Many pet owners struggle with the decision of when to put a beloved cat or dog to sleep. To be more correct, when to humanely end their pets life.

They often ponder if they doing it too soon, doing it too late, or should it be done at all. These decisions often come about because an animal is old, or has been injured or is suffering from a disease. Each case is unique and should be handled with care.  When is the right time to euthanize a pet?

This is a difficult decision with no clear answer, what may be right for one person, may not be right for another. This is a problem compounded by ethics, morality, and contradiction.

On one hand we are told its less cruel to put a pet to sleep, to end its suffering. On the other hand, with the rare exception of some countries, we do not offer the same sentiment with ailing humans.

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So how do you, a caring owner know when the time is right to Euthanize your Pet?

Get a professional opinion of your cat, or dog, have a veterinarian offer their honest opinion on the animal. Is it old? How much pain is it in? What are the animals chances of recovery? In some cases financial costs come into play, while unfortunate, this is a reality and can be a consideration.

Now consider the pet itself. Often times it is said that when a pets bad days outnumber its good days, it is time to say good bye. When it is in more pain, than in pleasure, it may be time to consider having the pet put to sleep.

If the pet is suffering from a problem that will not go away, and from which it will not recover, euthanasia may be the kindest option. An example of this is horses with broken legs. While these can be repaired, the cost is often unbearable by the average horse owner. To allow it to die of starvation or dehydration, or at the mercy of predators, is cruel. In the case of smaller animals, such as cats, or dogs, there may be emergency funding available from local charities to help an owner who cannot afford vet care on their own, or euthanasia might be an option.

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How to

Talk to your veterinarian. If the problem is age related and not urgent (as with broken legs) perhaps the vet will come to your home to euthanize your cat or dog where it feels comfortable. This is a great option as it keeps the pet at peace, but it does require an appointment which the veterinarian may need to break if an emergency occurs with another pet.

In these foreseeable situations you can also talk to the veterinarian about your options for body disposal. Some offer cremation services, others bag up the animals bodies and send them to a special area in the city landfill. Otherwise you may keep the body for your own burial. Some cities have pet cemeteries. In most cases you cannot put your dead pet in the trash.

You can discuss with the vet about your options for euthanasia and body disposal long before you have made the decision to do it. If you are curious as to “how” they end the pets life, you can ask. Every veterinarian is different.

Most veterinarians have 24 hour service, as such even in an emergency they are reachable. They do charge more for calls made outside of their regular office hours. At this point you will want to consider what to do with the pets body, as mentioned above.

The End

Not everyone is comfortable being with the pet in its final moments. I personally have been there at the euthanasia for hundreds of animals. The first being a horse who broke its leg at a stable where I worked, later my own pets, and those who were euthanized in the animal shelter where I use to work (animals were put down because more are brought into the shelter than get adopted and space forced euthanasia).

I like to say to them “Go in Peace”. You can form your own ritual, or simply elect not to be there at all, or even to let the animal die on its own, naturally.

*NOTE - Your old, or suffering, pet is your responsiblity, it is totally unfair to dump a pet at the shelter simply because you want them to deal with making such a decision. 

Related Links

What to do when a Childs Pet Dies

Caring for Pets with on-going Medical Needs

The Difference Between No-Kill an other Pet Shelters