When and how do i know its time to make the decision to put my baby boy down.

little back story. short and sweet
Mack was a shelter pup cute little Pit Lab 3months old when i got him.

at two he was bit by a tick that we've narrowed down to some sort of Tick Related Paralysis. He lost function of everything from the ribs back for about 4 months. Luckily it was spring/into summer so he could be outside 75% of the day. They told me to put him down week two he was super depressed stopped eating i persisted we keep trying. Took him to a second vet where he received chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. after 2 treatments we had leg function. a month we were walking like a crab.

long story short hes always had incontinence issues since then, but hes now 12.5 yrs old and its become a two time a day thing. he doesnt know when he has to go, hes going in his sleep(ive literally woke up to the smell before him).

hes lost a good 10-12 lbs. without any diet changes. he still gets around okay and plays with the other dogs very well and for the most part seems happy i know hes stubborn and doesnt show pain or doesnt feel any. but i just cant tell if im being selfish for keeping him alive because i know its not "Healthy" for any of us. but hes my baby boy. i just cant help but sometimes think i should do it now before he gets worse so that i dont feel like a POS for letting him deteriorate any further than he already has.

some pics from last summer

https://ibb.co/YQFCz9T

https://ibb.co/hfHHf0V

This post was edited by Gmeleezz on Apr 15 2023 03:52pm

Hi

Always an extremely tough decision to put your pet down. When your pet starts to lose interest in the things he used to enjoy and starts having more bad days than good it's probably time to start having the conversation with your vet.

There's several sites with guides or suggestions on how to gauge how your pet is doing and when it's time but the fact you're considering it means you're realizing he's not having a fulfilling life anymore. It's not healthy for either of your to carry on like that when it's the case.

I had two cats we had to put down last year because we found out they had terminal illnesses that were missed when we adopted them. Both of them started to slowly stop eating, lost interest in toys and playing, and eventually lost control of their bladders due to the illness. We ended up putting both down in a 6 week period.

Time heals all wounds. I would also suggest getting another pet afterwords if it's something you're considering. They won't replace your lost one and that's not the purpose but they do help ease the pain when youre remembering your lost friend.

Best of luck and sorry to hear about your tough situation