I've mentioned a couple of times that I am owned by a beautiful belgian malinois named Ziras. Ziras is a retired police dog who is 8 years old. Although he came to us just a little over a year ago, I feel like I've spent a lifetime with him. He was supposed to be "my" dog, but ended up loving my husband with all his soul. Don't get me wrong - he loves me too, but the depth of love he has for my husband is beyond anything I've ever seen in an animal.

Anyway, in August, Ziras began dropping weight very quickly. The local vets couldn't figure out what was going on, so my best friend and I took him to the Veterinary Hospital at NC State, which is three hours away. State diagnosed him with Lymphoma.

I took in part time jobs cleaning houses in additional to my full time job to pay for his chemo. Then, the papers picked up the story and we did a fundraiser and received donations to help (he was a police dog in our community and people "knew" him). We knew it was just a stop-gap - Lymphoma in dogs always relapses. But, Ziras had given so much to the community...and to us...we had to do something. He reacted so well to it, and went into remission very quickly.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve. He began throwing up, had huge "marbles" come up underneath his eyes, and stopped eating. I took him back to the vet to find that he was out of remission. The vet gave him anywhere from two weeks to two months to live.

For the last week, Ziras has pretty much just laid around. The only time he'll get up is when my husband or I walk out of the room - he'll follow us to make sure we're okay. And since I've been recovering from surgery, he pretty much stays by my side. Still, he didn't act like he was in pain. Saturday, he stopped eating again. Over the weekend, he's been throwing up what looks like bile to me. This morning, he woke us up at 4:00 needing to go outside, but wasn't able to hold it and had explosive dirrahea right in front of the door.

I took him to the vet and the vet agrees that his time is close, but believes like us, that Ziras isn't in pain. He says we'll "know" when it's "time" to end his journey...but will we really? I don't want to hang on to him for me...but I don't want to end his life before he's ready to go, either. I don't want him to suffer...but what if he's just having a bad couple of days? I don't know what to do and it's breaking my heart. I just wish I would know how to make this decision. It scares me. I had a cat once that we had to put to sleep and it was hard, but it was definitely the right time. I'm just not feeling that this time.

ahhhh....poor Ziras. And poor you.

Two of our officers had Malinois (they are beautiful dogs) that had to be put down within months of each other--it was truly heartbreaking. I was very close to one of the officers, and by extension his dog Rex.
Just don't let your fear and sadness overtake your sense of doing what's best for the dog.

I did not know much about Malinois until working at the police dept. I absolutely loved "our" Malinois. They are fantastic animals to watch work.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

What beautiful dogs. I so feel your pain and it's not an easy decision to make. When we put my cat down, there was a look in her eyes that told me it was time. I hated to do it, but we both knew the time was right.

Nearly two years ago our cat Rusty was diagnosed with lymphoma. He was 9 years old. We opted to let nature take its course and gave him the best 6 weeks of life any cat could have before he left us.

He loved to go outside and I would take him out in the early evening and let him explore the yard. Then one day we went out and he just laid down on the grass and didn't move. He looked into my eyes and that look told me he was just so tired life wasn't good any more.

My thoughts will be with you as you help your dog on his final journey. Quality of life should always out weigh quantity.


Our Rusty. 4/16/98 - 5/14/07


Will you walk with me just one more time?
Like you did when I was young?
Will you stroke my fur and talk to me
When you do what must be done?

I know your heart is breaking.
And you know I want to stay.
But I must make this trip alone
Though you’ll help me find the way.

I’ve seen your tears and that is why
I’ve stayed close by your side.
I hope you see that in my eyes
I know how hard you tried.

So will you walk with me just one more time?
And send me on my way?
Please don’t be sad because I know
We will meet again one day.

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I do know what you're going thru and what you're feeling right now. We have made the decision to put our 17 year old friend down this Saturday. We are really dreading it. We've been putting it off but know that it needs to be done.

But I am like you, when do you know it's the right time? Is it the right time for us or him? But he's definitely not the little dog he used to be, can't hardly hear or see, has to wear a diaper all the time. We don't think he's in pain but he never was the type of dog to really whine or complain. Sometimes I think the hesitation to put him down is our selfishness instead of thinking what is best for our little Mo.

I would love to hear other responses.

With both our dog and cat we just knew when the time was right. With our dog she no longer showed any pleasure even going to the park. We put it off hoping it was just a phase. I fed her chicken broth mixed with rice just to keep her going. In the end she just had a look in her eye. Our cat was much the same. In the end he did not even want to get up. Again, it was just a look that you knew it was time. It's almost if their "happiness" was gone. They were no longer getting any joy from living.

