How to Know the Signs of a Dead Dog

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Even though our beloved pets are gone, our love for them will never change. However, death – even for dogs – is a reality you have to face. In your final moments with this loyal friend and companion, you should know the signs that your dog is about to die so that you and your family have time to mentally prepare and let the dog go. serenity, peace and comfort. You should read the article below to make sure your dog doesn’t suffer a lot of pain.

Table of Contents

Know the signs of a dying dog

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Pay attention to respiratory symptoms. If your dog is going to die in a few days or hours, you’ll notice he’s breathing shallowly and intermittently. A dog’s normal breathing rate is around 22 breaths per minute, but will drop to 10 breaths if dying.

Right before death, dogs often exhale deeply, and like a balloon, you can feel the dog’s body collapse with the expansion of the lungs.
The dog’s heart rate will also weaken and drop from the normal range of 100-130 beats/min to 60-80/min.
During the last hours of life, the dog will begin to breathe shallowly and will no longer be able to move. Most of the time the dog just lies in a hidden or dark corner of the house.

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Know the signs of digestion. If dying, the dog will become markedly anorexic. Dogs hardly care about food and water. When death is near, the dog’s organs such as the liver and kidneys will gradually weaken and inhibit digestive function.

You may find that your dog’s mouth is dry and dehydrated from dehydration.
You may also see your dog vomiting yellow or green saliva or acid or bile instead of food. This sign is also often caused by anorexia.

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Pay attention to muscle activity. If the dog is dying, the dog will often twitch or contract unintentionally because of the loss of glucose. Dogs will also lose their response to pain and other reflex activities.

When the dog tries to stand or walk, you will notice that the dog’s legs lose coordination and the dog tends to stagger or gradually lose the ability to walk. Dogs will also go into a coma or gradually lose consciousness before dying.
Dogs that are dying and often have a chronic or long-term illness often look very emaciated. The flesh in the body will gradually disappear and the muscles will also atrophy or shrink.

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Pay attention to your dog’s toilet habits. Another sign that your dog is about to die is a loss of bladder and anal sphincter control. When dying, dogs have a tendency to defecate and urinate uncontrollably even with disciplined and rigorously trained dogs.

Dogs often urinate uncontrollably and rarely.
Dying dogs also often have diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by a foul odor and blood.
Dogs tend to urinate and defecate for the last time before dying because they have completely lost muscle control.

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Pay attention to skin condition. The dog’s skin will dry out and often won’t return to its original position after being pinched due to dehydration. Mucous membranes such as gums and lips will also become pale and will not return to their original pink color after a long time if you press on (normal gums only take 1 second to return to their original color).

Recognize signs of aging dogs

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Notice the dog’s speed. The dog is moving more slowly but can still eat, drink, walk, stand and react when you call, indicating that the dog is just getting old. Aside from age, dogs don’t have any particular problems.

Dogs can still do the things they love, like walking around, being petted, playing, or socializing with other dogs, although the frequency and intensity are much less.

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Pay attention to how much food your dog can eat. Signs of aging dogs are when dogs begin to eat less but regularly. Just like people, dogs typically burn fewer calories and don’t need to overeat as they get older. This happens as a part of life and is not a matter of alarm.

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Pay attention to the amount of time your dog sleeps. Older dogs usually sleep more but can still get up, walk around, and eat. Sleeping without being able to walk or eat means that the dog is sick. The case of sleeping a lot but still being able to eat normally is just a sign of age.

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Notice how the dog acts around other dogs. Dogs becoming cold even with a dog of the opposite sex by their side indicates that the dog is aging. This problem of dogs is not much different from that of humans and it is a natural part of life.

