Choosing to End an Animal’s Suffering is a Final Act of Love
It is the question every pet lover dreads, “When is the right time to say goodbye?” There is never an easy answer to this question. Choosing to euthanize your pet is the hardest decision to make and we can tell you from decades of experience that it is a decision that never gets easier. We at Ash Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Center can offer you advice and support, and friends and family can offer you sympathy, but no one can make the decision for you. When you live with an elderly or terminally ill pet, you look in your pet’s eyes every morning and wonder if you are doing what’s best.
Everyone makes the decision a little differently. Some pet lovers do not wait until their pet’s discomfort becomes chronic, untreatable pain, and they choose euthanasia much sooner than others would. Some owners use an animal’s appetite as the guide. When an old or ill animal cannot be tempted into eating, they reason, he has lost most interest in life. There is no absolute rule, and every method for deciding is right for some pets and some owners at some times. You do the best you can, and then you try to put the decision behind you and deal with the grief.
The incredible advances in veterinary medicine in the past couple of decades have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. Not too long ago, the best you could do for a seriously ill pet was to make them comfortable until that was not possible anymore. Nowadays, nearly every advantage of human medicine, from chemotherapy to pacemakers to advanced pain relief, is available to our pets. The addition of high-level care shouldn’t change much when it comes to easing suffering: If you can have a realistic expectation that a course of treatment will improve your pet’s life, rather than simply prolong it, then those options should be considered.
Many people are surprised at the powerful emotions that surface after a pet’s death, and they can be embarrassed by their grief. Often, we do not realize we are grieving not only for the pet we loved, but also for the special time the animal represented and the ties to other people in our lives. The death of a cat that was a gift as a kitten from a friend or family member that has passed away, for example, may trigger bittersweet memories of the other love lost.
Taking care of yourself is important when dealing with pet loss. Some people will not understand the loss and may shrug off grief over a pet’s death as foolish. Many times the company of other animal lovers is very important. Seek them out to share your feelings, and do not be shy about getting professional help to get you through a difficult time. You are not alone in losing a pet, and many resources are out there to help you cope with your emotions during a difficult time. Some veterinary schools offer pet-loss support lines staffed by volunteer veterinary students, and the website PetHobbyist.com offers a pet-loss chat every night of the year.
Choosing to end a pet’s suffering is a final act of love and nothing less. Knowing that your decisions are guided by that love is what helps us all through the sad and lonely time of losing a cherished animal companion. Please call Ash Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Center at 734-782-2827 if you have questions regarding euthanasia or to set up an appointment if you are contemplating if the time is right.
