My little rant

[bk_blue]

For those of you who don't know my family (well my stepmum but he's like the family dog too) also has a 15 yr old German Shepherd X named Rin Tin Tin (Rinny for short). About 5-6 mths ago he had a doggy "stroke" and was almost put to sleep except my stepmum wouldn't do it, not if he had a fighting chance. He was put on some anti-dementia medication (he doesn't have dementia but this med helped increase blood flow to the brain or something), was already on celery seed for his severe arthritis, so he was going ok but his quality of life since the stroke has been IMO pretty shocking, no way would I let BK go on like that. In the last few months his condition has deteriorated to the point where he obviously finds it painful to walk or even get up, it takes him forever to get up in the mornings, in the last 6wks he's gone off his food and wet himself occasionally. I spoke to Dad the other day to see how he was and he said they're taking him to the vet tomorrow to be put down, they'd set a date for it and everything about a month ago... I asked him why they'd planned it so far in advance and he said "oh so we have a chance to say goodbye to him." Which is fair enough but I completely disagree with their putting their own feelings ahead of Rinny's quality of life and his obvious discomfort and suffering, and for a month????? Pretty selfish I thought. :-? And what if my sister and I wanted to say goodbye to Rinny as well, we lived with him for a while and he's like our dog too. I'm pretty sure that this wasn't Dad's idea, he's the biggest anti-cruelty person I know, but this is turning into a family rant so I will stop. I just think that if you have a dog you put THEIR feelings first when it comes to their health and wellbeing, as much as it is heartbreaking to lose a pet you've got to do what's right for them and not yourself.

I just had to vent... I will shut up now... :( Do you think what I am saying is unreasonable or not? I am just really sad that Rinny doesn't seem to matter in this, he's just made to hang around until they are ready for him to go. :x

[Guest Anonymous]

I agree with you. As HARD as it would be to put a friend, companion, family member, and canine down, you can not be selfish. Let them be pain free. :cry:

[Guest Anonymous]

Oh K...it's only 7am here and you have my crying already.

[Guest Anonymous]

Well I grew up with a Lab, Boone. He lived to be 15 yrs old..Which is old considering a labs life span.... My step mom and brother were here visiting and Boone had to be taken to the vet... Vet said he had severe cancer and would be gone within that week or sooner...Dad took him home. My mom and brother were coming home the next day... Dad put Boone in the Garden tub on blankets and pillows and that night Boone past away.. Dad would have had him put down but Boone was a "4 legged person" and he was ours and since it was only a day he felt that Boone's "Mom" should get to say bye and hold him one last time.. My son layed on that dog and loved him as did my little brother 17 yrs ago... he was apart of my family.. He played Duck hunt on the TV because you couldn't see the TV from his head.. he layed in the middle of the football field DURING the football game!! This dog was my dads right and left hand... his shadow...his guardian, as well as the guardian of my family.... I would not have wanted him to suffer for anyone but to see the tears in my moms eyes when my dad called and told her how sick he was...and to see her face when he called at 5:00am that morning to say Boone was gone. (as she was leaving to go see "her son")..


No I do not believe in suffering forever or even a month with no hope for anything.... I think it is cruel.... I guess you have to look at the situation and all aspects to though... How long, what is the problem... If there is no hope then you look at the fact that they give and gave you the best they had now it is time for you to give back to them the best you can!

[Guest Anonymous]

Very sad, jacsmom.... :cry:

[mouseatthebusstop]

I can understand your family's feeling, Poppy had a stroke a year last July she is on that medication to increase blood to the brain she also has arthritis and is on an antiflammatory tablets for it, we would count the good days and bad ones when she has more bad days the time will be right to let her go :cry: we feel she is happy enough at the moment and the medication is working on her.
very sad Jacsmom :cry:

[Shannon_C]

Thats very sad BK Blue, Jacsmom.

