It's uncommon for dogs to age gracefully and pass away in their sleep. That outcome is rare, even though it's an ideal, peaceful option that would set our hearts at ease at the loss of a beloved pet.
Dogs tend to show a gradual decline in health, often due to pain, leading to a lowered quality of life that requires pet owners to make one of the most difficult decisions that life can throw our way. It's our job as pet owners to recognize when a dog's quality of life has diminished significantly.
If you've tried everything you can when that time comes, it means it's time to put your dog to sleep. This can be, and often is, one of the most difficult things that a dog owner has to do in their lives.
But when is it time, and what are the steps you should take to let your dog go comfortably, peacefully, and in a manner that they deserve? Let's take a look.
How to Decide When It's Time to Put Your Dog to Sleep
Before you mentally prepare to let your dog go, it's very important that you talk to your veterinarian. Discuss your dog's symptoms, their medical history, the changes in their personality, and the length of time that their decline has taken.
All dogs, and especially senior dogs, are vulnerable to a variety of health issues that are treatable. In other cases, incurable issues like arthritis can be managed in a way that greatly increases a dog's quality of life.
Talking with your veterinarian opens you up to a variety of potential treatments that could improve your dog's quality of life to a manageable point. If your veterinarian has let you know that it may be time to say goodbye but you're still not sure, here are some considerations and actions that can help you think things through.
1. Talk with Friends and Other Dog Owners Who Have Put Pets to Sleep
Reach out to your friends and loved ones who have put a pet to sleep. Going through this experience can be confusing, and it's natural to make justifications about keeping them around a little longer.
Your trusted friends can give you the advice that you need to hear. Maybe they've had a pet who declined, but recovered for a few years and lived well for those final years. Alternatively, a friend can tell you that they think the humane thing to do is to put your dog down.
Opening yourself up to others can give you important insight. Maybe you're grappling with feelings of guilt or confusion, and the best way to relieve yourself of those feelings is to discuss them with others.
Ultimately, you're the one who knows your dog the best, but others who know your dog can offer valuable objective insights into the situation, and this may help you find some closure.
2. Consider Your Dog's Diagnosis or Prognosis
Dogs need to be euthanized for a specific illness or condition in most cases. What has your veterinarian told you about your dog's condition, and how it will continue to affect their life as time goes on?
Is there hope in the prognosis, or is it a degenerative issue that will only continue to get worse? Are there medications to treat the pain and discomfort, or have you tried everything there is to try? If your dog is in the early stages of decline and they still have months or years of decent quality of life, be proactive and start trying to relieve their symptoms now.
If your dog is still doing decently well but you've received deeply troubling news, get working and explore your options for relief. Your dog may respond very well to products like UCII or CBD oil to relieve their discomfort, for example.
Dogs who still have a good quality of life can see significant improvements with carefully selected medications or supplements. These options may not change the prognosis, but they could give your dog an extension of comfortable months, even years.
What if Things Probably Won't Improve?
If your dog's condition has little-to-no hope of improvement, you have to ask yourself what is truly best for them. Set aside your own feelings, if that's possible, and consider the feelings of your best friend.
There's a quote that goes "It's better to let them go a day too soon than a minute too late."
The truth is that your dog does not deserve to suffer. They'll be a trooper and love you until their last breath, but they shouldn't be forced to do that when they're in serious pain.
If your dog is going to sink into deeper and deeper pain, you will be giving them a gift by putting them to sleep sooner than later. It's incredibly hard to grapple with, but we're responsible for doing what's best for our dogs.
3. Controlling The Outcome is Better Than Waiting to See What Happens
If you're holding onto hope, ask yourself if you have good evidence to justify that hope.
Have any trusted resources told you that your dog may still recover? Are you holding off because you feel like you'll be letting your dog down, just in case they might have a few more months?
If the bad days come just as often as the good days, and your dog no longer engages with life in the way they once did, it's time to reframe the way you think about the situation.
Dogs don't always decline at a steady rate. The longer things get are allowed to get worse, the more likely that a traumatic event is to occur. Your dog may experience an additional injury, a seizure, or an internal event that causes them intense pain and suffering.
You may not even be aware of this additional suffering. The reality is that nobody, not even your dog, would judge or blame you for making the decision to put them to sleep before things get bad. It's the responsible decision, and it's one that you owe to your dog.
How Do You Put a Dog to Sleep?
Call your veterinarian, or any veterinarian in your area, to ask them about euthanasia services for your dog. Many veterinarians will be able to see you as soon as you'd like, and you can bring your dog in to be put to sleep.
The veterinarian will be there to carry out the procedure, and you can be there with your dog to comfort them as they pass on.
How Do Vets Euthanize Dogs?
Your veterinarian will explain the process to you, but here's a basic overview of the process followed by veterinarians.
