ever had a pet put to sleep?

[AAP]

my little neighbor has a 3 year puppy. (ok, maybe not a puppy, but still very young)

puppy is going through congestive heart failure because his heart is too large. he has these episodes where he falls out. like a drunk passing out on his feet. he will start breathing hard and ragged and a few minutes later just passes out. he comes to in about 10 -15 minutes or so.

We took him to the vet emergency center yesterday for the 3rd trip in 6 weeks. they told him (us) that basically a decision had to made about putting him to sleep.

it is very conflicting. as you know my little neighbor is deaf so he didn't really hear the extent of the conversation. but he suspects. I can agree it isn't right to let the puppy suffer, but then again, after he passes out, in 10-15 mins he is up and running around, chasing butterflies, being active... just like nothing happened. I see him when he is breathing hard and passing out and I agree that he shouldn't have to go through this.

But then I see him acting a like a puppy for 8-10 days at a time before the next spell and I can't agree to take these days away from him. He will have a spell and you feel terrible about it and then for 10 days after, he is normal. Having fun, not a worry in the world. Just playing and loving. And all I can think of is that if we have him put to sleep we are basically just robbing him of all the butterflies he can chase, all the sunshine he can nap in, all the faces he can lick and other stuff he likes to do.

this is very hard.

 

[stilleto]

i've had to put 2 pets to sleep. It was such a hard decision, but for both dogs, it was near the end. they had started having siezures.

 

[time]

Man!! That sucks I have had to do it 3 times over the years.. As for the young deaf child can he get a new puppy?
As for the Dog, its real hard but doing whats best is never easy. I feel for you on this one.
love Dogs..

 

[AAP]

That is what makes it hard here. I can see if the puppy was suffering everyday. But the spells are 15 minutes at most, (preluded by 30 mins or so of labored breathing and terrible looks on the face.)

Then he is ok again. For days.

How do you reach a point where you can say "Ok, I am going to choose to take away all the fun days, all the good days, all the love and enjoyment he has in his life now just so he doesn't have this bad spell again."

No, there is no cure. No, the condition doesnt reverse itself or go away.

When the puppy is suffering he looks at you with eyes that just question what is happening to him and what is going on. He doesn't know what it is or why he is doing this. Then afterwards when he is feeling better he looks at you like you are just the most beloved thing he has ever come across.

and the most callous response I have heard is "well you can always get another one."

it doesnt' work that easy.

 

[binö]

i had to put my siamese cat down, lorenzo was his name

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

I don't know bro.. as horrible as those 15-30 minutes are, if it's not life threatening.. I'd keep him around.. especially from how you say he acts for the other 8-10 days.

I mean if you passed out and had a hard time breathing for 15-30 minutes.. but the next 10 days were ok.. you'd probably want to kick around..

search your heart AAP you'll find the answer, I already think you have.

 

[blueta2]

I've had to put 4 of my cats down in a 5 yr time frame. Two of these cats I had for 17 yrs. Was a tough, sad time.

As for the puppy, I would NOT put him down. I would get a 2nd opinion and since he's a puppy and has a good chance at recovery from an operation, I would reconsider

 

[MichaelScott]

yeah id keep him around until it gets bad, suffering>dog having fun

 

[biteme]

I don't like pets, I consider them a nuisance like people... They stink everything up.. My smypathy though to the animal lovers... I'll just be glad when my daughter gets a place of her own so she can get these damn dogs out of my house... After that, never again. I mean never.

 

[vixensghost]

Yeah, I've had to put 3 pets down before. HARDEST thing I ever had to do. However, it was not about ME, it was about their suffering. Easy choice when they will not have the quailty of life they once had.

It's quick, it's painless for the animal but much harder on us...

 

[BNG]

Get a second opinion. If the dog recovers and is normal it can make it for a while and it probably isn't in pain.
Putting a pet down sucks, always has and always will.

 

[LuluDeren]

My family has also had to put pets down. Right now I have a 14 year old cavalier who not only has seizures, but was born handicapped. He recovers and is back to his playful self as well. He loves life and I'm of the opinion that the times he is *well* far outweigh the suffering. So until I see an extreme change, ie: the seizure leaves him unable to walk, I will not put him down.

It is a hard decision.

 

[KillahBee]

RIP Toby

 

[fistfullofsteel]

I hope my baby dies in his sleep because of old age

 

[Bummin]

Hi everyone first post here. Been reading for awile but I have to put in my 2 cents here just because one of my best friends just went through this with his boxer. He could not put down a dog that only had a few bad moments here and there so he waited and it eventually got worse and he had to put the dog down. It was a little over a month before it got bad for his dog but his dog was 6 yrs old. The younger dog may have many more good days. Well good luck with this one. Keep us up on the little guy.

 

[Cutiebaby]

yes. When I lived in italy my mom called me crying my cat that I had for 12 years (since I was little) got kidney failure. 1 week before I was to go home on vaca I told her to just put him down for me. I could not make him suffer and I honestly knew I could not do it.

 

[heatherrae]

my little neighbor has a 3 year puppy. (ok, maybe not a puppy, but still very young)

puppy is going through congestive heart failure because his heart is too large. he has these episodes where he falls out. like a drunk passing out on his feet. he will start breathing hard and ragged and a few minutes later just passes out. he comes to in about 10 -15 minutes or so.

We took him to the vet emergency center yesterday for the 3rd trip in 6 weeks. they told him (us) that basically a decision had to made about putting him to sleep.

it is very conflicting. as you know my little neighbor is deaf so he didn't really hear the extent of the conversation. but he suspects. I can agree it isn't right to let the puppy suffer, but then again, after he passes out, in 10-15 mins he is up and running around, chasing butterflies, being active... just like nothing happened. I see him when he is breathing hard and passing out and I agree that he shouldn't have to go through this.

But then I see him acting a like a puppy for 8-10 days at a time before the next spell and I can't agree to take these days away from him. He will have a spell and you feel terrible about it and then for 10 days after, he is normal. Having fun, not a worry in the world. Just playing and loving. And all I can think of is that if we have him put to sleep we are basically just robbing him of all the butterflies he can chase, all the sunshine he can nap in, all the faces he can lick and other stuff he likes to do.

this is very hard.

I had a kitten when I was in law school who did that a few times and then I came home from class one day and she was dead. It was TERRIBLE. If you don't have it put to sleep, it will eventually die when it isn't being watched. I had even done mouth to snout on the kitten once until I could get it to the vet. Poor kitty.

 

[slat1]

My father called me at college and asked me if I wanted to come home and put the dog to sleep.
We had her for 17 years. She was the only thing in life that loved me unconditionally.
Then he said "just kidding we did it today"
I think he was as freaked out as I was.
Well, I was hanging out with two of my buddies who were the biggest badest guys around.
I kept thinking "what is this feeling? I don't remember it... Oh shit. Yes I do. I had it when they found E.T. in the river. FUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK I am going to cry"
I ran out of the room faster then I have ever ran.
A minute later I went back. It was 11am.
My buddies asked what the deal was and I told them.
They just said "lets go"
We went to the liquor store and got wasted.
Best dog ever. I can never get another one!

 

[biteme]

I hope my baby dies in his sleep because of old age

Is he a pit bull by chance?

 

[gotmilk]

I had a pet with congestive heart failure. It went from acting like it had asthma to me spending $2000 one night taking my pet to the emergency vet clinic....where it died 8 hours later from a heart attack.

 

[crazyjoe]

I know a monkey that needs to be put to sleep.