sydney
tinky ****in winky
Not the cheeriest of posts, but our (specifically Mrs Nose's as she has always been her dog) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a month away from being 14 years old - and has had a degenerative condition where her head tilts and her back legs are losing control. The vet thinks she may have had multiple mini-strokes, along with a common syndrome where the spine and rear legs start losing communication with the brain, and she's not living a life I would call fulfilled in any sense. She keeps losing bladder and bowel control every few days - and it's making the old girl thoroughly miserable, even though she doesn't appear to be in 'pain' as such.
We've used that last sentence for a few months now, but the old girl just hobbles around and falls over all the time - along with the messy accidents, and she can't walk more than 100 metres any more. She sleeps most of the time and when she's awake she gets no real pleasure from life. She's been such an active, happy, mischievous, loving, agile, active dog her whole life - and part of a loving family who adore her. It can't be pleasurable for her any more to be like this.
The time is coming where we need to start thinking of having the old lady (her name is Poppy) put to sleep, but it's not something I've been through before.
I'm looking for practical advice from people who have experienced the same thing. Do you 'book a time / day' - or do you make the wait as short as possible and just say to the vet 'what have you got, and soon'?
After the deed has happened, do you literally get presented with your dead pet? Does the vet 'store' the pet for you? (we want her cremated at Raystede), or do we have to ring Raystede and get them to liaise with the vet? Or, do we take her straight to Raystede for 'storage'?
I literally have no idea, so I'd really appreciate a plan of action from someone who has been through this... I'd usually just hit Google for my problems, but this is different.
I don't often ask for help here, but you're good and caring people and I'm sure you can help in what is going to be a real wrench for the whole family...
your pup is lucky she hasn't got an NHS number , if she did they would keep her alive till the bitter end .....is she in pain or distress or happy and daft , only you know ....xx