When to Euthanize

Euthanasia- When to Say Goodbye.

Every pet owner hopes they never have to make the decision. Euthanasia, or "putting a pet to sleep," is often the hardest thing to do and the greatest act of kindness. When and how to perform this act is often not an easy decision based on the emotions of the pet owner and medicine's ability to prolong life and the pet's quality of life.

Guilt, fear, love, anger and many other emotions will affect the family when facing this difficult decision. Many pet owners wait and delay hoping their pet will "die in their sleep." The Guilt after watching a pet suffer for three days so that it could "die naturally" often haunts the owners for years to come. Love often means letting something go with dignity and peace before they start to suffer.

Step number one- TALK TO YOUR VETERINARIAN. No decision to euthanize should be made without and exam and testing by your veterinarian. There are truly some amazing advances in pain management and disease control available to you. Think of the joy from having your pet feel better for another six months or a year, with simple treatments that may be available. If after talking to your vet you decide that advanced surgery is not appropriate for a sixteen-year-old pet, you at least can feel comfortable knowing that you were aware of your options. The most important thing your vet can help you decide is whether the options available to prolong your pet's life will provide real relief and chances of significant improvement or may simply extend the amount of time a pet suffers.

Quality of life, or how the pet feels, can often be hard to determine. Is a pet with arthritis and difficulty walking still happy? Pets cannot speak to us, but they do often give us some clues. Is a pet walking well? Movement without pain is always a goal of healthcare. Is the pet eating normally? Many terminally ill pets lose interest in food, and will stop or reduce eating. Is the pet active when you are not there? Many animals are very attached to the family members and will be active and hide the pain because of their desire to please their owners. Some clues to this are the short duration of activity to almost no movement at all when the family leaves.