I have not had to have a dog PTS yet, but have been through this with countless cats over the years. I used to opt for burial in the garden, however where I live now the soil is quite shallow and in many places it’s not possible to get down more than a foot or so. The best burial patches are now already taken, and when I buried Sable in 2010 I had to dig in two places before I could find somewhere with sufficient soil. Because of this, when Tyr was PTS in April I decided to have him cremated and this is what I will be doing in future.

At the time of having Tyr cremated, my main concern was that I needed to do something with his body; I couldn’t bury him here and I didn’t want to bury him anywhere else (such as my mum’s garden). I was undecided about what I would do with his ashes. On the first night after getting them back I took the box upstairs and put it on my bedside table, where it has remained ever since. It just seems the right place for him to be, next to my pillow where he used to love to sleep.

One thing that I would suggest for those who are considering cremation when they lose their pet is that you look into pet cremation before you need it. Many pet crematoria do not have the high standards that we would hope for when it comes to dealing with our pets. There has been at least one unpleasant story in the media about the bodies of pets being dumped instead of cremated and the owners being set ashes which were obviously not of their pet at all.

I was not expecting to lose Tyr when I did and it was very upsetting. On top of all the distress of having to make the decision to let him go instead of putting him through treatment the vet felt had only a slim chance of prolonging a decent quality of life for him, I had to find a pet crematorium that I could trust to give me back his ashes (instead of a mixture of his and other pets or ashes that weren’t his at all).

The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria has strict standards and if you chose one of their members you can be sure you will receive the service you would expect for your pet. Their website is: http://www.appcc.org.uk

This is a good thread Rune, and one that may help people who have never had one of their dogs pts yet.

I have only been there for two dogs so far, as my first dog was tragically killed and so the decision was taken out of my hands.

Meg was my husband's retired work dog, and she was nearly 15 years when we had to say goodbye to her. The vet came to the house. It was fairly traumatic for me, as this was the first dog I had ever seen pts. The vet struggled to get a vein, as Meg's veins kept collapsing Therefore she gave her an injection straight into her heart. Meg did not appear to suffer at all, but it was incredibly upsetting for me and OH. Also, she was just laid on the lounge carpet, as in the upset I had forgotten to pop her on to a blanket and some of the blood leaked on to the floor. Not nice We buried her on the hill by our cottage.

Moss had to be pts just two weeks later. It was a huge shock, as he was not even yet 6 years old - no age at all for a border collie He had heart failure. If I had known he was going to be pts then I would have opted again for the vet to come to the house, but I still had hope they could help him when we took him to the surgery. On the half hour journey to the vets he kept collapsing and I was sure he would die before we got there (I now think that would have been a blessing). Anyway, I held him as he was pts, but he was still standing (in hindsight I should have made sure he was lying comfortably) and so he collapsed and died in my arms. After the vet had checked his heart had stopped and left the room for us to spend time with him, he let out an almighty gasp - and it shocked me to the core, even though the vet had explained this could happen It was not a nice experience. Moss was cremated singly and I have his ashes home.

When Flame's time comes I am going to bury her on the hill near Meg and put Moss's ashes in with her (as they were best friends). I still have the ashes of my first GSD, Sharna, and I keep wanting to scatter them - but then nowhere seems appropriate enough. I will do it eventually.

I have heard from plenty of friends and family of their animals passing peacefully though, so I know my two experiences were not necessarily the norm.

It doesn't make me any less petrified of the next time though I keep thinking I would possibly be better to let my hubby be with my dogs for their final passing, as he is much stronger at this sort of thing than me and it haunts me for months/years afterwards, but I just know that I have to be with them when they go.

//Pinned thread in the Gone but not Forgotten Section//

All of our dogs (and ponies) have been put to sleep at home, and I would never have it any other way. We have super vets, who have always come out within minutes of a decision being made, and I have held the dog whilst raising a vein with my thumb. There has never been any trauma for the dog, and the one injection that our vet uses acts within seconds. I know that sometimes a dog with heart disease can appear to gasp or breathe after death, but this didn't happen with any of ours.

We always bury our animals ourselves as, for us, it is important that he/she never leaves home; although when making a grave for our last dear dog, my poor husband nearly did himself a mischief because I insisted that it was large enough to accommodate her bed and favourite toys as well

It is a desperately hard decision to make, but it is the final loving act that we can do for our animals, and perhaps nothing can prepare us for the grief afterwards even when we have endured it many times before. It is hard to remember, but it is true that whilst we are in a million bits our dog is free and will never suffer again. I found that I was able to even feel a little relief.

What a good idea for a thread.

This is something I have never had to experience, and I have never had to make the decision.

I have had family members whose dogs were PTS but that was obviously their decision, and I said goodbye beforehand.

The only dog of my own that has passed, was Sam. He went from being a seemingly healthy dog, completely his normal self... to dead in less than 36 hours He had a large tumour in his chest, and the vet put him on medication and a drip... on the way home from the vets he passed in the car I am glad the decision didn't need to be made for him, and he appeared to go very peacefully.

