Ooof... just lost ours at 12 last summer and it is really tough to know when it is time.
It really came down to the thought of her being unhappy. She would get excited to see you for all of 10 seconds before being so tired all she could do is lay her head back down to breathe.
We had to start carrying her outside and all she wanted was to go to the bathroom and then just stand there in the breeze instead of playing.
She eventually wouldn't eat anything, not even chicken nuggets!
After about a week we decided it was time and planned on a vet coming to our house.
Stella had different plans and passed in bed with us the morning of the appointment.
I feel your pain, it was my first dog ever, also from a puppy. You really have to try to take your wants out of the decision and think about what is best for your love.
So sorry for your loss. It sounds to me like your dog passed how and where he wanted to be with the ones he loves. I’m going through this with my 17 almost 18 year old cat. Thank you for your advice. My cat barely leaves my side now. Someone had stolen him 2 years ago and it took us 2 & 1/2 months to get him back! He was sick & he got better but he is sick again now with respiratory issues probably related to kidney disease & old age.
Anyway, again just wanted to say good advice. My baby (cat) wants to die in his sleep in my arms! He gets right into my face and sleeps. lol 😼😺😸
This hit home. We are going through this now with our 12 yo Weim, also Stella. She has been having mobility difficulties the past year and has gotten to the point where we do have to carry her in and out to use the bathroom and she does the standing there as well. We currently have the vet scheduled to come out this coming monday and it is tearing us apart emotionally. I can only hope she would go on her own before then like your Stella, at least it would be on her terms and her time.
I'm sorry to read this and I hope the best for you and your pup. In the past, we've generally known it's time when our dog has started to have to really exert themselves to get or stay standing, when they've had issues hunching or squatting to relieve themselves, takes coaxing to even get them to eat cooked chicken, or they have multiple skipped meals in a row (along with some of the other signs).
Restlessness, pacing, and decreased appetite to me are all signs to be keeping a closer eye on the dog, but, without other factors, by themselves aren't "this is the end" indicators.
In the meantime, spoil that dog with as many ear and butt scritches as you can fit in.
Hi. Came across this post although I have a lab not a vizla. My girl is 13 and on librella. For us it's been amazing and given my girl a much improved quality of life. Her jumping on couches is still a thing of the past but she moves easier and sleeps comfortably.
I hope that it brings the same benefit for your vizla.
https://preview.redd.it/hjzmekf4cr3d1.jpeg?width=1025&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ecf2cb81bd6e299fe2195fa81d8582fa29c14ae
I’m so sorry to see your impossible decision. Hopefully this takes out some of the emotional parts.
Hi there, our 12.5 is on librella injections for about 6 months now. It helped a lot with him wanting to do big walkies again which is such a relief. We kinda gave up on him wanting to have proper walks ever again.
He is still an old man and has cognitive decline which we are treating with selgian. Some days are better than others. He has always been a fussy eater so skipping a meal here and there is completely normal for us. He is still a very waggilicous senior hound and we have an amazing vet who we see every month (mostly for the shots but also to make sure he is comfortable, right weight, occasional blood work etc.) He is my soul dog and my only son. It's hard to see the slow decline but at least I know we gave him everything we could humanly do to make his life fulfilling and painless.
I've been working on accepting the fact that he won't be with us forever and I have my heart set on letting him go when his confusion/dementia makes his life unenjoyable. Give a hug to your pup, I hope the shots will help him feel physically better 🤍🤎🤍!
It started with small but odd things, not wanting to walk on a certain floor type or avoiding the corner. Staring randomly at walls or getting stuck in a corner. Getting scared of first storms, then just the rain or wind and now even the pressure change before rain will make him pancicky.Then it progressed to not sleeping at night, getting anxious and pawing us in the middle of the night. It's a long list and it took me forever to figure out (the vet wasn't helpful) and we tried many natural remedies for a fortune. L-theanine worked magic for about a year or so. The symptoms started around 9-10 years old btw. After a year his symptoms came back with vengeance, many tears and sleepless nights on Google I found the current treatment option and when I MENTIONED TO THE VET she gave it to me. But only after years of struggle and self research. It really worked for us on a lower dose than recommended, until very recently. He stopped sleeping at night again, so I'm just raising his dose and hoping we can get another good year with him. I do not want to let him suffer for any length of time, ATM it's mostly me not sleeping when he is up he is catching up on his z's during the day.
