If you've had a dog that died how did it happen?

[Anonymous]

We gave our Lab with bad hips glucosamine pills and seaweed tablets for years. It did seem to help.

This Lab lived to be 12. He started to fail a little right before I had my 2nd child...deaf, stiff-legged when he walked. I was (thank G-d) home on maternity leave with 3-week-old son when he became disoriented one weekend and stopped eating and had trouble moving around. I think he probably had a stroke. The next day, he was worse. My husband (who got him as a puppy) was on his way home from a work trip and we made an appointment to take dog to the vet to be put down at 4pm. Two hours before the appointment, he got in his dog bed and his breathing got very ragged and wheezy. I lay down on the floor and hugged and patted him and he died within an hour. I'm not sure he knew I was there - he was laboring to breathe and not really conscious. Unfortunately my husband didn't make it in time to say goodbye. When DH got home, we took his body to the vet to be cremated...that was probably the worst part for me, trying to move him after he was dead. Luckily my 2yo was at school.

Our second dog (large poodle) got cancer at age 8 and stopped eating. He got very thin and treatments we tried did not work. Finally one day he looked at us sadly like he just couldn't do it anymore, and we knew it was time and took him in to be put down. This was not long after our first dog died, so kids were still very small and we told them after the fact.

Dying of natural causes or of euthanasia are both heartbreaking. OP, just enjoy the time you have with your buddy...don't worry too much about coming home to find him dead. While some dogs do die unexpectedly, most of the dogs DH and I had growing up showed signs of severe decline/illness and had to be put down. They sometimes seem to know when it's time. When they can't eat or drink or walk, or don't respond to you, or they're just not themselves anymore, it is time.

[Anonymous]

Our beloved lab died at 12 1/2. He had been totally normal all day, frisky, eating normally, and playing with us and our other dog. When I went to get him to come upstairs to bed, he was in the dining room in a strange place where he didn't usually lie down, and wouldn't get up. Even for treats. My husband took him to the emergency vet, since it was midnight. They did a lot of tests and discovered that he had congestive heart failure, and nothing we could do would improve his condition. We went together and euthanized him next day, both of us sobbing. Left our 3-year-old daughter with family so she didn't have to see us like that.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your stories. It sounds like you all gave your pets lots of love and dignity at the end.

[Anonymous]

What about the logistics? I have a 10 year old lab mix and hope that he's around another 2 - 3 years but have thought about the end. If he dies in the house, where do I take him? (I live in a condo so burying him in the backyard won't be appropriate.)

[Anonymous]

Bloat.

[Anonymous]

These are so sad. RIP sweet dogs. I have cats but this is bringing tears to my eyes.

[Anonymous]

OP - it could be sudden, or it could be a long illness. You just don't know. And it will be incredibly sad for everyone, regardless.

Since your dog is getting older and displaying signs of his age, I would prepare your kids. Let them know that your dog is not immortal and he is getting older. That you are committed to keeping him comfortable and you don't know how long you'll have together.

You and your spouse should probably discuss with each other the 'what ifs'. If your dog develops cancer, will you treat it? Will you treat it if it costs X, requires Y weeks of chemo, and gives Z additional weeks or months of life. A lot easier to talk about rationally when it is a hypothetical. And it isn't the money so much as the quality of life, at least for me. And talk about what the dog's quality of life should be. At what point is the dog just too miserable?

[Anonymous]

If your pet starts to decline, it is much more humane to have them put to sleep before they are in constant pain, miserable, etc. I put mine to sleep when they generally lose weight, get depressed/grumpy, incontinent, otherwise show they are not interested in life. Of course I have them checked for fixable medical issues first but "he's an old dog, it happens" is no reason to keep them going.

Please don't look at pet euthanasia as a last resort/something some people have to do. It is a beautiful gift we can use to prevent suffering in animals and give our best friends a dignified and peaceful end.

[Anonymous]

Can't read others' stories ... too sad. But here's mine:

One 12 year old black lab died of liver problems. He began losing weight and was very skinny, drinking water all the time. Doctor said that his body wasn't able to get the nutrition. We put him to sleep.

One 10 year old black lab went in for ACL surgery because she was limping. Once she was under they discovered it was cancer (but went ahead and "fixed" the ACL anyway--WTF? Thanks Fairfax Animal Hospital). We put her to sleep rather than go through cancer treatments.

[Anonymous]

Hit by a car and died instantly as my mom watched in horror. She was 11 and starting to really decline. In a way, it almost seemed like a more merciful death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about the logistics? I have a 10 year old lab mix and hope that he's around another 2 - 3 years but have thought about the end. If he dies in the house, where do I take him? (I live in a condo so burying him in the backyard won't be appropriate.)

My husband wrapped blankets and carried our beloved Husky to the car and drove her to the vet where they cremated her. It is a weird thing, but we felt it was better to take her than wait til they could send someone to get her.

[Anonymous]

If your pet passes at home, most vet offices will let you drop off the pet for cremation. Our vet stayed open a bit late to collect our dog after he passed unexpectedly when we were away on vacation. Our friend took him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your pet starts to decline, it is much more humane to have them put to sleep before they are in constant pain, miserable, etc. I put mine to sleep when they generally lose weight, get depressed/grumpy, incontinent, otherwise show they are not interested in life. Of course I have them checked for fixable medical issues first but "he's an old dog, it happens" is no reason to keep them going.

Please don't look at pet euthanasia as a last resort/something some people have to do. It is a beautiful gift we can use to prevent suffering in animals and give our best friends a dignified and peaceful end.

I agree. Honestly, some of these stories speak of animals suffering for a while before they died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about the logistics? I have a 10 year old lab mix and hope that he's around another 2 - 3 years but have thought about the end. If he dies in the house, where do I take him? (I live in a condo so burying him in the backyard won't be appropriate.)

We came home and found our 75 pound dog dead on the dining room floor (he had been in declining health). Options were 1) bury him in the back yard (but we have a very small backyard), 2) we called the city and they told us they could pick him up if we put him in a bag and left it in the tree box in front of the house (no thank you) 3) we picked up the body and took him to the vet (I found an old sheet and my husband and I wrapped him up and carried him out stretcher style to the car- we have a station wagon) - then someone from the veterinary staff met us at our car with an actual stretch and took him from the car to the vet - then we had him cremated and buried the ashes in the backyard.

Our other dog was euthanized, which was sad, but better than having to handle the logisitics of death at home.

[Anonymous]

18:37 again - OP, as someone else said, if he dies at home, you can take him to the vet and they will send him out to be cremated. You will probably be able to choose regular cremation (cheaper but you don't get ashes back) or private cremation (they will put the ashes in a nice small container and give them back to you). We chose private cremation for both dogs and the ashes came back to us in beautiful little wooden boxes carved with a tree of life on top, and their names on brass plates. They're on a shelf in the living room...the boxes were too pretty to bury. I decided when I die and am cremated, I want their boxes put in with me wherever I end up. I want my buddies to sleep on my bed forever.

We took our 60-lb. Lab in after he died (picked up the dog bed with him on it and put it in the back of the SUV). There was no way we could dig a grave that big, and it was winter. They were waiting for us and took him in the side door, not through the main waiting room entrance. I recommend you call your vet and say that while you don't expect this imminently, you are wondering what to do if your dog dies at home and what the options are for dealing with his remains. If they won't take a body, they surely can recommend someone else who will. There may be private pet crematoriums in the area who will pick up as well.