Pooch Problems

We have had to put down a black lab that had a tumor on her nose. It is sad to have to make that decision. BUT you say he's 14 YEARS old thats like 98 plus years in dog years. So I would say he's had a long loved life. IF he does have tumors then as it progresses his life will be greatly deminished.
My advice would be to get a puppy now. Then IF/ WHEN he is put down or goes naturally your children won't feel such a loss. And having a younger dog helps the older one... (don't know why, but it seemed true for all of our dogs. ) The older ones teach the younger ones respect and make training them alot easier. (showing them an example and the puppy tends to just follow it) Also the kids will play with the younger and give the older some alone time to rest if he needs it... But he'll still get involved when he wants to...

I only speak from the way we always did it. It is truly a personal choice. No matter what you chose, I know you truly have the well being of your loved pet in your heart.

Hi, first I'm sure you realize that since your dog is so old it will really depend on what you are willing to do and what you want to pay. There are medications that can help with the peeing. It sounds like when the dog relaxes in his sleep is when he pees which is just a condition of getting too relaxed and letting go of the bladder muscles. My sisters dog has that and has been on meds successfully for 2 years now. Also as anyone with arthritis will tell you, the stiffness in the joints is worse when you've not moved after a while. The best thing you can do is keep him mobile and it sounds like you are doing that. There are of course meds you can give for the stiff joints as well. In my opinion, if your vet tells you, you need to put him down you should definately get a second opinion because nothing you have described sounds like that is the only solution. Since people are now keeping dogs healthier and they are living longer there are many options for the older dogs and as long as they are not suffering, which you would be able to tell, by all means let him live out his life with the family he loves.

We had 3 dogs, we recently had to put our Sheltie down because of seizures, but we still have a 7 yo Husky and a 8 yo Sheperd mix.
Good Luck

I find it hard to believe such a young dog would be incontinent and have arthritis(Sorry I thought the dog was two--it's the child--then he is old!), so I hope the vet can offer a diagnosis that is not life threatening.

Have hope and PRAY. I too am an animal lover. Four weeks ago we adopted a 9 week old Labradoodle. She was not healthy at all. She was emaciated, very lathargic and had ear mites and Brochitis. The vet said she felt she did not have a long life, and that we should take her back to the breeder and get a refund. Well, we had been waiting for 2 months to get her home with us, so we already loved her so much!!! The news was heart breaking, and we were so affraid of how the kids would take the news.

After talking to the vet and letting them know how much we loved her the vet decided to try a very stong antibiotic and with much love and attention she is doing GREAT. We go to the vet today to get the final say on if the Bronchitis is clear, and if there are any other health issues, but I think they'll say she's fine. They already can not believe her come back, and feel it is a miracle!!! The vet called the breeder and she offered our money back, good thing to, because we have already used it in vet bills!!

I will pray your story turns out as good as ours:)

Just this past Thursday I had to put my dog to sleep. It is still very upsetting to me. This was the first time I ever had to do this. I feel guilty and sad but I know she is better off. She started having seizures in November, the vet put her on medication and it was no longer working. She had 6 seizures in 24 hours. I wanted to keep her alive so I kept thinking she ran the other day, or she was wagging her tail alot today. I know it would have been selfish for me to make her suffer so that I wouldn't have to. I know our circumstances are not anything alike but you should at least take the dog to the vet and have him checked out. Even if he is in any pain the Dr can give him something to help with the pain. It definitely doesn't sound right that the dog just started peeing in his bed. Good luck

Making the decision on what to do with "elderly" pets is never easy. Becuse they can't tell you they are in pain or they are suffering. That is up to you to figure out. You said you haven't had many dogs. As someone who grew up with dogs and has dogs of her own I can tell you that 14 years is about the average life expectancy of dogs. Not to say they can't live longer, but dogs rarely live to be 20 years old. 14 years is a good long life for a dog!

I had to put down my dog from childhood last year. She was 15 years old. She also lost control of her bladder. Apparently this is very common. It got so bad with her she would just pee while she was walking through the house. It is hard to watch. And not fun to clean up after. She had other issues and when she got bad, I knew it was time.

I agree with Beth on the puppy thing. It WILL be easier on the kids. And she was also right about the effects young dogs have on old dogs. I also don't know why that is.

If it was me, I would not spend hundreds or thousands at the vet to prolong the life of your dog, only because you are only going to add a little to his life. Instead, invest that money in your puppy.

Also, don't be afraid of the death of your dog's effect on your kids. It is a reality of life and good for them to begin to understand.

My heart aches for you and I pray for strength and wisdom for you in making this decision. Good luck!

Hi MC,

He's old, is all. Get some good pet food for older dogs, and add a glucosamine and chondritine supplement to his diet. He probably does have a bit of arthritis. So do I!

Use an old towel blanket to line his bed or a disposable puppy training pad. The one you can wash and the other, toss.

You don't have to put him down because he is old. I had an old, I mean ancient, doberperson, Melody, and she was periodically incontinent, lost most of her hearing and sight, got lymphoma, and eventually died in her own bed peacefully.

She was never in pain, and died loved and at home. It was a good death. She was a little over 17 years old.

If your pooch is not in pain, please allow him to enjoy his last years in your loving home.

Hi, I am not a vet and can't offer medical advice or give a diagnosis on your dog's condition...just a fellow animal lover (have 3 cats and a dog) who feels for you and can give some support with products that will ease his discomfort and help his arthritis (mobility) and a non-toxic/non-irritating cleaner that will take care of the pee odors/stains. I have problems with my older cat going to the bathroom on things now (part of it is just age) and so I use the "pet magic" and it is the ONLY thing I have found that actually gets rid of the odor (natural enzymes). I have an 8 month old son and don't like to use harsh cleaners around him, but this is safe for everyone (can spray it directly on your pet, I put it on my dog when he stinks). The other product is "pet health" that has glucosatrin and other vitamins in it that help with arthritis and sore joints, it will give your dog comfort and help him move easier. I know of several who tried it and saw a dramatic difference. You can read more about both on my web portal: www.marketamerica.com/jendiehl and if you want to order something and want to save some on the shipping expense you can call me or e-mail and I'll help you with that. My e-mail address is: ____@____.com and my phone number is ###-###-####. The pet magic is under "global care" for Market America products, but if you do a search at the top you will find both and can read more details or go to "mamedia" and click on "maTV" to watch commercials for it. It would help your dog feel better and your home smell cleaner as you go through this difficult experience. Let me know if you want to try it out and need any more help. I would try this before putting him down, but it's ultimately up to you and your vet. It's a hard life lesson for your child, but something we go through as pet owners, I still think they are worth it in spite of the pain of loss...can't imagine life without a cat or a dog to love.
Thinking of you, J. Diehl