How do you know when to put your dog to sleep?My poodle is almost 18 years old. He is blind and deaf. He wears diapers due to being incontinent of bladder. He has been blind and deaf for several years and has worn diapers for at least a year. He recently has seemed to become more and more confused and in the past week more agitated. He paces a lot and has been increasingly barking/yelping through the day for no apparent reason, sometimes as long as 5 hours straight. He usually starts at 5 in the morning. He just stands in his bed and barks. He does not seem to want to be comforted. In fact, over the past few months he does not even seem to like to be touched. He rarely wags his tail. He does eat and drink a lot but the vet thinks he also has cushings disease which would explain that. .He has lost weight over the past year. He seems oblivious to when we come home, he used to wag his tail even though he could not see us. The vet has just started treating him with valium which sometimes does not even work. He has also been put on selegilene. I don't want to keep him alive if he just has to be sedated all the time. It hurts me so much to hear his constant barking and there is absolutely nothing I can do to help. We put our cat to sleep in the past but the decision was easier because the cat was already in the dying process from kidney disease ands there was nothing else the vet could do. Please help with any thoughts. It just seems hard when he is still eating, drinking and walking around.
Posted by kristine
videotaped,take picture, and spend more time with your dog because honestly i think your dog is going through a lot of pain like you. Why not let it died peacefully . I know it hard, but that the best thing you can do for it.
Posted by Love My non standard pom
18 is quite elderly and if you don't like seeing him sedated all the time and it is hurting you i suggest putting him down. He lived a good life but i think he knows his time is coming. He will be at ease when he passes on. And for your grieving if you decide to put him down maybe you should try adopting an animal that's in serious need for love and attention. It gives you something anew to care for and an animal a desperately needed home. It may be hard to put him down but i think it will be easier on all of you for him to be at peace. Try to spend as much time as possible with him and never forget him.
Hope this helped
Posted by Save the Pits!
It's ultimately up to you and what you're comfortable with but in my opinion it's been time for awhile now. Imagine life blind, deaf, incontinent, agitated, and confused. I know I wouldn't want to live that way. How could you possibly enjoy life? Especially now with the agitation and confusion. I think it is certainly time to let him go. I'm very sorry for your situation but 18 years is quite a good run of it. You must have taken very good care of him.
Posted by Julie D.
I believe it is time, probably past due. I just want to let you know about something. When a dog is blind AND deaf, they can be very defensive. They don't know who or what is touching them and are very likely to bite, out of fear. They can't speak, so they bite. I wouldn't want a dog to be drugged all the time either. Let him RIP and have him humanely euthanized. You have to make the decision....he CAN'T make it for you. I'm sorry about how you feel right now, but you have to be an adult with this matter. Don't be selfish and let the dog suffer. I'm sure this dog does not appreciate wearing diapers, either.
Posted by Cookehz
I know it seems hard, but it's a decision you personally have to face. A question you should ask yourself is ' Is my dog suffering? ' Talk to your vet, see what his opinions on the subject are, especially about the barking. Something obviously changed with him recently. I don't want to tell you whether or not to put your dog to sleep, but you should really talk more to your vet and get more details about your dogs health. 18 years is a long time for a dog.
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