How to know when it's time to say goodbye to dog

[Anonymous]

My almost 13 year old Labrador is the best dog. Sadly he was diagnosed with nose pad cancer and it's an aggressive local cancer that is wreaking havoc on his nose.We opted to not do the surgery which would be very intense, remove his nose, and hinder his quality of life afterwards.
As of now, he eats food vicariously and is taking walks, is enthusiastic about life and the area of concern is pretty localized. But at night I can tell he is struggling to breathe through his nostrils and is having trouble sleeping. I don't know how you know it's time. My vet said he will let us know by not eating but I can't see this guy ever not eating. Plus I wouldn't want to necessarily wait until it gets that bad. I don't know what to do.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry.
My dog never stopped eating. Some dogs don't.
It's OK to let them go a little "early" before things get very bad. That means they never experience the very bad days.

You can plan some good time with him, give him a big goodbye, and have a vet put him to sleep in your home. My dog went out eating liver snacks in our living room.

Hugs, OP.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP.^

My Bulldog never lost her appetite. I used Lap of Love (and I highly recommend them) a little early because it wasn't sustainable anymore for me.

While it was very hard, I am glad that I didn't let me girl continue to suffer. She went out eating mini chocolate chip muffins. She was so happy.........

I am so, so sorry.

[NP]

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, OP.
Better a day too soon than a day too late.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry. Sometimes you wish they could just tell you!

I found this "guide" (or at least the chart you fill out on the last page) to be incredibly helpful, or at least get you thinking about things. Our vet shared it with us when we had to begin thinking about difficult decisions. Good luck to you!

https://vmc.vet.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/how-will-i-know_rev_mar2024ms_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

"...he is struggling to breathe through his nostrils and is having trouble sleeping." How much of that would you want to endure, knowing there was no resolution/recovery possible?

I agree with the pps saying "better too soon than too late". A good death while they're still themselves is the last gift we give our pets. We let it break our hearts so it doesn't break theirs. Dogs especially do NOT want to lose function, especially if/when they can sense it's upsetting to their owners. Make the hard call before it gets made for you, because it's an act of love for your pet.

I'm so sorry, OP. It's never easy, even when it's right.