Geico266

Fang has been in a good dog, almost the best. Head strong, no loyalty at all. If you had a treat he was yours. A fair watch dog, his size is intimidating. Always had to run away at night to do his duty in the neighbors yard, or check out his girlfriend. Sky blue eyes and a snow white coat. He is a chick magnet for sure. You could not put a colar on his and tie him up, he would pull the colar over his head. I put him in a chain link kennel once and he clawed his way through the chain link.



I am having a very hard time with the "decision". Fang is 14 1/2 years old, has trouble getting up, but once he is up he walks for pretty good. His rectum muscles are shot (common for Sepplas) and he has no control over his bowel movements anymore. Meds to kill the pain of the hips cause intestial bleeding which makes his rear bloody. He goes when ever and where ever. I don't mind the clean up, but it is getting to be a factor as we have company & grandkids running all over the yard. Sorry to be gross, but facts are facts.

It's a sad day for my family, and especially for me, but it has to be done.

It's time.

iker42

Yeah, he's definitely lived a LONG life for his size, and most likely an awesome one. Hard to say good bye to a friend like that.

My condolences
Mike

Festus

My condolences for even having to make the decision.

Mcmopar

I had to do it to my German Shepard---Sucks buddy, I feel for you!!

Justwannabeme

We did have this talk......you are doing for him THE most courageous and loving act any friend and protector can accomplish. You look in his eyes and you know it is the right action and time. Please know that after a week, after clearing out the dog bowls and stuff, you feel at ease knowing that YES! it was time to say goodbye and do him a favor. Especially with the nerves gone.

Do it proper, everyone gives hugs and lovin'; take him to the vet and be with him for the final dose. I bring all my dogs home and bury them. CHAIKWA had his beloved black lab cremated.....you are in good compnay here, lots of support for you and your family.

Nate-03 D

In the end you are making the right decision by far. It's just not fair for the dog and your family to have to go through the pain of watching the dog suffer.

We had to put our German Shepard down years ago due to bad hips, it's a common problem with the breed. I think it's degenerative muscle loss or something. It's sad but it's the proper thing to do.

At least you know the dog lived a good and healthy live and was well taken care off.

I don't want to thread jack your post here but I would like to chime this in.

I went to the local animal shelter/adoption clinic last nite. And they had a 9 year old German Shepard there who was the clinics mascot. Well in 2000, some kids where having a bond fire, the owner of the dog ( a 15 year old punk) poured diesel fuel on this dog and tossed him in the raging fire. They then proceded to toss the dog in a river during March. That probley saved the dogs live but he received multiple severe burns all over it's body, his ear was burnt off and he sustained other injuries. The dog is fine now and all healty but the kid only had to serve 5 hrs of community service. Here is the real kicker, the parents said "oh boys will be boys". That kid would be in a wheel chair now with 2 broken knees if I whitnessed that.

It's a good thing there are people like you who take well care of their animals.

Toto

I will make this short as I don't want to start crying all over the keyboard.
It does sound like his time is coming to an end.
Only you can make the decission.
You can get some advice from your vet.
The key is to not wait too long.
It is a most difficult decission and lots of folks don't do it soon eneogh, obviosly because they love their dogs...but you don't want to prolong their suffering.
I had to say goodbye to my schnauzer a few years ago and it was not nice.
Just remind yourself that your dog had a long and quality life.

RustyJC

It's really hard to type this as we had to put down our male tri-color Sheltie less than a year ago at the age of only 6-1/2. Bandit's kidneys were failing, and we tried everything we could to save him - including a very expensive trip to the vet facilities at Texas A&M University. We were told that, if we did everything possible, he would live another 6 months at most, and that would require an around-the-clock regimen of medications. Since he had quit eating, we would also have to force feed him. At that point, it became a "quality of life" decision - what would Bandit's life be like for those 6 months?

My wife brought Bandit back from A&M, and I met her at our local vet's office where we had some time alone to say our goodbyes to him. We were holding him as he was put down, and we brought him home where we buried him with the 3 Shelties who had gone before.

It's one of the hardest decisions we have to make, and only you and Fang can make it. Sit down with him and look into his eyes - you'll know when it's time.

Rusty

Geico266

I picked the wrong time of year, the ground has 3 feet of frost!

The vet had told me it was time 6 months ago. I just kept hoping it would get better, but that was wishful thinking.


Thanks everyone for your kind words.

madhat

I'm sorry, buddy. It's a hard thing to do. I'm with you in spirit.

Mark

Baja

Sorry you have to make that decision, but most anybody who has had a pet goes through it one time or another, I have. As hard as it is, you have to do the right thing for the sake of the dog.
I hope that when and if I reach that stage, I get put to asleep!

getblown5.9

yup its best for him, he has taken care of you and now you must take care of him, dont let him suffer. whenever i had a dog pass, i would wait about 3 months and get a new pup, they will fll the void and you start your bonding with them all over again and its a great thing.

EClancy

awww man, that really sucks.

i know exactly how you feel. in the last 5 years i've had three of my dogs put to sleep. our mutt Pearl was 23 human years old, and was 4 years older than me when we put her down for the same reasons as your Fang. it was just so sad to see her go, as i had grown up her. my next dog daisy had a collapsed trachea, and could no longer breathe on her own, so she had to be put to sleep. she was only 7 or so, and was so full of life. then we rescued a rottweiler from a cage on a horsefarm who had spent her whole life outside in this cage. we brought her home, only to find cancer had eaten her insides, and she spent the last few months of her life w/us at home. all three are bured in our back yard.

you have to remember whats in their best interest. suffering aint no good, and they dont understand why their legs dont work and why they go to the bathroom everywhere. they were always by your side, and you have to be by theirs and remember to take care of them when they cant anymore. i swear to god that losing a pet is as bad as losing a human family member. just remember all the good years you had together, and that he aint in pain anymore

PanteraGSTK

That story made me madder faster than anything I've ever read . You may want to report this to somebody higher up. I read a stroy about a guy who kicked a poodle off a bridge and got life. This guy you spoke of needs to be made an examle of. Or you could just give me his address.... I can't stand people like this. If I EVER saw anything like that go down, I'd be in jail for murder. NOT KIDDING.

Sorry to hear about your awful decision Geico. At least you still have a Begle to play with.

Cmullen

I had to put my Female Shepherd, Schatzi, down in November. She also was over 14, had lost control of her bowels, couldnt get up or lay donw without being in pain (bad hips on shepherds). The day we decided it was time she looked at my wife while trying to get up and just whimpered, as if to say it hurts...We went the last mile with her and had her creamted and have her ashes in our bedroom on a shelf with her picture. I felt the loss but I knew it was for me that i cried, because for her we did the lovong thing.