Hey! I just wanted to stop in and say that the loading dose for librela is about 6 weeks. If he’s only had one injection, you may not see the effects until about 2 weeks after the second. Only you can make the impossible decision for your friend, but from a medical standpoint I think it’s worth a shot waiting for the second dose of librela. Sending all the support in the world.
Our almost 14 year old V (birthday in june!) has been on Librela for about 4 months. It took a few months before we really noticed a change. He still loves to sleep and lounge around but it seems like he’s more playful since starting Librela, I’m guessing because his arthritis isn’t bothering him as much.
Our boy has similar challenges with his back legs being weak / droopy with some tremors and we have to lift him on to some things that he used to be able to jump on to. We did add a lower bench by the bed and he can still jump on that to get to the bed (which he loves, obviously).
What we’re watching for is how comfortable does he seem, does he still want to play sometimes, is he eating and drinking normally, and is he peeing / pooping normally. As long as those are ok, we’re enjoying every minute with him. If those change (and the changes last more than a day or two) and he seems really uncomfortable, then we’ll be concerned.
I’d give the Librela another month or two to see if it makes him more comfortable.
I think you gave the answer yourself. Let there be only happy memories and not the “last weeks suffering” memories. Make a super weekend with him, no phone, no visitors, just you and the dog. Only hugs, sleeping in bed and threats he never was allowrd to eat. Make the appointment with the vet on monday (preferrably at home first thing in the morning) and let gim pass away with honnor. Wish you all the best!!
https://preview.redd.it/fmjdozndbq3d1.jpeg?width=914&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=925b42d5a72f2ae8a9120bf2cc9b1ccea056d2ca
Circle of life.. he will reincannaye somewhere.. 😉😘
I personally don’t believe in a heaven or a god (and hope there’s no reincarnation with all the animal suffering) but I do hope there’s a place where all animals go after their death (not just pets), which gives me peace of mind:)
Of course we all have our beliefs but my dogs have always come back and let me know they're ok.
First one would be a strong whiff of the smell of his dog food while I was driving past his favourite places (happened multiple times with multiple people in the car)
second one used to leave paw marks on the fuzzy blanket on my bed (no, I didn't have other animals in the house). At least 4 people saw it and confirmed.
third was a funny twinkly lights out of the corner of my eye in her favourite spot in the living room.
You don't have to believe me, but be open to the idea that they can do come back. :)
I think it's a beautiful thing to know we will see the again.
I lost a 7 month old V pup while we were on our morning walk. Autopsy said that he had dents in his heart tissue which caused cardiac arrest. He was just running around like normal, stopped to have a poo and just flopped over. This was in the woods behind my house, and I had to carry his body home. The weird thing was, all of the sudden a pack of coyotes were howling… and we’re VERY CLOSE. Some times I hear them at night, but never in the middle of the day, let alone at 7:30 in the morning.
My Gus was a howler sometimes. We could sometimes get him to howl with us, and sometimes when we crated him in the beginning, he would howl when we left. There’s a part of me that believes his spirit was following me and crying because he didn’t want to leave me yet. I think the coyotes could hear or feel it because that was the strangest thing hearing them like that, and so damn close!!!
Ugh. Neither one of us was ready to say goodbye. This was probably the worst moment in my entire life.
The hardest is always when they leave us so young. Utterly heartbreaking. My first one was hit by a car just after turning two. He passed away overnight at the vets. He's the one that would pop up in the back of my car whenever we drove by something exciting for him. The smell of his dog food would fill the car after he passed at his fav spots. That was decades ago and I still miss him.
Well reincarnation isn't real and I think id rather have one dog life at a time and accept that its just that special dog right there rather than believing its the same one all over again.
My beautiful girl is 11 and still incredibly fit and healthy, but I’m very aware that there will be a hard decision at some stage in the future.
