How do I know when it is time?

Is my pet's quality of life accpetable?

When a pet becomes sick or old, there comes a time when you will ask yourself the question “How do I know when the time has come?” or “How do I know if I am keeping him or her alive for selfish reasons?” or “Am I being selfish?” or “He is suffering more than enjoying life?” Those are all valid questions that most pet owners ask themselves sooner or later. Most pet owners outlive many pets in a lifetime and each time, it is heartbreaking to see them getting old, sick and have to make the decision to let them go.

I hope that this article will help you decide for yourself when the time is right without robbing yourself of a few good months, weeks or days and without extending your pet's life beyond a point where he or she no longer experience an acceptable quality of life.

It probably is the most difficult decision that you will ever have to make as a pet owner. It is probably the most heartbreaking but also the most humane and selfless decision.

There are several points that you will have to consider.

First of all, have you consulted with your veterinarian? From my experience as a veterinarian, I have seen people come to my office to have their pet euthanized, thinking that nothing could be done when the pet actually had a simple treatable disease.

Make sure you feel comfortable with your veterinarian and that you communicate what are the limits of what you personally consider ethical to do for your pet according to your own integrity and financially. Do not let yourself be talked into some treatment that you do not want to carry out. However, listen to what your veterinarian has to say and to what the options are.

Some people want to do everything humanly possible for their pet and will go to any extent of available medical technology to save their pet. Some people do not believe that it is right to go to such an extent. Some people would love to do everything possible but simply cannot do so financially. You may be somewhere in the middle. It is a highly personal subject. Whatever your viewpoint is, it may or may not seem correct to another person, but the important thing is that you choose what is right from your own personal viewpoint. Your veterinarian's role is to give you the options and tell you what can and cannot be done. The final decision is yours.

Here are some guidelines that may help you make the right decision.

1. Is your pet eating? Usually, a pet who has enough life energy will be interested in his or her food. They may need some help, but will be interested in some food if only their favorite one.

2. Is your pet relatively comfortable? Pain medication may be needed to achieve a decent quality of life, but when pain medication no longer helps and pain goes beyond what is humanely acceptable, it may be time to think about euthanasia.

3. Does your pet still enjoy his or her favorite activities? As a pet gets older, the definition of favorite activities may change. As a puppy he might have enjoyed chasing a freezbee for hours. As a senior pet, he may simply enjoy going for a 2 minutes walk around the block or sit next to you by the fireplace.

4. Do you still enjoy your pet's company or do you feel bad all the time, having to clean up after your pet, getting frequently frustrated or sad at the sight of his debilitation? Your pet may know how you feel at some level and this is a point to consider. If you don't enjoy more good times than bad times with your pet, chances are that he or she doesn't either.

Dr Alice Villalobos, a renowned veterinary oncologist has not only started “Pawspice”, a quality of life program for terminally ill pets, but has published a scoring system for life quality called the HHHHHMM Scale. The letters stand for: Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility and More Good Days than Bad.

Aside from consulting your own knowingness on the matter, this is the most analytical way of assessing the situation.

Adapted by Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004, for Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, by Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, released 2006.

I hope that the above has been helpful to you and will help you make the right decision at the right time.