For every person who loves and shares their life with a dog, the dreaded day will eventually come when you question whether you should intervene in when your dog’s life will come to an end. The loss of a dog is among the hardest, most painful experiences one could ever go through.
In some cases, dogs pass away suddenly
without any prior hint or warning. There can be certain signs a dog is
dying. Death is one part of life that we all have to accept. We must celebrate
the life of the deceased that will never leave our memory.
The numbers show
that dogs more likely pass away due to unnatural causes (as opposed to natural causes like old age) . By knowing
what the symptoms are of a dog that is
dying, you’ll be much more educated on the subject for when the time comes.
1.
Bad Skin and
Dental Conditions Because of the usual dehydration a dying dog experiences
before their death, you’ll also notice that the quality and condition of their
skin and fur is getting worse by the day. Look out for their skin which will
become dry.
Besides their bad skin condition,
their dental condition won’t be any better. Their gums will become very visibly
pale, and the pink color they once used to have that indicates healthy gums
will be long gone by now.
2.
Decreased Heart
Rate A dying dog’s heart rate will also
go on a downward slope of gradual decrease, falling down from the usual range
of 100-130 beats per minute (BPM) to
60-80 BPM and even lower as their time comes closer.
3.
Incontinence A dying dog will lie in one spot and not even
move to relieve himself. He may have diarrhea. This is another
signal that your dog’s internal organs are shutting down. It is important
during this time that you keep him and his bed clean and dry.
No matter how well
trained your dog is when it comes to controlling their bowel movements (whether that's defecating or urinating). A dying dog
will usually have incredible difficulty controlling their bowel movements.
This means they may
go all of a sudden no matter where they are be that in their designated potty
area or not, as this is something they can’t control at this point.
4.
Labored Breathing Towards the end, many dogs display
difficulty breathing. Their breathing could be uneven, with lengthy gaps
between inhaling and exhaling. You’ll often notice that your dog’s finding it
incredibly difficult to catch a breath as easily as they used to before with
their breathing now becoming fairly shallow. Also, you’ll notice that it now
takes them significantly longer time between one full inhale/exhale and the
next.
5.
Loss Of
Consciousness/Coma Sudden loss of
consciousness and entering into a state of coma are signs during the dog dying
process. This usually happens hours before their death.
6.
Loss of Coordination If your dog does get
up and move around, he may be very wobbly or act disoriented. He may
shake or convulse while lying down. If you can, keep him in a confined,
quiet, comfortable area and remove anything he may bump into or knock over. Just
like human beings, the older a dog gets and the closer they are to their death,
the less coordinated their movements will become to the point where there’s no
coordination at all and they can’t move around by themselves without the help
of someone else anymore.
This is an important
reason why dying dogs tend to stay in one place all the time because they just
can’t find it within their power to move from point A to point by themselves
anymore.
7.
Prolonged Lethargy/Disinterest This is the most
common sign that the dying process has begun. Lying in one spot
(oftentimes a quiet spot where they don’t usually lay), not interested in toys
or walks, or barely acknowledging family members. In other words, not acting
like themselves.
A dying dog will
always show signs of great decrease in activity levels. If your dog is still
moving around from one place to another very normally, but is just doing so at
a slower pace than usual, this may be a signal of just old age and not
necessarily a dog that’s nearing their final hour.
8.
Seeking Comfort Some dogs will know their time is
approaching, and will look to their people for comfort. Stay with your
dog and reassure him with gentle stroking and a soft voice. As difficult
as it is, try not to break down emotionally during this time. Do
everything you can to hold it together so as not to distress your dog.
As difficult as it is
to make this decision for your pet, you need to do what is in his best interest
(not yours), do the loving, humane thing and help your dog out of his
discomfort. Once you say goodbye, the healing can begin. You can learn more
about the grieving process and how to move on after the death of a pet.
9.
Stops Eating/Drinking If your dog is at
this point, you can offer him the tastiest treat imaginable and he will not eat
it. He will also stop drinking water. This is due to the beginning
of his organs shutting down. He no longer has the sensation of hunger or
thirst. You can try to keep him hydrated by giving him water in a dropper
or turkey baster, but if he won’t swallow it, there’s not a whole lot you can
do.
A dying dog will have a severely suppressed
appetite, and by suppressed appetite we mean no appetite for drinking water and
no appetite for eating food. This behavior is due to their digestive system
gradually shutting down, as well as their liver and kidneys also gradually
shutting down.
If it’s just a slight
decrease in food intake that your dog is showing, and an appetite that’s not as
large as it used to be when they were younger, this may just be a normal sign
of your dog getting older and nature taking its course. As long as they’re
regularly eating their food and drinking their water, albeit in lesser amounts,
then chances are this isn’t a sign of the dog dying process.
A decreased appetite
that signals a dog’s near death will almost always be accompanied by visible
weight loss. The closer they near death, the weaker their digestive system is
going to get, and the more you’ll notice these digestive troubles make
themselves very apparent.
What you’ll most
commonly notice is your dog vomiting a good portion of any food you get them to
eat simply because their digestive system just isn’t working nearly as
efficiently as it was before, which causes the food to remain undigested in
their stomach. And the only way for that problem to be solved is for the food
to go out of their system the same way it went in by vomiting it out.
[i] Sources used:
·
“Saying Goodbye to Your Dog | How to Know When It’s
Time” by Estelle W
·
“What
Does The Process of A Dog Dying Look Like? – What to Look Out For” by Ultimate
Home Life
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