Crap. I need serious advice.

[Jessie]

I have a dog at my dad's house.  She's 18ish.  We got her when she was about a year old, and I was 13.

She's dying. 

She is bleeding from her mouth and nose.  She has tumors in her mouth, throat and belly.  She's barely able to see or move and she's in pain.  Her face is all swollen up and deformed looking.

They took her to the vet who said she had the tumors and an infection and gave her antibiotics.  Clearing up the infection was supposed to help with the swelling and bleeding.  It didn't.

My stepmom wants to have her put to sleep, dad says he doesn't want to watch someone kill his dog, and that as long as she's conscious, she lives.

The real kicker is that my stepmom doesn't want to take her, she wants me to.  I've never had to put an animal to sleep before.  I don't know if I can.

What would you all do?  Could you euthanize your pet of nearly 20 years?  Should we?  She's obviously dying and won't live long either way.  Does she deserve every minute she can hang on to, or does she deserve to be out of her pain?

I don't know what to do.  My stepmom just called and asked me to try and talk to my dad and get him to change his mind, and to come down either tomorrow or Saturday and take her in to have it done.

Help.  Give me words of wisdom.  This is the second pet I've lost this year that I've had since childhood, on top of everything else.  I am sad.

[Alice]

She deserves to be put out of pain.  She relies on your family to keep her healthy and happy.  She's probably neither right now... and she needs you guys to help her out one last time.

That's my take on the putting pets down.  I can't imagine having to do it though.

[Beefy]

Take the dog in.  This is the responsibility you take when you adopt a pet.

I have gone with my mother to take a beloved pet in to get euthanized.  It is hard and emotional.  But it will end the dog's suffering, and that is what is most important.

Your father is being a coward at the expense of a creature he supposedly cares about.

[dazie]

Take her in- you don't have to be in the room if you don't want to, but it's cruel to keep her alive in the condition she's in.

And kick your dad in his non-existant nads.   

[Dry then Catch]

The day before my just posted bellybutton story, I actually was at the euthanasia with the family of a dog that I was acquainted with.  It's sad as shit.  The thing is, the animal knew.  he knew it was his time, I could just tell.  Its crueler to keep them alive. 

Just keep petting her and whispering when they give the injection.   She'll put her head down and then close her eyes.  Some muscle twitching may occur.  I'm get seriously teary thinking about it again. 

But 18, holy crap that is old.   

[Jessie]

I talked to dad.  I think he knows what he has to do.  I think she'll be gone at 5 tomorrow.  Poor Poochie (that's her lame name).  She's been a good dog.

[Gamplayerx]

I'm sorry, honey. Putting her down is really the kindest thing. 

[VikingJuice]

I've had to put down a number of pets over the years, it's always painful.  But as was said above, because we love them, we owe them the dignity to die peacefully and not suffer.

[Jessie]

Why don't we do that with old people?

Seriously.

[VikingJuice]

Why don't we do that with old people?

Seriously.

I think many people would but there are higher stakes involved.  Ask for Kevorkian.

[Gamplayerx]

Why don't we do that with old people?

Seriously.

On the one hand, old people can presumably write their wishes down ahead of time.  On another, if they're not totally unable to speak for themselves, they can tell you where it hurts and get drugs to ease their pain and suffering. 

[Infobahn]

Why don't we do that with old people?

Seriously.

Carousel...

[Beefy]

Why don't we do that with old people?

Seriously.

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[Jessie]

She's gone.

They took her about 5:30 tonight.  Poor baby.  Her lymph nodes were so big she could barely breathe

I will miss her.  Now, at nearly 31 years old, all my childhood pets are gone.  You all know what a crazy cat lady I am now, and you should know that's nothing new.  Animals are family to me.

I will miss her and my cat for a long, long time.

Goodbye, Poochie. 

[dazie]

Aww Jessie.  I'm sorry.

If anyone posts that damn rainbow bridge poem though I'm gonna KHITB.

[VikingJuice]

Sorry to hear about it but was probably the best decision. 

[manosax]

I'm really sorry Jessie.  As one that has had to put two dogs to sleep that had extremely strong emotional ties to me, I can say that it never is easy.  I have one left who, I think, is 17 and I'm not looking forward to putting her down.  I have found several pet loss wesites that helped somewhat.  I don't think that a pet shoud have to suffer for the living.  As one who has exprienced more than my fair share of death recently,  I can say that the frief prcess is a slow and individual process.  Find your own way to cope.  Once again, I'm truly sorry.

[Jessie]

Thanks guys.  It helped that I didn't have to go and actually do it.  I don't know if I could have.

[manosax]

At the two that I was present for, it was comforting to me that I was the last thing that they saw.  It was kind of cathardic for me in a way.  Although for each of them I'm not so sure they were aware of their surroundings by that time. 

Get a picture of your dog when she was well and remember her that way.  That seemed to always helps fo me.