luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,788 
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Oct 11, 2020 17:39:09 GMT
Our lab is old and has been in slow decline over the last year. In the last couple of months, I've watched reaction to food/water and her bathroom habits, to gauge how she's doing. This last week has shown me that we are close to time. She's coughing, eats and drinks water but not with the gusto of you younger self. Last night, she threw up twice and lost control of her bowels. This morning she drank lots of water, but wasn't interested in her food. She's on her bed downstairs (she always follows me to my office and sleeps as I work). We tried setting her up to sleep downstairs at night, but she tackles the stairs like a tired mountain climber so she can sleep in our room, like she always has.
I know quality of life is important and not letting her suffer is my goal. She has a vet appointment this week and I'm just dreading it.
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julie5
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,627
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Post by julie5 on Oct 11, 2020 17:40:56 GMT
Awww I’m so sorry. Our pets are all very young and I dread them getting older. :*(
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peasquared
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,176
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Post by peasquared on Oct 11, 2020 18:09:46 GMT
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh  I'm so sorry! They bring us so much joy and love but so much pain, too. My heart hurts for you! I've been in your shoes many times in my life, it's devastating. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 11, 2020 18:14:30 GMT
I’m sorry. I hope it’s something fixable. DH carried our 80 lb lab upstairs every night for the last six months of her life. She couldn’t bear to be apart from us and we just couldn’t leave her downstairs. I was so grateful that DH was strong enough to do that. But yeah, a lab not eating is not a good sign. I’m so sorry.
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Post by mnmloveli on Oct 11, 2020 18:15:50 GMT
I’m so so sorry. It’s just awful to watch. My heart breaks for you 💔
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,461
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Oct 11, 2020 18:19:17 GMT
I’m so sorry. This breaks my heart for you.
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Post by kandie on Oct 11, 2020 18:24:51 GMT
So very sorry. This give us so much love and joy, but in such a short time. We put our 14 year old golden down in June. One of the hardest things. Big hugs to you.
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,788
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Oct 11, 2020 19:35:55 GMT
She did eat half of her normal food amount and she climbed the stairs to hang out with me in my office. Her coughing seems to have subsided for now. She drank plenty of water. We'll see what a quiet day at home does for her.
Thanks for your kind words. It really helps to remember that many of us have been in this spot before.
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Post by hop2 on Oct 11, 2020 19:52:31 GMT
I’m sorry. Hopefully you have a helpful vet visit wether it’s just a stomach bug or something worse.
There is some sort of pup stomach bug going round. Mine needed 2 rounds of antibiotics to clear it up
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,975
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Oct 11, 2020 19:53:32 GMT
I'm really sorry. Our beloved dog just turned 8 and I hate to even think of when that happens in our lives.
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Post by jmad122 on Oct 11, 2020 20:32:09 GMT
Aww. Hugs. We have a puppy, and are loving her, but this is exactly why i was hesitant to get another dog.
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Post by busy on Oct 11, 2020 20:37:03 GMT
I’m so sorry. It is so hard. We have two elderly pets - a nearly 20 year old cat who is still remarkably healthy, and a 16ish year old dog who was diagnosed with oral melanoma in May, so we know we have limited time. I was hoping that there would be some clear and obvious sign when it was his time, but it seems instead to be a long, slow decline. I’m worried that he’s suffering but we can’t see it because the change has been so slow over time. **hugs** to you.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 11, 2020 20:45:32 GMT
I’m so sorry. It is the hardest part of having pets.  |
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Post by shaniam on Oct 11, 2020 20:47:54 GMT
I’m so sorry. It is the hardest decision we have to make as a pet owner.
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Post by chaosisapony on Oct 11, 2020 20:53:22 GMT
I'm so sorry, watching them age truly is the hardest part of having a pet.
I have a cat that is getting up there in years and while we're not there yet I think it'll creep up sooner than I think. A friend of mine is a vet and she always says that it's better to put them to sleep a day too early than a day too late. By the time most of her clients bring their animals in, in her opinion, it's too late. So I try to remember that and think of a good death as not a horrible time, but the last kindness I can give them.
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Post by Jennifer C on Oct 11, 2020 22:26:19 GMT
I am so very sorry. Hugs to you.
Jennifer
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,788
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Oct 11, 2020 23:01:57 GMT
Aww. Hugs. We have a puppy, and are loving her, but this is exactly why i was hesitant to get another dog. With all the kids grown, I think we are done with dogs (we have two cats). It does help that DD came by today and brought her new puppy to visit. There's nothing like puppy breath! DD lives in an apartment in downtown Seattle and my practical side says that is a tough environment in which to raise a dog, but she's a grown up and gets to make her own choices! |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:47:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2020 23:05:26 GMT
So sorry, it is so hard and in fact DD and I just had a conversation about this yesterday. We somehow came up with that if our pets lived until 30 it would somehow be easier (which it wouldn't be).
