When is it Time?

There is usually not one perfect moment in time in which to make that ultimate choice of euthanasia, but rather an appropriate window. This time period could be hours, days, weeks, or even months. Euthanasia is often chosen to prevent further physical or mental suffering for your pet and the emotional suffering of your family. The process of making decisions and thinking through end-of-life care for your pet can be overwhelming. This information and worksheet may help make it a bit less. 

When you contact Compassionate Pet Vet, our Care Team will explain the entire process to you and answer any questions that you might have. In addition, at the appointment, our veterinarians will also go over the process and answer your questions. However, the decision is always yours to make.

Ask your regular veterinarian for the exact signs of suffering likely to be associated with your pet’s condition or disease. Observing and keeping an accurate record of your pet in his daily activities can help you to decide on appropriate timing. If you observe that moments of discomfort outweigh his capacity to enjoy life, it may be time to euthanize, even if your pet still experiences pleasure in eating or socializing. If your pet is uncomfortable, pain management is important. This Quality of Life Scale may be of help to you.

Dogs & Cats

When cats and dogs are suffering, they may not show outward signs like whimpering or crying. Sometimes an animal will continue to eat or drink in spite of pain. The following is a list of behaviors that may indicate your pet is experiencing pain:

In addition these tools might be of value:

Rabbits

The following is a list of behaviors that may indicate it is time:

Ferrets

The following is a list of behaviors that may indicate it is time:

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