LIFE

8 signs that may show it is time to let your dog go

Here are some signs you should look for before deciding to euthanize your dog

8 signs that may show it is time to let your dog go

Even though the idea of saying goodbye to your canine friend sounds awful, most dog owners agree with the fact that it’s far better to offer them a gentle escape from a life that’s not worth living than to allow them to suffer needlessly. 

“Euthanasia is the last and most powerful expression of love a person can provide for her suffering pet,” says Dr. Frank McMillan DVM, the director of wellbeing studies for Best Friends Animal Society, “guaranteeing the kindest and most humane end for a beloved animal’s life.”

According to Cloud Vets and petinsider, here are some signs you should look for before taking the decision: 

1. Your pet has lost all or most interest in interacting socially with people and animals he/she used to enjoy being with. McMillan says this tends to indicate that the condition has progressed to the point where it’s truly troubling or distressing to the animal. 

2. Total lack of appetite or constant hunger or thirst. These symptoms can be signs of untreatable disease or organ failure related to old age. Unquenchable thirst or lack of appetite both make it very difficult for your dog to be comfortable.

3. Lack of mobility.  While humans can have a life of a quality they value with little or no mobility, a dog lives more in its body than its brain. Many vets say that for animals, working limbs should be regarded as another vital organ and that without mobility a dog’s quality of life is simply not good enough.

4. Ongoing severe pain. If it can’t be managed with medication, or the amount of medicines needed is so great that your dog is too sedated to do any of the things he used to enjoy. Apart from the obvious yelping, grumpiness, restlessness or shallow fast breathing can all indicate that your dog is hurting.

You may also be interested: 6 WAYS TO COPE WITH THE DEATH OF YOUR PET

5. Total incontinence. Inability to control their bowels or bladder will make your dog miserable. Incontinence that’s not related to an acute, treatable illness is generally a sign that systems are breaking down

6. He has frequent vomiting or diarrhea that is causing dehydration and/or significant weight loss.

7. Good vs. bad days. Tracking the days when your pet is feeling good as well as the days when he or she is not feeling well can be helpful. A check mark for good days and an X for bad days on your calendar can help you determine when a loved one is having more bad days than good.

8. You can no longer afford treatment. If you’ve done everything you can to give your friend the best possible life, putting yourself IGNORE INTO financial difficulty is going beyond the call of duty or reason.

And remember: although planning ahead and identifying your own guidelines of signs to put your dog to sleep won’t reduce your loss or grief, it will at least mean that your don’t have to do your thinking at a time when you’re overwhelmed by emotions. 

 

Latin American Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez

Copy edited by Laura Rocha Rueda

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button