Euthanasia is tricky for us all to navigate. The word “euthanasia” comes from the Greek and taken literally means “good death”.

How can there be such a thing? Death will always be accompanied by the pain and grief of loss – emotions which profoundly affect us all on a physiological level. Perception of pain itself is closely connected to emotion and that affects the way we and our pets perceive pain.

I think all of us who benefit from the immeasurable joy of that special bond between human and pet have wished for immortality for our pets! However, the cycle of life is inescapable, and pets do not live as long as humans.

In my 35 years of veterinary work and having to euthanise my own pets on occasion, I have shed many tears and shared those losses with so many clients. However, we must all remember that our duty is to optimize animal welfare and decrease suffering. We are privileged to have euthanasia as a tool so our pets can escape gently from life, in as dignified a way as is possible.

Dogs and cats often behave differently as they get older but sometimes signs of pain may be hard to differentiate from “just old age”. For example, being withdrawn or quiet, restless or lying in odd positions, avoiding physical contact, crying or yelping, panting or shaking, losing enthusiasm for walks, being disorientated or confused, not eating or drinking or a change in toilet behaviour.

The fundamental basis of animal welfare can be underpinned by ‘The Five Freedoms’ originating from the 1960’s Brambell Report and later formalized by The Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979. Hughes (1976) defined animal welfare as a state of complete mental and physical health, where the animal is in harmony with its environment. Rather than freedom from hunger and thirst (1), from discomfort and pain (2), injury and disease (3) from fear and distress (4) and the inability to exhibit normal behaviours (5), we prefer today to see welfare as a balance of 5 domains: nutrition, environment, health, behaviour and mental state all intertwined in ONE HEALTH.

Amidst the natural fear we have of loss and sadness, it can be overwhelming for us to make good decisions for our animals. We live in a world where so much is possible and there are so many new techniques, diagnostic tools and medicines. Even if cost were not also a limiting factor, interventions must be justifiable with welfare at the forefront of decision making. These choices often make it harder to consider euthanasia as a good outcome. These decisions are often not black and white, with personal experiences and beliefs all feeding into treatment and euthanasia decision making.

There are on-line tools to help us navigate decision making when we know our pets have begun to find their “normal” lives difficult, eg. The Ohio State University Quality of Life Tool Kit. It is important to know that vets, especially those who already know your pet, can help you evaluate these decisions and make sense of the many options. As vets, we can offer plenty of support. There are also dedicated pet bereavement counsellors (Bluecross.org.uk ; 0800 096 6606)

Contact us for help and support and together we can reframe decision making when the time is right.