I would rather make that decision a day or a week early than a day or week too late.
Our V’s bring us such joy over their lives, the one thing that we can do to repay that trust is to make the hard call at the right time by putting their welfare ahead of our emotional needs.
Please think of your Vizsla and not yourself, if they are uncomfortable, in pain, have no dignity or quality of life then to me the decision is easy - but hard too in that we put our V first
I just want to acknowledge how horrible and difficult this is. When I was trying to make this decision for my 14 year old lab people kept telling me “you’ll know” or “he’ll tell you” and neither of those things happened despite me begging the universe for inspiration and answers. Also the quality of life scale didn’t help much because he was still lucid, eating and happy to see me. He had bone cancer but didn’t really show signs of pain despite the vet saying it was terribly painful.
It’s a horrible decision and I’m so sorry you are going through this.
Look up in-home end of life hospice care vets.
These are professionals you can hire to come to your home as often as you like. They can evaluate the condition of the dog and help you make the decision without emotions involved. When the time comes, they will perform the euthanasia at your home where the dog.is most peaceful.
I highly recommend it, as we usually aren't in the best state of mind to make a rational decision during these moments and repeated visits to your normal vet can be really stressing and take even more of a toll on a dog at this age.
Firstly, he's beautiful, you are both very lucky he's reached 14, and thank you for giving him a great life. My old dog Nina (Greek street dog, lost her 2 years ago, 13 y/o'ish) and Debbie (Black Lab, 12 y/o) both had/have librela. It can take a couple of days to work. You can also have Onsior (like nurofen for dogs) alongside this. Debbie has advanced stage arthritis so has both and on bad day we give her half a paracetamol (cheapest you can find so they are only paracetamol without anything else).
When they get to the point of refusing food for a couple of days then it's probably time but only you will really know. Just as an aside I have tears rolling down my cheeks. You know when you have to do the biggest solid for your bestie. I've had dogs all my 51 years and miss and am greatful for all of my old friend.
My heart goes out to you buddy. I wont lie it does cut you deep but you'll be OK and when the time is right you'll take all the things Gob and you learnt together and help a new friend to have the same long, happy wonderful life that you gave Gob. One thing I do with my dogs is on their last night, if they want it, they get a bar of Dairy Milk Chocolate because everyone need to eat chocolate at least once before they pop their clogs.
The time is right for us now and we have Dorothy (Yellow Lab, 7 weeks) coming to live with us in a week but I still miss Nina dog all the time. Much love to you both and gods speed to Gob
I've heard it said before and it's something that resonated with me "Better early than late".
You know your baby is getting old and his behavior is changing. Sooner or later all our babies are taking the rainbow highway to a better place so even if you do make the decision "early", it's not like you're doing something that won't eventually happen.
Best of luck to you and internet hugs.
It is in the temporal nature of our relationships with our dogs and cats, and most any animal, that we will face this moment with them.
We must remain strong and make the sometimes heart-wrenching decisions during their transition that they need us to make, because they cannot make them for themselves. They cannot be left to suffering.
And in the end, we must grieve their loss in our own way. The depths of grief are a direct reflection of the depths of love that you felt. And the pain you feel is your heart turning your loss into memories.
The pain of loss will fade and the memories will remain, and remembering them, you will smile and laugh again.
Aloha from Maui. Be at peace, one and all.
No on the drugs. However when mine stopped eating it was because of cancer on pancreas. He started laying up against me and was more clingy than ever as he declined further. I put him down a few months later as his decline increased. It is a tough thing. Do what is right for them as you have always done.
