My old dog is suffering. Can I help him pass away humanely at home?

Oh no, I'm so sorry that Santeri is so sick! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question all the time with my clients. I suggest making a list of five things Santeri loved to do. If he's not doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has decreased to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. It's always a hard decision to make, but if he has a poor quality of life, letting him go peacefully would be a great kindness. If you'd like to discuss this further, I'd be happy to consult with you. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. Otherwise, I hope my answer helps and I'm sorry you are facing this issue :-(

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm very sorry to hear about Bundas, that sounds like a tough situation. The most humane way to euthanize a pet is with a veterinarian who can administer a sedative and a euthanasia solution to painlessly stop the heart. There are some veterinarians who can perform at-home euthanasias, which may be a good option for Bundas. While there are no sleeping pills for dogs, there are pills that can cause light sedation and a calming effect. I'm not sure what is available in Hungary, but I recommend asking your veterinarian about medications such as Trazodone, Gabapentin, Acepromazine or Melatonin. These medications can be combined to help "take the edge off", and reduce the stress of Bundas's last moments with you. I hope this is helpful!

I would not recommend withdrawal of heart medications as a means to home euthanasia it this would run the risk of increasing the signs and symptoms of her heart disease (fluid on the lungs etc) and would be distressing for her. Unfortunately it does sound like she is approaching that stage that a thoughtful and compassionate euthansia may need to be considered; see the attached link which can help to provide a framework between all of her caregivers as to when such decisions should be discussed https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/import/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The decision you are trying to make is an extremely difficult one. I will tell you that pets typically don't die peacefully at home- it is usually a rare occurrence. When it comes to making the decision about euthanasia, I try to have the owner think about good days and bad days. Being a golden owner myself, I know what makes them happy- food, attention, going on walks, treats, attention... When you think of all the things Jacky loves, is he still doing those things? Does he still come to the door when you come home, is he able to get up to go to the bathroom or is he pottying on himself, is he still interested in food? When the bad days outweigh the good days, his quality of life is poor. A friend once told me, it is better to make this decision a day too soon than a day too late. As I said it is a very difficult decision but you need to think about what would be in Jacky's best interest. I hope this helps. Kisses to Jacky!

In all truth, yes it's unethical. Dying is not a pain free process, and some dogs suffer terribly before dying. Euthanasia is pain free, and the dog goes without further suffering. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I do this all the time. I do recommend having Frosty put to sleep if it's his time. I'm sorry.

Thank you for using PetCoach. I'm so sorry for your situation with Brooklyn. Euthanasia for our pets is one of the greatest gifts for our pets, and greatest burden on us as owners and veterinarians. Consulting with Brooklyn's vet may help you to know when to make the decision. Using a quality of life scale can also help to make a more objective decision. This allows you to assign a numerical value to Brooklyn's activities and symptoms in order to determine his quality of life. I have used this one: http://lapoflove.com/Pet_Quality_of_Life_Scale_DrMcVety.pdf Another thing you can do is to have 2 jars - for every good moment put a penny in one and for bad moments put one in the other jar. If bad moments approach or overcome good moments then it is time to consider euthanasia. I hope this has helped a little bit with your decision making. Please feel free to post again if you have further questions.

Hi there! Thanks for letting us take care of you today! Sorry to hear about Ruger. I definitely know where you are coming from as I mostly see cancer patients. What I usually tell my clients is that the time to consider humane euthanasia is when they stop being themselves. For example, when they stop doing 3 out of their 5 favorite things (eating, playing, or whatever these are), it is time to let them go without suffering. Of course this is if not considering treating the cancer. There are always palliative medications you could consider like prednisone and anti-nausea medications (as cancer can cause nausea depending on the type) just from a palliative standpoint to try to make Ruger feel better in the meantime. Sorry you are going through a rough time.