He died on Uist, where my relatives stay, and so he is buried in my aunts garden, and she has a large decorative pile of rocks over the area where he is buried (there is a name for it, but I can't think of it just now).

I dread the day Jake and Arrow pass, and I hope it is still relatively far off... once it gets closer though, I will start to think ahead of the decisions I could possibly need to make... I do hope, and pray, that they pass like my boy, Toby, who passed in his sleep... He had the best passing possible IMO.

One thing I already know, is that if any of my dogs are PTS I will be there. I know some people who find it too hard, and they get other people to be there instead... I just couldn't bare that though. I think it is the last thing we can do for them, to comfort them, and show them our love, after all the love and loyalty they have shown us for those years.

I think this will really help rune, thank you!
I had tw GSD bitches, with mum and dad. My dad put those to sleep. I never knew what it could be like, so i never had another Dog for years, because i was scared to havae to do it myself. I finally got Max, then Jeager. In the last year of Max's life, i had found that he had bad Hip Dysplasia. I had made up my mind that i would not let him suffer, and he would never limp. He was so active and wild, it would never had suited him. Jeager had found that Max had a tumour. ( he kept licking him, and was so uneasy around him!) Whe i had blood tests done, i had made mind up to open Max up, but if it was really bad.. put him to sleep whilst he was under! On the sunday before his vet visit, he struggled to poo, nine times, which was so unlike him. I called the vets and asked them to put him to sleep, on that day. Then i changed my mind.. Then changed back again, and again. In the end i went home, dropped Jeager and took Max to the vets. They put a muzzle on him, they shaved his leg. I held him. He was standing all of the time. I wached them inject, he gave a "Gentle Growl! ( nothing nasty, at all. He just knew!) Then he just dropped on the floor. I asked what had happened, they said it was over. The had induced a massive heart attack. I had wanted it to be slow and gentle.... lay with him, then say alll the things you felt, then watch him go to sleep! Instead, i just left him, and ran out to the rear of the vets, and cried my eyes out. I went without saying anything. Left him, his collar, his lead, and drove home to Jeager. I was so worried about Jeager, that it probably helped me get my senses together. Jeager just did, what he normally did. The very weird thing, was the morning. I woul normally get up, take Max for a walk first, then come back and take Jeager. So as i got a lead and collar ready, and walked to the living room, Jeager was laying by the TV, as he normally did. I said "Jeager, going for a walk?" Only then, did he get up to go. It wasn't "his turn" Max always went first. How strange it was. But Jeager helped me get over it so much more quickly.

With Jeager it was different. I had been contemplating the time, i would have to make the decision. I had been telling myself and my vet, that "i would not let him struggle, limp, or anything. Ijust wanted to remember him as fit and healthy, as i could. The day of his Torsion, changed everything. After getting him to the emergency vets. The quickly sedated him, and exrayed. He was sedated within a couple of hours. I had the tim to discuss the options with the vet. I had the chance to keep my promise, to Jeager and me. I told them not to bring him around... But let me spend some time with him, before we put him to sleep. The nurse told me that they do not let people in to the x-ray room, so soon after it had been used. I told her 2she wasn't allowing me.. I was just going!" I told her to go away, and i went in. Istayed with him for twenty minutes. Hugged him and held him. Talked to him, and thanked him for all the joy , he had given me. Then i told the nurse that it was time. They did it, and left me with him, for another fifteen minutes. I kissed him and cuddled for the whole time. That was so much more special. Then i was taken home. I would never ask for a cremation. I didn't want his body thrown around..etc,etc. I could not control that. So i just left him. I told them to be gentle!!! I do not believe that we can trust anybody, to guarantee, that we get their Ashes. So i didn't do that. I don't have a graet deal of faith, or trust, in people. So i try not to give them the chance to let me down. At least we stopped Jeager hurting. That is always the main thing. I now know, that i will never hurt as bad as this, again. So now i may be able to get another Dog, in the future. I will be more prepared, and hopefully, be able to plan things, as well as possible!

ps Thanks again rune. For helping and allowing us all, to speak about this. Bless your heart! x

Thank you rune. I can't go into details as it's too raw but I have arranged to have my precious Dally pts at home on monday. I have never had to have a dog pts before, they have gone on their own. I lost my BSD after an op at the vets in January and I had her individually cremated and have her ashes at home. I have already phoned the pet crem and arranged to take Poppy to them once she's gone. They will do her while I wait if I want. They're lovely people.

Nice one Azz. Couldn't it have its own Heading or Section?
Something like---Things to consider even before we get a Dog. or Things you should know, before the time comes!
or something like that!!

Thankfully I have never had a bad experience with my own pets being PTS - although I have seen the "after effects" of this in research animals many times, but obviously not as emotional as your beloved pet.

I remember, a few years back when I worked in a vet school, I was reading a noticeboard waiting for my class to arrive and there was an article stating that the no.1 conplaint against small animal vets was botched euthanasias