Most of you might have read about the Border Terrier that my mom saved from an evil man in my childhood, well i didnt tell you about the last night of her life.
My moms boyfriend who i didn't really get on with would take (Shandy as we named her) down the club with him.....i know this cause i would see him walking her on the leash from a friends house (often she would be with me) but this one day she wasn't....i was not too happy about this as i was told he hated seeing dogs on leashes and that my mother had given him a good talking too about it, ''he knew Shandy was terrified of crossing roads'', well you can expect to know what happened next.......he took our little dog without a leash on across this busy road on the way back home, they were only half way up the road when this stupid man who knew Shandy from the club called her and she went running across the road, she got hit by a caravan being towed by a car....i knew nothing about untill my brother (bless him) came and told me, i went running home...only to find that Shandy had being laying in my mothers boyfriends arms for 1 hour.......when i asked why she wasn't at the vet he said he thought she would come round so he didn't think it was necessary and that he didn't have own transport, i was so furious as well has being upset......i screamed at him, i shall not say what i called him, a friend had phoned a taxi to take Shandy to the vet, with him dragging behind...Shandy died in the early hours of the morning, i did not sleep or eat properly for months...to think that if he hadn't have been so foolish and took our little girl to the vet, she might have been saved!
I carn't help but think that she suffered for the last hours of her life.

[Guest Anonymous]

This is a very personal decision and a very difficult one for everyone who loves their animals. There's no right and no wrong. It's how each individual views their dog's situation I had a 7 mo. old puppy w/multiple myeloma and there was nothing they could do for him. I took him home and made every day special. When his bad days outnumbered his good days, I knew I had to make a decision. It may even be easier to make the decision to PTS when a dog is in pain, but sometimes your head can tell you one thing and your heart disagrees. I put to sleep my female boxer who was 12 in Dec., it was not an easy decision, as she was not in pain. She suffered from Degenerative Myelopathy. Her gait became worse and worse until she had to drag her hind legs, but she was happy alert and being a dog, so stoic and was enjoying her life. The decision was made because the weather was getting snowy, and she was embarrassed to go in the house and even though we balanced her hind legs holding them up is a towel, she was slipping and sliding on the ice, and she would become fretful when she had to go to the bathroom.

[Guest Anonymous]

That's very sad...Shannon and Guest Pat.....

[bk_blue]

:cry: :cry: :cry: Shannon, Jacsmom, Guest Pat your stories are all so sad.

The only thing is with Rinny, although I don't live with him, every time I go over there he is not a well dog: stiff, sore, in pain (his teeth chatter and it's not the cold). He still makes the effort to get up out of bed and greet me or anyone that comes outside, I wish he wouldn't because it hurts him so much but he does it (BK never does that, he waits for everyone to come to HIM :roll: ). Therefore I have the belief that his bad days are most likely outnumbering the good, to be honest I didn't think he'd make it through the winter and he did. Anyway seeing as it's the afternoon now I am quite sure he's been taken to the vet and is now waiting at the bridge. :cry:

[eric]

Let me first of all express my sympathy.

I personally have been blessed to not have to decide (yet) on putting one of my dogs down, and it is certainly a decision I do not envy.

My intellectual reaction is to say that if the dog simply is not enjoying life anymore and is living in constant pain, the right thing to do is to put him to sleep. He has no doubt had many good years with you guys, but when life becomes a burden instead of a joy, it is perhaps time to say goodbye.

Emotionally, I really don't think I could put one of my boys down. My eyes water at the very thought, so its very hard for me to tell someone else to put their beloved family member to sleep.

There comes a point, however, when you want to make the pain stop because you love this dog so much. I would venture to say that, at 15 years of age, Rinny will not be making any miraculous recoveries and go on to live to the ripe old age of 80. And so I think the best decision is to end his pain.

I wish to express to you my sincerest condolences and I think regardless of the decision, you should strive to not let family discord taint the memory of Rinny.

[bk_blue]

Thank you Eric for your kind words. :)
They decided not to put Rinny to sleep, they are going to wait another month and see how he goes, as he's still eating and hopping around, I don't know if one would call it *enjoying* life though... Personally I don't see how it's going to be any easier putting him to sleep in another month or two than now, as you said he's not going to get any better and 15 years is a very ripe old age for a GSD. Part of the reason I don't want to get too involved is because it's a fairly emotional topic and I want to do what is best for the dog, he's the important one in all this, not my family and their politics and opinions.

What sort of dogs do you have?

[Guest Anonymous]

I actually have a German Shepherd also, as well as a black lab/shepherd mix. Their names are Travis (the GSD) and Sam. I posted some pics of them under the "Pictures" section.

15 years is phenomenal for any dog, and I will be extremely happy if my boys live to such a ripe old age.

Cheers,
Eric