Advice- what to do when my dog dies?

Bob The Nero

Hi,
I'm looking for a bit of advice, my dog is very elderly,blind and deaf and he's been taking very bad fits recently so I know it's only a matter of time before he passes, what I'd like to know is what should I do if he dies at home, what is the procedure. I'd like to be ready for the sake of my wife and children who I know are going to be very upset and I'd like to spare them as much grief as possible. Thanks.

SlimCi

Oh how sorry I am for you for the sadness this must be causing you and your family.

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but in the long run it may be easier on you and your family if you didn't prolong matters for the poor creature and let him/her go if he is in pain and/or not having a reasonable quality of life.

I have just had to do it in the past few weeks and it broke my heart but it was the right thing to do for us and our beloved pet who was in a lot of pain. We had to tell our little boy that he ran away, he wouldn't have understood:cool:. Hope you will all be ok its a very upsetting time.

maringo

When our dog got killed on the road some time ago we brought him home and had his funeral/burial in the garden. The kids were devastated at the time but soon got over it and we eventually got another dog. With a previous dog who had cancer the vet did the necessary and he dealt with the body but that was when we were not in Ireland. I would talk to your vet about it as not sure about the health regulations that might apply.

Bob The Nero

Thanks for your reply and your concern, I'm sorry to hear about your loss aswell. I would think about bringing him to the vet to end his misery if the seizures got worse or more frequent, but at the moment, between his episodes he's fine, in so much as he's not in pain and he still has his little walk around the back garden and barks at the other dogs over the back wall which he senses in some way.

Bob The Nero

maringo wrote: »

When our dog got killed on the road some time ago we brought him home and had his funeral/burial in the garden. The kids were devastated at the time but soon got over it and we eventually got another dog. With a previous dog who had cancer the vet did the necessary and he dealt with the body but that was when we were not in Ireland. I would talk to your vet about it as not sure about the health regulations that might apply.

Thats the thing, the garden is small and theres not really a suitable spot to bury him at home. so thanks for the suggestion, I will ring the vets and ask them.

ToniTuddle

Bob The Nero wrote: »

Hi,
I'm looking for a bit of advice, my dog is very elderly,blind and deaf and he's been taking very bad fits recently so I know it's only a matter of time before he passes, what I'd like to know is what should I do if he dies at home, what is the procedure. I'd like to be ready for the sake of my wife and children who I know are going to be very upset and I'd like to spare them as much grief as possible. Thanks.

Sorry to hear you are having to consider these things. It's hard when they get old
We buried our dog in our garden and the cats that have passed on. Don't think it's actually allowed though. Not sure where you are but you could talk to your vet about it all, maybe there is a cremation place that they could send him too then you could bury the ashes at your home?

SlimCi wrote: »

I have just had to do it in the past few weeks and it broke my heart but it was the right thing to do for us and our beloved pet who was in a lot of pain. We had to tell our little boy that he ran away, he wouldn't have understood:cool:.

That's what my mother told me and I was beyond devasted.:o
Grew up thinking that maybe I hadn't shown enough love to our dog or in the right way to make her stay and that she didn't love me as she "ran away".
When I found out the truth in later years by a slip of the tongue by an aunt.....I let rip on the Mother big time!

InTheTrees

So sorry to hear what you're going through.

The last two pets we had to have put down we had the vet come to our house to do the deed, it makes it a little less... formal... it felt more homey and loving than going to the vets.

Just a thought. And best of luck.

xoxyx

So sorry to hear about your situation OP. Now, I know that honesty is the best policy, but if your children are very young they may not be ready to hear about passing on.

What I would say, if your children are very young, is that your dog is getting old and needs to go into a home where there are lots of other old dogs and where they can just rest and chat to each other and have lovely food whenever they want. Kind of a doggie retirement home. This completely depends on the age of your children but, thinking back to when I was a child and we lost our pet, I think this might be one of the easier things to hear.

For you and your wife, it is such a heartbreaking situation, but you know that you've given your dog a fantastic life and made them happy all this time. For you, and for your children if they're old enough to be told what is happening, you're just going to have to try and remember the good times and do what is best for your dog when the time comes. You will cry your hearts out but, believe me, it will pass in time and you will look back on everything and think of the happy memories more than anything. It's sadder for you than it is for your pet, who has had an amazing life with you all.

I wish you the best.

xx

lorebringer

Most vets offer a cremation service for when pets die. You can do one of two things, get a "disposal" cremation (that is, your dog will be cremated with other dogs and you will not get any ashes back). This way is the cheapest option. Or you could get an individual cremation (your dog is done alone and you can request the return of ashes to you), this can be pricey though.

If your dog dies at home, you can bring them into the vet and explain what you would like to happen with regards to cremation. If he dies in the vet, for whatever reason, the vet can take him then and there for you. If you do want to get your dog put to sleep (totally you choice - you know what is best for your pet) you can request the vet come out the the house to end your dogs life, some vets are very accommodation while others are a bit harder to get to do this.

Very hard situation for you and your family.