Putting your dog down.....

[MH8675309]

Dogs got pretty hard heads - bird shot might work OK and no doubt is good for self defense. A slug though would do it first time and avoid chasing a badly wounded dog to finish it off. That would make a hard job harder yet.

 

[3pedal]

I'm luck, and have a good friend that is a vet. When it was time a couple months ago for my dog, she and a friend came up and did it at the house. I thought it was the right place to do it. In an accident, yes, I would do it, do doubt. But in the natural course of life, I preferred to have someone else do it. That way I could hold her as she went to sleep.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Re: Getting another dog after losing one. I have mentioned this before but will once again mention it. Regardless of waiting or getting another dog right away, the new member of the family will be different. Accept both the good and bad quirks and move on. Some dogs will never be replicated, some will be just "so so". All need love. As time goes on, recalling thoughts about the ones past may just bring a tear to your eye. Relax, you are human.

 

[swamy1969]

Yep I have done it, hope I never ever do it again. Long story short I was tasked to put down my dog when I was 12, she had been with me since I was born. Was traumatic for me, quick for her, couldn't possibly recommend that to anyone else unless it was the most humane, pain ending event that needed to happen "right now". As I write this my 12 year old blue heeler is sleeping by my desk, am hoping for a few more years with him. Yeah I want to be there when he passes, and I will do the right thing when its right to do so, but I will find a vet or a friend to administer whatever needs to be done. It a very personal decision, its good your thinking about it now......... good luck to you.

 

[Lurch]

Put down my best friend of 15 yrs last april. For me it was the decision that wrecked me. Once I made up my mind there really was no choice it was just another animal to put down. Farm life teaches some hard lessons.

 

[MF283]

Farm life teaches some hard lessons.

I think of them as LIFE lessons & a lot of folks have no reality on life. It's not a "want to" it's a "have to"

Ronnie

 

[k0ua]

One Caveat. Dig the hole first. It is much easier to see how to dig, and operate the machine when your eyes are not full of tears and you are upset.

 

[KYErik]

I never had to do it on my own dog, but the neighbor had me to do it for her 14+ year old australian shepard and I've had to do it for a cow and a few barn cats (one had been stepped on by a cow). I considered doing it for a calf last year that had been stepped on (bone was sticking out through the skin and covered with manure) but took it to the vet instead and it ended up suffering with a cast on for 4+ weeks (vet finally put it down because of infection). I wish I would have put her down when I first saw the open fracture. I have had good luck with splinting a closed fracture, but I don't believe I will try to have an open fracture treated again.

If there was any type of severe trauma or severe illness/incapacitation/suffering, I think I could do it for my own dog- I wouldn't want his last 30 min spent riding in a vehicle and then getting forced into a strange place and having a needle stuck in him. I would want to say a few last kind words to him and then for it to be instantaneous.

 

[fordmantpw]

Just reading these posts bring back tears and memories from having our beloved little rat terrier put down almost two years ago. She was, and always will be, a member of our family. No way could I have done the deed myself, even though I do hunt. I just could not do that to a family member myself. No way, no how.

 

[hosspuller]

There is wisdom in "Better a week too early than a day too late" Animals live in the moment. They don't worry about retirement or tomorrow. We take the emotional pain on ourselves rather than leave the animal in physical pain.

Best wishes to the OP and others facing their loss.

 

[SpringHollow]

We always agonized whether we were waiting too long since we did not want to make the dogs suffer just because we wanted them around longer. When we would take the dogs to the vet because we were not sure, the vet would always tell us we would know when the time was right and he was correct. We continuously questioned ourselves but when the time came, the dogs always let us know before things got too bad and we were able to end things in a caring manner. It is a shame that in most areas, we do not have the same option. Going off topic but having the option relieves a huge amount of worry. Very very few ever make use of it but most feel much better knowing the option exists.

Ken

 

[dodge man]

I put a stray dog down once. It was half starved and crazed. I was afraid of it and we had young kids at the time, let alone the fact that our cats were going nuts. I probably would have called the local pound but it was the weekend and to say they aren't very responsive an understatement. I put some catfood out and when it came running up I put two round from my 45 acp in it. I still remember the yip it let out and it still bothers me to say the least. I also remember how its ribs were sticking out of its skin.

 

[roadhunter]

I put a stray dog down once. It was half starved and crazed. I was afraid of it and we had young kids at the time, let alone the fact that our cats were going nuts. I probably would have called the local pound but it was the weekend and to say they aren't very responsive an understatement. I put some catfood out and when it came running up I put two round from my 45 acp in it. I still remember the yip it let out and it still bothers me to say the least. I also remember how its ribs were sticking out of its skin.

That's a lot more noble than the people who go drop dogs off in the country with nothing because they won't put the dog down themselves.

 

[rekees4300]

Ladybug was euthanized today. She had been nearly blind for a couple years, but managed a decent quality of life, then today everything just fell apart. Stopped eating, heavy panting, vomiting, disoriented, incontinence with bloody urine, near the end she made little howls letting us know she was in pain. It was obviously her time to go. RIP our loyal friend of 10 years, your family will miss you.

View attachment 460199

 

[Citydude]

Ladybug was euthanized today. She had been nearly blind for a couple years, but managed a decent quality of life, then today everything just fell apart. Stopped eating, heavy panting, vomiting, disoriented, incontinence with bloody urine, near the end she made little howls letting us know she was in pain. It was obviously her time to go. RIP our loyal friend of 10 years, your family will miss you.

View attachment 460199

Sorry for your loss of Ladybug.

 

[MF283]

One Caveat. Dig the hole first. It is much easier to see how to dig, and operate the machine when your eyes are not full of tears and you are upset.

Yes Sir, several years back, i had m eyes dilated for testing, came home , dug the hole with FEL, opened the gate to go do the deed, i was already crying on top of dilation, wind blew the gate & i made a perfect "L" out of it with FEL.

RIP Ladybug, dogs are family to us, wouldn't do without one. I can't remember the number of strays i've put down over the years, we live on a dead end road.
As sad as this thread has been, it has been very civil, to which i THANK all of you.

Ronnie