How to Know When It's Time to Say Goodbye to a Beloved Pet

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How many times have you heard "YOU’LL Know when it’s time" - and you’ve asked the question - "Will I?"

End-of-life decisions for pet owners can be painful and difficult. (BTW they’re difficult for veterinarians too!) Our pets may not be able to articulate how they feel but they will SHOW us - we just need to be LISTENING. 


This may mean putting our emotions to one side and focusing on our pet. Below are some considerations to help guide you when faced with this decision. Is euthanasia the appropriate option for your pet at this time? How do we introduce this topic to family members?

Interpreting Your Pet's Quality of Life

One resource veterinarians and their associates frequently use is the “HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale for Dogs and Cats,” created by Alice Villalobos, a board certified veterinary oncologist.

Assessing Decline and Prioritizing Symptoms

These questions help pet parents consider the basic elements that are important for our pets to live a life of Quality. The QOL scale provides a guide for family members to openly discuss their pet’s current situation and ask the question - is their Quality of Life tolerable?

This tool is intended to help identify signs of decline over the course of your pet’s disease. With knowledge of your pet's specific diagnosis you will notice that some of these elements have more weight than others and should be prioritized. 
Regular checking at different intervals will help you gauge progression of your pet’s signs.
Remember, our patients can transition from good days and bad days, to good moments and bad moments very quickly.

For example:  


• If your pet has heart disease or lung cancer - and they are in respiratory distress - waiting to schedule an appointment in few days until the family can gather or when it suits you - is not a compassionate choice for your pet.
• If your pet has a brain tumor and is suffering from seizures, the fact that he is still eating does not, or should not, hold much weight in your assessment of his health or condition. In reality they probably have a splitting headache are disoriented exhausted.
• If your pet has kidney disease and is so uremic he cannot eat, the fact that he can walk, should also mean very little.

Understanding Pain in Pets

Two things should take center stage: pain management and breathing. If your furry friend is struggling to breathe, that should immediately become your top consideration and priority.

I hear too often - she is not in pain. The big question is how are you measuring this? Most of the time - we don’t know.

For the example of a cat in kidney failure, who is not eating, dehydrated, vomiting , drinking and urinating excessively, quiet, withdrawn, I hear so often the pet is displaying these signs but the owner doesn’t feel like the pet is in pain. Lets' pose the question: are they comfortable? NO - then they are in pain!

If you are unlucky,  you may have experienced a really bad hangover - nausea, light and noise sensitivity, dehydration and a pounding headache - you are probably not yelling in pain but are very subdued and shy away from stimuli.
Pets in renal failure experience the same signs - they may not be vocalizing in pain but they really don’t want to be interacted with, they are UNCOMFORTABLE.

Be aware of what signs are relative to your pet’s illness. Pets with diabetes, kidney disease, some forms of cancer may drink excessively and as a result urinate more. Pet owners will often mistake the excessive drinking as  a positive sign - in most cases it’s not. It is usually a sign that your pet has an unquenchable thirst. All their fluid intake is being urinated out and the receptors in the brain are getting the message that toxins are building up - the body is dehydrated and hence the unquenchable thirst.


A common response when raising the question of pain management is “well he’s on pain medication”  so the assumption is made that pain is being addressed. This is not necessarily true. Remember adequate pain control requires assessing its effectiveness and adjusting dosing and frequency accordingly. It's not necessarily a SET it and LEAVE it kind of thing! 
Remember this : Pain medication WORKS until it DOESN'T!

Assessing Your Pet's Happiness


The first thing to remember is if a pet is in pain or uncomfortable - they can’t be happy.
After considering the elements of what makes your pet happy - and going through this list - you will have a gut feeling you NEED to listen to. Don’t ignore it and use this to guide your decision-making.

Is The Medicine Worse Than The Disease?


We have to consider when the human animal bond is stressed because of interventions that are supposed to enhance quality of life - it's time to consider if they are worth it.


For example, trying to administer oral medication to a pet with an oral tumor or who is too nauseous to take anything orally - medicine becomes worse that the disease.


If your pet is hiding from you and fights you to medicate our treat them, it's time to say enough is enough. It is important to remember that true compassion sometimes involves making the difficult choice to end suffering and allow your pet to pass peacefully, no matter how sad it will make us.

Understanding a "Natural" Passing

Many of us hope for a “natural” passing, but this scenario is not always likely with modern pets. A frail animal doesn’t linger long in nature, but the comfort of our homes provides a completely different environment, protecting and secluding the animal from nature’s grasp. Think about when your cat is retreating into the back of the closet or under the bed - in nature they would have wandered off to find a place to die in peace.



Should you have questions about how to grade your pet, we would be happy to provide a consultation. Our mission is to provide compassion and education to pet owners, offering peace of mind during this difficult time and a “Good death” for your pet.