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The decision to euthanase is the hardest part of our responsibility for our beloved pets, and is rooted in compassion and empathy for another living being whose life is placed in our hands.
In some cases the decision is taken from us and we can grieve the sudden loss of our friend from a fatal accident or unexpected complications from existing medical or surgical problems. But for for the majority of owners the last unselfish choice to euthanase an elderly and infirm pet is inevitable. Knowing that it has been made at the right time allows joy at the life shared and peace that suffering and pain have taken away with dignity.

So how do we recognize the Right Time? And how do we tailor this to each individual situation? We, together with advice and guidance from the veterinarian, must evaluate our pets quality of life, recognizing that being alive is not always the same as living!

The fundamental necessities must firstly be taken care of.
Our pet must be able to take water and nourishment. Though they become fussy about the foods they like, or need their foods softened and fed by hand, they should take food and water voluntarily on a regular daily basis. The food and water should be sufficient to sustain them, so repeated bouts of vomitinmg and upset bowels are not only unpleasant and perhaps uncomfortable, but cause our pets to lose weight, lose strength and potentially dehydrate.
Our pets should maintain a good degree of urinary and faecal continence, and the ability to toilet in a normal fashion. Not only should we consider hygiene and skin comfort as a consequence of repeated soiling, but animals do not from choice toilet in their living and sleeping quarters and instinctively feel 'wrong' after a lifetime of cleanliness. An occasional accident is inevitable in very elderly pets, but should not be considered an acceptable norm, however much we are prepared to 'clean up'. Equally excluding our pet from what was their normal place in our home and life to prevent inconvenient messes equates to a mental punishment that they can not comprehand.
Less black and white is the level of pain or discomfort. We all know aches and pains and stiffness increase with age whilst strength and stamina and circulation decrease. The body adapts to these gradual changes and the pain threshold slides to accomodate these. But eventually, with or without medication, resting comfortably becomes difficult and moving a major problem. Early warning signs of distress and difficulty may not be as obvious as crying or immobility, but a more subtle loss of interest in normal activities like toys, following you wherever you go in the house, hiding in quiet places, becoming short tempered and restless. It is unfair to wait so long that real pain or distress is a constant feature of your pets existance, so look for the more subtle signs and know you can choose euthanasia instead.

Choosing the right time to euthanase an elderly or infirm pet is not exact. Consider the quality of their physical and mental well-being, be unselfish in your decision and know it is with love and compassion that you have chosen to euthanase and perhaps steal one day of their life rather than allow one hour too long of their suffering.

Learn more about this author, Jill Mullen.
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