How Do I Know When It’s Time?
It’s one of the hardest questions we as pet parents ask ourselves. There are many factors that can affect this decision and it is often emotionally overwhelming. Here, we will show you some of the factors that can influence your decision-making.
As pets age - indeed, as we humans age - we experience many of the same changes that our pets do - it’s just that our pets take far less time to age than we do, unfortunately. Pets can experience arthritis, which can make simple movements such as arising from bed painful. Pets can also experience many of the same diseases that humans get - diabetes, various forms of cancer, liver or kidney failure and a host of others. Some of these illnesses can come on quickly or take years to develop.
Through veterinary medical care, we are able to treat illnesses and conditions that can extend the quality of life for your pet. The phrase “Quality of Life” is very important. Asking yourself the following questions can help you navigate whether your pet is having a quality of life that is agreeable to all family members concerned. If you are already caring for a pet with a medical condition, these are extremely important questions.
Self-Care. Grooming is something that pets do to keep their coat in check, to remove debris and to remain clean. If your pet has not been grooming themselves on a regular basis, it could be due to increased pain and discomfort. Have you been assisting in the grooming of your pet, including sanitary cleaning? Have you had to assist more frequently?
Mobility. Does your pet have sudden or increased inability to move about as before? Are they able to navigate stairs? Do they seem to tire sooner when playing, taking more frequent breaks? Has your pet begun walking more stiffly, or not greeting you at the door after work as they usually do? If these things are occurring and you have provided medical care, aids such as ramps and medication with no appreciable continuation of improvement, then you may wish to discuss quality of life for your pet. Has your pet been having urinary and/or defecation accidents in the house? This could be due to pain or other increasing mobility issues and should be considered as well.
Eating and Drinking. Has your pets’ appetite decreased? Has your pets’ appetite increased but you see weight loss? Do they seem to be drinking enough water? There are a number of medical illnesses that can cause decreased/increased appetite or thirst.
Pain. Pets will often mask pain. This is due to a primal instinct to hide pain and/or illness. But, you will know when your pet is painful. For instance, do they vocalize when you try to hold them? Do they hold their head and/or tail down? Are they panting without having exerted themselves? Have you noticed a stiffer gait when they are moving around? A pet’s pain can be very hard to experience, yet if controlled with treatment, the pet can have quality of life. It is when the pain medications and other treatments no longer improve the pain of the pet that quality of life is greatly affected.
Good Days v. Bad Days. Simply put, if your pet is having more bad days than good days, their quality of life - indeed, the quality of life for the family, is being negatively affected.
We love our pets and don’t want to see their life ending due to age or medical conditions. Unfortunately, this is a part of life. While we love and care for our pets in their prime and have the total joy of them being in our lives, there comes a time when the kindest action is to let them go to a place of peace - we in the veterinary field call it “The Rainbow Bridge”. You can read about it at the bottom of this page.
What is important to know is that choosing to euthanize a sick pets is the ultimate gift of love - although it is one of the hardest decisions we ever have to make.
Our team is here to answer any questions you may have during this process. There are also several grief resources we have put together for all members of the family in the following pages.
Sincerely,
Your Care Team at Sacred Bond
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together.…
-Author Unknown