Sad dog question....

[divegirl]

I have an eldery Great Dane called Floyd.....and would like to know what to do if he dies at home.....not a nice subject, but I have two children who love him dearly to consider and would like to be prepared. As I am on a low income he has been treated by the PDSA[although not for some time] and they do not offer help outside of the practice. His main problem is his back legs, which are detting progressively weaker. He is other wise in reasonable health, well until yesterday when I caught him drinking out of our wildlife pond.....not a good idea!!!
Many thanks
Lisa x

[Ethel]

You can bury him in your garden, or your vet will cremate him.

Expect to pay �90 or more.

[beryllium]

oh divegirl, i know how horrible it is when they get old...
I think you should take him back to the PDSA as he may be in need of a bit of medical care. They have soooooooo much unconditional love to give, but cannot tell you when he's in pain... they're always sooooooo happy to see you.
I would think the PDSA would not ever turn away your animal, and they will only charge you for the drugs he may desperately need to ease any pain he's in. And, I'm sure they would allow you to pay what you can afford.

All The Best... B. xx

[horsestache1]

Poor you.

The PDSA will put him down at no cost to you, but if he dies at home i dont know what you would do.

I suggest you phone them and explain the situation, they will then advise you the best course of action.

Good luck

[saxy_jag]

You don't say how old your children are, but you need to introduce them to the concept of death in the same way that you would if it was a friend or relative who was dying, and in accordance with your and their core beliefs (ie don't say he's gone to doggy heaven if you truly don't believe it exists).

I believe that the spirit as well as the body is absorbed back into the cosmos after death and that this is how the dead live on - physically and in our memories. If it were my children, this is what I would tell them.

contd.

[cameo]

i know how you feel divegirl.
2 years ago we had an 11 year old Dalmation. the whole family adored her, especially my 2 daughters,( aged 7 and 12 at the time).
over a short period of time she became very unwell which culminated in her having a kind of fit and then being unable to stand up. we phoned the local vets knowing that she would have to be put to sleep.
we explained to our daughters what was going to happen and then they were both able to say goodbye to her. they were both very brave because they didn't want to upset the dog.
like you, money was an issue but the vets were very understanding and we made arrangements to pay the bill over a period of time.
because they came to the house out of hours and took her away the total cost was about �120 .
even though it was a very sad day i think it helped the children to be able to say goodbye to their loving pet.

NB. the children were not in the room when she was put to sleep and they never saw her afterwards.

hope this helps xXX

[saxy_jag]

There's a very good book, 'Absent Friend', by Laura & Martyn Lee, ISBN 1850540896 and still available from Amazon. It deals with all aspects of the death of a pet, including coping with your feelings, helping the children, dealing with the practical side of things and, importantly, what happens physically when an animal dies. For instance, dogs don't close their eyes in death, which can be upsetting to some people.

I bought after the death of a much loved Bassett Hound, and I really wish I'd read it before that, as I would have been much better prepared for the loss.

I think it's important to be honest with your children and don't conceal things from them. Let them be as involved as they can/want to be according to their age. I remember as five year old being told that our dog had gone to sleep at the vets and would be better when he woke up. He'd had to be put down because he had distemper, and I resented my mother for a long time after I was old enough to know the reality.

[divegirl]

Thank you so much for all of your answers. I have taken on board all of you advice, I have spoken the the PDSA again and they were really helpfull, I have also begun to contact local pet cemetaries......'forwarned is forarmed'..... for now Floyd is slightly more lively and has been spotted drinking from the pond again!!!! :o[....bad dog.....lol [my brother suggested filling it with Evian....don't know what the frogs would make of that!!!!!]..Again thanks for taking time to reply.
Much love
Lisa x

[WendyS]

Divegirl - this is a difficult dilemma for you and although it isn't a pleasant thing to mention, there's one practical thing you do need to consider if you were thinking of burying your dog in your garden. They do need to be buried very deep (at least 2 feet down) because if you have any foxes in your area, they have a very strong sense of smell and will dig up any dead animal and eat it as carrion. A neighbour had buried her beloved cat in her garden and only two days later it was dug up and carried away by a fox. So a pet cemetary, or cremation will probably be a much better option for you when the time comes.