My dogs 15 now (16 in april, had him since i was 10) Ive posted up about the mess he makes and how we're constantly cleaning up after him.

My dads just said that while theyre away for the next few days its upto me wether or not we have him put down. I think theyve had enough of the mess hes making in the utility now. I can come home from work and have to clean the floor, but as we have newspaper down over a vinyl floor its not too much to clean up.

hes certainly not the dog he used to be, he used to run 6miles+ with my dad every night, hes since retired from his running career! I posted up recently about his disapearing act where he was knocked down by a car and ended up at his vets!

Hes still wandering round the garden, albeit under peoples feet! but hes never lost his appetite and isnt in any pain, its just his cleanliness is now pretty bad in that he just does his mess where ever he standing.

So, my decision is to let him carry on for aslong as his little heart can keep dragging his legs along!

People may think nows the time to have him put down, and i agree that his life isnt what it used to be, in 2000 he ran up some mountains in the lakes! but as he isnt in any pain and hes still eating i want to keep him for aslong as i can.

Lab/collie cross btw.

 

good on you m8, definately the right decision.

 

If he isnt suffering and he's still enjoying life, then him making a mess is no reason to have him put down. That would be very selfish.

 

He has occasionally messed his bed too, where people have said it isnt a good sign. I agree! but again that can be cleaned!

 

A DOG IS FOR LIFE NOT JUST FOR SH1TMESS KEEP HIM

 

His recent adventures:

His road trip:
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...&highlight=dog

Mess making:
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...&highlight=dog

 

I wouldn't put him down for mess making. Speak to vets, maybe they can do something for the dog. If the dog is happy, then leave him be. Of course, keep a 'room' for him to be messy in these winter months.

 

Well he just lives in utility and has the garden now. He hasnt come into the house for years now.

 

Taken the other week:

 

In his prime: About 5-6

 

ask your old man if he wants to be put down when he makes a mess about the place
really annoys me when people kill animals for thier own conveinience
if he's suffering from unmanagable pain perhaps its for the best but in this case no
richie

 

I'm not really a doggy person, and my initial reaction from your first post would have been put the dog down. But then that pic changed my mind totally, what a sad,fleabitten,scraggy arsed looking thing...it's mint, no way could I say have it put down!

Lovely looking dog when he was younger aswell

........nappies!

 

When your dog and no one else starts to suffer, that's the time to consider it.

Really nice photos, by the way!

 

Ditto

 

Had this with our cat since moving here 18 months ago.
Some folks said why didn't I have her put to sleep but I couldn't do that just for our convenience. She eventually couldn't even get upstairs to her favourite mess place just outside the bathroom door.
One day, 6th May to be precise, (couldn't bear the thought of another Blair term I guess !) she curled up behind Steve's TV in his study and just died. We buried her later that day wrapped in black velvet in a corner of the garden and felt that she went the way she wanted to.
Yve

 

thats a very noble decision, but flawed, if muttly cannot keep his own bedding area clean, he is v/soon going to end up with problems that cannot be wiped up.


how about if it was you?? would you be happy to be walking around all day covered in your own feaces

Mart

 

Hes had two baths this year, i never said he wouldnt be cleaned afterwards!

Whatever bedding is salvagable, mainly the ones where hes just urinated is put in the washing machine.

 

Spooky- was in exactly the same position until the other week. Our 19 year old family dog was -to be perfectly frank- dying of old age. It was sad to see him deteriorate and become a shadow of the dog we once knew. However, we took the decision that as long as he could eat, go to the toilet (he was a little incontinent, but not too severe), get around and was not in discomfort, to not have him put down.

Alas, on the 22nd Nov we felt that his quality of life had deteriorated to such an extent that it was time to give him a peaceful end. We asked the vet to do a home visit to minimise distress for him and he went peacefully in the home where he had been loved since he was a little puppy.

I loved him dearly and I miss him terribly, but we did the right thing and I feel privilaged to have known him and glad we did not let a dear friend suffer a painful/undignified end.

These are never easy decisions to make and it will be painful whatever you do. My only advice is to take a decision based on when you think the condition becomes intolerable for the dog and not when it's intolerable for the owners. That, together with advice from the vet, will at least take the uncertainity out of the decision.

My best wishes to you.

And...

Rest in peace, Harry. You're missed. Everyday.

