When to let your pet go when health is declining rapidly

[Gigi]

Sienna is 13 1/2 years old. She has arthritis in her left front leg causing her to limp & also in her right hind leg. When in the house she tends to lean to the right supporting herself against the wall to navigate. When she is standing still her, her hind legs give out & she has to sit, gradually lowering herself to the floor. She has a good appetite, but has to be basically spoon fed to ensure she gets all her nutrients. She frequently loses control of her bowels in the house, even in her sleeping area. She still lets me know when she has to go outside to pee. She will sometimes move her bowels outside. She used to be predictable, now she's not. She spends most of her time in her sleeping area which is in a secluded area of the house.

She no longer barks. Her eyes are cloudy & her hearing has deteriorated.

She has been my companion since was 9 weeks old. I love her but don't want her to suffer. I don't know if her quality of life, such as it is,should be extended or if I am just doing it for myself. Is it time to let Sienna go?

[Sarahloo]

I'm so sorry, Gigi, but I think it might be time to let her go. Her quality of life seems to be pretty much nonexistent at this point. Is she on any medication/ is there something the vet could still do to improve it?
I was in your shoes last year in April, when I had to let my 12-year-old Newfie girl go. We spent a beautiful last night together, "talking", singing, laughing, crying, and then it was time for her to go.
At the moment you still have the chance for such a beautiful, dignified goodbye, and maybe you should take it.
I really feel for you!!! But, just like me and my dog, you were granted such a long, long time together and you need to try to take comfort from that!

[Boogie and Linda]

I am sorry to hear you are going through this. I am actually in a similar situation with my senoir foster dog Fozzie. He is on a lot of different meds now which helps him a lot. He can't hear and can barely see. He started having seizures so he got meds for that. He has a very hard time walking and then he lost all use of his back legs after chowfest. I thought it might be time then to put him down but we took him to the vet and they decided to try some meds to see what would happen. They actually weren't very optimistic and figured it would be a few days before we were back with him to put him down. The meds actually worked very well. He is able to get up and he is actually letting us help him a little whereas before he wouldn't let us touch him. I feel as long as he is still fighting then I owe it to him to help him. One thing that is still happening is pooping in the house occasionally in his bed at night. I thought it was because he was constipated from all the meds so I bought him some probiotics to take too. It has only happened once since the probiotics. I think becuase they have so much trouble with their back legs they tense their muscles up all day. When they finally relax and go to bed, the poop comes out. That is just my thought. My advice to you is to talk to a vet you trust. If there is anything they can do to make her more comfortable, try it and see how it works.

[threedogjeep]

I went through a very similar challenge last year with my 16 yr old lab/springer mix who was my total heart and soul from 8 wks old. Through the death of a husband, brother, parents, etc...she was my guiding light and totally dedicated to me and only me. I loved her beyond love. When she couldn't eat or do anything she loved to except lay her head in my lap, I knew it was time. She fought all the way, but let me know later that she had found her lover, my Rufus who went before her of cancer, and that they were together. Now I have a 12 year old pom/peke that we rescued that has been the light of our life for 7 years. Our first little feller, and such a big personality...with the name Godzilla. He has brought us so much joy. He had tracheal collapse, and when his heart valve stopped working good and he started choking, I knew she had missed something. He spent three days in an oxygen incubator, and no one thought he would make it..Well, he showed them. Now every day is a challenge getting his meds into him, but he is doing amazing under the circumstances. I know that we are on borrowed time, but he is still enjoying many things and is content to walk out in the yard and snooze on the couch with me rubbing his belly. He is a Therapy Dog, and was a true delight to so many in the nursing home for so long. He has given many a reason to smile. I love him and will be ready to walk with him to the bridge when he is ready. He is stretching out my heart so I have room for one more later on. Luv to all our seniors

[chowMed]

Have you ever consulted a vet for you to know the real medical condition of your pet? Sienna is already old and although it is really hard to make a decision regarding her health, we have to do it. I guess it is really the time to let her go.

[chow315]

my little girl about 13 or 15 i'm not sure which has some health problems blind in 1 eye alittle hard of hearing and walks slower. she falls every now and then but we get 4 blocks in a day and she still chases the cats and has a healthy aprtitte. i 'm blessed she's doing so well. i can't imagine life without her. i'm very sorry to hear about your babies

[lovechows55]

Gigi,

My heart goes out to you and Sienna as you're either still struggling with this decision or have already had to make it. I am so very sorry that you are having to go through this and almost feel like I know you both after reading about Sienna for the last several years.

I went through this same struggle for several months with my beloved Chelsea (who I adopted when she was 5 1/2 weeks old and had her until she was almost 15 1/2 years old). A few people told me that when it was her time, that she'd find a way to tell me--but that turned out to be unhelpful advice because, as we all know, chows love and defend us and will stay with us no matter what. They also are very stoic and hide their pain--which I learned later--so it's very difficult to assess when their quality of life has declined enough to let them go. If there are more bad days (or parts of days) than there are good ones, if Sienna seems to be staying just for you, then it may time for her to go over to the Rainbow Bridge.