- Sedation (optional): You may be able to request a sedative for your dog to put them at ease before the process begins, ensuring that they're comfortable in their final moments.
- IV Catheter: Your vet will insert an Intravenous catheter into your dog, which is a relatively painless process, and this allows your dog to relax after the catheter is inserted. The catheter doesn't release any fluids into your dog at this point.
- Euthanasia Begins: When you're ready, the veterinarian will release a solution into the catheter that gently and quickly causes your dog to loose consciousness shortly before their heart stops. The solution used is typically sodium phentobarbital.
- Physical Responses are Common: Dogs may twitch or jerk in some cases, and they may release their bowel throughout the process, but these events don't cause your dog any pain. Your dog will be unconscious throughout the process, and these responses are common as dogs pass on.
- Your Last Moments Together: After the veterinarian ensures that your dog has passed, you'll have some time to spend with your dog alone, saying goodbye, and coming to terms with the reality of their passing.
This process can be very difficult to initiate, but it's extremely common, and it's arguably the most humane way for a dog to be put to sleep. Your dog won't be in pain, your presence will calm them in their final moments, and it ensures that they will no longer suffer.
Avoiding The Vet's Office: Home Euthanasia is Available
Many dogs are afraid of the veterinarian's office. If that's the case for your dog, the vet is probably the last place you'd like to bring them.
Your dog deserves to be calm and comfortable in their final moments, which is why there are home euthanasia services available for dogs. Search your area for home euthanasia services, and discuss your options with the professionals in your town.
Note that home euthanasia can be more expensive than traditional euthanasia, but it is well worth it if your dog would be uncomfortable at the veterinarian's office.
How Much Does It Cost to Euthanize a Dog?
It typically costs anywhere from $200 to $400 dollars to euthanize your dog at the veterinarian's office, and typically a little more if you choose to have it done at home.
Different options have different prices, so you can explore your local options and make sure to look at reviews. All services should provide dignified and peaceful services, but the best way to make sure is to see what others have said. This is a situation where the reviews will tell you a lot of what you need to know, and you want to make sure that you're making the best decision for your dog.
How Much Does it Cost to Cremate Your Dog?
Cremation costs depend on the services rendered, the size of your dog, and whether or not you'd like to have your pet's remains returned to you.
If you're unable to afford this option, most humane societies offer free or low-cost options for handling your pet's remains with dignity.
Should You Bury Your Dog Instead of Cremation?
Check your local guidelines and regulations to ensure that it's permitted to bury pets in your yard. It's never advised, and is likely illegal, to bury a pet someplace that does not belong to you (e.g. the dog park, a local walking route, state parks, etc.).
In most cases, however, it's perfectly legal to bury your dog in your yard. If this is the place that your dog grew up and spent the most time, it may feel right to lay them to rest there accompanied by their favorite toy.
If you bury your pet in your yard, consider these things carefully:
- Find a Safe Location: Make sure that your burial spot is a safe distance from wells and natural water sources to ensure that you don't cause any contamination to the groundwater or your home water.
- Depth (IMPORTANT): Make sure that you dig your dog's resting place at least 4 feet deep, but you should dig even deeper if you can. This ensures that scavengers do not dig up the dirt to access your dog's remains. Put in the extra effort to ensure that your dog's remains aren't detectable to animals that may attempt to dig them up.
- Use a Wooden or Cardboard Box: Lay your dog to rest in a container or a small coffin made of wood, cardboard, or another biodegradable material.
- Wrap Your Pet in Cotton: Cotten is another biodegradable material that is the dignified option for your dog. Wrapping in plastic or synthetic materials is unadvised because it takes a long time to decompose, and your pet's remains will be contained therein.
- Leave a Memorial: Memorialize your pet's resting place with a stone or a plaque of some kind. This gives you the ability to go out and visit them whenever you need to, and it also ensures that you remember precisely where your dog is buried.
If the process above doesn't fit your life, you can also research pet cemeteries in your area. These are the same as human cemeteries, just dedicated specifically to pets. You may have to pay a fee to claim a grave site, but this is a great way to ensure that everything is carried out respectfully, legally, and without risks of scavengers disturbing the grave.
So, When is It Time to Euthanize?
If your dog has as many bad days as good days, and it doesn't appear that things are going to improve, it's time. You and your dog will feel better calling things a few days or weeks early than you would if you let them suffer for too long.
Your dog has lived a beautiful life, and the fact that you're worrying about how to let them go in the best manner possible is an indication that you're a caring and thoughtful dog owner. It's your job to give your dog a great life with all of the love they can stand, and it's also your job to let them go before they start to suffer.
It's the hardest fact of pet ownership, but it's also one of the most important. We're wishing you the best of luck, and sending you our thoughts at this difficult time.
