Accepted Answer

<p>This is never easy but it is a very personal decision and not one for other people to be making for you. You know your dog. You know if he is happy. You don't just let him lay in his urine or fecal matter. You don't just let him starve because he can't get to his food. You care for him and keep him comfortable. It sounds like he is happy in general still. There is no reason for you to put him down if you are not ready and it sure doesn't sound like he is ready yet either. </p><p> </p><p>I have an article that I am going to attach here that came from the reader's digest a few years ago. It really sums this time you are going through very well.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Putting a Pet Down</p><p>What to know when making the toughest decision</p><p> </p><p>By Becky Mollenkamp</p><p> </p><p>Pancho was bloated and had been moaning for hours when her owner took her to the vet. Alison Benton knew that her 13-year-old Boston Terrier was gravely ill, but she was unprepared for the diagnosis of terminal congestive heart failure. "There was a kind of disbelief," she recalls. "Then I cried." Medication eased Pancho's discomfort, but she became progressively weaker until she was unable to walk to her water bowl. Finally, Benton and her husband decided they needed to end the dog's suffering, though it meant ending her life. Now, two years later, Benton says that putting Pancho down was the kindest thing they could have done. </p><p> </p><p><em>Deciding whether to euthanize a pet is difficult, but the more informed you are about what's involved, the better able you will be to make the right choice.</em> Following these guideline can help.</p><p> </p><p>Take your time In most cases, you needn't rush to a decision. Your vet will tell you how to make your terminally ill pet as comfortable as possible while you consider your options. And don't hesitate to ask the vet what she would do. "If your sitting on the fence it can help," says Chicago veterinarian Susan Ferraro, DVM, a spokesperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association. </p><p> </p><p>Tune into your pet Be prepared for mixed emotions: Even if a pet is in a coma or requires continuous pain medication, owners typically feel anxious and uncertain about ending his life. "Most people say they did it either too soon or too late," says Wallace Sife, PhD, author of The Loss of a Pet and founding president of the nonprofit Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. The reality is that unless death comes naturally, the time may never seem right and keeping an animal alive may only be serving your needs, not his.</p><p> </p><p>To help unravel your feelings from your pet's experience, pay attention to physical indicators of his condition. Signs that it may be time include: He can no longer walk to the food bowl, can't move to defecate, or doesn't enjoy playtime or affection. Ferraro puts it another way: <em>"There comes a moment when you and your pet are tired and done and you just can't do it anymore."</em></p><p> </p><p>Know what to expect Learning what euthanasia involves makes it less scary, so talk to your vet about her usual procedure. Usually, the doctor gives a dog or cat a calming tranquilizer. When it's taken effect, she intravenously injects a lethal dose of anesthetic. The animal falls asleep almost instantly: in about a minute the heart stops beating. Shortly thereafter breathing ceases. Some muscles twitch briefly before relaxing, and as air escapes the lungs, you may hear a sighing sound. (The eyes usually do not close) These may seem like signs of life, but they are not.</p><p> </p><p>Think carefully about whether you want to be present when your pet is put to sleep. Some people prefer their final memory of their dog or cat to be of him alive and active; others feel it will comfort their pet to hold him during the procedure. Neither decision is right or wrong. It has to do with your comfort level and what the pet will sense in his or her final moments. </p><p> </p><p>Benton wasn't in the room for Poncho's death, but she held her first dog, Gus, when he died. "It wasn't violent or strange," she says. "It was actually peaceful-he just went to sleep."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sites of interest:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.aplb.org/">http://www.aplb.org/</a></p><p> </p><h1>Suggested Reading </h1><p>For adults: </p><ul><li>When Your Pet Dies: How to Cope With Your Feelings by Jamie Quackenbush and Denise Graveline. Simon & Schuster Pocket Books, 1985. </li><li>Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children by Herbert A. Nieburg and Arlene Fisher. Harper and Row, 1982. </li><li>Coping With Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet by Moira K. Anderson. Peregrine Press, 1987. </li><li>When Only the Love Remains: The Pain of Pet Loss by Emily Margaret Stuparyk. </li><li>My Cat Saved My Life by Phillip Schreibman. Dog's Bark Publishing, 2000. </li></ul><p>For children: </p><ul><li>A Funeral for Whiskers by Lawrence Balter. Barron's Educational Series, 1991. </li><li>The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst. Atheneum, 1975. </li><li>When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers. Family Communications, Inc. </li><li>Death of a Goldfish (video) by Fred Rogers. Family Communications, Inc. </li><li>Remembering Pets by Gina Dalpra-Berman and Barbara Hoss-Schneider. Robert D. Reed, 2001. </li></ul><h1>Pet Bereavement Web Sites</h1><ul><li><a href="http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/goodbyefriend/goodbye.asp">American Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Page</a> - The AVMA maintainspet loss page. Here you will find information on the decision making process and grief counseling resources. </li><li><a href="http://www.lightning-strike.com/main.htm">Lightning Strike Pet - Loss Support Page</a> - Lightning strike offers a "cyber shoulder for grieving pet owners." The page contains useful information on how to deal with pet loss and links to other pet loss web sites. </li><li><a href="http://www.iowavma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=27">IVMA Pet Loss Page</a> - Contains a brief list of books dealing with pet loss and a link </li><li><a href="http://www.pet-loss.net/">Pet-loss.net</a> - Dr. Moira Anderson Allen shares ideas on coping with pet loss. </li><li><a href="http://www.mycatsavedmylife.com/">My Cat Saved My Life</a> - Online chapters from a book dealing with bereavement. </li></ul><h1>Pet Memorials</h1><ul><li><a href="http://www.foreverpets.com/">Forever Pets</a> - "The mission of Forever Pets is to provide pet owners and their family members with innovative options for preserving and enjoying the memory of their pets." </li><li><a href="http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/vmg">The Virtual Memorial Garden</a> - This site contains brief eulogies to our beloved animal friends that we've lost. </li><li><a href="http://www.mycemetery.com/pet">The Virtual Pet Cemetery</a> - "All of us, at one time or another, have had a pet we loved and lost." Here you can "immortalize your beloved pet in the tombs of cyber-space for eternity." </li></ul><p><a href="http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/">The Argus Institute for Famlies and Veterinary Medicine</a> - Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital site on general pet loss related issues for families and veterinarians</p>

Expert:	Theresa
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	12/17/2008

The Voice for Your Pet

Veterinary Technician for 15 years