Congestive heart failure in dogs; when is it time to euthenize?

[jakeandred]

My dog has congestive heart failure.  I believe he is the final stage.  How do I know if he is in pain and if it is time to end his life humanely?

[Katydid1979]

The vet is coming to our house in the morning to put our big Leonberger to sleep. He was diagnosed with a murmur in early 2015 while we were living in America. Shortly after we moved to the UK in Nov 2015 we found out it had progressed to congestive heart failure. The meds seemed to work until the end of the summer and then he went downhill quickly. Lost so much weight, lost interest in going for a walk, chasing squirrels, heavy panting, swelling etc. We only have a few more hours with him. Its the right decision to put him to sleep but my heart is breaking. Watching my children cry is heartbreaking too. I love you, Ben, you will always be The Best Dog. Wait for us at the rainbow bridge x

[Pamelafrostdennis]

And now it's our turn. Our Gizmo came into our life when he was six. He started out as a starving puppy in Mexico. He was smuggled into Ca by his former owner- - a young girl. When he was four, his back feet were smashed by a car. When he was six, he was living in a car when my husband saw him and offered a home to him. He is a little prince. A dear sweet soul. And now our little guy is 16, deaf, needs glasses, and has CHF. The meds have helped, but each day and night, the cough gets worse. He still LOVES food, and his personality is intact. Everyday he follows me to my cottage office to help me work. I write murder mysteries and Gizmo is my muse-- although he tends to nap a lot on the job. We know we don't have much longer ... don't know if the hard coughing hurts. Can't bear the thought of making him overstay his time on earth. I have done that before with another dear dog, and I greatly regret my selfishness. Like most here, I hope he passes gently in his sleep, but probably won't be that lucky. I appreciate the info about asking for the drug the vet uses before surgery.

[AlisonSherman]

My sweet 13 year old shih tzu Stan was diagnosed with CHF last Jan. The enalapril and Lasix drugs helped for awhile, but his coughing started coming back mid-summer. Lately, his coughing and labored breathing got bad, where he was even waking up in the night with these problems. He would still eat his food and go on walks, although he would cough the entire time on the walks. This past week, his coughing got even worse, and the vet concurred that he was suffering. He was put down on Wed morning. My heart is broken. I feel so guilty and am questioning if I acted too quickly.  I just couldn't stand to see my little fur baby suffer any longer. I miss him more than anyone knows. I am devastated.

[Nickyisland]

I feel the same way as you. My dog was doing great on all the meds and then yesterday am she started hacking and then was very sad. I went to give her the pills early and she wouldn't take them. I then forced her to hoping it would help her feel better soon. She then fainted and then everywent down hill from there. I took her to emergency where her breathing got worse and the doc said she's suffering and suggested I put her down. I woke up feeling so guilty and like I pulled the trigger too soon. I hope to God I made the right decision. It just feels so horrible. The

[StaceySch]

I'm sorry for all of your losses. My 13 year old yellow lab has declined rapidly the last few weeks. She has CHF and now kidney failure. For the last few days, she won't take take her pills in  the wet food she would enjoy and she barely eats the boiled chicken she used to love. My heart is breaking. I've had her 4 years and she's just the sweetest girl, but I do not want her to suffer. "Repay a kindness with a kindness.

[StaceySch]

I;m sorry for all of your losses. My 13 year old yellow lab has declined rapidly the last few weeks. She has CHF and now kidney failure. For the last few days, she won't ;t take take her pills in  the wet food she would enjoy and she barely eats the boiled chicken she used to love. My heart is breaking. I've had her 4 years and she's just the sweetest girl, but I do not want her to suffer. Repay a kindness with a kindness

[jodieva]

My 11 yr old KC Cav Spaniel has been on meds for CHF for over a year. The coughing has just started to get worse and he has become uncomfortable at night. He still loves his food, walks and has had a lovely summer. In the early hours of this morning he had a bout of coughing and came to sit beside my bed. I sat on the floor and he curled up against me. He puts his trust in me to do what is best for him and I suddenly had a gut wrenching feeling that its time to let him go, before all he knows is suffering. My Bailey. My baby before I had babies. I have two children 4 and 8. They have not known a world without him. Its now gone 3am and I know I need to tell my husband when he wakes up that its time. My heart is breaking but I also feel acceptance.

[ZoeyMarieEstes]

They now fix this in France.  Clinic Bozon.

[ZoeyMarieEstes]

They fix dogs with Mitral Valve Disease witch is common in Cavs and Maltese's.

[Pablospur]

My dog has had the same thing happening to him and I have make the decision to put my 13 year old Shih Tzu Pablo down.  He has had CHF for the last year and has done well on all the drugs.  I can see a big difference in him, in the last few weeks.  He is maxed on his meds and  also takes a cough medicine pill.  He sleeps a lot and coughs.  I see it more at night, we wake up 2 to 3 times a night and I carry him down to go pee and then he coughs a lot and his breathing is really bad.  Having a hard time breathing.  So I just lay with him on the floor and comfort him until one of us falls asleep.  This has been going on for a while and I just can't  bare to let him go.  He still plays fetch, but only can get his squeaky a couple of times now instead of continuously or until I stop or he starts coughing alot, He eats fine and loves his treats. He loves his walks, but they have drastically gone from long ones to very short ones and me carry him back sometimes.

I fell that I just can't bring myself to let him go.
My daughter just left for college and would have to go get her to let her see him one more time.  She is not far, but I just am procrastinating, maybe something will happen and he will be just fine, but I know deep down that is not going to happen.  I just love the little man, we rescued him 9 years ago and he has been the best dog a family could ever ask for.  

I sense he is scared and he stays by my side and my husband and I have been taking turns staying home with him because I can just tell he is scared to be alone.  Just so hard to make that decision, if I am doing the right thing or I should wait a little longer, but I don't want to see him suffer.

As I seat her typing this, he is in his bed sleeping right next to me. He just seems so peaceful right now, like everything is fine.  The seizures have gotten more frequent in this last month, just this past few days he has had 3, they use to be maybe once a month probably in longer than that.  The seizures seem to make him look like he is drunk and in pain.  

My heart is heavy and is breaking just to think of him not being with us anymore.