How Often Do They Die At Home?

[Guest happygrey]

Of all the dogs we've owned in the past (4) none have ever died at home. All had to be euthanized after getting to a crisis point.

 

How common (or not) is it that a beloved grey or other dog dies at home -- & maybe of natural causes?

 

I really hope I never have to make another trip to the vet to have a dog euthanized. At a minimum, I hope to find a hospice type vet or a vet willing to do such a housecall.

 

Sigh. Just one of the things I think about from time to time as my oldest gets older. (Tomorrow is his bday)

[BatterseaBrindl]

We have had two dogs - not Greyhounds - die of 'natural causes' here at home.

Both were Dobes...who are known for their cardiac issues.

One was 10 ...and on a lot of meds for heart issues... and more than ready to leave us.

The other was a 7 year old who passed without any warning...most likely an cardiac event.

 

We have fabulous vets who are more than willing to come to our home.

We live in on a farm, and every one of our small Bridge critters is buried here in our 'Memory Garden'.

I choose a small stone/rock, clean it up and paint the dog/cat's name on it and place it on 'their spot' and their collars all hang along the fence.

 

Here is a portion of the garden a few weeks ago when the tulips were out

 

Edited June 5, 2012 by BatterseaBrindl

[Walliered]

The vet came to the house for Huck. She then carried him back with her in the back of her jeep. He was not afraid at the vets, but I was worried his leg would shatter if he tried to jump into the SUV.

[Moneypenny]

I have lost 11 hounds in 18 years, only 1 died at home and that was just last year. He was 13.5 and suffered some kind of cardiac event while running in the yard, he was gone quickly. As sad I was to lose him, I didn't have the agonizing, emotional turmoil of making the decision and all that goes with that. Smoke hated the vet, I only had him a year and a half, he was a return after his owner died, so for me, having him pass while running with my other hounds in the yard he loved to lounge in, without the stress of the vet made it all very peaceful.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Moneypenny

[Guest PhillyPups]

I have never had one die at home, but I did lose my beloved Runner at a M&G standing at my side, the picture of health, of a massive heart attack 2 weeks before his 8th birthday. It still shakes me to think of it.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Try Googling "inhome euthanasia" and add the name of the city you're in. In the Atlanta area, the company is called Sweet-Dreams.

 

I've lost two greyhounds at the vets--not expecting either to die when we went there. One died in surgery (blood clot). The other was euthanized at the e-vet after several days of treatment, but it was a whole crisis situation, not a long-term illness. Both the girls I lost were 8.

[Yamaha_gurl]

The other was euthanized at the e-vet after several days of treatment, but it was a whole crisis situation, not a long-term illness. Both the girls I lost were 8.

 

I remember praying for your girl.

[Guest Gillybear]

I pray everyday that Gill goes peacefully in his sleep when the time comes. I have wondered the same question you pose. Gill is 13 and definitely holding his own for now, but He is absolutely traumatized by the vet so we have switched to what we call "hound hospice"! No more trips to the vet unless absolutely necessary. Out vet does make house calls for euthanization if needed when the time comes.

[JenniferS]

I was fortunate to let Murphy go at home of "old age". My previous vet came to the house and he was wonderful. It was the most peaceful way for him to go. Christina I have his info if you want it.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Are we talking being euthanized at home, or passing on their own at home?

 

I think, as much as we all wish our pups would go peacefully in their sleep to spare them, and us - because it breaks your heart to have to end the life of a pup you love - more often than not, that's not the case. Like the OP, all of mine were euthanized at a point where I had to make that decision. Here in Houston, I never really thought about having a vet come to our home......I don't even know if my personal vets would do that.

 

To answer your question, of all the pups I've grown up with, or had of my own, none of them ever passed on their own at home.

[greysmom]

Of all our dogs, all but one have passed at the vets, the result of a crisis. But for our girl Dorie, we had a vet euthanasia service come to the house. We loved them, and we used them again when one of our cats had to cross. If I have a choice, I will always do it that way from now on. It was so peaceful and Dorie wasn't stressed at all.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

My heart girl Lima, had a stroke at home and died in my arms at the tender age of 7. The following summer, Chip died in my arms at the vet, at the very tender age of 4.

