know when it is time to euthanize your pet

Unfortunately about a year ago my husband and I had to decide it was time to put our Labrador to sleep. My husband had gotten her when she was just a puppy and grew a very close relationship with her. When I met him he even talked about her very soon into our dating. I then also grew very attached to her as she was such a sweet dog.

We took her on many trips with us and she fit into our live together beautifully. As she approached her seventeenth year of life we noticed she was not as happy as she normally was. We knew deep down that she was nearing the end of her life but neither of us wanted to face it. We loved her like a daughter and could just see it in her eyes.

We took her on her normal vet routine visit and her doctor gave us the bad news. She was sick and there was little they could do for her. We did not want to watch her suffer as she was in pain and knowing the doctor could do nothing to help her was heart wrenching. We both knew it was time to allow her to sleep, for good.

We took her home to spend another day with her and treat her like the queen she was, but she was not at all into it. We could see it in her eyes that she was not the happy pup she usually was. So the following day we took her back to the doctor to have her euthanized. I could not be in the room, but my husband wanted to bet here for her final minutes.

It was very hard but we both knew it was the best thing we could do for her. We did not want to see her suffer for a period of time with no cure in site for her. We felt it was the right thing to do to put an end to her suffering. We knew she lived a fulfilling life and she was loved very much.

It was a very sad time, and she will never be forgotten. We still talk about her all the time and have a beautiful picture of her framed on our wall. She became a huge part of our family and we loved her the same as we love our children.

If you are struggling with this very decision of having to euthanize your pet, then ask yourself the following ....

Does he/she enjoy the things they normally do?
Is he/she eating, drinking the same as normal?
Does he/she know who you are?
Has their personality changed?
Is he/she going to the bathroom normally?
Does he/she appear to be in pain?
Is he/she old?

Think about the answers and talk to your veterinarian in order to make the proper decision. It is a hard decision to make but think about your pets happiness above anything else. You know your pet the best and you need to make the best decision for him/her.