How to know if my old dog's quality of life has diminished too much?

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 :-(

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!

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

This is always a tough question to answer. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question all the time with clients. I recommend making a list of five things Coco used to love to do, and if she is no longer doing at least two of them, her quality of life has declined to where euthanasia should be considered. Quality of life is very important in these cases. I would speak with her vet to see what they think about her quality of life. I hope this helps.

I would be glad to help you with this decision! It's a very hard one to make, and since I work for a home euthanasia service, I face this question all the time with my clients. I suggest making a list of five things Princess loved to do, whether it be eating, playing, etc. When she is no longer doing at least two of those things, then her quality of life has declined to the point when euthanasia should be considered. Quality of life is the most important consideration when deciding if you put down a dog or not, as you want her to be as happy as possible in her old age. Make that list and honestly examine how many of those things she is still doing. If it's not at least two, then it is likely to time to let her go. If you would 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 this helps you!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Leroy. I'm sorry he's not doing well, and deciding if it's time to consider euthanasia is a tough time. I always recommend looking at the dog's quality of life in making this decision. If it's a poor quality of life, then yes, euthanasia would be the kindest option. While I cannot ultimately make this decision for you, based on your description of him currently, it does sound like his quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. I apologize if that is hard to read, or if it upsets you. It's never easy to make this choice, but if it prevents him from having his quality of life decline more, it is truly a blessing for him. I hope this helps.