My old bird is declining. When should I consider euthanasia?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your pet. I recommend euthanasia based on several factors. If there is an incurable or painful disease present, I do not want the pet to suffer. I want the pet to be willing to eat and drink on its own. I want the pet to have the mobility to make it to the litterbox or outside to be able to go to the bathroom. I want the animal to still experience joy in its life. This could be short walks, playing with toys or just happy to be with you. If these criteria are not being met, I will discuss euthanasia with the family. If you are still unsure, you can schedule a quality of life consultation with your veterinarian. I hope this information helps.

Thank you for reaching out about Timmy. First, congratulations at having a 12 year old budgie - that is so great. With the signs that you are seeing, I would be concerned about something serious due to his age. With weight loss despite an appropriate appetite, there may be a disease that is consuming all of his energy so he has higher nutrition requirements than normal. The weakness that you are appreciating with the lack of gripping may go along with this as well. One disease that is very common in older budgies is problems with the kidneys - this can manifest as weakness in the legs as well as watery droppings. I would recommend having Timmy evaluated by a veterinarian to help to determine what is going on. I hope this helps to answer your question, and I wish you two the best of luck.

Oh no, I'm so sorry that Santeri is so sick! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question all the time with my clients. I suggest making a list of five things Santeri loved to do. If he's not doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has decreased to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. It's always a hard decision to make, but if he has a poor quality of life, letting him go peacefully would be a great kindness. If you'd like to discuss this further, I'd be happy to consult with you. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. Otherwise, I hope my answer helps and I'm sorry you are facing this issue :-(

This is a great question! Determining quality of life in our beloved pets isn't an easy thing to do, since there are so many factors to consider. I recommend scheduling a "quality of life" consultation and exam with your vet. You can discuss the concerns and changes you're seeing in Shadow, and your vet will be able to offer their input on how he's doing. They may also recommend a trial of a pain medication if they feel it's appropriate, to see if he improves on it. In the meantime, here's a website for a group that does exclusively hospice and house call euthanasia. Their website has a lot of great resources on evaluating quality of life. Hope this helps. All the best to you and Shadow. https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life

I am so sorry to hear about Birdy. I cannot say whether Birdy is going to be okay until her visit, and it sounds like you are very concerned about her. Due to this, I would recommend that you move up your appointment to be seen sooner, or that you consider taking her into an emergency clinic for evaluation. Depending on how stable or unstable she is, your veterinarian may recommend performing blood work to evaluate her systemic health, and radiographs (x-rays). They will also perform a physical exam to see what could be going on with her.

Thanks for your question, and I am sorry that this is happening to Pete! There are a number of things that can cause blood in the droppings, and many of them are treatable. I saw that Pete is a female - I’m not sure if she has ever laid eggs, but problems with the reproductive system can result in blood. Also, infections in the urinary or gastrointestinal tract can also result in blood. These are treatable, or manageable, for the most part. I would recommend taking Pete to a veterinarian as she is about halfway through her lifespan now, so she may have many years left! After an exam, your vet may recommend blood work to evaluate systemic health or radiographs. They will also make recommendations about treatments, which may include pain medications or antibiotics. Please don’t give Pete any human medications, as many of them are harmful to our feathered friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Leroy. I'm sorry he's not doing well, and deciding if it's time to consider euthanasia is a tough time. I always recommend looking at the dog's quality of life in making this decision. If it's a poor quality of life, then yes, euthanasia would be the kindest option. While I cannot ultimately make this decision for you, based on your description of him currently, it does sound like his quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. I apologize if that is hard to read, or if it upsets you. It's never easy to make this choice, but if it prevents him from having his quality of life decline more, it is truly a blessing for him. I hope this helps.