We, as pet owners, are charged with the responsibility of our animals’ welfare. We feed them, train them, spoil them, laugh at them and go crazy because of them. Their comfort and happiness are up to us.
These Great Pyrenees dogs are known as The Cowboys. They began by guarding cows, but now they guard some llamas, a few sheep, a chicken flock, other dogs, a pot bellied pig, and the people who live nearby.
The phone rings occasionally and the voice at the other end of the line begins the conversation with “I’m concerned that it might be time...” When a conversation begins like that then I enter into an emotional conversation zone that causes the outside world to say things like: “I don’t know how you do it” or “I wanted to be a vet but I could never put animals to sleep”. My response is that euthanasia only happens on my watch when it needs to alleviate pain and suffering. A choice to euthanize when it is really needed is actually a loving gift. Quality of life categories to consider:
Pain: An animal that is in pain whimpers, paces, shakes, is resistant to affection or movement. Painful animals frequently yelp or hiss when they are assisted by their owners. Dogs in chronic pain tend to pace the house and cannot get comfortable. There are gradual stages of pain and a veterinary exam can help determine how painful your animal is and how concerned you should be. Below are some links to pain charts:
Mobility: Put simply, does your pet have trouble moving? Getting to a standing position, negotiating obstacles, going up and down stairs, smooth floors, settling down and finally resting are all normal parts of being mobile. Mobility issues are most common in geriatric large breed dogs. Owners can help their friends by increasing the traction of their floors with rubber matting, trimming the hair between dogs toes, using ramps in and out of the house / onto and off of the couch. There is a really cool invention link below for dogs:
Appetite: This is pretty important. Dogs can go five days or so without eating and cats can easily go three. If your animal has stopped eating there is always a reason behind it. If anorexia persists then I certainly consider it a quality of life determinant. If anorexia lasts longer than a day then a veterinary exam can help determine next steps to take. The best first step is to pull away all food for 12 hours and offer the same food at a later time. Concerned owners will occasionally offer their pets another type of food, then another type, then some rotisserie chicken, then cheetos, and finally bacon bits...don’t be those folks. You will encourage pickiness and possibly make a condition worse.
Emotional distress: Pain and mobility issues can sometimes cause an animal’s behavior to change. I have found that some dogs will vocalize anxiously if they are stuck in a position and cannot move. Brain tumors, vascular disease, liver disease, and cognitive dysfunction can lead to anxious behavior in pets. Panting, pacing, whining, exacerbated separation anxiety, and inability to settle down are all clinical signs of emotional distress.
Ability to give and receive affection: We form a bond with our pets through affection. Pets can become unable to receive or give affection due to discomfort or advanced stages of disease. Being cognizant of our human animal bond will help in deciding how to gauge our pet’s quality of life.
Cleanliness: This one is self explanatory. With advanced mobility issues and other disease states pets lose the ability to keep themselves clean. Cleanliness is important when having a quality of life discussion considering that cats are fastidious groomers and dogs, even at a very young age, will not eliminate near their sleeping spot.
It is our job as pet owners to look out for our companions wellbeing. Some see this as burdensome and I understand if a decision concerning euthanasia weighs heavily. The best part concerning this entire heavy topic is that our pets are not concerned one iota about past decisions or what the future holds.
Siena loves sunshine, popcorn, back massages, and cat poop. She is a beagle lab mix who can be found in an around her backyard on James Island, SC.