The Weekly Woof by KT Pet Supply

Our family dog, Nala, was a part of our lives for 12 years. A gorgeous, pure bred Golden Retriever, her enthusiastic tail wagging and obvious zest for life not only endeared her to our hearts, but could melt the heart of anyone that came in contact with her. Ever gentle, yet always protective… she was quite simply, the perfect pet.

Within the past year, Nala’s age began to show more and more. It began with a noticeable stiffness in her joints when she would stand up after laying down for a length of time. Over the months, despite medication, the stiffness turned into what was clearly pain. We also became aware that her hearing and vision were impaired and getting much worse. Towards the end, she rarely got up except to go outside and to eat. We knew the time had come to make a decision. Difficult as it was, we chose to let her go with most of her dignity still intact.

One of the most difficult decisions a pet owner will ever make is deciding when, or if, it’s appropriate to consider euthanasia and to put their beloved pet down. Having just made this heart-wrenching decision myself in the last few months, I’d like to share my thoughts based on my personal experience.

• How do you know when it’s time to let go?
  This is obviously a deeply personal choice and will depend on the circumstances. That being said, if your pet is experiencing chronic pain or incurable illness, or there is danger of serious injury (ie. unable to climb stairs safely due to arthritis), it may be time to consider euthanasia. It isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, and as much as possible, emotion should be set aside when considering what is truly the best option for your pet. I know, I know… much easier said than done. Our decision to put Nala down was an agonizing one, but we had to consider the reasons why we were keeping her alive - was it for her… or for us?
• How do I tell my kids?
  Some of this will depend on the age of your children. In our case, our children were older - 10, 12 and 17. They understood fully the pain our dog was in and didn’t want to see her suffer any more than we did. A couple pieces of advice I would offer are:
  1. Don’t allow your children to be a part of the decision-making process. The determination to put a pet down is simply too much responsibility for a child to bear. While it’s very important to allow your child to express his/her feelings about the situation, I truly believe it’s a mistake to let them believe they had any part in the final decision. Again, some of this will depend on the age of the child.
  2. Don’t tell young children that the animal is being “put to sleep”. Studies have shown this causes confusion, particularly with young children and can lead to issues when dealing with death in general. Your language in explaining to your child will, of course, be dependent on their age, but they do need to understand that death is final and their pet is not simply going to sleep.
  3. Allow them sufficient time to say good-bye. I really believe it is best (when possible) to prepare your kids before the scheduled day and allow them to say good-bye in their own way. I know opinions differ on this, but having lost a dog as a child with no time to say good-bye - I firmly think it’s only fair to the child. It allows for closure and even younger children will benefit from these final, happy moments with their pet.
• What is euthanasia like? Will my pet be in pain?
  Euthanasia of a pet normally consists of giving them an injection, typically a high dose of barbiturates, which causes the animal to become unconscious. The heart rate and respiratory functions slow and then stop. The process is very swift, normally not taking more than a few minutes. The pet is unaware of anything but the initial injection. In our case, Nala (tail wagger extraordinaire), wagged her tail until she fell unconscious. Certainly not displaying any indication that she was in any kind of pain. It was actually quite peaceful and my ex-husband and I were able to hold her until she was gone. Our vet left us with her so that we could have a few private moments with her after she passed. The exact procedure will depend on your vet and you should feel free to ask any and all questions you may have before scheduling the appointment.

I write this post knowing that there are many people that do not agree with euthanasia. There are also times where it may not be the best option dependent on the individual circumstances and your pet’s overall health. I do believe that, in many cases, it provides a safe, dignified way to let your beloved friend pass from this world with dignity and grace. Our personal experience, while difficult and heart-wrenching, was actually a very positive one and those last moments we had with our Nala will always be treasured.

To those considering euthanasia as an option, here are some additional resources for information:
The Decision of Euthanizing Your Pet
How to Choose Euthanasia for a Pet
Time to Let Go
Pet Loss Support Page
Coping with the Loss of a Pet

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