Our lab was 15 when we had that dreaded appointment, after over a year of knowing it was coming and she kept rebounding until we knew it was finally time. I bawled about 8 hrs straight that day even though she wasn't my favorite. She was a much bigger part of our family than I realized.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,890
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Oct 11, 2020 23:09:03 GMT
Aww, I'm so sorry. This is the worst part of having cats and dogs. The heartache.
Mine is getting up in years and although I don't know his exact age, probably between 13 and 16, I think and dread this part aready.
I joke that after him, if I am to get any new pets it is tortoises and parrots only for me.
Joking/ not joking.
It's so hard. ((hugs))
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Post by tkdmom on Oct 12, 2020 0:55:15 GMT
I understand the dred. I had the dreaded appointment with my 15 year old sheltie two weeks ago. Still cry everyday, he was my little shadow.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,213
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Post by mimima on Oct 12, 2020 1:08:36 GMT
Huge hugs
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Post by newfcathy on Oct 12, 2020 3:29:10 GMT
This is definitely the hardest part.
Our older lab made it to 15 years 9 months, so much longer than we would have thought.
First we stopped her from jumping up on our bed, she had torn her ACL at age 9, had the surgery, etc. then she still slept in our room on a dog bed, then the stairs were too much. Next she stopped eating her kibble, we switched to cans, that perked her appetite. Then, she stopped eating her canned food, ds started making her burgers, from a combo of hamburger, oatmeal & eggs. She really appreciated that.
Then she splayed out on the rug & I had a hard getting her back on her feet, so I made the final appointment. It was more difficult in the days leading up to the appointment then it was afterwards. I still wonder if I waited too long, but.....
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
Posts: 3,116
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Oct 12, 2020 4:36:14 GMT
I'm sorry that your time together is coming to an end.
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Post by alexa11 on Oct 12, 2020 12:06:22 GMT
I'm so sorry! I'm watching my 16 yr old boy decline a little more each day and it's very difficult.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:47:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2020 19:25:09 GMT
so sorry  |
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Post by papersilly on Oct 12, 2020 20:50:56 GMT
i hate this part too. it's important to remember that, when it's time, we shouldn't keep them here for us. we need to let them go for them.
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leeny
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,009
Location: Northern California
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 1:55:53 GMT
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Post by leeny on Oct 12, 2020 20:59:30 GMT
I feel for you. Our 17 yo dog is at the end of his life as well. He is a small guy and has been losing weight steadily and he is so bony now. He goes a 24 hour period every once in awhile when he won't eat, just sleep and pee outside. He is totally blind so now he barks at us when he needs to go out. This is my first dog so I've never been through this before. I am hoping he just goes to sleep and doesn't wake up one day. Our 18 year old bird did that. No suffering.
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,905
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Post by tracylynn on Oct 12, 2020 22:05:50 GMT
I'm so sorry. It's an incredibly hard time and I don't envy you at all. But as my vet told me, it's the last best decision we can make for them when it's time. It's been over 3 years since I lost my last one and I still tear up at these kinds of threads. It's heartbreaking.
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kimi
Full Member
Posts: 265
Aug 11, 2020 21:47:04 GMT
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Post by kimi on Oct 12, 2020 22:07:45 GMT
I'm so sorry. I recently experienced the pain of losing a pet.
We had to put down our 15 year old dog back in July. She was dx'd with bladder cancer last year. Because of her age and other health issues, we decided against chemo. She was only given 4 - 6 months to live, but she lived for 10 months. Her decline came quickly. In a matter of days, she went from having some blood in her urine to gushing blood when she urinated. We had to make the decision quickly cause I'm sure she was in pain (she would moan when tried to urinated) and she was losing a lot of blood.
With the Covid shelter-in-place order, we knew that the Vet's office probably wouldn't allow us to be with her when she was euthanized. So we contacted a mobile vet that specialized in in-home euthanasia. We were able to get an appt for a few hours later.
So she was euthanized in our backyard, with my husband and I holding her. After she was gone we brought out our other dog so she could say good-bye too.
I miss her terribly, but I remind myself that we were lucky to have to have her for so many years.
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Post by Princess Amy on Oct 12, 2020 23:06:37 GMT
I’m so sorry. The decline is difficult to watch. It’s been over a year since Sally has been gone and I’m still devastated.
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