3 ms·

I'm so afraid of coming to the day when I have to euthanize my dog. I'm hoping she dies of some natural cause before I have to do that. No matter how irrational

I'm so afraid of coming to the day when I have to euthanize my dog. I'm hoping she dies of some natural cause before I have to do that. No matter how irrational the thought is I will have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she trusts me and relies on me for everything and I am making the decision to end her life, even if it's to ease pain and suffering. The idea that I'm unilaterally making that decision and that I have no way to communicate to her about what is going on and why is going to be so difficult for me.

dkn 10y ago
I'm with you. With cats, I find it's different. They tell you when it's time by withdrawing and being very reclusive, nearly catatonic. When we had to put down our last family cat (this would be our third over the course of my life) I decided I wanted to face it head-on and offered to take the cat to the vet to be euthanized. I held her as it happened and it was very, very hard. But at least I knew it was the right thing to do, if not the right environment to do it in. With dogs, they might be in terrific amounts of pain, but they still want to be with you no matter what. When I try to put myself in that situation, I still want to be with my family through to the bitter end. I don't think I want to be euthanized unless I'm a vegetable. But, a dog doesn't have that higher understanding of what is happening or what the options are. A very difficult decision to make, but it's difficult because we love them. I think your dog would always appreciate you for that.
- AIMunchkin 10y ago
  My cat stayed by my side to her last day, whereupon she decided to hide in the box I had prepared for her body a week earlier. She had wasted away to 2/3 her normal weight and was having a horrible time breathing, it was time, and it sucked, even recalling it sucks.
RHSeeger 10y ago
I know it's more difficult, but being there to say goodbye to your pet, holding their paw, petting their head... it does add a certain amount of closure that (imo) you'll appreciate later. That being said, my last dog passed on 5 years ago, and I'm tearing up just writing this. I'm glad I was there with her though.

dkn 10y ago

I'm with you. With cats, I find it's different. They tell you when it's time by withdrawing and being very reclusive, nearly catatonic. When we had to put down our last family cat (this would be our third over the course of my life) I decided I wanted to face it head-on and offered to take the cat to the vet to be euthanized. I held her as it happened and it was very, very hard. But at least I knew it was the right thing to do, if not the right environment to do it in. With dogs, they might be in terrific amounts of pain, but they still want to be with you no matter what. When I try to put myself in that situation, I still want to be with my family through to the bitter end. I don't think I want to be euthanized unless I'm a vegetable. But, a dog doesn't have that higher understanding of what is happening or what the options are. A very difficult decision to make, but it's difficult because we love them. I think your dog would always appreciate you for that.

AIMunchkin 10y ago
My cat stayed by my side to her last day, whereupon she decided to hide in the box I had prepared for her body a week earlier. She had wasted away to 2/3 her normal weight and was having a horrible time breathing, it was time, and it sucked, even recalling it sucks.

RHSeeger 10y ago

I know it's more difficult, but being there to say goodbye to your pet, holding their paw, petting their head... it does add a certain amount of closure that (imo) you'll appreciate later. That being said, my last dog passed on 5 years ago, and I'm tearing up just writing this. I'm glad I was there with her though.