Talk me through PTSing my old dog

meandmyself

meandmyself

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He's 14, his kidneys are failing and I'm starting to think it's time. I've never had a dog PTS before. We have three other dogs at home. If I take him to the vets, should I bring the body home? The second oldest dog is also 14, and they've been together since Jo was 5 months old.

Thank you.
 
I have had a few (too many) dogs PTS and have always done the same - take them to the vets (none of them were stressed by going to the vets), a quick injection whilst I held and reassured them, and that was it. I personally don't bring the body home, to me the dog is the spirit and character and the body is just a shell when that has gone, but I know many others have completely different views on that. None of my dogs has ever been bothered by the process, they have no idea it isn't a simple injection, and I always hold it together until they have gone.

And never, ever look back as you walk out of the surgery.
 
Ive had most of my past dogs pts at home, its less stressful for them and you, I always allow the other dogs to view the body as it helps them understand what has happened to their missing companion

On the one occasion I had to have a dog pts at the vets I brought his body home so his friend knew what had happened, Its much the same as horses really and although they do grieve they also accept and there is no added stress of them looking for their friend.
 
Lévrier;12255000 said:
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And never, ever look back as you walk out of the surgery.
Click to expand...

I can go along with that, and understand the sentiment too.

The process? ........ Well generally, the vet, or an assistant will take a set of clippers and shave up the inside of the leg, perhaps for a couple of inches, and when the vein is obvious, the vet will then gently slip in a needle, and again gently, they'll draw back the syringe to be certain that the vein's been found, and so that when the barbiturates which will enter the body, are mixed with a little blood, then slowly the plunger will go forward. 5 or 6 seconds perhaps, and the dog will relax. It's all over.

I always put my own dogs down, and with a humane killer, but it's all the same in the end.

Alec.
 
just to add you don't have to be there, many people leave the animal and the nurse will hold whilst the vet gives the injection, sometimes removing direct emotional upset is better for dog and owner. at the end of the day you have to decide how you feel it is likely to best work for you.
 
So sorry you're having to face this very sad situation. We have recently lost our 12 yo black lab to kidney failure. It all happened very suddenly a month ago. He spent a weekend at the emergency vets and then we made the decision not to put him through any more treatment.

He came home with us and spent an afternoon snoozing in his basket. The vet came out to the house and gave him the injection at home. We wanted him to be at home with us as he got stressed at the vet surgery and we wanted him to be as comfortable and happy as possible.

We chose to have our boy cremated and have actually spent the afternoon today scattering his ashes in some of his favorite walking spots. It is so very sad but it really is the final kindness we could do for him. I believe he was telling us it was his time - although the heartbreak is tough to deal with.

I hope all goes well with arrangements for your oldie. It really is the worst part of owning an animal - but in time you will remember the good and happy memories. Take care x
 
My husband puts ours down at home as well but for my lurcher I will get the vet out to do her at home. She hates the vets and I would hate my last memory of her to be her being scared.
 
Thank you. It's not me I'm worried about- it's the other dogs. He's always been there and is the boss (ringleader leading them all into trouble! If they escape, I know who's convinced them to go out of the gate!)

If you PTS at home, what did you do with the body? I can't bury him here.
 
I've done both - at home and at vets.
Alec's description is about right in terms of the practicalities although please be aware, the dog may evacuate (just the muscles weakening).
We have never kept the body, when done at home, we lived in the suburbs so nowhere to bury, we were on good terms with the vet, my mother went to school with him so he took the dog to his family farm just up the road and buried her there. Not an option for everyone I know!
And at vets, we also just left body, like Levrier, to me, the dog is gone, what is left is a body.
Ask the vet, if they agree to dispose of the body it will probably have to be placed in a bag, if you're OK with that.
 
when we had our Newfy done at home vets took her away to surgery after- we had to lift her into his car but no bag was used- i know they would at vets but they were very lovely about it.
sorry your going through this.
 
Alec's description of the preperation and injection is spot on. A nurse will hold him whilst the vet gives the injection, they won't allow you to restrain him. You can stay whilst he's injected if you want to but equally leave and come back once it's done And you will be given as much time alone with his body as you want. There is no reason you can't have your other dog with you to see the body. They won't take the body away until you've left.

Do think about payment. They shouldn't make you pay straight after but a bill in the post a week later is a horrible thing. It maybe best if you paid everything before you take him to the vets then you can go straight home without having to talk to anyone.
 
I understand the process- I've taken lots of small furries to be PTS.

Taking four dogs to the vets is unworkable- the youngest one gets travel sick, and I honestly think it would be too much to cope with.

Thank you though.
 
We've had all our small animals put down at home and they're buried in the garden. All of the vets have sedated the animals first and let them get sleepy for ten mins first, leaving us to have a last cuddle and tell the dog/cat how special they are before the vet comes back to do the final injection. Only one vet didn't do that, did it the old way, then managed to miss the vein and stress out a cat that had never seen the vet for 15 years. Wasn't nice. I would always go for the sedation first in future!

Good luck OP. Its never easy.
 
I have had dogs put to sleep both at home and at the vets I think it depends on how your dog reacts at the vets. My vet put us in a spare consultation room to wait so I didn't have to face other clients. I made sure it was the vet that the dog liked. I brought the body home and let the other dogs sniff the body. Each dog had a different reaction, Lily kept nudging and licking Juno's body, I think lily would have been very confused if I hadn't let her do this. I used a local pet crem who have a collection service, they were lovely and treated the body with all the respect I would expect in a human undertaker.
After the body had been collected I took he other dogs for a long walk, they played very hard which is not usual for them. It takes a while for pack structure to rearrange especially if it's a dominant dog that has died.
Good luck
 
So sorry to read you are going through this, only you know how your other dogs will react if the lead dog `goes missing`, if you think they will stress and be looking for him then best to do at home & either bury or ask the vet tho take away.

Also sorry to ask, but we are going through similar with our 14 year old golden retreiver and are struggling with finding the `right time, how have you arrived at your decision? We decide and then change our minds when she seems to perk up, its so hard and we are in constant turmoil about it.
 
So sorry to hear this, we went through it with our elderly JRT last summer.

I do think that you need to let your other dogs see him after it's done, so PTS at home sounds to be the best option. The vets can still take him away afterwards.

I agree that it's best to get him sedated first. I took ours into the vets to be PTS (she was always happy to go there). It was a lovely sunny day, and I was walking her round in their grounds letting her have some good sniffs, whilst waiting for our appointment. She found and picked up a morsel of small, dead furry animal and proudly carried it around! The vet and vet nurse came out and, bless them, did the deed where she was, happily pottering around outside in the sun, rather than inside in a consulting room.

Initially she was sedated, which took a minute or two to kick in, and then the vet checked that I still wanted to go ahead with it. The nurse held her as the second IV injection was made, and we all waited, whilst I gently stroked her, til she was gone. It was very peaceful.

The nurse then carefully wrapped her in a blanket, and put her, with immense respect, into her basket in the travel crate in the back of the car, and I took her home. I took the crate out to the stables, and let our other JRT sniff her for as long as he wanted. Later, OH buried her along with all our others on our field boundary.

We got the bill weeks later, but with it was enclosed a lovely handwritten card from the vet, who said that she was 'a true terrier to the end!'.

All the best.
 
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