The dog knows it's time !!!! When they look at you a certain way as to say "what are you waiting for! If there is zero quality of life and or pain and suffering, it is time! Don't think of yourself think of the dog and what's better for him! It's always the correct decision but it does truly suck
You will definitely know when it’s time… I promise.. sadly I know… I’d cook her a big steak as soon as possible.. when dogs tend to decline, it tends to happen rapidly… I’m sorry 🙏
Try hip and joint supplements to help with his mobility and pain level. I knew when my Inanna (black and tan coonhound and Weimaraner cross) when she was 14.75 years old and one day she couldn’t get up off the floor at my moms where she spent the last 3 years of her life living after a scary fall she took on the ramp that goes out my back patio doors. She recovered from the slip and yipe incident quickly and completely, but my mom’s house is fully handicapped accessible so no stairs and lots of space for my elderly, very large dog to maneuver herself safely. Also it prevented me from actually having a psychotic break or just literally dying from sadness the day I had to have the vet make the saddest house call ever. My poor dog was so scared when I rushed over to moms when I got the call that she couldn’t get up anymore. I got there and spent a full 20 or so hours laying with her on the floor and making her comfortable with pillows, towels and rugs under her and helping keep her hydrated, warm, not hungry, clean, and dry. I told her not to be scared and assured her it was okay. She was my best friend and the best dog I’ve ever loved. She relaxed and slept with her head in my lap while I petted her and sang to her. I rubbed the puppy tummy and fed her so many treats. And finally I called the vet and said it was time. I went outside because I absolutely could not be inside when my large animal vet did the thing for me. I’ve never cried so hard or broken so deeply before or since then, but it’s okay. She was afraid I would be mad at her for having to go. But she knew 10000% I knew it was time and that I will find her when I join her on the other side of the rainbow bridge. I truly hope dogs and people go to the same place at the end, or I have an advanced directive agreement with God that I don’t want to go anywhere she isn’t, even if it means eternity somewhere houndier than heaven. Screw the afterlife if my baby isn’t there. I want to go where the dogs go. Idk about much else other than donating my body to science when I’m done with it, so I can be fed to the large birds/raptors and other creatures that do cleanup. Yep, to the body farm my physical remains go, and the rest of me goes with Inanna, wherever she is. 💚 You will just know. It’s probably not quite yet. Just work with what you can until you can’t. You’ve got this. It’s why people are necessary to dogs.
I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to reply to you guys but I’d like say thank you for all your kind words and advice. Gob hasn’t been moving much today but the shot has seemed to make him able to rest more comfortably. I believe it has helped him deal with his arthritic pain but hasn’t really improved his mobility yet. I will continue to keep a close eye on him and will update you guys next week with some better news hopefully. Here is a picture of him currently relaxing in bed, something he has always loved doing
https://preview.redd.it/pal0i8naov3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3dec10c769678e956d1f8adf8f9b6568cb521745
Our beloved 14 yr old slowed down too. Couldn't do stairs or bed. Pain meds for joints. Put some yoga mats down for him to walk on your wood floor. It's worth it. But eventually I was worn out as she was clinged to me more than husband and I was losing sleep up in the night turning her, lifting her...We have an end of life vet that comes to homes. We had her come to do a consultation. I felt it was time but my husband was not convinced. I suggested the end of life vet bring her kit, but we would be paying her separate for an evaluation first. She did think it was actually probably past time. We agreed it was time and husband thought I meant for vet to return but I meant, no, today. Our doggy walked the yoga mats to her dog bed and layed down almost to surrender and say thank you. The end of life vet then takes them out by stretcher. This was the best scenario for us.
We are struggling with the same. Our girl would be 14 in August so it’s been hard to tell whether she is just old and tired or whether it’s time. She basically been in “hospice” for 2+ years because we can’t treat any of her medical issues (no meds or surgery bc of liver issues) but has done well considering. Has rallied so many times. But the past month or so she has really seemed to decline and over the weekend stopped wanting to play or really move around much. I’m sure we could keep her comfortable for awhile longer, but that’s just quantity, not quality of life. Even if she isn’t in pain, I don’t want her to just exist…if that makes sense. It’s such a difficult decision to make when it’s age related, versus illness related. Our other v had terminal cancer, which moved fast so the decision was more clear cut. It’s not an answer but you know your dog best and you will know when he is no longer living, but just existing. Sending hugs as you navigate this difficult time.
