Alex is my sweet boy who will be 14 in August. He is very healthy, except that my husband and I have noticed that he seems to be going downhill fast with his abibility to get up, walk and even stand. He is on joint supplements and Previcox, which helps, but there is no cure for aging. My question is, how do you know when it's time for them to go? As bad as a fatal disease is for your dog, at least you know when to make the decision. How do you know, when they look at you wagging their tail and they seem to be okay, but their little bodies just can't take anymore.

Alex is my first Golden, as an adult, and will my first dog to lose. I thought I had prepared myself for this for a couple of years now, but it appears that you can never really prepare yourself.

Please help me with your stories. I just don't know what to do.

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I strongly suggest that you speak to your Vet about this.
Perhaps your dog needs stronger supplements to help. It doesn't seem like it is time yet. Dogs often have a way of letting you know when it is time. You will probably know too.
I had a Golden Retriever who lasted over 15 years. Someone told me that I should let her go but with medication, she seemed to accept her slowing down and had a good quality of life. When she went into a coma and wasn't expected to come out of it, the Vet said it was time. We had talked about this in the past. We were there for her end and she's buried in the local Humane Society. I hope what I just wrote, helps you. In the mean time, enjoy your dog.

We went through the same with our Maggie, she would have been 15 in Aug. For the last 6 months or so of her life we noticed her going downhill, we needed to help her get up, her hearing was going, etc. When she couldn't get up even with help and she refused to eat we knew in our hearts it was time.

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**Fraulein "Maggie" Louise 8/2/95 - 7/20/09**
*At Rainbow Bridge but Forever in Our Hearts*

This is a question we are struggling with right now too. Our eskie Gromit is 13 with congestive heart failure but is doing well on meds. He has a cough, his kidneys are starting to be affected and is slowing down alot but seems happy and overall his quality of life is still good. I think that this is the key. I am assuming that he will tell us when it's time. It is such a difficult time and I know how hard it is to make the decision.

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Three years ago in August I sent my 13 year old Great Pyrenees to the bridge. The last six months, I questioned myself daily as he lost all his muscle strength in his hind legs. I was always able to get him back up and moving. That time also gave my family and I the time to say good bye.

The day I knew was "the day", was the day I could not get him back up at all. His hind legs were just totally gone. The interesting thing was, as I think back, that day he was smiling more than the days before. I think he knew and was ready.

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I believe that Alex will let you know when it's time. My dogs always have, either through a certain way of looking at me, or through an action (not able to stand even with help, refusing to eat, etc.). For people who are close to their dogs and really know them, I believe our dogs let us know. For me, it's always about the dog's quality of life. Toby was pretty hard of hearing and had difficulty getting up, but those things weren't affecting his quality of life. But the day he refused to get up, even with help, I knew that he had had enough. You and Alex are close, so I believe he will tell you.

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I think like the others and your Alex will let you know when it is time. My Beau had the same problems. I got him a harness that he could wear all the time. It helped him to get up without putting stress on him or us. www.helpemup.com Once he got up he could walk around just alot slower. Also we changed him to a different pain med that helped also. It helped him for a couple of years. Then one day he just didnt want to eat and the spark just seemed out go out of his eyes. We talked debated and waited 24 hours and still he didnt get better or eat. So we made the toughest decision in our lives. But it was the right one. And that day he walked into the vet with a smile. It was like he knew and was at peace. And so it made our decision alittle easier. IT still hurt like hell but we knew he was not in pain anymore.

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Personally, I think it becomes time when food is of no interest, they can't control their bodies or bodily functions and it's an effort to be interested in daily life. I also believe your dog will tell you - it's a look in their eyes.

Help can come from other animals, too, and how they react to an elderly, sick dog. Tasha (my heart golden) was fourteen when I got Desi (a heeler mix) out of the shelter and no one knew how old Desi was. For two years Tasha was the queen and Desi deferred to her at all times but the day came when Desi took over. I believe, in Desi's eyes, Tasha was no longer there - Desi would walk "through" her knocking Tash over. I probably waited too long but that told me it was time. I still cry when I think of it and that was almost ten years ago.

Like others have said you will know when it's time, and really no one else can tell you.

He may have slowed down but as long as he's still getting around, and happy, enjoy your time with him because the days go by just way to fast.

I have to agree - before I read all the other responses, I thought, "you will know." I had a golden when I was growing up, and he got cancer. We decided to do one surgery, and he was great. He was slower, and his hearing really went. It was heartbreaking to come home and open the front door and bash into him - he just no longer could hear us coming. But he was happy. He wagged his tail, and he liked being with us. And then one day, he wasn't happy. He couldn't get up the one step into the house. He couldn't hear. He was having trouble seeing. And the cancer came back - and came back everywhere. It was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnessed. I picked him up and took him to the vet, and then we had a decision to make.

You will know. He'll tell you. But I hope for you it's not for a long time yet..