My senior dog is suffering. How to talk to mom about euthanasia?

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 :-(

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!. I am so sorry to hear about Kika. What a long life she has led! When I have the talk about quality of life with my patients, I tell them to measure the good and bad days. When the bad day far outweigh the good then the time has likely come. You as the owner know your dog best. When the pet no longer interacts with family, stops eating well, urinates or defecates around the house, uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhea or is unable to move with out pain are all indicators of a poor quality of life. Dementia is a terrible disease in humans and people. We can only imagine how the dog feels. I think taking her to your Vet for at least an exam to see if there are any medical conditions that they could treat to help her feel better. Maybe she has urinary incontinence and some medications would help. Also there are some treatments that help dementia, though it is progressive. I hope this helps in some way.

Oh no, your poor dog! It sounds like she is in really bad shape physically. I would have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning to see if there are any treatments possible for her symptoms. If there aren't, it would be time to discuss letting her go peacefully. I know that's not something you want to hear, but it may be best for her given her symptoms. I recommend making a list of five things she loved to do, and if she's no longer doing at least two of them, then her quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. I work for a home euthanasia service, so if you'd like to discuss this further with me, I'd be happy to consult with you. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. Otherwise, I hope this helps and you should take her into the vet in the morning.

What a hard decision for you to make! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I do face this question all the time with my clients. You need to look at Holly's quality of life. I typically suggest making a list of five things a dog loved to do; when they no longer do at least two of them, then their quality of life has declined to point where euthanasia should be considered. Given that she is incontinent, blind, can't hear well, stands in a corner and stares, and is losing weight, I would say her quality of life has declined quite a bit and it may be time to let her go peacefully. I would have a discussion with your vet about this, and I'm sorry you are in this position. I hope this helps!

I am so sorry to hear that your pet has so many major issues that are debilitating and causing her to have a poor quality of life. I do think that if her condition cannot be improved with medications then it is someting you should discuss with your veterinarian. Humane euthansia, although it is probably not something you want to consider, should be considered if Sophie is not able to helped with medical management. However, there are pain medications that can be tried to see if they make a difference. You can discuss with your vet about trying Tramadol and/or Gabapentin to help with pain management. Probiotics can also be tried to help with her diarrhea, as well as a high fiber diet such as Royal Canin Gasrointestinal High Fiber (Rx). It sounds like she may have cancer involving her nervous system, which is why she can't maintain her mobitliy well. Poor girl. I hope that you can come to terms with her condition and maybe there is more you can try with her. Best wishes with Sophie. We are also available for a private consultation if you need to discuss more about Sophie's condition and futher care recommendations. Take care.

That's tough - and it's so thoughtful of you to be thinking about how to help your husband through what will be a difficult loss when the time comes! There are a couple things I encourage people to do when we know their pet is slowing down, or nearing the end. The first is to write a list of all the was their pet has always shown them that it has a good quality of life or is happy. Things like greeting you at the door, eating her food, eating treats, playing with toys, wanting to go for walks....whatever comes to mind. By having this list, we can watch for when those things start to disappear from Lani's life, which will be her way of telling us she's no longer happy or has a good quality of life. The second thing is to keep a little journal of how she's doing. It doesn't have to be extensive, it could just be a few words at the end of the day. "good day", or "went for a nice walk", or "vomited her breakfast", or "seemed extra tired", ....whatever seems noteworthy. We tend to grasp onto the really good and really bad days, and keeping this journal helps us watch for a pattern - when the pet is declining, and when the "bad" days outnumber the "good". Now, these are the things I normally tell people when they're struggling with *when* it's time to say goodbye. I don't know if I entirely answered your question - but I think it may help your husband to feel like he's an active part of thinking about Lani's quality of life, and realizing that letting go of her will be an act of love on his part, when she is no longer enjoying life. I truly believe that euthanasia can be an act of love - we have the ability to end suffering, and provide a peaceful, painless passing when we can see that our animals are suffering and we can't fix it. I hope this helps.

Making the decision to euthanize your pet is never easy. I usually recommend owners make a list of all the things their pet loved/loves to do. For instance, did she used to love to eat, go on walks, play with a special toy, get tummy rubs, go on car rides, etc. Now you make a check mark on the day she does that. As well as noting her appetite and if she can go out to go potty and not have accidents. When she starts to have more bad days than good days it is a sign that her quality of life is poor. You know her best. While her blood work isn't showing any problems there could be medical problems that won't. Just know that this is an extremely difficult decision but know that you have Cheyennes best interest at heart. I hope this helps. Kisses to Cheyenne!