I need Answers......HELP - Page 1

 I made the decision of putting my best friend to sleep.  He was 16 1/2 years old.  He was a Lhasa, his name was Todd.  As with any animal lover, Todd was my best friend and such a "little follower". He was my heart, my soul and my life.  

I protected him for all the years of his life.  Within the past year, he was getting tired.  Not getting up and down steps on his own, losing control of his bladder and other things.  He was going blind.  He was still eating and he was still a little playful.  I did not want to see him age anymore and suffer.  I was walking with a limp because his joints were so bad.  

I took him on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 to our vets office.  He was always afraid of that place.  They came and took him from me and said that they were going to cather him.  They called my husband and me into a room and told us Todd would be in shortly.  Time was passing and then an assistant came in and said that Todd was being grumpy and would not let them put the cather in so they wanted to sedate him so he would be calm.  I agreed ~ at least 15 minutes went pass and we were still waiting.  

All of the sudden I heard a horrible cry and I said to my husband "that was Todd" and my husband said "no it wasn't"  ~ I said "yes it was" ~ I opened the door to the room we were in and walked back to the room where it says "Authorized Personal Only".  I heard it again ~ they horrible noise.   I knocked on  the door and they did not answer ~ my husband opened the door and the doctor had Todd in his arms ~ I said "what is going on~  is he okay?"  he said "yes".   I said "give him to me".  I held him like a baby until he calmed down.  

We went back in the office and I sat down on the chair ~ crying my eyes out of course......thinking "oh god, what am i doing"....the doctor ask if we were ready ~ and we were ~ I held my baby boy and watched the doctor put the neddle in the cather ~ as the fluid went into my puppy boy ~ he howled and cried out and stretched his little head over my arm ~ it was horrible ~ horrible ~ horrible ~ it lasted about three - four minutes ~ he finally stopped moving ~ and I hugged him and cried ~ within two minutes he made noises what sounded like a low growl.    I said to my husband he not gone ~ he not gone ~ go get the doctor ~ well the doctor was walking back into room with a second vile and said he knew the first was not enough ~ after he inserted the second one ~ he check his heart with a stethoscope and said that was it ~ 

Why ~ did he suffer like that ~ I help my dad put his dog to sleep and it was so peaceful ~ I feel like I betrayed by best friend by allowing some doctor to let him suffer like that ~ my puppy dog was looking for me to protect him and I let him down in the last ten minutes of his life ~   What do you think happened?  I was certain the sedation would of calmed him?   My heart is breaking and I cant stop hearing his poor little voice in my head ~ UGH~

when dogs get old and their circulation slows down, sometimes this sort of thing happens.  we had it happen a couple of times with dogs that were very old as yours was.  i don't think there is any way of predicting it.  if the circulatory system is still working correctly, things go much more quickly and peacefully as you described with the other dog.  yes, this is tragic and will take you some time to get over it.  when you can, try  to focus on memories of good thiings rather than his last day.  the more you dwell on this, the harder it will be to put it behind you.  i am sorry for you that this happened.  hang on to the good memories and try not to beat yourself up over this.  you were doing what you thought was best.
pjp

I am sorry Marlene, its very well possible that he was just a sore and scared boy and was crying for you because he did not know where he was. He for sure had a long life, and I am sure there where happier memories than your last one of him.

Sometimes sedation does not work , to me its unnessisary for putting a dog down. It also takes a few mins for it to kick in. I am sorry there was an apparent blunder, but what is done was done for the right reason and you where able to hold him for his last moments - in the most responcible way available .

Whisper

Oh, I'm so sorry for you.  I've been told when having mine put down that they can thrash and cry like you've described.  It's never happened to me.  They've all gone peacefully and for that, I am happy.  It's not easy to begin, and to have that happen, I just can't imagine.  Know that you were doing what was best for him and the rest was out of your hands.  He's suffering no longer, it's over.  Let yourself grieve without the guilt, he's at peace and I'm sure he forgives you.  You gave him more than 16 wonderful years, so much more than most of us get and he knew how much you loved him.  Put your guilt away and mourn your boy.  Peace to you.

I am so sorry for your loss and the horrid experience you had. I agree that you need to remember the good times and by the anguish you are going thru, I know he had a happy life with an owner who loved him all his years.

 This makes me cry.  Its a heartbreaking experience at the best of times but the only time I have had to have a dog pts the vet first injected him with something to make him sleep, so that he did not feel any pain, we were present all the time.   I cried but it was very peaceful.  Your experience so sounded so traumatic, I am so sorry.. 

I never put a dog down when it still eating , walking, and playing .Losing bladder control,blind ,etc,it is usual even in human.
Is it a lot of medicine put a dog down,depend what kind you use.use the old and cheap one???????????,I just guess.... your case  I will suggest the vet put it sleep first and put it down,

Marlene, I add my condolences to everyone else's on Todd's passing; if all here are in agreement about one thing, it is the recognition of how heartbreaking it is to lose a dog that's lived in your heart.

 

Every dog responds differently to the drugs used for sedation, and one of the common responses is what's termed 'vocalization'--whining or howling or crying out as the tranquilizing effect sets in.  This is of course very upsetting to the owner, and believe me when I say that it also is distressing to vets and techs even though we know it's fairly common--no one likes hearing a dog cry out as if they're anguished.  Some sedatives have this same effect on some people--for example, I can't take Valium, because instead of mellowing me out, it makes me just sob uncontrollably.  This may well have been the situation with Todd, from what you're describing. 

Although the vocalization certainly made it seem as if Todd was suffering and in pain, it is extremely unlikely that he felt anything other than a state of dissociation--and the feel of you holding him tenderly as he listened to your voice.  You didn't betray him--you kept the promise you made to him when you brought him into your life: to always do what's in his best interest, even if doing so resulted in sorrow for you.  He is rejuvenated now, back in his best form the way he was in his prime, and will be there to greet you when your time comes to join him.