March 28, 2024

Farewell, furry friend

When is it the right time to put down a beloved family pet?

If you have a beloved pet, also commonly known as a “fur baby,” the animal is like a member of the family.

Even though pet owners might wish their animals could live forever, the fact is pet life spans are much shorter than humans. This leads to the difficult decision of knowing when it’s the right time to euthanize a pet.

“If they’re not having any fun, it’s getting close,” said Dr. Scott Moline with Kindness Pet Clinic in Indianola.

What to observe

Moline said signs to watch for are when the cat or dog is struggling to do routine things like eating food, drinking water, getting in and outside and moving around comfortably.

Other signs include the owner having to force food or medications down a pet’s mouth, frequent vomiting or diarrhea, loss of interest in favorite activities, falling down or struggling to walk and chronic labored breathing or coughing.

“If their quality of life is bad, you can tell,” he said. “Most people are pretty good at picking them up.”

Moline added, a lot of cases depend on the size of the dog, such as a Great Dane. If the owner can’t carry the dog around or go outside to use the bathroom, the need for euthanasia can come on more quickly.

Making the decision

Moline said the vet clinic will occasionally have a pet owner who waits too long to make the decision for euthanasia.

The decision is the toughest for elderly people, because they know they’re not going to get another pet. There’s also the situation where the pet being put down belonged to a deceased spouse.

“It’s not really the animal, it’s the emotions attached to the pet,” Moline said. “People get super worked up.”

As a veterinarian, Moline said each client is different when making that final decision for their pet.

“After doing this for 30 years, I can’t decide for them; I give them information,” he said.

Going peacefully

Typically, in the euthanasia process, the pet is given a sedative or tranquilizer to be relaxed and sedated. Shortly after comes administering the final drug that will stop a pet’s heart.

This is a way to let a pet go and not have it feel any pain.

“Most people are pretty straightforward, though, with the process,” Moline said.