOESNT deserve to suffer so if you think your dog has lived a good life and you dont want her to suffer put her dow n asap

that dog wont sufer if you put him down i had to put my cat down a long time ago but i hardly ever think about him anymore you remember but it gets less painfull everyday

you love the dog so you cant. ask the vet if you should. ive put six dogs down in the past 46years. and ive found that it is easyer if you get a new dog first.everytime one of my dogs get about ten i buy a new one.then after you put the old one down it a little little little easier.

It is never an easy decision to make but from your description, she is ready. What concerns me is the not focusing and difficulty eating. I would take her in and have her gently go to sleep. The vets are so good with this and that way you can tell her goodbye and not have her suffer anymore.God bless and good luck.

It is so hard to put your beloved pet down. I understand what you are going through. Your pet is a part of your family. I had to put our dog down 25 years ago. This beloved dog of ours grew up with my children. So it was hard on all of us. I was with her when she went to her final sleep. It was hard, but as I held her and pet her I could feel her tension subside and she fell into a restful peaceful sleep. I have never had another dog since. I just can't bare the thought of another lose as great as this one. Good luck to you dear one. It's a tough decision to make. All I can say is don't let your precious loyal pet suffer. She has given you unconditional love. She's not going to let you know she is suffering until the suffering is so great she can no longer hide it. As you yourself said she is old and has lived a good life. It's time to let her go peacefully and without pain. God Bless you.

AS LONG as your dog is eatting,(cut all food up , pure with a blender) and being able to use the bathroom properly. i say just love her as long as u can.when our parents or grand parents get real old, we dont put them to sleep.as long as the dog isnt suffering like yelping etc, just make her comfy!!if she gets to where she cannot poop and pee etc, or is in pain, you will need to let her go to rainbow bridge.its hard. i know.now she may get constipated and need a laxitive some day. ask vet.hopefully when her time comes, God will just take her peacefully.there will be animals in heaven, well new earth.GOD breathed into man and he became a living soul. i feel animals have souls. different from ours, but i feel the breath is soul. when we dont breath anymore, our soul is gone.i have many animal friends waiting for me. if she is not there when you get to the next world, just ask god to bring her to you.he will.good luck. take care!!! maria..

You have to look at her quality of life. If she's not displaying symptoms of pain it makes it a little harder to make this decision. At least then you could say, I'm ending her suffering. But she's having trouble eating, which isn't good. You and your dog have a bond and a connection. They'll let you know when they are ready to go. I know this doesn't help. But at the end of the day it's just an intuition that signals...hey I have to do this. It isn't easy, and there will be days afterward that although you know that you made the right decision, you'll wonder. But, you have to do what's best for HER. You have to love her enough to eventually let her go. Take a weekend and just spend all your time with her. Take a monday and tuesday off from work . See if your vet will let you euthanize her on a monday during their lunch hours (less people, less questions, less chances that you'll be overcome and breakdown in front of strangers). Then take the night and the next day to mourn. It's going to be hard, and no one wants to have to make this decision. The fact that you asked this question on the message board, to me, seems likes you know it's time and you just need reassurance that you're making the right decision. Go with your gut and what you can see in her eyes. She understands how hard this is for you.

I'm really sorry. Our beloved dog is 13 years old and I can't imagine my life without her. Nontheless, this isn't about me, but about the quality of her life. That should be the right decision. Ask your heart. I haven't seen your dog but from what you describe the time is now.

It's hard to say goodbye to a beloved pet that has been a best friend to you for 16 years. She is suffering because she can not enjoy the same quality of life as before. You said that she is old and has lived a good life. Make an appointment with the vet and have her put down quickly and quietly it's the right thing because she may get worse and truly suffer with great pain and that would be awful. You can plant a nice memorial garden in her memory out in your back yard with beautiful flowers and decorations to honor her memory. The greatest honor to her memory would be to go down to the humane society and adopt a young puppy. It won't replace your beloved pet because you'll always have fond memories but it will bring a happiness to a sad time, and give another dog the opportunity to live with such a great pet owner.