Leah is now 7 and fit as a fiddle, Jimmie will be 3 tomorrow and I hope to have many more years with each of them.

 

I had one dog euthanized at home and found it to be the best solution for her. Others have passed naturally, here at home with me. Having a vet that I know and trust that is willing to come to my home when there is a need is very important. Some dogs need the peace and comfort of being in their own home.

[spottydog]

Our old lab/shep cross died at home of naural causes and it was a beautiful thing. She had a chronic illness for at least the better part of a year and her back end was gone, but the day she died was not out of the ordinary. However, in the night she got herself up, god knows how, and made it to the back door and I let her out. When she came back in she didn't want to go to her bed in our room but instead made her way to her day bed. In the morning it became very clear that she was dying, and I had the luxury of being beside her until the end, some 8 hours or so later. It was a gift for both of us.

[Guest Krissyfissy]

Our Oswald passed at home in his sleep this past November. He was a greyhound/shepherd mix. We think he had some sort of brain tumor in the end (he kept getting these tumor growths on his ear which we would have surgically removed just for his quality of life), he also had Lyme disease. He was 14, just one month shy of his 15th birthday. One morning he was perfectly fine, but that evening He wasn't himself. Our wonderful vets had prescribed some light painkillers for his bad arthritis and Lyme, so we fed him the best we could and gave him one before bedtime. We didn't think he was going to pass that night, we just thought it was a phase, a small illness, full moon or something. When we went downstairs to get him the next morning, he was lying in the same position he had fallen asleep in. (he usually slept downstairs so he wouldn't have to climb all the stairs when he was tired, usually we carried him to bed with us, but we didnt want to disturb him while he was not feeling well). We were so blessed to have had him for so long. Wish we would have known so we could have camped down there with him and held his paw, but from the look of him, he had no idea we weren't in the same room. It did give us some sort of comfort to know he did not suffer...and we miss him terribly still.

[Neighsayer]

If your dog did die at home...then what? Just wondering what you did next. Bury him in the yard? Drive the body to the vet for cremation? It is no longer an emergency, so no need for a vet to drop everything and come to the house. Does someone at the office help you carry the dead dog inside? Through the waiting room?

 

I worried about that when my 100 pound golden had cancer, and was becoming lethargic late at night. He was scheduled for surgery two days later. I ended up calling my son after midnight to help me get the dog to the vet. The dog was unresponsive by the time my son got there, and he didn't make it. On the way to the hospital I was trying to picture what I would do once I found myself

Sitting on the dining room floor with a dead 100 pound dog. I live alone in an 800 sf house, and had four other dogs.

[Moneypenny]

If your dog did die at home...then what? Just wondering what you did next. Bury him in the yard? Drive the body to the vet for cremation? It is no longer an emergency, so no need for a vet to drop everything and come to the house. Does someone at the office help you carry the dead dog inside? Through the waiting room?

 

I worried about that when my 100 pound golden had cancer, and was becoming lethargic late at night. He was scheduled for surgery two days later. I ended up calling my son after midnight to help me get the dog to the vet. The dog was unresponsive by the time my son got there, and he didn't make it. On the way to the hospital I was trying to picture what I would do once I found myself

Sitting on the dining room floor with a dead 100 pound dog. I live alone in an 800 sf house, and had four other dogs.

 

When my Smoke died suddenly in the back yard, I called a friend and we gently put him on a blanket and carried him to the car. My friend called the vet for me on her way over to my house and when we got there they brought a stretcher out and I helped them put him gently on the stretcher and covered him up to be taken into the vets office (for cremation). It has been my experience that when something you never expect actually happens, you always find a way to handle it, I never had a plan for something like this, but I just kind of handled it step by step and only fell apart after I got home.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Not often... I had one drop dead in front of me of a heart attack at age three. Not exactly pleasant by any means. (Borzoi).

