Euthanasia
Most pet owners hope they will never have to face the decision to put a beloved pet to sleep. As difficult as it might be to think about, it is not likely that your pet is going to live forever. And the odds really do not favor her living to a ripe old age and quietly drifting off to sleep and not waking up, like most pet owners envision. Unfortunately most geriatric pets fade away relatively slowly and go downhill in a painstakingly long, drawn out death spiral. As the end slowly approaches there comes a time when the decision stares you in the face. Should I or shouldn’t I? Is it time yet? It’s at this particular juncture that I often see clients who are searching for the answer to these questions. Remember, this may be a difficult topic to face, difficult to even think about for some, but for most pet-owners it’s likely to be a part of your future.
Over the years I have found that in nearly every case the pet owner already knows the answers to the above questions. In my opinion, a person does not spend ten or fifteen or more years living with a companion who has been the light of his or her life, and make this kind of life and death decision without giving it ample consideration. I tell the pet owner the truth: no veterinarian knows better than you do. We perform a physical evaluation of the patient and we see the pet for a few minutes in a totally foreign, hostile environment where the adrenalin is flowing and the pet is as far from “normal” as it is likely to be. You are the one actually living with the patient for the other 23 ½ hours a day. Who do you think has the greater understanding of the situation?
I try to not insert myself into these cases. I do not inquire about further treatment, and I do not insult the owner by pretending that I know more about their pet and what they have been going through than they do. I have always maintained that when it comes to elderly pets and the end of life decisions involved, the owner has the greatest understanding and the most intimate knowledge of that pet and of what they themselves can deal with. They know what needs to be done. It’s not my job to second-guess, and I certainly have no business questioning their motives or their timing. End of life decisions are always difficult for everybody concerned. There is no point in offering suggestions that may raise doubts after someone has taken hours, days, or weeks screwing up their courage to finally do it.
I am appalled by veterinarians who, facing a client who has wrestled with the decision of when to euthanize, feel that they have to throw out one more treatment just to prolong the end by another week or another month, rather than be supportive of a decision that has been carefully considered. All the owner wants is to feel support for their decision so that they can say good-bye without guilt. Sure, there is always one more treatment out there, but that’s not what the owner is seeking at this point.
I have rarely if ever encountered a pet owner who was guilty of putting down the aging and failing family pet too soon. I’m not talking here about young pets that are having temporary health problems. I’m talking about the terminally ill or geriatric end stage patient. If you are one of those who does not believe in euthanasia and prefers to hospice your pet, that’s fine. Hospice is not something that I recommend to anyone unless they specifically express such concerns. Not everybody wants to watch the pet that they have loved and cared for for years, waste away and suffer a prolonged, agonizing death. The decision is yours and procrastinating does not make it any easier.