I think the time has come

happyhack

happyhack

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Buddy is being taken to the vet tomorrow. His quality of life is going to be assessed by the vet and a decision will be made.

He is 15 years old and is skinny as a greyhound. He has no muscle anywhere and it takes him ten minutes to get up and lie down. He has chronic arthritis and can only go as far as the back garden.
He has almost lost control of his bowels completely and I personally think that it is so embarrassing for him as he is impeccably trained.

He is partially deaf and partially sighted too.

We have owned him since he was a puppy and he has had a fantastic life. He loved his walks and watching Buddy's face as his play mate Cookie goes off for his walk is heartbreaking.

He lost his soul mate, Bates 2 years ago and has been on a decline ever since. We got Cookie a couple of weeks after we lost Bates but there's no denying Buddy's heart broke when that dog died.

I am sitting here sobbing as I write this

Here he is

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I know that this is something I am going to have to face at some time in the not too distant future given my dogs problems/prognosis and have had the time to give it a lot of thought. I have even decided what to do with my dog after she is PTS.
Knowing you have given your pet a loving and happy life must be some consolation, and letting them go when the time is right is the final act of love in my opinion.
 
I am so sorry chick, but atleast you can do him this one last favour to end his suffering. I know exactly how you feel tho. I lost my dog of a life time a few years ago to a tumor that was wrapped around her heart. It hurts so much still to think about her!! You will never forget the good times you had with him!!!!
 
Am sending you lots of hugs. It is such a difficult time. I have been through it myself before and know I will have to do it again at some point--my Lab is 10 now.
Just focus on the good times you have had.
 
I'm so sorry, what a lovely dog. My dog died at 15, his magnificent self just became clapped out (all that swimming and chasing squirrels finally caught up with him). Lots of hugs.
 

So sorry, but it does sound like he is ready to go and be with Bates
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I know how hard it is, but it is so sad to see them suffering when they have lived such a full and happy life.

Huge hugs, got tears in my eyes for you xx
 
Your boy is sooo beautiful!

I think you know when the time is right. We have three retrievers and our old girl is very much in the same boat but doesn't have the bowel problems yet. Reading your post and seeing the lovely picture made me well up. If it feels right in the bottom of your heart and when you look into his eyes then you know what to do. Lots and lots of hugs for both you and Buddy x
 
I think you know the answer or you wouldn't be posting this.

I always have dogs pts at home, in front of the aga where they go to sleep one last time, that way their friends, my other dogs can say goodbye to them afterwards. I find it helps them know what has happened.

thinking of you.xx
 
So sorry, he looks a lovely old man. It is the last kindness we can do for a beloved dog, but knowing this doesn't make it any easier
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It sounds like Buddy has had a full and happy life and I am sure you have some great memories. These will help you get through the sadness when you make the final decision. ((Hugs)) to you and Buddy.
 
So sorry for you, we had to make the heartbraking decision last november with our springer spaniel, basically the same circumstances as with your dog.
Its absolutely heartbraking and i only stopped crying when my tears ran dry, but now i know we made the right decision and that he had no quality of life
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best wishes, thinking of you x
 
You are making the right decision. It doesn't make it any easier but as others have said it is the kindest thing you can do for your best mate.

I think that the poem in the "in memory of" post sums the whole thing up.

Cry your eyes out, have lots of cuddles and remember the good times. (and maybe a fair few drinks!!)
 
Im so sorry. I lost my dog in august, i spent 3 weeks trying not to go out so when it did happen she wouldn't be alone and when the time came everybody had gone out at the same time. At least this way you can be with him and give him lots of cuddles. Just keep lots of happy memories of him.
 
I have just totally lost it sitting at my desk, I know how terribly sad you are feeling and how lost.
I lost my glorious St Bernard a little over two weeks ago and the pain and grief have literally been unbearable. Buddy has the same kind of look on his face that my boy always had when he would lie in the garden and watch the world go by. I was so lucky that my boy just went to sleep and didn't wake up but i had tortured myself with what you are going through for over a year trying to know when the time would be right.
All i can say is you will know yourslef if he has had enough of life, those beautiful eyes will tell you what is for the best.
If you need any kind of support please feel free to pm me, i'm right there with you.
 

I can remember the day we went to pick him out. The family with the litter called him White Fang, as all the other puppies were really golden and he was white as snow.

He came when my youngest sister was just 4 and they used to walk around the house together, he used to hold her hand in his mouth, barely touching her.

We took him to local pet shows where he won the following
"Dog the judge would most like to take home" x2
"Look-alike-with my sister in pigtails"
"Most Handsome"
and the funniest.......
"Prettiest Bitch!!!!" I still remember that day!