 

I buried him in the yard- took two of us half a day to dig a hole for a large male Borzoi, in the Florida summer heat.

[Fostr_Mom]

Unfortunately none of the wonderful companions throughout my life have left peacefully in their sleep. My vet came to the house for my latest loss, a Minpin. My biggest wish for my greys is for them to go in their sleep.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I've programmed my cellphone with the number of a local company, Deceased Pet Care; they cremated both my girls, picking up the bodies from the e-vet. I think DPC actually has 24-hour "drop-off" service at their location, the address of which is also programmed in the phone (I picked up Jacey's ashes there). I think DPC is willing to pick up from a private residence (extra charge, of course). I can lift either of my dogs (Silver's about 55#, Sam's about 65#, and I've lifted both of them on occasion), and I have a dog-owning neighbor who would help if I needed him to.

[giadog]

We had two, Butkus and Moe Moe, that we took to the vet for euthanasia, and one, Apu, pass at home in his sleep. Honestly, I'm not sure which I prefer. As hard as it was to make the decision for the two, they passed over with us holding them, whispering love in their ears. With Apu, we weren't able to; we didn't know. I hope he realized how much we loved him.

 

After he passed, we took him to the vet and they cremated him. We could have buried him, but we wanted him to be with his brothers.

[TinyMityMo]

As a married couple, Sean and I have had 3 dogs pass. Only one was taken in to be euthanized.

Our first lab Scooter was dead when we came home one day. Nothing was wrong with him and we have no idea what happened. He was a few days shy of his 12th birthday and was starting to get a little bit stiff and hesitant to jump on the bed. Our vet had us give him rimadyl with no indications that some dogs don't do well and should have bloodwork. We speculate that he had some issue from this but will never know. I took the kids to McDonalds for dinner so they wouldn't have to see their dog dead and Sean took him to AC where they cremated him.

We just lost Mr. Murphy last December. I was on a plane to TX and Sean was home with him. He'd been a bit poorly for a week and I had an appointment at the vet for the day I got back from my trip. He had some big D that Sean was cleaning up while he went downstairs. When Sean got downstairs he said Murph was struggling to get up and panting very heavily. Sean tried calling the vet but then Murph lost bowel and bladder and expired. The vet said it may have been a tumor on his heart that burst. Sean cleaned up a bit, wrapped him in a blanket and took him to the vet to leave for cremation.

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

Hmm - Is it easier for the pet or you to have him die at home by natural causes.

I think that as pet lovers we take the dogs in to be PTS to spare them some of the pain of dying at home by natural causes. I know it is not an easy thing for us to do but we do it for the dog - to spare them some pain and help them on their way when they know you are there with them when they pass.

Granted, coming home to a corpse would not be pleasant, and then dealing with the remains also would also not be pleasant.

You never know when it will happen - so enjoy each day with them to the max especially when they are seniors.

[MP_the4pack]

While I have a vet that will come to the house, I dont' always have the chance.

 

Pearl and Onyx were lucky enough to go to the Bridge from their bed at home.

Brindle was sent there from surgery.

Topaz and Diamond were at the vets office.

Crystal was at the vets but in the car on my lap.

 

None of them went in their sleep. I had to make the decision for all of them.

[RaineysMom]

we've had 2 (our Lab Chester, almost 15) and Rainey sent to the bridge at home (we had to euthanize) -- and the other 2 we brought to the vet to have it done 4 for 4 we've had to make the decision...and yeah, it sucks. But at least you know when it's going to happen, not sure if coming home (or waking up, or whatever) is any easier.

[Guest happygrey]

I was fortunate to let Murphy go at home of "old age". My previous vet came to the house and he was wonderful. It was the most peaceful way for him to go. Christina I have his info if you want it.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

Of course, I'm not expecting anything soon (he's only 8) but as we all know well, you never know.

 

This is definitely the worst part of having doggers. So hard when they near the end.