My senior dog is thin and won't eat. How do I assess quality of life?

I work for a home euthanasia service, so I often get asked this question from my clients. I recommend making a list of five things your dog loves to do, and if he no longer does at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. This could include eating as well, as dogs do love to eat. Oftentimes, dogs are ready to go before we are ready to let them go, and they tend to hang on for the owner. I would make this list for your Corgi, and use that to help gauge his quality of life. If you'd like, I'd be glad to consult with you on this issue to give you more in depth help. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. I hope this helps!

When making the decision if it is time to say goodbye to a loved pet, I suggest making a list of 5 things Willie loves to do. If he is no longer able to do at least 3 of them, his quality of life has declined to a point where it may be time to say goodbye. It is never an easy decision to euthanize an animal, but it is in the best interest of that animal to do it when their quality of life declines significantly. Making these kind of decisions is something I help people with frequently, and I would be glad to consult with you further if that would help. You can press the "consult online" button under my answer if you would like to talk further with me.

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 :-(

I’m sorry to hear that you were going through this with your old boy Maxx. It’s going to be a tough time for him and for you as you try to navigate his geriatric years. The most important thing to consider when making a decision like this is Maxx’s quality-of-life. If he is still mostly acting like himself, happy, enjoying going on walks, eating, and doing the things that he has always loved to do, then I would say his quality of life is good. If however he is lethargic, sleeps most of the day, and is grumpy or withdrawn from the family members, then his quality-of-life may not be as good. Based on your description of Max it sounds like he is not in pain which is a good thing. If Max is having more good days in a week then bad I would consider this a good quality of life. When you start to notice the good days are becoming further apart or he stops acting like himself it may be time to let him go. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This is a great question! Determining quality of life in our beloved pets isn't an easy thing to do, since there are so many factors to consider. I recommend scheduling a "quality of life" consultation and exam with your vet. You can discuss the concerns and changes you're seeing in Shadow, and your vet will be able to offer their input on how he's doing. They may also recommend a trial of a pain medication if they feel it's appropriate, to see if he improves on it. In the meantime, here's a website for a group that does exclusively hospice and house call euthanasia. Their website has a lot of great resources on evaluating quality of life. Hope this helps. All the best to you and Shadow. https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life

I hate to hear that about Tootsie. It’s always so hard to know when to let them go. I recommend to keep a daily calendar. At the end of the day mark if it was a good day, a bad day or a mediocre day. This will give you a concrete way to evaluate her overall quality of life. Things to look for are decreasing appetite or not eating, no longer enjoying the things that they used to enjoy, pain or isolating themselves. These are all quality-of-life indicators. I hope this helps you through your difficult time. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!