Might Have to Make a Hard Choice Eventually...Putting Soph to Sleep

fureverywhere

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
Oy, that I need any more drama in my life...a short background of Sophie. We adopted her as an adult from an urban shelter. The only info they had was that they knew her owners but no one had come to claim her. It took almost a year for me to teach her to walk on leash without pulling me down. Attachment issues? A sixty pound pup wound around your ankles as you washed dishes.

After the first year she blossomed. We went daily to the dog park. Not the big dog side, her size and bigger and she was scared. But little dogs and she was just so happy. She would get down on her chest to play bow the little guys. It almost brought out a maternal side...a whole line of tea cup sized doggies chasing my big girl. Then they would all lay down panting, she might even groom a few. Fast forward a few years.

One day I was walking her on leash. An unleashed puppy ran up and she attacked without being provoked. The puppy was fortunately okay. But then a squirrel, two feral cats...it was getting ugly. I only walk her on paths where there are no other creatures now. But last night she bit Callie over an empty meatball box. I'm grateful he didn't fight back. He's far stronger...but him, our house cats...I'm going to have to watch her closely...
 

How old is she Fur, does she have any serious health issues? Is the aggression the only reason you may have to put her down? I feel for you, we had to make that decision last August for our boy due to health issues.
 

No idea how old she is. But her muzzle and eyelashes are almost white now. But really her emotional issues are a thing. A few years back we found out a human making the raspberry noise? She will bite. I love my girl and we've had a history now, but no she can't attack indiscriminately. Callie is an imposing looking guy. But unless someone was a direct threat to his Mami or home he is a lap dog. Sophie it's fear aggression...afraid of everything so get it first...not a good thing.
 
It sounds like she's up there in years Fur. I'd be really nervous in your situation, I'd really fear for Callie and the cats for sure. Nervous nellie on walks too. How does your hubby and the rest of the family feel about it. Do they agree she should be put down?
 
I am so sorry. What a hard decision to make. Was it just a warning nip or full blown aggression? I guess, until you make a decision, it would be best to keep them separated when you leave the house just to be safe. I do commend you for taking in an older dog. They are hard to place and sadly, so many of them.
 
I would wait until she really goes off...what an awful thought. But no I just know I have to watch her more closely now. He just has a tooth mark in his shoulder, but given her history what's next ya know? Even when we walk at night our house cats will follow. I have to keep her away from strange cats. But even the house cats she'll nose..." No that is one of ours you idiot!!!!". The choice would be mine sadly...Mami's dog and all that.
 
fureverywhere said:
Oy, that I need any more drama in my life...a short background of Sophie. We adopted her as an adult from an urban shelter. The only info they had was that they knew her owners but no one had come to claim her. It took almost a year for me to teach her to walk on leash without pulling me down. Attachment issues? A sixty pound pup wound around your ankles as you washed dishes.

After the first year she blossomed. We went daily to the dog park. Not the big dog side, her size and bigger and she was scared. But little dogs and she was just so happy. She would get down on her chest to play bow the little guys. It almost brought out a maternal side...a whole line of tea cup sized doggies chasing my big girl. Then they would all lay down panting, she might even groom a few. Fast forward a few years.

One day I was walking her on leash. An unleashed puppy ran up and she attacked without being provoked. The puppy was fortunately okay. But then a squirrel, two feral cats...it was getting ugly. I only walk her on paths where there are no other creatures now. But last night she bit Callie over an empty meatball box. I'm grateful he didn't fight back. He's far stronger...but him, our house cats...I'm going to have to watch her closely...
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Please dont hurt her or have her put to sleep. There are medications that may be effective in keeping her calm. Its not behavior modification but it is a short term solution . I have a cousin that is a veterinarian. I'll ask him what he feels is a viable solution. I'm begging you please be patient.
 
Oy that I forgot the kitten that died in my hands...so much blood. I rescued her sibling and got her to animal control...that was definitely Sophie. A housecat found dead upstairs we'll never know. Is there doggie Haldol?
 
fureverywhere said:
Oy that I forgot the kitten that died in my hands...so much blood. I rescued her sibling and got her to animal control...that was definitely Sophie. A housecat found dead upstairs we'll never know. Is there doggie Haldol?
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Fur if she's killing other animals I think the least you should do is muzzle her in public and when you're not home with her. I know you love her but you can't allow her to kill other animals.
 
