Life can be unpredictable and sometimes things happen when least expected. It’s never easy to say goodbye to your four-legged fur family member who little by little became your best friend and baby. Deciding to euthanize a pet is a very hard decision for both the pet owner and veterinarians. As a future veterinarian, we are here to improve pets’ quality of life and address their health concerns.
But, there are a few things to take into consideration before making this decision. First, quality of life is very important and one of the major factors. A pet’s quality of life is defined as the set of factors affecting the daily life of the animal and it can be used to determine how good or bad a pet is doing in his/her life. For example, there are some questions that could be addressed to determine the quality of life. Is the pet drinking and eating well? Is he able to urinate or defecate normally? Does he have an appetite or energy? Is he in pain? Is he going to suffer in the long-term? For that reason, it is essential to understand how long the animal is going to be in pain and how it will directly decrease his quality of life. Unfortunately, the pet might not be able to do what he used to and his daily life will not be the same.
The last factor is the owner’s pain and grief during and after euthanasia, not everyone can deal with the grief of losing a pet in the same way. Pets become small members of our families. I believe they deserve to live their best lives… full of love and happiness. At the end of the journey, you will never be ready to say goodbye to your furry friend… but you should let them go in peace. You don’t want to see him suffering on the worse days or not be able to recognize your pet. Never let the pain of your pet’s death erase the good memories and time spend with your best friend!
