Lisa O
Nobody wants to think about losing their dog. But sometimes the most loving thing you can do is recognize when they’re suffering. It becomes increasingly difficult to ignore when certain signs begin to appear. These moments don’t announce themselves clearly. They build up slowly until one morning you realize things have changed.
They Don’t Want Food Anymore
Dogs live for meals. When your dog stops caring about dinner or turns away from treats they used to beg for, something’s wrong. You might leave the bowl on the kitchen floor, and it just sits there. They might sniff it once and walk away. Food used to mean everything to them. Now it doesn’t matter. You keep trying different things, but nothing seems to work.
Getting Up Takes Forever
Watch them try to stand after lying down for a while. Their legs shake or give out. They might make it halfway up and then sink back down. You can see them trying to push through it, but their body won’t cooperate anymore. The carpet under them stays warm long after they’ve been resting there. Each attempt looks more exhausting than the last.
Pain Meds Aren’t Helping
The pills aren’t doing what they’re supposed to anymore. Your vet switched medications twice already. Maybe three times. You give them the new dose and wait to see some improvement, but it doesn’t show up. They still pull away when you pet their hip. It still makes that sound when they turn their head too fast. The bottle sits on the kitchen counter next to your coffee mug, and you shake your head at it.
Accidents Happen Inside Now
You come downstairs and there’s a puddle by the couch. This never used to happen. They’d bark at the door or wait by your shoes. Now they just can’t make it. You see them lying there afterward, looking at the floor. It kills you because they hate it too. The washing machine runs more than it used to, and you’ve stopped keeping the good rug out.
Every Breath Looks Hard
Something’s off with how they’re breathing. Started maybe two weeks back. You hear it when you walk past them. This wheeze or rattle that wasn’t there before. Their ribs push out with each breath, as if it takes real work. A cough happens sometimes. Sounds bad. You crouch down next to them and watch their chest rise and fall, and it looks wrong.
Nothing Makes Them Happy
They used to lose their mind over walks, the doorbell, or squeaky toys. Now those things happen, and they barely lift their head from where they’re lying. You try holding up their favorite ball, and they just stare at it. The leash hangs by the door, untouched for days. Windows they used to watch from stay ignored. Everything that once brought them joy no longer registers.
Bad Days Outnumber Good Ones
You start keeping track in your head without even realizing it. More mornings, they can’t get comfortable. Fewer afternoons, they seem okay or like themselves. The good moments become shorter, and the hard ones seem to stretch longer. You find yourself hoping today will be better, but it usually isn’t. The calendar on the wall becomes a reminder of how much has changed lately.
They Look Lost in Their Own Home
You catch them standing in the hallway, as if they’ve forgotten where they were going. They stare at walls or get stuck in corners for no reason. Sometimes they don’t recognize the yard they’ve been in for years. Their eyes look confused, and it breaks your heart every time. The house now feels unfamiliar to them. They wander without purpose or direction.
Food Comes Back Up
They eat a little, and then it doesn’t stay down for long. You hear them getting sick in the next room. It happens more often until you’re constantly cleaning it up throughout the day. They look tired after throwing up each time. Water bowls sit full because even drinking makes them nauseous. The smell lingers in the house no matter how much you clean.
They Hide From You
Dogs who hurt will sometimes go off alone. You find them under the bed or behind furniture in dark corners. They used to follow you everywhere, but now they seek out quiet spaces away from everyone. When you call them, they don’t come like they used to. The space between you feels wider than it used to be. They want to be alone with their feelings.
Sleep Never Comes Easy
They’re up half the night now. You hear them moving around at two in the morning. The padding of their paws on the floor. Sometimes a groan. Their old bed doesn’t seem to help. They’ll lie down and then get up again a minute later. When the sun comes up, they look worse than before they tried sleeping. Just completely worn out.
The Door Doesn’t Excite Them
You used to come home, and they’d be right there waiting by the entrance. Now you walk in, and they stay put wherever they are. No tail wagging or jumping up to greet you. They might glance over, but that’s about it. Your keys in the lock used to be the best sound to them. Now it’s just noise that holds no special meaning.
Their Eyes Changed
There’s something different in how they look at you now. The spark that used to be there is now completely gone. They seem distant, as if they’re looking through things instead of at them. You try to make eye contact, and it feels empty somehow. The afternoon sun hits their face, and they just look tired and worn out. Nothing reflects on you the way it used to.
The Vet Tells You
Sometimes you need someone to say it out loud for you. Your vet knows what they’re looking at after years of experience. They’ve seen this enough times to recognize when an animal is suffering badly. They might use gentle words, but the message is clear enough. The exam room feels smaller during that conversation. You nod because you already knew, but hearing it makes it all the more real.
You Can Feel They’re Ready
This one’s the hardest to explain, but you know it when you see it happening. Something in their body language tells you they’re done fighting whatever this is. They look at you differently now. All the love is still there, but so is this quiet exhaustion that won’t go away. You sit with them on the floor and realize they’re asking you to help them let go.