My senior dog had a good day. When should I consider euthanasia?

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 always a hard decision as our loved ones get older. My rule of thumb is to look for when they have more bad days than good days or they quit eating or quit getting excited about things that ALWAYS use to make them excited. From what you're telling me it doesn't sound like she is ready to be euthanized BUT you know her better than anyone and with her age and all of her problems, whenever you make that decision it will be be The Right time for her and you. She is so lucky to have such a loving family and to have lived such a LONG life. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry your dog isn't doing well! I would be concerned that she may be in pain, and she could have a neurological problem causing her inability to walk. It's quite serious that she hasn't eaten for four days and can't get up. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I frequently encounter the question of when to put an animal to sleep. I always recommend looking at the dog's quality of life. When a dog can't stand up and isn't eating, their quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. She will be starving from not eating, and that will be painful to her. It's also probably distressing she can't get up. In this case, I personally don't think it would be fair to wait it out. You can have her seen by a vet tomorrow to see if there are pain medications to give her to see if that helps her get up and medications to stimulate her to eat. If those don't work, then letting her go peacefully is the most kind option for her. I'm sure that's not something you want to hear, and I'm very sorry that she is doing so poorly.

This is an extremely difficult decision to make. I always try to look at a dog's quality of life to determine if they are still able to do most of the things they've always loved. If they are unable to do half of their favorite things, it is likely that their overall quality of life has declined and euthanasia may be warranted. Since your dog is currently eating, drinking, acting and playing normally, it does not sound as though her time has come. However, since one of her masses ruptured, there is a chance that it could become infected. Ideally, the mass would be surgically removed and biopsied. If surgery is not an option, she may need a course of antibiotics to prevent the onset of infection in the open lesion. If the open mass continues to bleed or begins to cause discomfort, you may need to decide if she should have surgery or euthanasia. If you are beginning to question if the time for euthanasia has arrived, consider discussing this with your vet to get their take since they have examined your dog and can provide some insight into her current quality of life. I hope this helps.

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.

Making the decision to euthanize your pet is never easy. I usually recommend owners make a list of all the things their pet loved/loves to do. For instance, did she used to love to eat, go on walks, play with a special toy, get tummy rubs, go on car rides, etc. Now you make a check mark on the day she does that. As well as noting her appetite and if she can go out to go potty and not have accidents. When she starts to have more bad days than good days it is a sign that her quality of life is poor. You know her best. While her blood work isn't showing any problems there could be medical problems that won't. Just know that this is an extremely difficult decision but know that you have Cheyennes best interest at heart. I hope this helps. Kisses to Cheyenne!

I am so sorry to hear that PeeWee is not well. At the end of the day, it is all about quality of life. If you think his quality of life is not good then yes, humane euthanasia should be considered. Here is a link to an article that may help you with your decision. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-assess-your-pets-quality-of-life/ )