Liberal Forum

How many of you have put your dog "to sleep"?  I've got one question for those who have:  Did you kill your dog because you couldn't stand seeing it suffer, or did the dog ask you to put it out of its misery?

The former in my case. Its been awhile but it was blind and was rather miserable.

I think we interpret the suffering as asking. It makes us feel better about it. Not easy either way. There’s always that nagging guilt….
 

impartialobserver » 29 Dec 2023, 11:06 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:06 am

The former in my case. Its been awhile but it was blind and was rather miserable.

When I was a child, my dad asked me to make the decision on whether the family dog, which was about 14 years old, should be "put to sleep".  I thought the right thing was to do so, so I said "yes - do it".

More recently, however, I had a 15 year old dog that I knew would not have much longer.  She had dementia, was deaf, and mostly blind.  Occasionally, would still have a lot of energy, though.  I decided that I would not kill her - just allow her to die naturally.  And, after being outside for 3 days in the rain, we found her still alive.  We thought she had a good chance of making it, but in the end, her body just gave up.  Nothing could save her - it was just her time. 

This experience made me realize that dogs know when its their time to die.  IMHO, there's no reason to make this happen quicker for them.  By doing so, I believe we are just trying to make ourselves feel better, not really the dog.

Dying can be a miserable process.  But, isn't it a process that each living being must confront on their own terms, regardless of how other people can't stand to witness misery?
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am

How many of you have put your dog "to sleep"?  I've got one question for those who have:  Did you kill your dog because you couldn't stand seeing it suffer, or did the dog ask you to put it out of its misery?

either way, the end result is the same...
 

We had to do that several years ago. He was 15 and had been basically blind for a couple of years. However, he knew the layout of the house and where things were in the backyard when he needed to go out. One morning we woke up and his rear legs were not working...he was attempting to drag himself around. When I took him to the vet, he said the dog had suffered a stroke...nothing could be done. It was still a hard thing to do, but an easy decision.

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:45 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:45 am

When I was a child, my dad asked me to make the decision on whether the family dog, which was about 14 years old, should be "put to sleep".  I thought the right thing was to do so, so I said "yes - do it".

More recently, however, I had a 15 year old dog that I knew would not have much longer.  She had dementia, was deaf, and mostly blind.  Occasionally, would still have a lot of energy, though.  I decided that I would not kill her - just allow her to die naturally.  And, after being outside for 3 days in the rain, we found her still alive.  We thought she had a good chance of making it, but in the end, her body just gave up.  Nothing could save her - it was just her time. 

This experience made me realize that dogs know when its their time to die.  IMHO, there's no reason to make this happen quicker for them.  By doing so, I believe we are just trying to make ourselves feel better, not really the dog.

Dying can be a miserable process.  But, isn't it a process that each living being must confront on their own terms, regardless of how other people can't stand to witness misery?

she went outside to die or did you throw her to the elements like a heartless bastard to see what happens?   

sorry, I had to go there...

my wife takes care of all that ****...she has a bigger process to go through than the animal itself...
 

ROG62 » 29 Dec 2023, 11:49 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:49 am

either way, the end result is the same...

Is it?  I don't think so.
 

ROG62 » 29 Dec 2023, 11:54 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:54 am

she went outside to die or did you throw her to the elements like a heartless bastard to see what happens?   

sorry, I had to go there...

my wife takes care of all that ****...she has a bigger process to go through than the animal itself...

She ran out of the house with the other dog.  One dog came back quickly, the other did not.  I looked all over for her - we live in a rural area.  A neighbor found her about half a mile down from our house half in a little stream that she couldn't get out of. She was still alive and lived about another day.  Thought she was going to make it, and we decided we would give her every chance to do so.  But in the end it was just her time.
 
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am

She ran out of the house with the other dog.  One dog came back quickly, the other did not.  I looked all over for her - we live in a rural area.  A neighbor found her about half a mile down from our house half in a little stream that she couldn't get out of. She was still alive and lived about another day.  Thought she was going to make it, and we decided we would give her every chance to do so.  But in the end it was just her time.

The poor thing.....animals are different that way...they seem to know...where people "may" know, but refuse to accept...
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am

She ran out of the house with the other dog.  One dog came back quickly, the other did not.  I looked all over for her - we live in a rural area.  A neighbor found her about half a mile down from our house half in a little stream that she couldn't get out of. She was still alive and lived about another day.  Thought she was going to make it, and we decided we would give her every chance to do so.  But in the end it was just her time.

I'm sorry skans. We had a dog disappear into the woods. All the neighbors were helping. But we never did find him.
The last one. Was so sick. i was carrying him in and out to go the bathroom. We tried to save him too. He was bald by then- a skeleton of a dog. I think he was grateful of the help. but it was just time.
I had the best vet. It was a hard decision. but the vet put a cute attitude on it. He said Cyndi- Stan the man has some serious issues. he made light of it. He knew i was upset.
It was a friend who woke me up. Cyndi- Stanley IS very ill. I was in denial.
 
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am

How many of you have put your dog "to sleep"?  I've got one question for those who have:  Did you kill your dog because you couldn't stand seeing it suffer, or did the dog ask you to put it out of its misery?

We just put our boxer down......she suffered a stroke which paralyzed her mouth and she could not eat..... my wife hand fed her and massaged her throat to get food down, she soon lost control of her bowels, and we cleaned up after her. The final straw was her lungs were filling up with fluid and she was gasping for air at the end......her being put to sleep was not a decision reached lightly.....she was family.
 

RebelGator » 29 Dec 2023, 12:21 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 12:21 pm

We just put our boxer down......she suffered a stroke which paralyzed her mouth and she could not eat..... my wife hand fed her and massaged her throat to get food down, she soon lost control of her bowels, and we cleaned up after her. The final straw was her lungs were filling up with fluid and she was gasping for air at the end......her being put to sleep was not a decision reached lightly.....she was family.

yea. sorry to you too. 
we don't get over these things. They stick with you for life.
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am

How many of you have put your dog "to sleep"?  I've got one question for those who have:  Did you kill your dog because you couldn't stand seeing it suffer, or did the dog ask you to put it out of its misery?

Not a question of belief. It is about being merciful.

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:04 am

How many of you have put your dog "to sleep"?  I've got one question for those who have:  Did you kill your dog because you couldn't stand seeing it suffer, or did the dog ask you to put it out of its misery?

.
I put Ranger / GSD to sleep on my birthday because he was in hip pain.
.
Elly May died at me feet after a good doggie life and lots of dog biscuits !
.
. . 
 
 

In Canada they put humans to sleep.

Monderegal » 29 Dec 2023, 1:09 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 1:09 pm

In Canada they put humans to sleep.

They do here too. Its called Morphine. crank it up- its the dirty little secret.
 

Skans » 29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2023, 11:58 am

She ran out of the house with the other dog.  One dog came back quickly, the other did not.  I looked all over for her - we live in a rural area.  A neighbor found her about half a mile down from our house half in a little stream that she couldn't get out of. She was still alive and lived about another day.  Thought she was going to make it, and we decided we would give her every chance to do so.  But in the end it was just her time.

I’m sorry for your loss. It’s a tough thing to swallow.

We've always had pets. Throughout our marriage, my wife and I have decided to put down three cats and five dogs. Two cats and one bird died naturally. All of the ones we had euthanized were old, diseased, lethargic, and clearly in pain. It still was not easy and I second-guess every one of those decisions to this day.

Absolutely!
This subject gives me PTSD just thinking about it!