I'm so sorry that you're having to think about this fureverywhere. It's one thing if your 'friend' is very sick and you are doing them a kindness, hard still but your heart can justify it you know, but for something like this....could it be that her hearing is failing and she's being surprised lately and lashing out as a result? Or is she just turning into a cranky old girl who has no patience?

Well, the advice to protect your cats and Callie but be careful of yourself too. If doggy dementia is setting in, you could be a target too if things went badly south. I sure hope you can manage all of this so that your household is returned to peacefulness.
 
I agree about using the muzzle. I have seen dogs wearing them out for walks. There are medications, too, that are supposed to help. I hate to see any pet put to sleep.
 
Fur, if it's doggie dementia, she could become dangerous to everyone around her, including you, believe it or not. Just like a person with dementia, they can get to where they don't recognize you sometimes. And since she bit Callie, with whom she has lived for some years, it seems like this could be a possibility.

I'm the biggest dog lover in the world, especially of big dogs, but I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian before something really bad happens. Also, consider that she may not be very happy living the way she is now, and less so if she has to be muzzled, segregated, etc. -- not much fun for her, I expect. My old Lulu got this way, though not as aggressive as Sophie sounds, but headed in that direction -- she was confused most of the time and didn't even recognize me, as far as I could tell. Sometimes you have to consider the quality of life for the DOG, as well as your own emotions. My vet advised me that Lulu would get no better but only worse, and short of keeping her sedated all the time, which isn't a good quality of life for the dog, either, there was no option but to let her go. I cried and cried and cried, but it was the best thing to let her go, as she clearly was no longer enjoying her life. As my vet said, living in fear and confusion is a terrible life, and sometimes the last loving thing you can do is to let a dog go.

Every time I get another dog, I know that someday I may face this choice, but the joy I get from them in the interim is worth the sadness at the end.
 
I mean I know people who have dogs that fuss at each other all the time. But with Sophie there always seems to be gradual progression when she starts any crazy behavior. During her "good years" she had no problem when we brought in new cats. Levon was the last cat we adopted during that time and she ignored him. Then one day a few years later I brought home two kittens. And just out of the blue she began mauling one. That's when she started trying to kill feral cats too. So she progressed from squirrels to cats in a matter of months.

When we adopted Callie she was still okay with other dogs. I brought him into the yard that first day not knowing quite what to expect. He was a bit smaller than her because he was young. She went into an immediate play bow and they did great together. Then we had the puppy incident a few years later. I tried to foster a dog along the way too. Once again Sophie attacked, it was sad because Callie really liked the foster girl. I attributed it to females don't do so well together sometimes. But I finally realized we can't take in any more dogs or cats. I also realized she could no longer safely be near any other strange animals.

There's a book I saw recently called " The Midnight Dog Walker's Club". People who have dogs with such bad emotional issues they walk in empty areas at odd hours to keep everyone safe. One gentleman recalled walking his dog at 4am so they wouldn't see anyone else. I've been doing that several years now. Sophie is on a short leash and can't walk near any dark areas...parked cars, bushes, even dark front lawns. I can feel from the leash tug if she see's or hears something. Then I literally rip her the opposite direction. No more squirrels or cats for you old girl. If Heaven forbid we see an approaching dog owner I'll run the other way immediately...It's sad. I just hope this bite wasn't a new progression.

The first time I walked the beagle we babysit I was amazed. He just galumped along on his merry way. If we saw another dog he just gave a friendly wag. If people wanted to pet him he was just as happy as could be. Compared to walking Sophie...
 
fureverywhere said:
Oy that I forgot the kitten that died in my hands...so much blood. I rescued her sibling and got her to animal control...that was definitely Sophie. A housecat found dead upstairs we'll never know.
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Very sad Fur, I didn't know that. If that's the case then for the safety of your other pets and any animal she comes across outside on walks, it might be the only thing to do. :(

Butterfly said:
Also, consider that she may not be very happy living the way she is now, and less so if she has to be muzzled, segregated, etc. -- not much fun for her, I expect. My old Lulu got this way, though not as aggressive as Sophie sounds, but headed in that direction -- she was confused most of the time and didn't even recognize me, as far as I could tell. Sometimes you have to consider the quality of life for the DOG, as well as your own emotions. As my vet said, living in fear and confusion is a terrible life, and sometimes the last loving thing you can do is to let a dog go.
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What you say is very true Butterfly. I had an 8 year old girl, developed Idiopathic Epilepy and also had hip dysplasia. She was on increasing medications and had cluster seizures almost daily. She was fearful and 'blind' after each seizure, as her med doses increased, she became more confused and didn't recognize any of us after a seizure.