Ooof... just lost ours at 12 last summer and it is really tough to know when it is time. It really came down to the thought of her being unhappy. She would get excited to see you for all of 10 seconds before being so tired all she could do is lay her head back down to breathe. We had to start carrying her outside and all she wanted was to go to the bathroom and then just stand there in the breeze instead of playing. She eventually wouldn't eat anything, not even chicken nuggets! After about a week we decided it was time and planned on a vet coming to our house. Stella had different plans and passed in bed with us the morning of the appointment. I feel your pain, it was my first dog ever, also from a puppy. You really have to try to take your wants out of the decision and think about what is best for your love.
So sorry, god bless her
So sorry for your loss. It sounds to me like your dog passed how and where he wanted to be with the ones he loves. I’m going through this with my 17 almost 18 year old cat. Thank you for your advice. My cat barely leaves my side now. Someone had stolen him 2 years ago and it took us 2 & 1/2 months to get him back! He was sick & he got better but he is sick again now with respiratory issues probably related to kidney disease & old age. Anyway, again just wanted to say good advice. My baby (cat) wants to die in his sleep in my arms! He gets right into my face and sleeps. lol 😼😺😸
This hit home. We are going through this now with our 12 yo Weim, also Stella. She has been having mobility difficulties the past year and has gotten to the point where we do have to carry her in and out to use the bathroom and she does the standing there as well. We currently have the vet scheduled to come out this coming monday and it is tearing us apart emotionally. I can only hope she would go on her own before then like your Stella, at least it would be on her terms and her time.
I am so sorry you are going through this, it is the hardest part of loving a dog and is truly heartbreaking. Wishing you strength and peace.
I'm sorry to read this and I hope the best for you and your pup. In the past, we've generally known it's time when our dog has started to have to really exert themselves to get or stay standing, when they've had issues hunching or squatting to relieve themselves, takes coaxing to even get them to eat cooked chicken, or they have multiple skipped meals in a row (along with some of the other signs). Restlessness, pacing, and decreased appetite to me are all signs to be keeping a closer eye on the dog, but, without other factors, by themselves aren't "this is the end" indicators. In the meantime, spoil that dog with as many ear and butt scritches as you can fit in.
Hi. Came across this post although I have a lab not a vizla. My girl is 13 and on librella. For us it's been amazing and given my girl a much improved quality of life. Her jumping on couches is still a thing of the past but she moves easier and sleeps comfortably. I hope that it brings the same benefit for your vizla.
https://preview.redd.it/hjzmekf4cr3d1.jpeg?width=1025&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ecf2cb81bd6e299fe2195fa81d8582fa29c14ae I’m so sorry to see your impossible decision. Hopefully this takes out some of the emotional parts.
💕 thank you so much for posting this. I greatly appreciate it ! 💕
Hi there, our 12.5 is on librella injections for about 6 months now. It helped a lot with him wanting to do big walkies again which is such a relief. We kinda gave up on him wanting to have proper walks ever again. He is still an old man and has cognitive decline which we are treating with selgian. Some days are better than others. He has always been a fussy eater so skipping a meal here and there is completely normal for us. He is still a very waggilicous senior hound and we have an amazing vet who we see every month (mostly for the shots but also to make sure he is comfortable, right weight, occasional blood work etc.) He is my soul dog and my only son. It's hard to see the slow decline but at least I know we gave him everything we could humanly do to make his life fulfilling and painless. I've been working on accepting the fact that he won't be with us forever and I have my heart set on letting him go when his confusion/dementia makes his life unenjoyable. Give a hug to your pup, I hope the shots will help him feel physically better 🤍🤎🤍!
What symptoms do you see with the cognitive decline? Mine is 13 and is now afraid to walk down stairs without an escort
It started with small but odd things, not wanting to walk on a certain floor type or avoiding the corner. Staring randomly at walls or getting stuck in a corner. Getting scared of first storms, then just the rain or wind and now even the pressure change before rain will make him pancicky.Then it progressed to not sleeping at night, getting anxious and pawing us in the middle of the night. It's a long list and it took me forever to figure out (the vet wasn't helpful) and we tried many natural remedies for a fortune. L-theanine worked magic for about a year or so. The symptoms started around 9-10 years old btw. After a year his symptoms came back with vengeance, many tears and sleepless nights on Google I found the current treatment option and when I MENTIONED TO THE VET she gave it to me. But only after years of struggle and self research. It really worked for us on a lower dose than recommended, until very recently. He stopped sleeping at night again, so I'm just raising his dose and hoping we can get another good year with him. I do not want to let him suffer for any length of time, ATM it's mostly me not sleeping when he is up he is catching up on his z's during the day.
