Today I had to do the hardest thing I've ever had too, I had our old rescue boy Rocky put to sleep.
We got him 10 & half years ago from a local shelter he has been such a wonderfull dog. He was there when my children were babies, when my children were growing up...
He has been showing his age for a year or 2 now. He was totally deaf, blind in 1 eye, loosing the sight in the other.....
A few weeks ago he went to the vet with a skin complaint and responded brilliantly to the treatment. I noticed then he was very lean and put it down to being stressed out with the itchy skin. I doubled the amount of food he has, but as his skin healed up & fur grew back the weight kept dropping off him.
He had become increasingly 'frail' with tripping over, falling over, legs giving way all getting more of a regular thing. He has been finding it hard to settle down....He has had muscle loss down 1 side of his face & head alonng with that side of the face drooping and appeared to be having 'vacant' spells, where it seemed he didn't know where he was or what he was doing...The skin complaint had come back too.
Last night he was wandering aimlessly around the living room, he stopped still and his head started flicking from side to side like he was watching a speeded up game of tennis, but he wasn't looking at anything , he didn't appear to be aware of what he was doing. It happened agian this morning.....

I booked an apointment with the vets this afternoon to have him PTS. As I put his lead on his legs gave way and he didn't want to get up so I carried him out side, he pottered towards the car but he fell over again, he didn't want to get up and for the first time ever he didn't want to get in the car. I felt awfull - he didn't want to go......
I asked the vet if they thought it was the right thing to do for him because I was really having second thoughts. The vet said that his quality of life is not good enough to just keep him going - it wouldn't be fair and the kindest thing I could do for him would be to have him PTS.

I held his head as they shaved his leg and then gave him the injection... I tried to be strong for him but couldn't help crying and feeling guilty, but as I felt his head go heavy and my baby slipped away I  I knew then and there that I had done the last good thing I could for him..bless him, he now has eternal peace...

I am so, so sorry. Rest assured that you know one thing now: Rocky is NOT suffering. The old saying of rather a day too soon than an hour to late I think holds very true. I think the fact that he didn't want to get up and get into the car said a lot more about how unwell he felt, rather than knowing what was coming. You did the kindest thing you could by giving an old dog peace -the greatest gift we can give our dogs at the end of the day. HUGS to you.

Oh Kerry Honey..Im soo sorry.
No words.... Just a Big warm knowing {{{{Hug}}}}}} for as long as you need it x

The big fella upstairs gains another bright star tonight.

So, so, sorry to hear your news
Remember all the good times, thinking of you, xx

i am so sorry, mastifflover, i am in tears reading this. don;t doubt that you did exactly the right and best thing for him. 

run free rocky.

{{{hug}}}

Kim

Kerry it is the hardest  thing you will ever do but you did the kindest thing for your boy he is a rest now

run free RIP XX

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this sad time x

so sorry to hear this, my thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

So very sorry to hear of your loss.  My thoughts, and prayers are with you now. 

You were there with him, and he knows you loved him.  You gave him comfort, and strength to go on his journey.  There is a quote, which I found gave me strength when my girl was PTS. "We sent you on a journey.  Not because we didnt love you.  But because we loved you to much to force you to stay"

Its so very hard, but know that you did the best thing you could for him.  He is no longer suffering, and is now running with all the other babes sent to the bridge. 

Bless you.

(((((((hugs)))))))

Kory

im so sorry hun im also in tears reading this ,he will be running and jumping around watching and thanking you for doing the right thing !!!
but my heart still achs for you , god bless xxxx

I am so sorry to hear of your loss, run free Rocky

My thoughts are with you

So so sorry to hear.xxx  It takes time but you do come to realise you've done the right thing. At the moment it is too soon but when you reflect and remember the dog you had you will realise how he had gone downhill. It sounds as though his quality of life was deteriorating and on that basis alone you definatly did the right thing.
As i often say "the right thing is often not the easiest"

Run free Rocky.
x

so sorry to hear this. sending (((hugs))) to you

Run free Rocky

Claire
x

I'm so sorry, please know that you did the right thing for Rocky, run free at the bridge sweetheart xx

Thank you all for your kind words.

At the moment it's hard to remeber Rocky without crying, but I know in time we'll be able to concentrate on the happyness he brought us and not the loss we feel now.

That made me cry then, im sat at work with a tear in my eye!!

Poor baby, its so hard isnt it, but at least you know its for the best, and just imagine him in doggy heavon now bounding about and having a great time! He is probably thankful to you in a way for helping him get to the place where he can now walk and be free!

I have had to let dogs go this way in the past and it is totally heartbreaking and i feel for anyone who has to go through it!

so very sorry for your loss.
run free Rocky.
God bless you both
xxx

I'm very sorry for your loss. You have been very brave and given your boy peace. Sweet dreams Rocky! Love and Hugs Lois xx

Well we got through our first Christmas without Rocky..... It was very strange. ...
The Christmas before last, the kids had us up early (4:40am ) opening presents, including Buster who was then only a 5 month old pup. Rocky had us worried then, he never got up untill 10:30 am. He loved opening his presents with the kids, he really picked up on the exitement of Christmas from them, the fact that he slept-in that year was a horrible sign that he would not be with us forever

My youngest son (9 yrs old) still can't be in hearing shot of sad music (ie. love songs) as it make him sad about loosing Rocky. The rest of us, allthough still missing Rock, can now remember all the great times we had with him. Sometimes the loss still creeps up on me from out of the blue and I find myself teary-eyed, but I know it was time for him to rest.

Bye bye baby, we will never forget you
xx

I'm in tears.  So sorry for your loss.

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

I too am in tears... first anniversarys are always the hardest... Followed by sad ones when you just remember them quietly.
May rocky wander free at the bridge
Rest well

Much love
Donnax
(amd my boysxx)

Thankyou Sosad & Donna,

This board has been so great for support with our loss of Rocky, it's a comfort to know that there are people who do understand.

xx

Iam so so sorry for your loss of your dear beloved Rocky, I do know what it is like to have to go thru this awfull time and Your true love and your  friendship was tested on Sunday and your true love and friendshipshowed thru by allowing Rocky no more suffering, to now to be able to run free. god bless, my thoughts are with you.x