With Chelsea, she had severe hip dysplasia and we were able to treat her pain and alleviate the symptoms for two years--but then came the horrible day when she suddenly started limping back at the end of our walk and I just knew at that moment that we were at the end. I called her vet and made an appointment for the next day so that I still had time to spend with her to say our goodbye. As others have shared, if you can do that, it makes it easier to be able to be with your chow during those last hours or last day(s). We bought her dinner from Red Lobster that night and the next morning, I took her to our favorite beach. She moved very slowly but was so happy to be able to sniff the air at a place she loved for so many years (we vacationed there for several years before we moved to California so she'd been coming to it since she was 3 years old). Still hard to believe that just a few hours later, she was gone but at least she had a wonderful last 24 hours.

I struggled with the decision I had to make for many months--second guessing whether she still might have had a few more days/weeks/months--so if you find yourself doing that, it's normal but all you can do is know that you gave her the ultimate gift of love. The pain eventually starts to subside and coming back to this MB (when you can) helps. There are also some great websites to help with your grieving (www.petloss.com has a really nice candlelight ceremony and many resources that you might find helpful--when you need them).

Please know that Sienna and you will both be in our thoughts and prayers.

[sofiasabino]

Hi I'm new here but I need some help from chow lovers...I have an old chow Deng who's turning 17 and his helth is not so good these days. His back is know curving his paws are starting to fail him, he as this hear infection that I can not control, his not earing or seing well, he's always isolating himself from us, he's afraid of coming down the stairs, he always falls...he's not what he used to be I'm thinking of puting him to sleep but I'm having trouble in making that decision. I had to do it once with my Dalai and it is very hard. Dalai was very sick with cancer it was the right thing to do, but with Deng...I don't know. A chow never complains so I don't know if he his in pain...but with is bones like they are begining to be...and having a dog on constant medication is not something I agree on.
What's the right thing to do? what you you do if is was your dog?

Thank you
Ana

[lovechows55]

Ana,
I'm so sorry to hear about Deng. It's never easy to make that decision. We struggled with it when Chelsea had hip dysplasia for several months. The vets told us that she'd let us know when it was time--but she never did. I think what they didn't realize is that chows are fiercely loyal to us and don't want to leave us, no matter how much they may be suffering. They are very stoic, they hide their pain and when they finally do show it (which Deng is clearly doing by his behavior--such as avoiding the stairs--Chels did the same thing), they are in excruciating pain at that point. From what you described, as much as it hurts, it sounds like it's time to let him go to Rainbow Bridge.

Here's what I'd recommend, if you can do this: find a vet who can come to your home so that you don't have to go to the vet's office for the procedure. Then spend a day doing things he really likes (special food, special places, etc., and take photos so you'll have those memories afterwards). When it's time to say goodbye, if you have the vet do the euthanasia at home, it's much easier on your pup. Have him lay on his favorite blanket, lie down with him and pet him and you can say goodbye in the privacy of your own home. For us, this was so much better than taking him to the vet's. Chelsea wasn't scared at all, I just held her and told her how much I loved her, how much our life together meant to me, and that we'd be together again someday. She went very peacefully. It still hurts horribly to be without her, I won't lie to you, but one of our vets said that this is an act of love and I really believe that. I got to the point where I just couldn't watch her suffer in pain just to stay with me anymore and realized that she wasn't going to leave on her own. Stubborn chow.

Our thoughts and prayers will be with you Ana and Deng.

[chow315]

i had to put my beautiful prncess 15 1/2 years i think the first part of september 2011.i got her at 5 weeks old she was in excellent health no health problems till about 14. i got her at atime when my marraige was very difficult.[that has improved]we adored each other and she gave me the unconditional love i was starving for. she was precious never a barker never bit anyone. at about 14 she went blind from an ulcer. its hard not to cry now. she got lymphoma at 15 1-2011.i took her to chemo . she immediately went into remession. was going in for treatments every 3 weeks.in august she had her treatment said things looked good. between then, literally a few days the tumor under her neck went to the size of a grapefruit. i called her dr i told her i think its time. took her in for an exam and she said it was that no amount of money or trearment would help all of the staff and my friends i knew i would need them were wearing shorts, my little princess went to every person there and gave them a jiss on the back of the leg. her dr gave her a sedative. i held her told her i loved her. then she wanted toexplore the building. we were the only ones there. i lifted her on the table put my hrad on hers and kept tellinh her i love her/ a 2nd shot and she was gone.how she told me it was time it was very hard for her to walk. i carried her outside. i was standing on the street and her on the grass looking at me. i think she was asking me to let her go. i wish so much she could have gotten well. the last night of her life she slept in the bed with me just as close as you can getnot a 1/32 of an inch between us. about each hour she would stand up and i'd take her out i think she couldnt breathe because the tumor was so big. thanks for letting me share