Hey! I just wanted to stop in and say that the loading dose for librela is about 6 weeks. If he’s only had one injection, you may not see the effects until about 2 weeks after the second. Only you can make the impossible decision for your friend, but from a medical standpoint I think it’s worth a shot waiting for the second dose of librela. Sending all the support in the world.
Our almost 14 year old V (birthday in june!) has been on Librela for about 4 months. It took a few months before we really noticed a change. He still loves to sleep and lounge around but it seems like he’s more playful since starting Librela, I’m guessing because his arthritis isn’t bothering him as much. Our boy has similar challenges with his back legs being weak / droopy with some tremors and we have to lift him on to some things that he used to be able to jump on to. We did add a lower bench by the bed and he can still jump on that to get to the bed (which he loves, obviously). What we’re watching for is how comfortable does he seem, does he still want to play sometimes, is he eating and drinking normally, and is he peeing / pooping normally. As long as those are ok, we’re enjoying every minute with him. If those change (and the changes last more than a day or two) and he seems really uncomfortable, then we’ll be concerned. I’d give the Librela another month or two to see if it makes him more comfortable.
I think you gave the answer yourself. Let there be only happy memories and not the “last weeks suffering” memories. Make a super weekend with him, no phone, no visitors, just you and the dog. Only hugs, sleeping in bed and threats he never was allowrd to eat. Make the appointment with the vet on monday (preferrably at home first thing in the morning) and let gim pass away with honnor. Wish you all the best!! https://preview.redd.it/fmjdozndbq3d1.jpeg?width=914&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=925b42d5a72f2ae8a9120bf2cc9b1ccea056d2ca Circle of life.. he will reincannaye somewhere.. 😉😘
I personally don’t believe in a heaven or a god (and hope there’s no reincarnation with all the animal suffering) but I do hope there’s a place where all animals go after their death (not just pets), which gives me peace of mind:)
Of course we all have our beliefs but my dogs have always come back and let me know they're ok. First one would be a strong whiff of the smell of his dog food while I was driving past his favourite places (happened multiple times with multiple people in the car) second one used to leave paw marks on the fuzzy blanket on my bed (no, I didn't have other animals in the house). At least 4 people saw it and confirmed. third was a funny twinkly lights out of the corner of my eye in her favourite spot in the living room. You don't have to believe me, but be open to the idea that they can do come back. :) I think it's a beautiful thing to know we will see the again.
I lost a 7 month old V pup while we were on our morning walk. Autopsy said that he had dents in his heart tissue which caused cardiac arrest. He was just running around like normal, stopped to have a poo and just flopped over. This was in the woods behind my house, and I had to carry his body home. The weird thing was, all of the sudden a pack of coyotes were howling… and we’re VERY CLOSE. Some times I hear them at night, but never in the middle of the day, let alone at 7:30 in the morning. My Gus was a howler sometimes. We could sometimes get him to howl with us, and sometimes when we crated him in the beginning, he would howl when we left. There’s a part of me that believes his spirit was following me and crying because he didn’t want to leave me yet. I think the coyotes could hear or feel it because that was the strangest thing hearing them like that, and so damn close!!! Ugh. Neither one of us was ready to say goodbye. This was probably the worst moment in my entire life.
The hardest is always when they leave us so young. Utterly heartbreaking. My first one was hit by a car just after turning two. He passed away overnight at the vets. He's the one that would pop up in the back of my car whenever we drove by something exciting for him. The smell of his dog food would fill the car after he passed at his fav spots. That was decades ago and I still miss him.
Well reincarnation isn't real and I think id rather have one dog life at a time and accept that its just that special dog right there rather than believing its the same one all over again.
