Thank you all for messages. S7eph, I'm so sorry to hear about Shrek. Yes, let's hope they both go peacefully in their sleep.

I've had two dogs suffering with heart failure, Rosco was put to sleep when he could no longer eat without choking (he lived for his food, and had lost his quality of life.) and Meg made her decision for me when she suddenly had a huge fit that she never came around from.

Hope your dogs pass peacefully. (((hugs)))

my friends dog went off her food, the medication became a struggle, she became incontinent which was excess fluid not urine. in the end poor thing was really miserable and she was pts. very hard decision but best for the dog.
sorry to be grim.
thinking of you x

I am desperately sorry for both of you with dogs nearing the end of their natural lives and hope they both pass on peacefully in their sleep.

I gather when heart failure of any living creature occurs there is a build up of fluid around the heart making it harder for the heart to beat.

Thinking of you both at this impossibly difficult time and hope they pass on quickly and don't linger. (((hugs))) to all four of you.

I'm very sorry to tell you that Bella deteriorated rapidly and her kidneys were giving out so we had to have her PTS on Monday afternoon. There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that it was the right decision. There was no choice in the end as she became so poorly so quickly - and yet we still feel the need to keep saying to ourselves, "It was the right thing to do", almost like a mantra, to convince ourselves.

As late as Thursday of last week the vet was still saying that Bella was not suffering, just very very tired and it seemed like that to us, too. But that changed over the weekend when she was not eating or drinking.

Our girl has gone. She didn't know anything about it. She just went from a normal sleep into a permanent sleep. I know things will feel better as time passes. Well, my head knows that to be true but my heart doesn't, not yet.

My husband wrote a poem:

BELLA
Goodbye, my friend, goodbye
You saw no birds up in the skies
Nor heard their songs or heard their cries
We were your ears, we were your eyes
Our love for you will never die
Goodbye, my friend, goodbye

Oh Maggie - I am so very sorry that you have lost your beloved Bella and my heart aches for you.

But you did the wonderful thing in giving her pain-free peace - such a wonderful albeit heart-breaking thing to do.

Run free beautiful Bella, run free as fast as you can xx

Maggie what usually happens in these instances is as the heart fails the internal organs close down and the dog becomes lethargic and is aware of very little.

Had you not had Bella PTS she would have gone in a very short time anyway so don't give yourself one moments pause for thought that you did the right thing letting her go.
That is a lovely poem for Bella...

Sleep well Bella, you will be missed by your friends..

Sleep tight Bella x

I am so sorry for you. You could have done nothing more than you did. My last beloved dog died of the same condition but was not ill with it for long. I know she didn't suffer. I was with her when she went peacefully.

I think actually the saddest day for me was shortly before she died - the first time in her whole ten years I had seen her walk without wagging her tail. Still breaks my heart to think about how I felt then because I 'just knew'. 5 yrs later I now feel 'lucky' that my dog died on a day when the vet had printed out all her results and said none of them were that bad (her only symptoms were panting more and a bit of coughing no sickness and she was 10 yrs old one vet even said she wasn't 'bad enough' to require the meds). But she got slower and ploddier and slept more then I noticed her struggling a bit for breath during the night.

She went to her favourite lake on her last morning. Came home, showered, sat in front of the fan drying her ears which she loved. Wandered over to me by her water bowl and just lay down and died without a sound. I could not believe she was dead. But I could not have let her suffer for even a few days.

So very very sorry for your loss. Your husband's poem is beautiful. I know nothing anyone says when the pain is still so raw helps really but time, eventually does. But please don't sit thinking if you could have done anything different.

May she rest in peace and in your memories of her.

Maggie I am so sorry to hear that Bella has left . Having her PTS is such a hideous decision but as you so rightly say it was the only choice and the love you had for her was the most important thing. ((((hugs)))) to you at this awful time. Bella's passing is still so raw in your minds but as time goes on your tears will be replaced with smiles remembering her time with you.

Run free sweet Bella.