How do you know when it is time ?

I have a 14.5 y/o lab...   from time to time I have to help him get up... but with some good effort he can get up on his own.  Sometimes he lays on his mat too long and when he dose get up to go out side he don't make it and leaves a mess to be cleaned up.

He can't really see past his nose much any more and his hearing is shot... And for the most part... he is so skinny... nothing but skin and bones. 

He still eats ...  still likes to get his petting... 

How do you know when it is time to take him in for the shot ? 

The most recent Lab we lost was just shy of 15 years old. Found out in March of 2018 he was in kidney failure. Tried some special food, but he went from 92 lbs down to 65 lbs. We put him down December 4th 2018. He just finally quit eating and was not able to stand without help that final day. We planned to do it and I was able to be with him all day. Of course when we took him to the Vet he made it hard on us by walking right in without any help. My wife had second thoughts at that point and I had to be firm with her that she would regret waiting any longer. He was skin and bones. I would have been OK with doing it a bit earlier, but I tend to deal with the process better than my wife, so I had to give her more time.

We waited almost 2 years after losing Shadow and now we have a 3 year old Lab Rescue who ironically had the same name. This new dog was definitely mistreated and has major anxiety and trust issues. But now that he’s been with us for almost a year he is really turning out to be a good dog. This is our first rescue and there is a big learning curve compared to raising them from a puppy. I struggled a lot with how long it took the dog to trust us, but he’s doing great now and we look forward to many good years with him.

Buckman

Bruno, pretty much nailed it. A dog on a scale of 1-10 won't show pain or suffering till probably 11. Their #1 is please their master.

Unfortunately they can't talk, but you also don't want to take away the dignity of your companion.

Our last 2 labs walked in on their own. Chocolate was 12 and kidneys were failing, yellow was 10 and had cancer spread to his whole body.

Unfortunately I'm in your shoes..  My Abby will be 16 next month.  That's a long life for a Lab, and she's had a great one!  The never weighed more than 50#, was a great hunting dog but more importantly was a great companion.  She would climb into my layout blind and lay under my headrest, with her head resting on my left shoulder, watching for birds.  She started pointing woodcock at 12 months and has shown that instinct her whole life, even honoring a shorthair on a pheasant point!  She is almost totally deaf now, probably from all the muzzle blast as much as her age, and her eyesight is fading fast.  She has "dog dementia", sometimes standing facing the corner of a room, seemingly confused.  It's sad to see her in this state, but she has a good appetite, recognizes me and always wants a pat on the head.  She does not seem to be in any pain and other than whining at times because she seems to be confused, I think she is happy in her own mind. If that changes and she seems to be uncomfortable in her body or mind, I will not hesitate to make the call. (I had a buddy who let his dog go way beyond the point that he should have, and it was very hard to watch) 

But I don't think it's my call to make yet. I just hope to God that when it is her time she goes quietly in her sleep at night.......

Sorry to hear about your situation.  It's tough.  I had one go naturally but I knew it was coming.  Unfortunately happened when we were in Florida on vacation and I learned about it via a phone call.  We put down three others and in each we probably waited too long.  Vets will tell you that most dogs, especially labs and retrievers, will hang on because of the love and loyalty they feel toward you.  It's like they don't want to leave you alone.  (Cue crying.....)  Without knowing more, I would say it's time or close to it with your dog.  Ask your vet.  You don't want to wait until they're suffering and go out without any dignity or pride.  For what it is worth, it is quick and painless for the dogs.  Heart-breaking for the owners but that's the deal we make with them.  Good luck.

Bruno

I can see if your question is as a first timer. You will know,  if you have to help them up off the floor,or up on to the couch, when they cant see, and seem to stand bewildered, and blind, cry as if in pain ,or when you pet them and they dont like it. I waited too long on my favorite, and my wife said it was cruel, and it was, but I was selfish, because I loved that dog and wanted her to be with us as long as possible. It seems like they will tell you

It's a tough call.  I've put down four in my life.  Three of the four stopped eating and isolated at night away from the family.  Our dogs sleep in the bed with us so this is a big change. One had a series of strokes and they wouldn't stop one day so I had to take her in.  They were all between 12 and 16 years old and had great lives.  My vet says they will let you know.  Sorry to see anyone lose a dog but it is our job to help them pass on comfortably at the end. 

