How do you know when “it’s time”?: Part 2 - When?

In Part 1, I discussed why euthanasia can be a good thing for our pets when they need it. Now, I want to use this opportunity to give some pointers on how to know when “it’s time” to help your pet by euthanasia. Each pet’s situation is unique, therefore, consult with your veterinarian when you think it’s time. When you see that the time is nearing, it is important to prepare your family for what’s ahead. Everyone needs time to say good-bye and to prepare. If everybody is in agreement when the time arrives, the process will be a lot smoother for everyone.

I’ll address a few common reasons for euthanasia and cover each situation individually. In any situation, though, the main priority is to do what’s best for the pet.



Long Term Illness



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Pets with long term illness usually slowly become sicker over time.  You’ll start to see things like:

• Lack of activity
• Lack of family interaction
• Vomiting, diarrhea, not eating (even their favorite treats)
• Reclusive behaviors

Cancer

This is in itself a “long term illness,” so you’re looking for a lot of the same symptoms. You also want to consider the situation where cancer treatment is not an option or is either already performed to its maximum. When you are out of cancer treatment options and they’re showing the symptoms above, consult your veterinarian.

Trauma/Sudden Debilitating Illness

In these cases, rely heavily on your veterinarian’s recommendation. It's easy for the stress of an emergency situation to cloud your judgement as an owner. Ask your vet about chances of survival and if a complete recovery can be expected. Don't be afraid to be straight forward and ask if euthanasia is necessary. Be sure to find agreement with the rest of the family if possible. 

Arthritis

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Arthritis can be very difficult to manage in your pet. There are many different options on how to treat arthritis, but when those options are exhausted, your pet will not be able to find complete relief. They may still interact with the family, eat well and appear happy. Rather, you'll see that you have to help them get up, help them up the stairs, they may be having accidents in their bed because they can't get up to go outside. I believe that choosing the "right time" for an arthritic patients is the hardest decision to make.  You usually have a pet that is mentally still with you, but yet very much in pain. The decision is usually made when we see how uncomfortable they are with their pain and we can't do anything about it but euthanasia.  

Financial Limitations

This is the toughest situation to be in. It leaves an opportunity for devastating guilt to set in on the owner. In an ideal world, we, as owners, would have unlimited funds to provide whatever care was needed for our pets. Also, in an ideal world, we as veterinarians could provide free care to whoever needed it for their pet. It's such a hard reality to face, but in the end, if the necessary treatments cannot be administered, we need to choose to relieve the pet of its suffering. For more information on how to deal with these financial limitations, see my next post, "How to Handle Your Pet's Emergency with Financial Limitations".

If you feel comfortable, please comment below and let others know how you knew it was the right time for your pet.

Sarasota Animal Hospital