Knowing when to put your pet down...

[MLB10]

We have a 9 year old scottie dog (from the time he was a puppy) who has been having pee accidents for about 2 years.  The vet was completely mystified and told me  deal with it.  If it gets worse, come back.  Well it got to the point he was having 4+ accidents a day and he peed like he had prostate issues.  He will pee for like 10 minutes, come inside, and immediately want to go back out.  I took him back and they thought it was kidney stones only to find out it was bladder cancer.  He was pretty eat up with it from what I gather but they removed the tumors.  The vet told me he will be uncomfortable and have a sucky life and need to be euthanized before the actual cancer would claim him.  At this point, we've sunk a ton of money into this dog.  He acts happy go lucky except pees on the floor and on furniture constantly.  We have porcelain floors and they are very slippery when wet (and I have the 3 kids). It's not a matter of taking him out enough: you take him out and he pees on the floor as soon as he walks back in.  He just has a constant pee sensation due to tumors filling the bladder.  That being said, he will still run, bark, play, etc.  I've been waking up with him like a newborn because he cries to go out.  I can't leave him outside or downstairs on the tile because he will cry to be near me.  I had made up my mind after a 2,4,&6 am wake up call to put him down BUT>..

It's Christmas!!!  Today my 4 year old let him out to pee at 7 (they know the drill and are trying to help him get out a lot) and he closed the door and just started bawling so pitifully and said "oh mama can we keep him?"  Hubby told him the night before the dog is dying.  I had already told them the dog has a sickness that can't be fixed and we have to let him out a lot and give him extra love right now.  Anyway, it broke my heart.  At this point, it's a mega inconvenience to me but I have no idea how the dog feels.  The vet says he's at max 5 more months to live but probably not.  We are leaving Dec 26 for hubby to go to the music city bowl and I am not paying another $17 a day to board him when he is knockin' on death's door.  I'm really torn about what to do.  I can't imagine his life is all that great but then he acts happy a good bit so    Also, don't want to carry him on the road trip because he cna't make it without stopping.  Don't want to pay for more boarding...last time was $160 or so.  Don't want to buy more food.  Don't want to buy the medicine he was prescribed...it's causing other issues and not helping overall. 

I grew up in the country and I've never had an inside dog and never had to worry about a pet being euthanized.  This is a really hard decision and at this point the thing keeping me from taking him in is my kids being sad right at Christmas and the dog acting normal part of the time.  I've seen him very sick before when he almost died and he wouldn't take treats, play, anything. 

When is the right time?

[SUPERCOACH]

It is very hard to say, but I would probably have put him down when the tumors where found or soon thereafter.

As for the kids, are you planning to get a new pet?  Maybe a puppy under the tree on Christmas morning would help their feelings considerably.  Or maybe a little sooner if they are sad and mourning for more than a couple of days.

[BAMAWV]

Every day it gets closer to Christmas. Kids are resilient and this is how they learn how to deal with death. 

[Jamos]

I don't know if there is a "right time" or not, but I know it is a "tough time" when it does happen. 

[pmull]

We had a 13 year old dog that died two years ago. She needed to be put down about 6 months before she died. Our kids would not let us do it. Watching her deteriorate was a terrible thing to go through. Even worse I think she suffered. I talked to the VET and he said it is a quality of life issue. Once it becomes a burden and you can no longer enjoy the pet relationship it is time to be put to sleep.

[MLB10]

We had a 13 year old dog that died two years ago. She needed to be put down about 6 months before she died. Our kids would not let us do it. Watching her deteriorate was a terrible thing to go through. Even worse I think she suffered. I talked to the VET and he said it is a quality of life issue. Once it becomes a burden and you can no longer enjoy the pet relationship it is time to be put to sleep.

Thanks for all the responses.  I really just wanted someone to tell me what to do, but the last sentence here sums it up.  My husband put the dog in the garage (which in Houston is still like house temps) with blankets and a bed last night so we could get a full night's sleep.  I went to bed at 930 from the exhaustion of getting up with the dog like he is a newborn.  When I went to get him this morning he didn't want to come in the house...wanted to stay in the garage.  We definitely are not having a pet/owner relationship...I am just hanging on trying to "do right" by this dog when in reality it would be better to put him down while he is a part of our family instead of ostracizing him. 

Supercoach: no puppies under the tree!!!  After having boys in diapers or potty training the last 4 years plus having a dog having accidents, I really want to NOT clean someone else's crap up for a good long while.  Hubby wants a bulldog and I absolutely do not.  They are cute but way too high maintainence.  I am not potty training anything for else for as long as I can hold off!  I know I will cave when my good sense wears off.  Kids will do that to you.

Lots of good advice here.  I think I will talk to hubby about doing something in the next few days or so.  I definitely want at least 2 weeks from "the event" and Christmas for the kids to calm down.

[2Stater]

Sorry about your pup MLB. Sounds like it might be time. The kids can go through it now or later, but they will have to go through it. The quality of life with the pet would be the deciding factor to me.

[Leewillie]

I'm dealing with the same problem.  I don't know what's right for you.  But when it gets to be a quality of life issue for the dog or for me then it's time.

Good luck to you.

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