Time to Put the Dog Down??

Preliminary exams are far from useless. They will tell you EVERYTHING. And then you have the knowledge to make the correct decision. I would at least want to fix that cough if it's that bad, and they will have to know what it is in order to fix it. It very well could be cancer. And if so she could be suffering a great deal. If you can't afford the tests in order to find out what is wrong, then the best thing would be to euthanize her. Just in case she's suffering, end it somehow for her. I am not at all for heroics either if a dog is old and has cancer. They don't understand why they are suffering and I think it's better to just let them go. Hugs to you because this is so hard.

Oh, that's a tough question to answer.

Because she's a mix, she's less prone to certain diseases common to pedigree animals.

An x-ray to see if there's something in the lungs, like cancer, shouldn't be expensive. I know you don't want to hear that she may have it. I am a cancer survivor (learned the day before my son's second birthday and when my daughter was 10 weeks old), and it is the worst thing you can hear.

Perhaps knowing the cause and the prognosis are the easiest way to make a decision. It will be hard regardless, so I wish you well and hope you make the right decision for your family.

I guess I would also want to know what she has before I made a decision to put her down. It may be something that meds would take care of.

I can't answer whether or not to put her down as I haven't had to make that decision myself yet. But definitely get the cough checked out because it could be heart disease and she could be trying to clear liquid out of her lungs. This is what our previous dog died from and he had a cough that went on for awhile that we didn't think much of till after the fact. Had we gotten it checked out sooner, he might have been able to take medication to help control the water buildup and extend his life some (he was otherwise very healthy and still had lots of spunk at age 11).

Best of luck with your decision, it's never an easy one.

When I was little, we had a collie/poodle mix. He looked like a collie more than anything. I still can't figure that out since he was pretty big. He was bitten by a german shepard in the neighborhood and got arthritis in his rear legs. It took a while to make the decision but my father did take him to put to sleep.

My brother currently has a blond retriever that has developed tumors. The dog is about 9 years old and my brother is trying to ignore the fact that one day he won't be able to help him anymore. It is a hard decision to make but you have to think if you can help or will the dog just continue to suffer? I would see if you can get a diagnosis and what are the chances. Will the dog suffer because you want to keep her around a little longer or will medicine help improve her life? My aunt had a dog that should have been put to sleep but wasn't and the poor thing suffered for almost a year.

A.,

I really feel for you, as it's a VERY tough decision to make. In your post, you didn't say the age of your dog? I would agree with the previous post in having an xray done to see if they can determine whats going on. I would also consider the quality of life your dog has. I had a 15 year old shih tzu/llaphso mix that I adored, I had him since being a puppy. He was the BEST dog I've ever owned, but began to have alot of health problems the last couple years of his life. He became blind, could not hear, and had severe arthritis in his legs. He was not the same happy, loyal dog that he had been, but he still wouldn't let on to us how much pain he must have been in. We made the very tough decision to put my 'buddy' to sleep. I held him & cried & cried, it was not easy, but the most humane decision for him. It's truely your decision, but I would make it an informed decision & do whats best for your 'little buddy's' quality of life.

Could it be an allergy? I have 2 dogs, one of which has had several chronic problems. I have been to several different vets & sometimes they are helpful but lately I have had better results by researching natural remedies online. Try The Dog Daily online.

remember, she is family. It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion from another vet. Ask the opinion of the vet. What possibly could be this cough, and then ask, what do the test consist of and the cost. How long has she had this cough. Has the vet put her on any antibiotics? Could it be a respitory infection?

I wouldn't rush to put her down. I have had "many" dogs and cats and i have learned to only put them down if they are in excrucating pain all the time. If she is eating, drinking, and somewhat active, it is not time in my opinion.

She is also coughing more at night time because she is laying down.

I understand your circumstance, but you have to be totally comfortable with why you are putting her down. I think you will know when it is time.

Good luck

Sadly, It sounds like it's her time to go. I know it's very hard, they're family.

My friend had a dog that had something that sounds very similar - heart failure. The caughing was awful but he lived with it for years until he finally passed on his own. Putting a dog down is an extremely personal decision however if I were in my friend's shoes, I would have put him down sooner. It took him years to die and the last several were absolutely terrible for that poor little dog. This was like her child, truly. She's over 40, never married, never had children but this dog had been with here for something like 12 or 13 years. He was her life. She just couldn't part with him but it got to the point where I wouldn't even go to her home because I couldn't stand to see him suffer. It was just God awful. So perhaps a few more tests just to determine if this is something that's liveable or terminal would be a good idea. That way you know if you're making the best decision.

Well, it's not exactly cheap to euthanize an animal either. Personally, I'd pay for the tests before I made that type of decision. I know it seems like it's pointless to spend the money (sounds like you're ready to put the dog down anyway), but I think your conscience would be eased if you found out what's wrong first.

I had this issue last year with a 20 year old cat. By and large he was healthy but like your pooch, he was blind and not himself. It took us a long time to make the decision because I felt like we were putting him down because he was old. What helped us decide was the vet saying, "is the quality of life you want for your pet?" Soon after deciding we would wait we started to really watch him. I wish I could tell you some magical light came on and told us what to do but it didn't. When you are talking about an older animal they just wind down. This is a really difficult decision and one you will second guess, but try to make the one you can live with. I wish you luck.