When Bates arrived 6 months after, there was the usual territorial battle with flying fur etc! But they soon became the best friends in the world. Bates was the dominant dog and Buddy followed him everywhere. Buddy would offer toys to Bates constantly-mainly because Bates woul look at Buddy holding a toy and snatch it away, but it NEVER bothered Buddy.

We lost Bates in November 2006. He had 2 strokes in 24 hours and it was very very quick. Buddy was very lonely and was allowed to sleep upstairs until he got used to it.

After 3 weeks, we rescued Cookie, a JRTx Border Terror (as we call him) and the same battle ensued with Cookie becoming the dominant dog, but still looking up to Buddy.

Cookie worships the ground Buddy walks on and is very protective of him-often trying to join in on the dreams Budy has by leaping on him when he wimpers.

More recently, Buddy has been a great comfort to my sister who is pregnant, he has been there for her to sob into when her mood swings take effect and to comfort her when she has been rowing with her OH.

He is a fabulous dog-the most perfect ever and I will miss him so much. I know he hasn't been PTS yet, but it is pretty much a cert.
 
{{{Hugs}}} sounds as if you've already assessed his quality of life thoroughly and only wants the veterinarians confirmation on that it is time to let go. But it's comforting to have the vet as a sort of a safety net, to make sure one take the right decision.


I feel I can really relate to your words about it being heartbreaking to see Buddy when Cookie goes for walks. Because I've been in similar situations with one dog not having the strength to walk the long walk and having others dogs that still wanted their long walks, but luckily in our case it's only been temporarily conditions causing it. The taking a short one on one walk was just fun, but definitely not accepting it meant staying home when the other two went for a longer walk.
Can only confess that in both periods, it ended in me not being able to resist my stubborn Norwegian Buhunds
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. So more than once I've taken a longer walk with one Buhund in a pram, being lifted down for a little walking, sniffing and "other matters", lifted back up for a little while, lifted down, lifted up - and lots of looks from people seeing a Buhund lying , looking out from a pram with the edge as a headrest...
However I'm not saying it as a suggestion of a solution for Buddy, it is doable when you only have 12 kg little Buhund to lift up and down and not all the other issues going on. But the 'Leaving one home for long walks with the others'-problem, caused such trouble (since the convalescent was fit for fight according to themselves) and worst part it was so heartbreaking, that it only took us two, three days to come up with the pram solution.




Buddy looks so lovely on the photo and maybe it's not the reason behind your photo but for me, it makes me associate to that thing where if it's so only a few centimetres higher, it is better to lie there because you have SO much better view over the surroundings from there.


{{{Hugs}}} and big sympathies with tomorrow.
 
Just wanted to send you hugs too. What a beautiful boy he is and what a wonderful life he has had with you. Please feel free to pm me if you need a shoulder to cry on.
 
Hugs for u and your boy(((((hugs))))))) he looks like a lovely gentle lad....and what a fab age, he has reached, you should be proud of yourself, he is obs a very loved old boy.
 
Huge hugs for you, I can't imagine how you must feel, I have a dog and I can't bear to think about that time. You're being so brave, and so loving, he's got the best in you. Huge hugs sweetie xx.
 
Big (((((hugs))))) will be thinking of you both tomorrow, its very sad to see them go downhill but it sounds like there has been lots of love given both ways.
He is such a beautiful dog.
I dread the day i have to make that choice ( my dalmation is 16yrs and he is going blind and wobbly behind, walks like he is pissed! bless him) i hope i am as brave as you are when the time comes.
bless ur beautiful dog :0)
 
Poor Buddy and poor you. What a lovely old chap he looks and it's good that you are doing the last kind thing you can do by letting him go peacefully before he suffers. My thoughts are with you for tomorrow xxxxxxxx
 
I think that you already know what is going to have to happen and I feel for you but you will actually feel relieved when it is all over and he is at peace.

My thoughts are with you.
 
aww, im sos sorry, hugs for you, is he a golden retriever?
my dog had to be pts on June the 2nd last year
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i just cried and cried, but i was at school the day he went
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he was a golden retriever, 14 years old [nearly] we had him since he was a puppy, he was two months younger than me. anyway, he got arthritis and was on medication for it, he didnt like the taste but could really see the difference in him, his medicine was in his food. but then he stopped eating, so obviously he didnt get his medicine and so he had to be put down
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here he is.. he was a gorgeous boy, i will never forget him
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RIP Maxios
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iLoveYou More than you could ever know
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xxx
 
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