When to Put Down Your Dog

The term "putting down a dog" is often used for the euthanasia procedure done at a veterinarian's office. Putting down your own dog I feel is the pet owners choice, but from my personal experience I regret not doing the procedure for my dog much earlier in her life.

My Story of Mina

I once owned a toy fox terrier for 16 years named Mina. She was very smart, quick and agile most of her life but quickly deteriorated in her senior years. First Mina went blind due to double cataracts, she lived that way for a few years. Mina often bumped into walls wherever she tried to go somewhere and after awhile she barely moved at all. Mina was also losing her hearing at the same time and soon she went completely deaf. When Mina went deaf I should have put her down but instead I let her live that way for another couple years until she broke her hip. My family took her to the veterinarian and the doctor recommended we put her down so we did. I was actually relieved because I was unhappy seeing her live deaf and blind, all she did was sleep and not move at all. I am in deep regrets for letting Mina live this way I can only imagine the depression of being deaf and blind and not being able to communicate.

I often wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience as me with a pet. Owning a dog is a wonderful thing but losing one is so difficult to deal with. Hopefully this article will help someone who is struggling to decide whether or not to put down their dog.