Making "that" decision

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MyBoyChe

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I think the time has come to let our 15 year old ESS go. He has issues with both ears, several teeth really need to come out and he has so many lumps and bumps on him as well as obviously being a bit unsteady on his legs in anything other than a straight line. He still enjoys his 1 walk a day but if Im honest I think that is all he enjoys now. He is still clean indoors and eating and drinking well but I just dont think hes as happy as he was. I have provisionally booked the appointment for this Friday but my husband thinks Im being too hasty and A is fine. He is not fine but he isnt at deaths door. Realistically Im not subjecting him to surgery at his age and I think weve reached a point where to do nothing is not an option, a little unkind even. Not sure what Im hoping for but you lot are mostly pretty sensible, I just dont want there to be an emergency visit or something happen when were not there when I can control the end and make it peaceful. Help please
 
I think 15 is a grand old age. Better à week too soon than à day too late. I’m so sorry you’re facing this decision. I absolutely agree with your thoughts rhat you don’t want the end to wind up as an emergency vet visit scenario, which would be so much more traumatic for you all. Hope your husband can get on board and be supportive, it’s a difficult enough decision as it is x
 
I think the 'person' for that dog knows when it is time.

I have two oldies here not that different to yours. I thought it may be Heck's time recently as his cataract suddenly got a lot worse in the right eye and for a week or so, he wasn't enjoying life. If he had not adapted, for a while his life fell below the line, he would have been PTS. They still seem to enjoy day to day life but I would not hesitate if they no longer did.

I am changing vet to one who will not guilt trip me for not doing procedures on them. They are medicated (Loxicom) and tottering on whilst ever they enjoy life.

You know your dog best and I am sorry that it seems to be the end of the road.
 
We lost our old dog in the summer. To the outsider he looked pretty fine on a day to day basis but over the course of 10 days he had lost his apetite, in all his life he had never gone off food, even after teeth removal. An ultrasound showed a gall bladder problem and initially we were going to treat it but at the end of the call the vet said, "you wouldn't be wrong to put to sleep" and after talking crying it out with DH we decided to let him go, he'd been on a steady decline for about 18 months and it was actually almost a relief to have an illness to give us a reason to do it. I was and still am heart broken but I know I did the best thing for him. I miss him every day but he isn't suffering or confused or in pain so I hold onto that.
 
Trouble is once they start going downhill, the further down, the faster they go. You don't want an emergency situation to be the last thing that happens and 15 is a great age. He is probably generally uncomfortable with the ears and the teeth and probably tired a lot of the time.

Although it is easy for me to say, I would be saying goodbye fairly soon.

It sucks that they don't last longer.
 
I made this decision on 20th November, my whippet (15.5yrs) had nothing "wrong" with him medically but he looked at me and his eyes said he had had enough. Thankfully I had moved vets as I know my previous vets would have tried to prolong his life. I explained to the new vet I wanted him to have quality of life over quantity and didn't want him go down hill and loose his dignity, they 100% agreed. He hated the cold and wet so I am glad for him he went before the weather got really bad.
 
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