My senior Maltese is struggling. When is it time to say goodbye?

It's possible if Bella is declining rapidly. Since she is declining, I would bring her back into your vet to see if anything else can be done, but it sounds like you are already very on top of her care. Your vet can talk with you to see if there is anything else quality of life wise that can be done, or if it's time to say goodbye. Regardless of your decision, it sounds as if Bella is very loved and well cared for and has had a wonderful life with you.

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.

This is always a hard decision as our loved ones get older. My rule of thumb is to look for when they have more bad days than good days or they quit eating or quit getting excited about things that ALWAYS use to make them excited. From what you're telling me it doesn't sound like she is ready to be euthanized BUT you know her better than anyone and with her age and all of her problems, whenever you make that decision it will be be The Right time for her and you. She is so lucky to have such a loving family and to have lived such a LONG life. I hope this helps!

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.

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 :-(

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I only see cancer patients and as you can imagine, I see terminal cancer patients on almost a daily basis. First of all, sorry to hear about Timmie. Give her lots of love, treats and all the good stuff that she deserves and wants. Usually regardless of the cancer type, I recommend treating any symptoms if they occur. Meaning that if Timmie develops any decreased appetite or nausea or vomiting or diarrhea, these are treated with medications. Otherwise, if you not pursuing cancer therapy, there is really nothing else to do. This decision is hard to make, no question. However, what I tell my clients is to consider making this decision if they think that quality of life has been severely affected. This means when Timmie does not seem to be enjoying herself anymore. You could consider doing it if Timmie stops doing 2 out of her 3 favorite things (that could be eating, playing, running, etc). Best wishes for you and Timmie!

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.