Tips to Know when to Say Goodbye to Your Dog

On December 28th 2010 I made the horrific decision to put my lovely 16 year old Labrador Custer to sleep. It is something I will never get over and it will haunt me for the rest of my life. It is very difficult to make the decision to put your dog to rest but if the dog is suffering it is best, or so I am told.

Custer was the happiest dog in the world. I had him since he was 5 weeks old and he was happy then and all through his wonderful life. Sure Custer had his bad times like everyone else for instance the day I took him to the vet to get fixed at the tender age of 6 months. It was my fault and also a hard decision for me to make. I had to do it because Custer was just too happy and the vet said it might calm him down. It did and the surgery made living with Custer easier.

Another hard time for Custer is when he aged and his lower back legs no longer worked. He could walk but his back legs had a hard time. He didn't notice and he kept on going with a big smile on his face. This dog was perpetually happy and never noticed anything bad until Christmas Eve 2010.

We came home from a Christmas dinner and he did not wag his tail or smile. He lay on his bed and wished he felt better. Food did not interest him but he did drink some water. For the first time Custer was not happy.

I am sure that Christmas was no picnic for Custer and since he was sick I didn't have a great time either. Christmas Day he ate some turkey and he seemed better. I thought maybe Custer could still make a comeback after all he did when he got sick from eating the leather belt. Just maybe this was not Custer's last stand.

As the day grew longer he just seemed weaker and he could hardly stand to go outside and the next day he couldn't so the decision was made to see the vet.

At 16 years old I did not think that he could actually come home from the vet but I had that hope he would. Of course he didn't. The van came home with his body limp.

As a dog ages life gets harder for them just like a humans aging process. Arthritis sets in, vision becomes fuzzy or goes away all together. Muscles get stiff and it is harder to move. Custer didn't seem to notice that he was slowing down and he just remained happy.

An old dog can still enjoy life and be happy but when a dog stops eating it is a sure sign that the dog is not doing well. Dogs live to eat so when they stop eating they don't want to live. Another sign that your dog isn't well is when they are no longer happy. You know your dog and can tell when they are happy or not. An unhappy dog is one that has something wrong.

Custer was a very faithful, loving friend and he seemed to be asking if it was ok with me if he went away. Of course I miss him very much but I did not want him to be in pain anymore. He is missed very much but he is in a better place.