I am frequently asked, when is it time to put a pet to sleep. This is an extremely emotional issue for many people and there is not always a clear, well defined answer. There are several factors I try to take into consideration. First and foremost, I truly believe that most people have to make this decision for themselves (or as a family) without other people trying to exert their opinion/ beliefs on to the situation. For some people, their religious beliefs do not allow them to consider euthanasia. For those who do believe that euthanasia is a humane method to alleviate suffering, there is a lot to consider. How do you decide when quality of life is no longer acceptable? Again, this is a personal decision, but there are some ways to try and qualify this. Some things I suggest to take into consideration are the following:
Does the pet have more good days or bad (good days being defined as normal behavior, eating and sleeping and interacting with family and other pets in the household)?
Does the pet show signs of significant pain despite medical intervention (constant whining, trembling, reluctance to move, withdrawn from social interaction)?
Does the pet recognize it's surroundings and
family members?
Are you keeping the pet alive more out of the fear of
personal loss and loneliness and grief?
In some situations, I understand an individual may not be emotionally strong enough to make this decision on his/her own accord. In such cases, I generally recommend having someone that is familiar with the pet's medical condition and with whom you respect their opinion. This can be a friend, family member, coworker or regular veterinarian. For those individuals that feel the burden of making such a decision is overwhelming, there are support groups and grief counselors available locally. You can find several sources of help through Colorado State University Argus Institute at www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu. On the webpage, look in the Argus Institute section and click on Grieving and then Pet loss support and services. Using the internet, you can also search "pet loss support Colorado" for more local options.