I’m so sorry…..just a year ago next week I had to do the deed with my pit mix. She was in heart failure. Vet said maybe 7 months to a year, she went the 7 months, trust the vet. She was 14 but like a puppy. She did a lot of sleeping, ate good and when it was play time, she could outlast me.

Her “happy your home dance” all of a sudden sent her into coughing fits. Her “yay, I did poop, now it’s time to eat” while running thru the rooms made her collapse and pant. She would recover quickly but episodes happened more frequently and progressed in severity. I’ve had dozens of dogs thru my life, I wasn’t new to, “the end”. I never had so much of a hard time making this decision until this little girl. I think like you it’s because “her puppy feel good self” was still very much there. She had no problem ripping someone’s face off if they got to close to me but when it was just us she was a big sissy. She hated going to the vet which made me hate taking her. A pebble in her toe pad and she limped to me for help with her tail between her legs….

When she was more Down than not and refused food for 2 days straight, I figured it was time…..I wasn’t ready but you have to put the dogs well-being first.

Turns out She wasn’t ready either….that first injection that calms them and puts them in a sleep…did nothing. She wouldn’t even lay down, just stood her ground with her hard muscular little body. Did all that fighting with a sick little heart at 1/3 function. She didn’t want to give in and go with it.

My advice given to you with love and a heavy heart….if that happens, change your mind and take her home…..

Should I have waited a couple of days ? Should I have paid double to have the vet come to the house ? Should I have just let her go at home ? Should I have waited for signs of suffering, something you never want to see…..I don’t know and I still don’t.

She held her own on the final shot and passed with her eyes open looking at me. I knew in my brain that the time was here but my heart had never had such a hard time with dozens of dogs I loved just as much…..was I feeling something from her that I didn’t realize ? Who knows ?

Please wait until she all but tells you. We want to be their hero and save them suffering but I think they know what’s going on too and are braver than us.

It’s a year later and that sweet face is still haunting me. If your little girl doesn’t go down easy on that “sleeping” shot saying…..amen and thank you……she’s not ready.

I’m so sorry Fren, I wanted to be encouraging and give you strength but I felt something in you with doubts and when I heard, “when she’s good, she’s still healthy” I had to share, having been there and seeing that.

There are some things we just don’t understand, I think dog brain is probably one of them. There’s a lot going on in there that we don’t even give thought to….

Give it thought, give it prayer, ask for guidance. Please watch her response from the first minute on.

Four months prior to this ordeal her buddy my old Jack Russell, an old girl who wasn’t in sickness but just ….done. Blind, bad teeth, old and tired, getting finicky with food probably in tooth pain. She had it, and it showed….

Carried her in, laid her down on her little “blankie” buried my face in hers with tears dripping. First shot she slept, next shot it was over…..calm, quiet peaceful ! She was in a better place and I could feel that ! Broken hearted or not I KNEW I did right, I felt it through out…..

I’m so so very sorry 94f, I wanted to give you strength and courage but had to share reality also…..

You’ll feel that too. Read your puppy girl go with your heart and brain and Gods grace. He knows better than all of us !

Please know I mean well and that I’m sorry if a made this harder. I just know that feeling regret is worse than feeling sad and sorry….

With all our prayers here I’m sure the right feeling will come to you and the right moment to do it…….

God Bless