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Pay attention to the dog’s appearance. A dog’s appearance will change as it ages. You should watch for the following signs:

Feathers become gray or silvery white
Baldness or hair loss in areas of high friction such as the elbows, pelvis, and buttocks
Tooth loss
White facial hair is clearly visible

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Help your dog live comfortably as he ages. You can provide your elderly dog with a comfortable life by:

Keep your dog in a warm and airy room
Provide dog bedding so that the dog does not feel pain.
Provide food and water to the dog but do not force the dog to eat/drink
Spend time with your dog every day, talking and patting the dog’s head.
- Some dogs, even when bedridden and unable to move, can still respond to your touch such as weak tail wagging or eye movements (this is a testament to the loyalty of dogs and dogs still can’t move). try to master contentment in the last moments of life).

Help the dog euthanize

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Know when to euthanize your dog. Euthanasia, or euthanasia as defined by The Merck Veterinary Manual, is a method of giving an animal “a gentle and painless death. It is a humane method of killing an animal”. The three main goals of this approach are:

Reducing pain and suffering for animals
Reduce pain, fear, anxiety for animals before losing consciousness
Bringing a peaceful and painless death to animals.
- Euthanasia may be the appropriate method to help the dog go away easily. You certainly don’t want your dog’s dying moment to last.

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Think carefully before euthanizing your dog. If you are wondering whether to euthanize your dog, you should put your dog’s best interests first. You should give up all your problems, emotions and face. A dog’s life should not be extended solely for personal gain. By virtue and responsibility of the owner, you should give the dog a humane and painless death. You should ask yourself questions like: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

Is the treatment no longer helping the dog?
Is the dog in pain and suffering that pain medication can’t help?
Is your dog suffering from severe trauma that causes severe pain and never recovers, such as amputation of a leg, severe head injury, or severe bleeding?
Does the terminal illness impair the dog’s quality of life and prevent it from eating, drinking, moving, or going to the bathroom on its own?
Do dogs have birth defects that are inoperable and affect the dog’s quality of life?
Do dogs have a contagious disease like rabies that can threaten people and other dogs?
Will dogs no longer be able to do the things they love even with treatment?
- Note: If the answer is “Yes/Yes”, it is time to give your dog a humane death.

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Your veterinarian is the best person to help you decide whether to euthanize your dog. Your veterinarian can properly assess your dog’s condition through testing and let you know if your dog’s disease is treatable, is dying, or needs to be euthanized.

However, the decision whether or not to euthanize the dog is ultimately up to the owner. You should know the diseases that need to be euthanized.

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The disease needs to be euthanized. In general, dogs with any illness that causes acute or chronic pain and suffering should be euthanized. Here are some examples: ^{[2] X Research Sources}

Accident.
Demodex louse dermatitis is severe and cannot be cured.
End stage renal failure, liver failure and invasive or malignant tumors.
Infectious diseases that are incurable and potentially life-threatening to humans and other animals (eg, rabies).
Severe behavioral illness (eg extreme ferocity) even with behavioral treatment can be dangerous to animals, people and the environment.

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Recognize the signs. If you see the following signs in your dog, you should euthanize your dog: ^{[3] X Research Source}

Dogs cannot eat, drink, walk and completely lose interest and motivation to do these activities.
The dog is paralyzed and has no control over urination or defecation.
Respiratory failure, labored breathing and not improving after surgery or medication.
Constant crying or groaning due to pain from terminal illness.
Unable to move his head and paralyzed.
Extremely low body temperature when felt through the skin is also a sign of organ failure.
The dog has a very large tumor that cannot be operated on, causing pain and complete immobilization of the dog.
Mucous membranes such as gums become gray and completely dehydrated.
Weak and slow heart rate.
- When you notice the above symptoms, you should call your veterinarian to evaluate your dog’s condition. Your veterinarian can give you professional advice and make your decision easier.

Advice

Although the decision to euthanize your dog will be painful, you should still face this responsibility. In the last moments of life, dogs need to be left peacefully and painlessly. Whether a dog is in pain and suffering is determined by the owner and euthanasia is the best benefit a dog deserves. .
Letting your dog die is a difficult decision, but you need to do it if your dog is in too much pain. You just need to save the last image of the dog and remember it for a lifetime.

Steps

Know the signs of a dying dog

Recognize signs of aging dogs

Help the dog euthanize

Advice

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