My dog has a seizure and vet put him down?

It is a hard call. When my 14 year old dog was dying I took her to the vet to be put to sleep.It was obvious it was time. The vet wanted to run tests- blood tests and x-rays. LIke an idiot ( I will regret this till the day I die), I allowed him to do so. The poor dog did not want to leave me and she struggled to raise her head as they wheeled her out for the tests. A short while later the vet returned and told me" she is severely anemic and has a large cancerous tumor. I don't know what we should do". The jerk. My response " We need to put her down- she's dying!" It was obvious I told them that when I brought her in. He saw dollar signs. I assume your vet did not want to go that route and from dealing with animals for many years saw the dog suffering in the future- many owners will keep their dogs alive as long as possible even though the poor animal is obviously suffering.When you lose your animal companion- a piece of your heart is gone forever. So I understand your pain you did the best you could and at this point all you can do is assume that the vet through her experience made the right call. I am very sorry for your loss.

That will be the hardest thing you will ever do in life, think of your dog before yourself. That is very kind and loving of you. You did not want him to suffer. Your a good person and I am sure he is at The Rainbow Bridge having the time of his life waiting to be reunited with him again. Your a good human.

YOu are the owner and you are the only one who should decide when the end happens.

As long as the dog is not suffering, there is no reason to put him down.

It was your mistake, don't blame the vet. They suggest, but you are the owner.

If he recovered from the seizure and was eating and running around, he did not need to be put down. Continual seizures are another issue. Everyone one of my old dogs have had seizures but lived quite a while with no issues before becoming so ill they needed to be put down.

I think you should have gotten a second opinion

You don't say whether this was a large breed dog where 11 is pretty much the lifespan you can expect, or a smaller breed that often can live into mid teens or longer?

Regardless, seizures that start in an older dog are not usually idiopathic and tend to indicate a serious underlying condition. That could be cancerous lesions in the brain, heart conditions causing the brain to be deprived of adequate oxygen, poisoning, or other serious problems. I don't think my vet would have recommended euthanasia without at least a cursory exploration of what might have caused the seizure and whether medication would control them, but particularly if your dog was a large breed at the end of its expected lifespan and had other health conditions, this was not a completely unreasonable course of action to recommend. If you would prefer a vet who more thoroughly investigates issues and explains your options (I know I do!), they are out there. If you have other pets, or get another pet, I'd explore using a different veterinary practice that's more in line with how you want your pets treated going forward.

Oh, how I know that feeling. I ran a small rescue, taking in only large & extra large dogs & all were adults when taken in & I have had to have many dogs euthanized. Many times I worried & questioned myself if my timing was right, did I do it too soon, did it wait too long, Sometimes great guilt & self criticize. It is a strong internal conflict.

You have to remember that Vets see this all the time & he knows what he sees from yrs of experience. He knew the dog had no were to go but down & why let it suffer any longer than necessary.

A friend of mine had the same thing happen, and she also came to a similar question and conclusion. You did what the vet recommended, and this is usually the best thing to do. Perhaps your dog was in a lot of pain.

In the future, consider finding a different vet so you can feel more comfortable with decisions. You can also ask for a second opinion. You might even consider fostering a dog for an animal rescue league and you will have some guidance from the group and they also most often pay for the vet bills.

I hope you feel better about your decision, and maybe consider getting another dog who needs you and your love. Try the shelter or www.petfinder.com, or animal rescue leagues.

I am sorry for your loss - have a little funeral for your dog and make a photo album with nice pictures of him.

I know it doesn't help but for others and perhaps future reference ... I think I'd have had to have him seen, and maybe taken a second opinion before allowing that to happen. But that would depend on how often your vet saw your dog prior to this happening. I'd also say, again, that I don't think there are many who have had to make this decision, aren't left with a 'did I get the timing right' feeling. If your vet knew your dog and about his arthritis and any other problems he'd been suffering with, then yes, I'd have gone with her advice When the down days outnumber the up days, then for me, it's time. I've had some eat up before being put down, but that didn't mean they weren't suffering.

What's done is done so just know your old boy is free from pain now.

By your own admission the dog had pretty bad arthritis.

Believe me, he would have been in a lot of pain, putting him down was the kindest thing.