How to Know When It's Time To Euthanize Your Dog

I've been blessed with many good friends over the years

It's the hardest decision I've ever faced - when to euthanize my very best friends, my loyal, loving dogs. How do you know if the time is right, if it's not too soon, if maybe they'll get better? Even thinking of euthanization brings a flutter to my heart and tears to my eyes. As I look at my 4 best friends, strewn around the living room, in perfect health, sleeping in front of a fire on a cold morning, there's nothing further from my mind. But, of course, nothing lasts forever. I've had many many incredible, gorgeous dogs that I've loved for years and had to let go. I've never been lucky enough to have a dog find that patch of sun in the backyard, lie down and die - nope, I've always had to make the very painful decision to let them go to sleep. Euthanization is an intensely personal decision, and I don't mean to tell you when to make the decision; I only attempt to tell you how I know when the time is right.

Instructions

1. One of the first things I do if there is a diagnosis involved (such as cancer) is to seek a second opinion. Research veterinarian specialists on the web to get the name of reputable vets or hospitals in your area. If you can get a personal referral, that's even better. Take your dog in for an appointment and take along a notepad so you can jot down what the vet says.

2. Consider the treatment types and, more importantly (at least to me and certainly to the dog), consider the effects of the treatment on Fido. I once had a dog diagnosed with throat cancer (stage 4). The vet said I could 'jerryrig' him with steroids for 6 weeks and he'd be 'ok' but he wouldn't feel too good. I didn't feel it was fair to this wonderful creature (who was 11) to jerryrig him so I would be blessed with his companionship for another 6 weeks. I let him go that day.

3. Consider the dog's age and prognosis - if the dog is young and the diagnosis is not necessarily fatal (stage 2 cancer), I would probably be more inclined to do treatment. My dogs have mostly been older (11 or so) when they start to fail so I've declined cancer treatments.

4. Here's the hardest step - truly look at your dog as a stranger would see him. Look into his eyes - that's the key for me. I can always read my dog's eyes - I've seen that look that says 'I'm done' more often that I want to think about. I'm not good at setting an appointment for 'a week from Tuesday' - I generally get up one morning, look into his eyes, and head to the vet.

5. Frequently, equally as hard as making the decision to put your own dog down is trying to tell a friend to let her's go. I have a wonderful friend who had a Rottie with cancer. The dog was jerryrigged every way possible- my friend was making her dog scrambled eggs every morning and, with the treatment in her, the dog expanded 20 lbs or so. Callie was perfectly miserable. She barely moved at all and just had no life happening in her. It was very difficult for me to tell my friend that the time was here (in fact, the time had passed). I made my friend truly look at her dog. We went to the vet that day. It was only fair to her dog, whom we all still talk about and miss daily.

6. Don't think that it's 'too soon' to get another dog. I'm a prime 'offender' in going out the next day and finding another someone who needs to be loved. I've been accused of 'replacement,' but, to anyone who has truly loved a dog, that's a ridiculous thought - there is no replacement. I prefer to think of my actions more as honoring my past dog. That dog meant so much to me, how can I live without sharing that love? Love multiplies, it doesn't divide. Rescuing another dog is never, ever a bad thing.

Tips & Warnings

• Have someone come with you to the vet for support. No matter how expected the outcome is, that ride home alone is horrible.

• Love and honor your dogs every single day of their lives. We're only blessed with them for such a short time. Not one day should go by that they don't know how much they're wanted or loved.

• There are many wonderful sites on the web that deal with animal passing. I've included a few in the resources.

Resources

• How to calm down an energetic dog like an Australian Shepherd
• How to acclimate a newly blind dog to normal life
• How to prepare a diet for a sick dog
• The top five ways to give a pill to a dog
• Top five basset hound health problems
• Top five reasons the BARF diet is good for your dog
• Top five tips to helping a dog wear an Elizabethan collar
• How to tell if your dog has dog flu
• Pet Loss Grieve Support Website
• Pet Loss Support Page
• Squidoo page about Gizmo, my dog born to ride!
• My Squidoo page about my adoptee dog from St. Croix
• My Squidoo page about my 3-legged adopted dog, Hops