My 15 year old Lhasa Apso has been seriously slowing down in the past several months, after she was diagnosed with "canine senility". She quit eating / drinking 3-4 days ago and sleeps constantly. When she wakes up, I take her outside (she use to use the dog door, but now it seems too hard) and she pees. Then I bring her back inside and "nurse" her with a syringe of water. I've gotten her to take a couple bites of cereal, but (and this is TOTALLY out of character), she's turned her nose up at bites of chicken and chicken broth. She doesn't exhibit any pain or discomfort - instead she's sleeping more and more. My question is, is it painful or uncomfortable to die of starvation?

Consider this...

Would you want to die this way? I don't think so. Wouldn't it be easier to have her put to sleep?

Your answer suggests pain and discomfort; neither of which are apparent with my old lady. If the passing is not painful or uncomfortable, then yes - I would prefer to die in my mom's arms in front of the fire place rather than go through the stress of going to the vet's cold office. Hence, my question - IS this painful or uncomfortable since neither is being displayed in my girl's behavior or demeanor.

Take her back to the vet. Things can change dramatically in the course of a few months and she may have developed a condition that is treatable. Or the vet may determine that she is, in fact terminal, but may be able to make her more comfortable or help you make the decision to humanely euthanize.

Dogs are our pets but still have that wild instinct in them. In the wild a animal that shows weakness or pain will likely be killed for position in the rank or food for a predator. So maybe she is not showing discomfort because her natural instinct to protect herself has kicked in. I am sure that organs, muscles and the stomach that has been without food or enough water starts to have pain. If she were mine we would be at the vet asap.

I'm not sure about pain or discomfort, but I completely understand where you are coming from. Trips to the vet were stressful for my Lhasa and I remember thinking the same thing when he was nearing the end. He started to become uncomfortable and I chose to euthanize. IF that is a path you choose, many vets will come to your home and it can be done very peacefully in your arms in front of the fireplace you spoke of. Talk to your vet. He/she can discuss what your pup might be going through and the options available to you. My thoughts are with you.

If this was your child, what would you be doing,

I understand your feelings about not seeing any signs of pain and wanting your pet to be able to have the final days with you. I went through the same feelings with one of my dogs, and spent thousands of dollars trying to do the things necessary to keep her comfortable and happy and hydrated.

It got to a point when the muscles and cartilage between the bones seemed to all be deteriorated, and the dog could not move without obvious pain. At that point, I knew it was time to end her suffering.

So the opinion that I offer is that as long as you feel she is not showing any signs of pain or distress and unhappiness... then being with you at home can be a comfort to both of you, but you might consider having an option available if the pain should seem to suddenly become unbearable for your pet. The pain can show up seemingly from one moment to the next with very little transition time... that might happen in the middle of the night or on a holiday when the vet's office might not be opened... Some places have emergency veterinary centers that can be helpful during those off hours, but they can be quite expensive compared to regular vet fees.
I hope that helps in some way... My thoughts will be with you.

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Originally Posted by carolbcac

Take her back to the vet. Things can change dramatically in the course of a few months and she may have developed a condition that is treatable. Or the vet may determine that she is, in fact terminal, but may be able to make her more comfortable or help you make the decision to humanely euthanize.

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I agree with this. You don't want to let your dog die in any way if it is treatable so rule that out before doing anything.

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Originally Posted by patrycia

My 15 year old Lhasa Apso has been seriously slowing down in the past several months, after she was diagnosed with "canine senility". She quit eating / drinking 3-4 days ago and sleeps constantly. When she wakes up, I take her outside (she use to use the dog door, but now it seems too hard) and she pees. then I bring her back inside and "nurse" her with a syringe of water. I've gotten her to take a couple bites of cereal, but (and this is TOTALLY out of character), she's turned her nose up at bites of chicken and chicken broth. She doesn't exhibit any pain or discomfort - instead she's sleeping more and more. My question is, is it painful or uncomfortable to die of starvation?

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Me I love dogs and cats .and if I were you I would have her or him put down I know it cost a lot of money but think how you would feel if it were you this was happening to .let him or her die loveing you not hateing you.

Let him or her die loveing you not hateing you.

I'm not sure that I would think my dog hated me even when her condition did get worse. Pets are capable of unconditional love... more so than some people I have known and treated a lot better...

First, I would check with the vet to be sure that this is not something that is treatable. Having said that, if you read up on hospice care, not eating is one of the stages of dying, and, as they put it, as the swallowing reflex fades, eating can be more distressful than not eating. The general belief is that there is little to no discomfort from not eating at this stage of the dying process.

So, it depends on the situation. If the animal is actually dying, then not eating is merely a symptom and not the cause of the death. On the other hand, causing a dog to die by preventing it from eating is probably a painful death.

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Originally Posted by patrycia

My 15 year old Lhasa Apso has been seriously slowing down in the past several months, after she was diagnosed with "canine senility". She quit eating / drinking 3-4 days ago and sleeps constantly. When she wakes up, I take her outside (she use to use the dog door, but now it seems too hard) and she pees. then I bring her back inside and "nurse" her with a syringe of water. I've gotten her to take a couple bites of cereal, but (and this is TOTALLY out of character), she's turned her nose up at bites of chicken and chicken broth. She doesn't exhibit any pain or discomfort - instead she's sleeping more and more. My question is, is it painful or uncomfortable to die of starvation?

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Perhaps you could try feeding her Boost - it's very high in calories and good things. This might get you through until you feel ready to help her go to Rainbow Bridge.

I know it's hard to put a friend of 15 years to sleep, but she's really not enjoying quality of life anymore.

Take care...