Labrador Goes To Sleep for Final Time 'Wagging His Tail' After Last Meal

The internet has been left in tears after watching a video of a senior Labrador's final moments.

Racking up 1.2 million views, the footage shared on TikTok account @barks.and.bite shows Rolo enjoying chocolates and biscuits—far from a dog-friendly diet. The on-screen text explains the heartbreaking reason for this, stating it was his 'last meal' before being put to sleep.

Like humans, a dog's health can decline with age, and at the age of 13, Rolo was suddenly unable to walk. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the average lifespan of a Labrador is 11 to 13 years.

In the comments of another video, the owner wrote: "He had woken up in the morning unable to walk, he was hobbling and falling all over the place. We could see it was time for him."

While most healthy pets, including seniors, typically handle anesthesia well, the risks are more related to the procedure and your pet's overall health, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). To make the most of Rolo's last day, his owners treated him to sweet treats, topped off with a chocolate cake from the veterinarian.

Dogs generally shouldn't consume chocolate due to methylxanthines—found in cacao seeds, coffee plant fruit, and some soda nuts—as they can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and even death.

However, another video caption states Rolo was put to sleep two minutes after consumption.

A stock image of a senior labrador lying down with a sad facial expression. Rolo looked almost identical and became very unwell, leaving his owners no choice but to put him to sleep. fusaromike/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Since being shared on September 16, the video has gathered almost 73,000 likes and over 2,500 comments.

"I just know you earned every one of those biscuits, beautiful boy. Rest easy," said @loubilou.79.

User @huleywooley commented: "That dog just went to sleep so happy after the best meal of his entire life. The absolute BEST final treat," to which Rolo's owner responded: "This is so true! Went to sleep wagging his tail."

However, @carla_bxxx raised a concern: "But then won't he be left with stomach pains before he goes? This is what I think," to which the owner reassured, "He was put down less than 5 minutes, hardly enough time to digest or feel any pain."

Newsweek reached out to @barks.and.bite for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

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