Putting a Pet to Sleep

When a loved one is ill or in pain, there is nothing we would not do to help ease their pain and help them on the road to recovery. What price is too high for a family member or a friend who is suffering? I don't think there are many of us out there who could ever come up with a figure that would answer that question. I don't think there are many of us out there who would say that the figure even exists.

So many people, my husband and me included, consider their pets to be fully recognized members of their families. They feel that the relationships they share with the fluffy ones that share their domiciles with are incredibly significant emotionally, and they truly believe that the spiritual gains they experience are mutually beneficial to pet and family.

This makes the decision to put an ailing pet to sleep very painful, and for most that decision is accompanied by a large amount of guilt. A human family member would not be euthanized if they were diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, or any other serious, even terminal, illness under any circumstances. That, of course, would not just be considered cruel, it would be considered manslaughter. Not so for our pets, and it can often be very difficult for people who feel that they love their pets as much as they love most other people to reconcile themselves to the fact that when considering the medical treatment of an animal, the line if usually drawn in a very different place.

Being two people with busy jobs and long hours, my husband and I had not planned to have pets. Life laughed at us and kept sending us cats in need of rescue from various sources, cats to whom we immediately became enslaved. Sadly, these rescue cats had all had difficult lives prior to coming to us, and were in fragile health. Therefore, we have had to make the difficult decision to "take care" of three cats in the past five years. Each time we found ourselves in this position, we were just crushed by the pain and guilt attached to such a decision.

We also have done a lot of talking about these experiences, and have been gaining more insight into the factors that we have had to consider each time we found ourselves contemplating whether a pet is better off with medical treatment or by being put to sleep. Some of those factors made us feel more comfortable than others, but we found that all were important to examine, even the ones that made us feel the most terrible.

When you are discussing your animal's health with your veterinarian and it looks as if you are going to need to make a critical decision, it is important to be clear about what is most important to you, but it is also important to consider what is possible for you as well. The vet should be clear with you about your pet's condition, how much pain your pet is in, what the likely prognosis is, both for survival, and for quality of life your pet is likely to enjoy after wards. Possible treatment options will need to be considered, and how much pain or distress those options will inflict on the animal, and whether the projected outcome warrants the pain and anxiety the animal will experience in order to get well.

But, beyond those considerations, it is important also to take the sensitivity and temperament of your animal into account. Having some idea of just what your pet can handle will make these choices, if not easier, at least somewhat less conflicted for you. If you have an animal at home who is very hearty and emotionally resilient, and he needs some sort of procedure or treatment that is going to cause him some pain or distress but make him better or improve his quality of life in the end, it will be far easier to decide to proceed than with an animal than if your pet is frail or sensitive, who is less likely to rebound from the trauma of the treatment.

Sadly, the hardest decision that has to be made regarding the care available to a sick animal is the expense of the care. It is a horrible feeling to have your vet talking to you about life saving procedures for your much loved pet, and to hear yourself asking "how much?" But the question has to be asked, and despite the guilt you might feel about your decision in that regard, the answer has to be validated. Veterinary care can cost thousands and thousands of dollars, and your animal may still be in pain or in dire health when you're finished. It is never going to feel good to acknowledge that there is a price too high to pay for your pet's health, but when reality intrudes, the sad decision has to be made, and it is important to know that the financial decision you are making has been made by countless heartbroken pet owners before you, and it felt just as terrible to them.

The loss of an animal is a very sad thing for most pet owners, and the decision to say good bye to the animal in order to save it pain or distress is a very difficult one to make. Fortunately, when it is time for your pet to be put to sleep, there are quick and painless ways of taking care of your loved one. Once all the considerations have been taken into account and the decision is made, your pain and sadness will still be present, but hopefully you will be peaceful in the knowledge that you weighed your options with the best for your pet and your family in mind.