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Check out my homepage http://julie.mycoupons.com/

Trying to make this decision is one of the hardest ones we will make in our lives

My prayers are with you that you are able to find the strength to make the decision when the time is right.

I asked my vet the same question once, and he gave me probably the best advice I ever had on the subject. He said there is no such thing as "too soon", there is only "the right time" and "too late". He's right - if you choose to end their life sooner in order to spare them the suffering that will come - its the right time. If you can make them comfortable and you hang on to them until the moment when its clear that life has lost its joy for them - its time. If you keep them past the time when they've made it clear to you that they're tired, and its time - then its too late. I've had cats that chose to die at home - as in we had planned to take them that day to the vet - and they had their last little walk around the garden, last belly rub - they laid down for a nap and died before the vet appointment. And I've had cats I had to take in and have put down. For me, I've found the most peace in choosing a day, and then trying to give them a day or two of everything they love - and then doing it without regret. Yes, they might have been able to enjoy 1 more day, 1 more week, etc - but it wasn't too early, it was the right time.

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Meddle ye not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crispy, and taste good with Ketchup!

You have to ask yourself if you are delaying putting him down for yourself, or because he still has a good quality of life. If he isn't in pain and he still seems to enjoy being with you and DH, then you may want to just let nature take it's course.

However, once he stops eating and especially drinking, then it's time. IMHO

Big (((HUG))) I know how heart wrenching this is for you.

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Mary

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. It's tough to let go of someone you love with all your heart and who loves you back tri-fold.

Make the decision for him not for you, if he's not eating and just laying around....I think he knows it's almost time. We had to make the same decision several years ago with our 14 year old black lab. She was having problems just getting up to go outside (or wherever) and the last few days of her life she couldn't get up to do her business....poor thing would go on the floor and then try to move to get away from it but just ended up making a mess. We called the vet who told us we could put her on medication, but why? It would only benefit us, certainly not her. I tell you it was THE HARDEST decision we have ever made, and I still miss that black ball of fur (if you can call 90 pounds a ball..... ) and think of her daily. I know we made the right decision, as hard as it was it was for the best.

{{hugs to you and your family}}

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Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

((((HUGS))))) I think you will know when it is time. There is just a feeling. One of the hardest things to do in life.

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Freedom Stands...Because HEROS Serve

Mary

My deepest prayers to you. I am crying as I am typing this because I know the day will come for us as well but I can't even think about it and sometimes think I am borderline crazy over this. I love my Dog so much that I can imagine what a painful situation you are in. I hope you figure out the feeling everyone is talking about. {{{{{HUGS}}}}

VIRGO 10 What a beautiful poem

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

I still am close to tears when I read your post.
I have had to put many more beloved pets down than I wish I'd had to over the decades.Bite the bullet, put your lovely Belgian outta his/her misery. I have found they hang on longer for *us* than we hang on for them.
Your pooch is a treasure, treat him/her as such and let the dog go.
It sure does suck, doesn't it?
I have a heart filled with empathy for you.
MZ

Thank you all for helping me sort through my emotions. We have made the difficult decision to allow Ziras to rest at 9:45 tomorrow morning. That will give us this evening to spend a little more time with him, and an opportunity for the kids to say goodbye. I know the only reason he's hanging on is for my husband and I, and I love him too much to make him continue to suffer.

You know, I got Ziras just a couple of weeks after my mom died. I was at the local shelter looking for a dog - I needed something to hang on to, I was having such a difficult time. The police officer who ended up giving Ziras to us just happened to be there, and we started talking. He tracked me down that afternoon, and told me about Ziras. He brought him over that evening, and it was love at first sight. Ziras has been my therapy for 15 months...I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I dearly hope that dogs have souls. I hope that if they do, he'll be my mom's dog. I'm going to miss him so badly I just don't know what I'm going to do.

You and your family will be in my thoughts tomorrow. It sounds like you were lucky to find Ziras and he was lucky to find you.

Some times having a pet is just so darn hard.

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I know you have to be "ready" but I suggest you try to get another dog as soon as possible. You don't have to love them at first, they're not going to replace your dear Ziras - but you'll honor the memory of your dog by giving a forever home to a worthy dog in a shelter who without your hospitality might be killed. And in time, you will love them too.

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Meddle ye not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crispy, and taste good with Ketchup!