How do you know when to put down a dog?

Chamber and fun adventures with a beloved dog may feel endless for pet parents. Then suddenly, years are sneaking past as your puppy turns gray, their steps grow shaky or a sudden serious illness or injury surfaces from the blue.

A fantastic life with a dog is never long enough, so how do you know when it's time to say goodbye?

When is it time to put down a dog?

Answering the question of when it is time to say goodbye is unique to every dog ​​and their pet parent's situation. This decisive decision step means evaluating your dog's quality of life in relation to four important factors:

• Your dog's health status

• Your dog's personality

• Your personal principles

• Your budget for pet care (money, time, physical capacity and emotional capacity)

Reflect on your dog's health

Veterinary assessment and input are crucial when it comes to a dog's end of life. A dog's health status signals the course for their diseases, the expected speed for further decline and how well a dog's discomfort can be relieved and their suffering is prevented.

If a dog has severely impaired mobility, weakening organ failure, severe mental deterioration or a combination of these or other health challenges, and if it is not possible to ensure a dog's comfort, safety and satisfaction, it may be time to say goodbye.

Your veterinarian can work with you to determine what is best, based on your dog's health.

Observe your dog's attitude

A dog's personality and temperament affect how well they can adapt to their illnesses and how well their pet parents can handle them.

Think about what your dog can tolerate regularly, including:

• How easily they accept and take prescribed medication (mark if they experience any side effects)

• Easy to get around the house (even after mobility contributions have been added, such as dog stairs)

• Eager to eat or drink water

• Tolerates being lonely home

• Interact appropriately with pet parents and other house mates

• Engage in their favorite activities

• Easy to go outdoors without pain to eliminate

If your dog has lost interest in previously liked social interactions, does not eat or drink on a consistent basis (and health problems have been excluded) and/or do not tolerate to receive the necessary care, it may be time to consider the next step.

Consider your principles

A pet parent's decision on when to say one last goodbye can be influenced by their culture, religion, personal preferences and their dog's role or function in the family.

Pet parents and other close family members should meet and try to agree on when and how to say goodbye to their dog, whether through human euthanasia or waiting for a natural death.

Meanwhile, the goal of all pet parents should be to keep their dog comfortable during the last few weeks or days and help to facilitate their suffering. Comfort items such as an orthopedic bed, soft blankets and a sound machine are good additions to keep your dog comfortable during this time.

Account for your pet care budget

A dog parent's essential pet care “budgets” – mini, time, physical capacity and emotional capacity – can determine how long they can provide a sick dog's comfort, cleanliness, security and satisfaction.

For example, financial restrictions can take care of an elderly or sick dog insurmountable.

Work, school or travel plans and other responsibilities may not allow enough hours of the day for pet parents to take care of their dog. The physical abilities of a pet parent may not correspond to their dog's mobility, cleanliness or need for medication.

The emotional resistance of a pet parent can also be tightened under the demands to take care of a sick dog. When any of these Pet Care budgets are dropped, dog parents may understandably that it is time to say goodbye.

Dog quality assessment tool

Finding out the four influential factors to evaluate your dog's quality of life means that you observe and reflect on your dog's physical and emotional health, social interactions and natural daily functions.

You can track a sick dog's good days and bad days by assessing how well your dog can get around, eat, drink, eliminate, interact with family and participate in their favorite activities.

When bad days exceed good days and your dog's health and circumstances are not expected to improve, it may be time to say goodbye.

A variety of life quality assessments are available from Lap of Love, as well as other resources related to the end of the life of a dog.

Who can help with dog euthanasia?

Most veterinarians provide Euthanasi services for pets, both at a clinic and at home. If your veterinarian does not offer a home home, resources such as Lap of Love and Vetangel can help you find a supplier in your area.

Human euthanasia made for the right reason is generous and kind. A harmful dog no longer suffers discomfort or inconvenience, and pet parents receive relief from worry about their dog's reduced quality of life.

If possible, discuss a end of life for your dog with your veterinarian long before the time arrives when you will need it.

How to decide what is right for your dog

Talk to your veterinarian, who can answer questions about your dog's health status and help you make the best decision for you and your puppy.

Veterinarians can also provide palliative and hospice care options, information about euthanasia service or what a natural passing means and aftercare and memory preferences.

Veterinarians can help pet parents to decide for themselves when it is time to say goodbye. Time may be right if the dog suffers and other measures to relieve the dog's diseases are not available.

Or time can be at any time within the next few days, weeks or months, and depends on the dog's quality of life and pet parent's care resources.

Veterinarians offer guidance for pet parents who ultimately have to make the most difficult of decisions for their dog.

If and when you decide to say goodbye, Lav of Love's Set loss support resources can help mourning pet parents to manage, reflect and continue to safeguard and honor their dog's lives.