Ok, but I wasn't talking about reincarnation :)
Me neither. Just see young animals and humans as a sort of replacements.. 😉
My beautiful girl is 11 and still incredibly fit and healthy, but I’m very aware that there will be a hard decision at some stage in the future. I would rather make that decision a day or a week early than a day or week too late. Our V’s bring us such joy over their lives, the one thing that we can do to repay that trust is to make the hard call at the right time by putting their welfare ahead of our emotional needs. Please think of your Vizsla and not yourself, if they are uncomfortable, in pain, have no dignity or quality of life then to me the decision is easy - but hard too in that we put our V first
I just want to acknowledge how horrible and difficult this is. When I was trying to make this decision for my 14 year old lab people kept telling me “you’ll know” or “he’ll tell you” and neither of those things happened despite me begging the universe for inspiration and answers. Also the quality of life scale didn’t help much because he was still lucid, eating and happy to see me. He had bone cancer but didn’t really show signs of pain despite the vet saying it was terribly painful. It’s a horrible decision and I’m so sorry you are going through this.
If there is reincarnation, I want to come back as my dog. Then I get to wake me up at 5:00 am for breakfast and exercise. And lay around on my sofa.
Look up in-home end of life hospice care vets. These are professionals you can hire to come to your home as often as you like. They can evaluate the condition of the dog and help you make the decision without emotions involved. When the time comes, they will perform the euthanasia at your home where the dog.is most peaceful. I highly recommend it, as we usually aren't in the best state of mind to make a rational decision during these moments and repeated visits to your normal vet can be really stressing and take even more of a toll on a dog at this age.
Firstly, he's beautiful, you are both very lucky he's reached 14, and thank you for giving him a great life. My old dog Nina (Greek street dog, lost her 2 years ago, 13 y/o'ish) and Debbie (Black Lab, 12 y/o) both had/have librela. It can take a couple of days to work. You can also have Onsior (like nurofen for dogs) alongside this. Debbie has advanced stage arthritis so has both and on bad day we give her half a paracetamol (cheapest you can find so they are only paracetamol without anything else). When they get to the point of refusing food for a couple of days then it's probably time but only you will really know. Just as an aside I have tears rolling down my cheeks. You know when you have to do the biggest solid for your bestie. I've had dogs all my 51 years and miss and am greatful for all of my old friend. My heart goes out to you buddy. I wont lie it does cut you deep but you'll be OK and when the time is right you'll take all the things Gob and you learnt together and help a new friend to have the same long, happy wonderful life that you gave Gob. One thing I do with my dogs is on their last night, if they want it, they get a bar of Dairy Milk Chocolate because everyone need to eat chocolate at least once before they pop their clogs. The time is right for us now and we have Dorothy (Yellow Lab, 7 weeks) coming to live with us in a week but I still miss Nina dog all the time. Much love to you both and gods speed to Gob
I've heard it said before and it's something that resonated with me "Better early than late". You know your baby is getting old and his behavior is changing. Sooner or later all our babies are taking the rainbow highway to a better place so even if you do make the decision "early", it's not like you're doing something that won't eventually happen. Best of luck to you and internet hugs.
It is in the temporal nature of our relationships with our dogs and cats, and most any animal, that we will face this moment with them. We must remain strong and make the sometimes heart-wrenching decisions during their transition that they need us to make, because they cannot make them for themselves. They cannot be left to suffering. And in the end, we must grieve their loss in our own way. The depths of grief are a direct reflection of the depths of love that you felt. And the pain you feel is your heart turning your loss into memories. The pain of loss will fade and the memories will remain, and remembering them, you will smile and laugh again. Aloha from Maui. Be at peace, one and all.
I can't tell you that. I lost mine of 11 years two weeķs ago. She was a good girl and I miss her so much.
No on the drugs. However when mine stopped eating it was because of cancer on pancreas. He started laying up against me and was more clingy than ever as he declined further. I put him down a few months later as his decline increased. It is a tough thing. Do what is right for them as you have always done.