Paul.

 

this is a hard one mate....

Our vet gave good advice,

Does he still greet you when you come home?
Does he still enjoy his food?
Is he in any pain?

And a whole lot of other questions!

We (my wife and I) made the hard call that it was time to let our old Border Collie go. He was 18, and we loved him very much. The Vet was great, and told us we made the right choice.... IT HURTS!

 

i think you should let live.

Btw is this the same dog someone once mentioned which has started to lose its eye sight.

Nevertheless, look how nice he looks when younger.

Id keep him longer man, maybe youll need a little more effort in looking after him but i think its worth it.

 

Well, he doesnt so much greet us but he sometimes acknowledges us! He came for a snuggle earlier too! If we're in the garden he'll come for a sniff and see what we're doing!

Lol - loves his food! Yeah nothing wrong with that department!

No visable pain whatsoever

He is very stubburn though and wont go out or come in when hes told, teenagers huh!!!

 

honestly with the way ure describing him, he doesnt deserve to be put down. Just wants more care than he used to

 

I take it you have taken him to the vet?

My dog had a similar problem with messing only urine though, it appeared she had a weak bladder but this was controlled by having some drops that were added to her meals.

This cut the accidents down considerably and gave her another couple of quality years.

 

Yeah, he said aslong as hes happy.

 

What????Your dog talks?????

 

I kind of disagree, I saw what my mum had to put up with when her dog was getting on, trying to get medicine down him for his problem, clearing up runny dog **** at 3am, him howling, her getting upset when he honked up.

Basically, being blunt his systems are conking out, in the wild he would have been dead by now and you have given him a good life, my course of action would be to take him to the vets and ask his proffessional opinion and whether anything can be done to aleviate the symptoms, if not either get used to mopping up dog mess (and he looks a sizeable fella) or get him put down, it will be a massive wrench and you will feel like you have betrayed him but over time you will get used to the idea, I mean whats going to happen, do you wait till the next system conks out, until he is in pain, I had to sit with my in laws retreiver whilst she was dying, couldnt draw breath, me and my little lad sat in a holiday home with a dog in obvious distress, I found this very upsetting, luckily they came home as I was thinking of ways I could put the poor thing out of its misery, luckily they saw sense and took her straight to the vet.

Our dog is 12 1/2 and is blind, deaf and very smelly, she is oozing smelly goo from a nipple that smells like ripe cheese, shes a bit creaky and doesnt do anything, went to the vets the other week and he said that its just because she is old and to keep an eye on it, then charged me 40 quid. She still goes mad for food and has bowel and bladder control but if that goes I will have to do the deed, we have three kids and I dont want to have to deal with the hygeine issues of dog mess everywhere, my kids are the priority here.

 

Just like the others have said, incontinence is not an argument for euthanasia, althout I accept that a vet would put him down if you desired.

He eats healthily and is not in any discomfort that you know of and is still mobile, so hell no, don't put him down.

Once his legs go and he can't move without intolerable pain and stops eating, then you can re-post the question, but for the moment just treasure every moment.

He has a good innings, and regardless of euthanasia, he is in his last few years anyway so make the most of them.

We made the heart wrenching decision to put our old dog down 3 years ago as he had lost his mobility and was in visible pain.. He was a 14 year old cross collie and it was the most difficult thing I've probably ever had to do.

My current dog is 2 (German Shepherd) and I'm dreading him getting older as his life expectency is only about 10

Tell your dad that the combined ScoobyNet oracle have spoken, and you're keeping him!

 

Oh im definatley keeping the little rascal, i just needed to tell people!!!!

 

You sound like a very caring owner which is terrific. I've been through this and I think you get a feel for when the deed has to be done. You've said all the right things about being sure your dog is not in any serious discomfort and are prepared to clean him up and look after him - good practice for when you have some kids

One thing is if you did have him put down whilst in two minds about it you may well regret that for a long time, just wondering if he could have had another few more reasonably happy months. But when the time is right just bite the bullet and take him to the vets. dl

 

If its your dads house then it is his rules really I am sure your dad wants what is best for your dog.


The way i have always looked at it with any pets is that if the animals quality of life has deteriorated and it is not happy and or in pain then you need to do what is best for the pet.

It is never easy but if they are suffering then it is time to let them go.

It is tough but you have to do the right thing for your pet