re: Having to put my dog down today

There are pet crematory services. My girl is in a nice wooden box with her name on it that will be buried or cremated with me when the time comes.

They say when they stop eating it's time. My lab had a healthy appetite right up to the end, and she liked going for walks almost to the last day, even though she had bad arthritis that made it hard for her to get up and down. She had Rimadyll, and later Tramadol. The Rimadyl helped some, I couldn't tell that the Tramadol worked at all. The vet told us that old dogs usually have low blood pressure which makes it hard for the right level of medication to build up. She also had dementia, which caused her to wander around the house aimlessly until she collapsed from exhaustion. She was also partially incontinent.

From the first day she couldn't get up by herself to the end was 7 weeks. I work from home, so I was with her pretty much constantly. I probably waited longer than I should, but I couldn't bear to part with her. I tried to do the right thing by her, and I hope she understood.

There are vets now that specialize in animal hospice care. I wish I had known about this before. It would have been a big help. Some are even willing to travel for a reasonable fee if they aren't in your immediate area. The LSU vet school also has some resources on their website.

And, there are some pet grief chat rooms on the internet. The moderated ones are better, for obvious reasons. They're easy to find with a google search.

Very sad.

Recommend pick up a new puppy NOW.

Putting my dog down was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was more torn up than I've ever been at any person's funeral. Sounds pathetic, but it's true so I'm just being honest about it.

Sorry for you and your family's loss. Lady is a beautiful family member. Rest in peace, Lady.

So sorry you are having to do that. Very difficult, my only advice is to be with your dog at the end, loving on it.