The most common thing owners ask us about an old or sick animal is “how will I know”. There is no single answer, but there are better and worse ways to think about it, and it is much easier to think about before the decision is in front of you.
The question everyone asks
People are afraid of two things: doing it too soon, and doing it too late. In our experience the second is far more common than the first. Nobody ever tells us they wish they had waited longer.
A framework that helps
Score each from 1 to 10, once a week
- Hurt — is pain controlled? Is breathing easy?
- Hunger — are they eating enough, willingly?
- Hydration — drinking, or needing fluids?
- Hygiene — can they keep themselves clean, and stay clean?
- Happiness — do they still seek out the family, the sun, the things they liked?
- Mobility — can they get up, get outside, get to you?
- More good days than bad — honestly, across the week
When the bad days start to outnumber the good ones, that is the conversation. Not the decision — the conversation.
What we will and will not say
We will tell you what we see, plainly. We will tell you what the animal is likely experiencing and where things are heading. We will not make the decision for you, but if you ask us directly what we would do with our own animal, we will answer honestly.
On the day
It can be here, in a quiet room with as much time as you need, or at home. It is gentle: a sedative first, so they are asleep before anything else happens. You can stay, or not. We will talk you through every step beforehand so nothing is a surprise, and we will handle everything afterwards however you wish.
