Was I cruel to let my dog naturally at

[Alline]

Home? I saw her death struggle. Not a nice sight. It started more and less in the morning. Laboured breathing. I made an appointment with the vet for the next day. At 1800 it got worse and I phoned. She phoned back half hour later. She told me to give her meds. I did. Did not work. Odie died 3 hours later. Should I have acted quicker? I read that they are in pain. She did cry sometimes. She died in my arms...

[KayC]

I am so sorry that another person has to walk this path...I hope you'll continue to come here, to read/post with the others here in recent threads. 

I don't know enough information to respond to your question.  Some choose this, I prefer to have them euthanized before they get to that point.  HOWEVER, my Arlie (dog) was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, his liver shutting down, no hope/help available.  I put him on CBD oil and Milk Thistle to help his liver, SAMe for his mood elevation, I've always had him on fish oil (also helps for pain), and Probios.  I cooked for him to control his Colitis.  Two months, ten days later I had him put to sleep, itt was getting harder for him to walk and I didn't want him to struggle just for my benefit.

When I got him to the vet, they weighed him at 110...which is what he'd been weighing...however, I discovered 4 1/2 months later that their scale was off, he likely weighed 117 as I'd been plying him with treats to get him to eat.  That explains the horrendous euthanasia I witnessed!  They gave him a shot, waited, then another, he made the most horrible noise/grimace, like he wanted to bite someone (he was a very gentle giant, had never bitten anyone, not even when attacked)!  It was the worst most horrific thing to see my beloved baby going out in tremendous pain!  Did he think I brought him there for them to hurt him?  It haunts me still!  It's been over 2 1/2 years.  I know he's forgiven me already because that's how he was, but still it hurts.  I loved him more than life, would have done anything for him!  I cannot forgive the vet for being so careless or cheap that they didn't get their scales calibrated, they should be done annually.  I know from my years of working for doctors and also military airplane parts that have to be perfect to Mil-spec.  We are more careful with military parts than with our beloved babies?!!  

So in answer to your question, there's too many variables with vets, with what they are dying from, how advanced they are in their illness, etc.  We don't always get to control everything that happens, no matter how much we love them and want to protect them.  We feel responsible.  We don't want them to go out in pain, we want to spare them.  But sometimes it's out of our control.

My beloved baby, I wish anything I could kiss his sweet face again, instead I have to settle for wiping the leaves off his tombstone.  And talking to him..  Praying the wind carries my love to him.

Believe you will be together again, that keeps me going.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.  We don't have to know everything to have it...it is but a whisper in the wind.

Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers
A Dangerous Villain: Guilt
http://www.pet-loss.net/guilt.shtml
http://www.griefhealing.com/article-loss-and-the-burden-of-guilt.htm
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2019/08/pet-loss-when-guilt-overshadows-grief.html
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2017/07/pet-loss-when-guilt-goes-unresolved.html

I hope this short video brings you some comfort and peace.