How Will I Know It’s Time?

Deciding to euthanize a pet can elicit a variety of feelings, including grief, fear, and guilt. It’s important to understand that euthanasia—when performed appropriately and at the right time—is a gift that prevents further physical and/or mental suffering for the pet and emotional suffering for the family.

There is not one perfect moment in time in which to make that choice, but rather a subjective time period once your pet’s quality of life begins to decline and before sustained suffering occurs. During this time, your veterinarian can help you understand the disease process and how symptoms can be managed to keep your pet more comfortable. Collaborating with your veterinarian and using quality-of-life assessment tools can help guide you in determining when it’s
time to say goodbye.

Pain And Anxiety

Pain is one of the most important topics that we discuss in veterinary hospice care because nobody wants their pet to experience pain. Dogs and cats can experience emotion—and pain is an emotion. Pain is not only how it “feels,” but how it makes the pet feel. Many pets with chronic pain will hide, stop interacting with family members, and avoid the things that used to make them happy. Animals live in the moment so every day needs to be good; they cannot hope that tomorrow will be better. For them, it’s all about “how I feel now.” Anxiety can be as bad—or even worse—than pain for some pets.

Anxiety is a form of emotional pain and may be a result of fear or isolation. It’s well-recognized in humans that pain increases anxiety and anxiety increases pain. It’s an escalating cycle and there’s no reason to believe it’s different for pets.

What About A Natural Death?

Many of us hope that our pet passes peacefully in their sleep. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. The length of an unassisted passing depends on the specific diagnosis and symptoms. A natural death is seldom a swift, solitary event and Mother Nature doesn’t necessarily have a better, less painful plan. If euthanasia is not chosen, pets must receive intensive home care that keeps them comfortable, much like hospice care for people. Euthanasia, which means “good death,” is an option that ensures our pets drift off, surrounded by their loved ones, and don’t wake up. Many veterinary professionals consider this the greatest gift we can offer a struggling pet.

Weigh Your Options Carefully

While our philosophy at Lap of Love centers around a pet’s quality of life, we also focus on their quality of death, which is just as important. Waiting until the last minute to say goodbye may lead to an emergency and unnecessary stress and suffering for your pet. Opting for a peaceful, loving, end-of-life experience requires planning, with the goal of preventing suffering before it occurs. It also allows you to say goodbye on you and your pet’s terms, including where it will happen. Remember, you aren’t making this decision alone, your veterinarian is here to guide and support you!