Need advice: I’m making preparations to put the family dog down

[Hotsauce]

We’ve had our lab for 12 years. He has tumors all over his body and he is starting to slow way down. We don’t want him to suffer, so we won’t be pumping tons of meds into him or trying to string him out if he is done. 

Ive started googling euthanasia, which runs minimum $250. Cremation is another $100 or so... The vet said they can give us the body to bury, but I dont know how that works in my backyard. I’d hate to smell him or have some animal dog him up...  

My wife and I are really tore up about it. Kids are too young to really understand what’s happening. 

Is there anything I should consider in making preparations?  I’d like to do something fun with him, if he is up to it. I would love to create some type of memorial for him, just not sure what that would look like...

so bummed, so sad...

[CRA]

that sucks.  But my 12 pup down about a year ago.  I made all these plans about what I was going to do but it all changed at the last minute.  My wife was 100% set on bringing her back after the vet put her down and having her buried on our property.  But when it all went down I just couldn't do it.  I let the vet handle her remains.  Hindsight I kept her around too long as well.  She was miserable and I didn't want to part with her.   I wish I would have put her down earlier as she was just miserable. 

[cookinbrak]

Take pictures and videos. Repeat.

[hepcat]

My parents had a little ceremony for our long time family Aussie when he was 16. Long story short the time came for him and they decided to have his vet come to the house and put him down in the backyard. Our pup laid down in a sunny spot on some leaves and seemed to understand what was about to happen. He’d been suffering so I’m sure it was a relief for him. Then the vet hauled him away. Maybe you could consider that? Less traumatic for the dog to be put down in their home. Going to the vet stresses out every dog. But if the kids are truly too young to understand, maybe doing it at the vet is a better option.

[Paa Langfart]

That sounds high priced for a euthanasia.  One old dog I had the vet came to our house and put him down there at home with us by his side and didn't charge us a nickel.  Of course we had used that vet for years and years.  We also have always buried all our pets at home.  Just dig a hole as deep as you can - minimum is probably 4 feet over the body and make it big enough that the animal isn't contorted to hell when you put his body in.  Pack the dirt as you go and you shouldn't have much dirt left over.  I honestly have never smelled any of my animals remains decomposing,  but if you are concerned with that you could get a couple of bags of real charcoal and sprinkle that around the couple top inches under the dirt - that should help absorb any odors - I also always put an appropriately sized piece of plywood over the grave and weight it down with a couple of hefty cinder blocks for about a year.  That prevents animals with better sense of smell than ours from trying to dig up the corpse.

 

Sorry about your dog - if you do right by your dog and love him the way he loves you, its damn tough and like losing a family member every time.  Try to get a vet to do it at home if at all possible.  Your pup deserves that.

[Paa Langfart]

I also make animal grave stones for my pets out of cement, sand, and small stone aggregate - I make a mold so the head stone is about 2 inches  thick and long enough that it can be buried in the ground and still read the stone - average width is about a foot.  For lettering I use formed plastic lettering about 1 inch tall that you can get at about any craft store - I spray paint the lettering a neutral color like brown  before using it and embed it carefully in the poured concrete in the mold before it sets up with what ever I want it to say.  After the concrete sets up for a few days you can remove the head stone  from the mold.  Probably a bit more extreme than you were thinking, but my pets are family to me and that is what I do.

[Hotsauce]

So I found a company lapoflove.com. This is a vet that comes to your house, puts them down and makes a mold of their paw. They then haul the body away and cremate him all for $500. 

This is what I will do. Will probably set it up as soon as my dog starts to take a turn. He was pretty happy today. I gave him a bath and a chew. 

[ladypanther]

On 7/5/2019 at 1:29 PM, Hotsauce said:

So I found a company lapoflove.com. This is a vet that comes to your house, puts them down and makes a mold of their paw. They then haul the body away and cremate him all for $500. 

This is what I will do. Will probably set it up as soon as my dog starts to take a turn. He was pretty happy today. I gave him a bath and a chew. 

Sorry to hear that your dog is nearing the end of his life. It sounds like you are a very loving pet owner....props to you.. It also sounds like you have a good end plan.  Until then....make him as happy as you can...which I am sure you will do. Feed him steak, chicken, hamburger...and eggs.  The latter dogs love and is the best protein source there is. Let him do what he loves.  You will know when the time is right.  My  criteria in the past was the relationship...if it still seemed of value.

I am sorry you are having to make this decision, It sounds like your dog was lucky to have found you.  (((hugs)))

[cookinbrak]

https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

[RoaringRiot]

Had to do this like two months ago. It’s the fuging worst. I’m glad you’re having this time with your dog. My was a total surprise. We had him cremated and they returned him the next day in a nice urn. We made a spot to burry him by the pool (he loved the pool) but haven’t been able to follow through yet. Good luck, bro 

[Anybodyhome]

I get emotional just thinking about this and I've had to do it a couple times. We had a vet in Virginia who came to our home and it was much better for our black lab, Frankie. She'd get very worked up going into the vet's office, so having her at home on her favorite ottoman and blanket was the best for her. She was 15. It was horrible for us and I cried like a baby. Not more than a year later, our chow/shepard Gabrielle ("Gabbie") decided it was her time, she was almost 17.

We had both cremated and have the paw prints. Thing is, the wife still has the ashes because she doesn't know where their final resting place will be. I think she just wants to have them close by.

It's rough, but knowing all the joy they brought to us and the great life we were able to give them- I wouldn't change anything. We have 8-year old and a 4-year old boys now, even though my wife said over 8 years ago she didn't know if she could go through that again.

I feel for ya, man. I don't have kids, so I can't offer any advice there, but keep and appreciate the memories of all the good times.