Sorry to hear about that CrystalLM.

It's just so tough.  But, it is what we sign up for when we allow our pets into our hearts.

Be strong, prayers are with you and your cat.

I'll admit I'm definitely more of a cat person than a dog person.  I'm struggling with this right now.  My cat who I love dearly is on her last breath right now.  If she makes it till morning, we will still take her in.  Probably won't get much sleep tonight.  It is her time. 

I have also been fortunate enough to have my dogs go naturally. They all went quickly, with not much warning. Every time someone from the family was there to see them through thankfully. My youngest daughter loves every living thing so much (vegan too), that she swore she would never forgive me if we put any of them down. I am grateful we never faced that dilemma. I just picked up 2 puppies 8 weeks old after waiting 3 months following the latest dog's passing. They will likely be our last dogs as we will hopefully be too old to want more when they are gone. 

Edit:  Just wanted to second the suggestion of Glucosamine. Changing my most recent elder dog's diet to a premium grain free kibble coupled with raw meats/steamed veggies and the joint supplements gave him another year of good life. We get better with every dog we have as far as nutrition goes. These puppies will eat only the best for the rest of their lives. 

This is a very tough question to answer.  We recently lost our Yorkie Sammi in July who was part of our family for nearly 17 years.  She had lost her hearing and was starting to go blind, however this past Spring she developed a strange dry cough.  We brought her to the vet and found that she had an enlarged heart and a partially collapsed Trachea.  All 5 of us were very close to her and we struggled with whether we should put her down or not.

My wife decided to do so on June 5th, but then canceled because she couldn't do it.  Every time our boys stopped by the house Sammi would get all excited to see them, and that is why she changed her mind.

The end came about 50 days later, and rather quickly.  It was obvious Sammi started having problems during the afternoon and passed away at 6:30 PM, I stayed with her the entire time, my wife couldn't watch her go. It was strange that she stood in the middle of the floor and looked at me and then the door, as if she knew it was time, and I carried her outside. I have to say it was the first time I had seen one of my dogs pass on their own, others were put down, which is in my opinion a more humane way for them.  It was difficult to watch Sammi go.  

Having just gone through this a few months ago I truly feel the sorrow of your situation. It absolutely sucks. As it has been stated it came down to , is she suffering because we are being selfish? Is there quality of life left in her? She let us know when she stopped eating treats. They are such a tremendous part of our lives. I only hope she could comprehend how much we loved her. 

Having put down a few too many dogs over my 72 years  I ask myself am I being selfish? Is the dog suffering?  am I being selfish in not wanting to let go of something I loved and been loved? Emotions are a big part of life but those darn animals cause us so much heartache! The last couple I learned that if their in bad health the coat starts to lose its luster and gleam. It's time to put them in your memory bank! Hope this helps. 

Some really good posts here. I wasn't going to read the thread because it's such an emotional trigger. I've got a 14 year old lab sleeping next to me so I know my day of reckoning is coming soon. It won't be the first time.

I would never pretend to know when the time is right for someone else. I do know that my wife and I have always reached the decision at the same time. Every situation has been different.  Sounds like a cop out but usually you just know....

Sorry for your circumstance. As others have pointed out, be there and hold them when it's time.

My lab was confused,  no longer housebroken,  and afraid of gunshots . 

Second lab the vet offered her a jar of baby food while it was done, and a paw print in clay .

As posted, at 14.5, you are right about there from a time frame perspective.

Have you given the dog glucosamine yet?  That allowed my lab about 10 more months of life, and without joint pain.  If you haven't done that, look into it!

I had to put my cat down about a year and a half ago.  She told me it was time.  Jumped up onto my lap and just looked at me.  She was very thin and the glucosamine wasn't working so much anymore for her.  The process was good for her.  She drifted to sleep while I was there holding onto her.

When I had to say goodbye to my lab, her spirit was still strong, but the body had given out.  She couldn't stand anymore and while she did still like her pettings, if you petted her joints she would nip at you.  Nothing vicious, but you could tell how much pain she was in.  Process was good for her as well.

And this stinks.  It really really does.  No way around it either.  But it is what you sign up for when you allow a pet into your heart.  In many ways we treat our pets better than we treat our seniors when it is "that" time.