She whimpered each time she stood after a convulsion because of her painful hips. Eventually she couldn't stand up on her own, and when we tried to help her she yelped in pain. It was then when we made the final decision to say goodbye to our sweet girl. She no longer had any quality of life, although we cared for her lovingly as part of our family. Luckily, she was never aggressive.
fureverywhere said:
Then one day a few years later I brought home two kittens. And just out of the blue she began mauling one. That's when she started trying to kill feral cats too. So she progressed from squirrels to cats in a matter of months.

Then we had the puppy incident a few years later. I tried to foster a dog along the way too. Once again Sophie attacked, it was sad because Callie really liked the foster girl.
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I think you'll do what you know is best Fur....hugs.
 
Having to put a pet to "sleep" is a very difficult decision. However, dogs do age at a pace that is said to be about 7 times faster than humans...so a dog that is 15 years old might be in a position, health wise, similar to a person around age 105. Very few people could reach anywhere near that age without major health issues. We went through that...Once. We had a wonderful little toy poodle for almost 15 years, and he was our "3rd child". In the final weeks and months of his life, he was almost miserable...he would look at us almost like he was asking for help. The vet said there was little to be done...so one day we said goodbye, and I took him to the vet for the final time. That was one of the hardest days of our lives. To this day, we still cannot bring ourselves to get so attached to another pet.

We do, however, have a great little dog, by proxy. The neighbors across the road have a great little beagle, and when they go to work in the morning, she comes over and spends the day with us. She likes to be around people, and has staked out a favorite spot on our porch for her naps. We keep fresh water for her, and give her a good belly rub, and a dog treat, and she is set for the day until her "people" come home. So, that works well for all of us.
 
SeaBreeze said:
What you say is very true Butterfly. I had an 8 year old girl, developed Idiopathic Epilepy and also had hip dysplasia. She was on increasing medications and had cluster seizures almost daily. She was fearful and 'blind' after each seizure, as her med doses increased, she became more confused and didn't recognize any of us after a seizure.

She whimpered each time she stood after a convulsion because of her painful hips. Eventually she couldn't stand up on her own, and when we tried to help her she yelped in pain. It was then when we made the final decision to say goodbye to our sweet girl. She no longer had any quality of life, although we cared for her lovingly as part of our family. Luckily, she was never aggressive.
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That's what happened to our sweet and incredibly intelligent little schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle mix). She suddenly developed epilepsy at the age of four and it got steadily worse for a year. It got to where she was having a seizure every week or so and some would cause her to have a stroke. The stroke would leave her blind and/or crippled in the hind legs for days. Or the seizure would leave her walking in circles; she'd walk until she was exhausted and I'd have to wrap her up and hold her to get her to stop walking. She'd also not know who we were; she'd look at us like she was thinking "You all are very nice people and this has been a pleasure, but I'd like to go home to MY people now." The vet had her on so much phenobarbital that it was a miracle she didn't stop breathing and it didn't help. We finally made the painful decision to do the right thing by her. The vet came to the house and gave her a shot and she died in my arms. I knew I had done the right thing. It's been almost 39 years since that rough time and I've never had another dog since. Not sure that I'll ever have another one.
 
I do believe it is time to take your dog to the vet for the last goodbye.

I have been through those dreadful times several times and it never gets any easier.

At the moment, my vet and I are monitoring my 11 year old crossbreed dog, who has just started to indicate mild signs of doggy dementia.

If it progresses, I will take that awful long walk and will stay by her side until she passes over to the other side.

It is a very difficult decision to make, but if your dog is attacking other animals, who knows what may be next? Perhaps an attack on yourself - simply out of confusion.
 
I will rearrange her nose...but really it is so hard, trying to go to sleep tonight. Who has themeself stretched right along Mami? We are so very close...I will know when she has stepped over safe for critters and other humans. If something happened to me she would not be safe elsewhere. But while I can take care of my special girl...
 
With doggie dementia, if that's what this is, you're not really dealing with the dog you know and love anymore, and the actions and reactions you get are not those with which you are familiar -- just like in a person. I seriously urge you to have her evaluated by a vet.
 
Like this morning...I used to pull her into my arms early morning and she would go soundly to sleep. Today she had to bite more fur from her tail region. Another long time phobia...all summer she bites her butt naked. It's not something that anyone else would know about...but you're too wired up to relax with Mami...my poor baby.
 
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