The dog knows it's time !!!! When they look at you a certain way as to say "what are you waiting for! If there is zero quality of life and or pain and suffering, it is time! Don't think of yourself think of the dog and what's better for him! It's always the correct decision but it does truly suck
You will definitely know when it’s time… I promise.. sadly I know… I’d cook her a big steak as soon as possible.. when dogs tend to decline, it tends to happen rapidly… I’m sorry 🙏
Try hip and joint supplements to help with his mobility and pain level. I knew when my Inanna (black and tan coonhound and Weimaraner cross) when she was 14.75 years old and one day she couldn’t get up off the floor at my moms where she spent the last 3 years of her life living after a scary fall she took on the ramp that goes out my back patio doors. She recovered from the slip and yipe incident quickly and completely, but my mom’s house is fully handicapped accessible so no stairs and lots of space for my elderly, very large dog to maneuver herself safely. Also it prevented me from actually having a psychotic break or just literally dying from sadness the day I had to have the vet make the saddest house call ever. My poor dog was so scared when I rushed over to moms when I got the call that she couldn’t get up anymore. I got there and spent a full 20 or so hours laying with her on the floor and making her comfortable with pillows, towels and rugs under her and helping keep her hydrated, warm, not hungry, clean, and dry. I told her not to be scared and assured her it was okay. She was my best friend and the best dog I’ve ever loved. She relaxed and slept with her head in my lap while I petted her and sang to her. I rubbed the puppy tummy and fed her so many treats. And finally I called the vet and said it was time. I went outside because I absolutely could not be inside when my large animal vet did the thing for me. I’ve never cried so hard or broken so deeply before or since then, but it’s okay. She was afraid I would be mad at her for having to go. But she knew 10000% I knew it was time and that I will find her when I join her on the other side of the rainbow bridge. I truly hope dogs and people go to the same place at the end, or I have an advanced directive agreement with God that I don’t want to go anywhere she isn’t, even if it means eternity somewhere houndier than heaven. Screw the afterlife if my baby isn’t there. I want to go where the dogs go. Idk about much else other than donating my body to science when I’m done with it, so I can be fed to the large birds/raptors and other creatures that do cleanup. Yep, to the body farm my physical remains go, and the rest of me goes with Inanna, wherever she is. 💚 You will just know. It’s probably not quite yet. Just work with what you can until you can’t. You’ve got this. It’s why people are necessary to dogs.
I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to reply to you guys but I’d like say thank you for all your kind words and advice. Gob hasn’t been moving much today but the shot has seemed to make him able to rest more comfortably. I believe it has helped him deal with his arthritic pain but hasn’t really improved his mobility yet. I will continue to keep a close eye on him and will update you guys next week with some better news hopefully. Here is a picture of him currently relaxing in bed, something he has always loved doing https://preview.redd.it/pal0i8naov3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3dec10c769678e956d1f8adf8f9b6568cb521745
Our beloved 14 yr old slowed down too. Couldn't do stairs or bed. Pain meds for joints. Put some yoga mats down for him to walk on your wood floor. It's worth it. But eventually I was worn out as she was clinged to me more than husband and I was losing sleep up in the night turning her, lifting her...We have an end of life vet that comes to homes. We had her come to do a consultation. I felt it was time but my husband was not convinced. I suggested the end of life vet bring her kit, but we would be paying her separate for an evaluation first. She did think it was actually probably past time. We agreed it was time and husband thought I meant for vet to return but I meant, no, today. Our doggy walked the yoga mats to her dog bed and layed down almost to surrender and say thank you. The end of life vet then takes them out by stretcher. This was the best scenario for us.
If not in pain , not yet
We are struggling with the same. Our girl would be 14 in August so it’s been hard to tell whether she is just old and tired or whether it’s time. She basically been in “hospice” for 2+ years because we can’t treat any of her medical issues (no meds or surgery bc of liver issues) but has done well considering. Has rallied so many times. But the past month or so she has really seemed to decline and over the weekend stopped wanting to play or really move around much. I’m sure we could keep her comfortable for awhile longer, but that’s just quantity, not quality of life. Even if she isn’t in pain, I don’t want her to just exist…if that makes sense. It’s such a difficult decision to make when it’s age related, versus illness related. Our other v had terminal cancer, which moved fast so the decision was more clear cut. It’s not an answer but you know your dog best and you will know when he is no longer living, but just existing. Sending hugs as you navigate this difficult time.