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How do you know when it is time?
Quality of life:
Every pet is different.
Every family is different.
Every situation is different.
Sometimes it is illness, sometimes it is chronic pain, sometimes it is a deteriorating disability, and sometimes it is old age.
When your pet's time is drawing near, it's normal to second guess yourself, to feel doubt and anger and sadness. In the midst of all this, your job as a pet owner is still to care for your pet through this difficult but important part of their life.
It's so hard to know what the right thing is to do... or when.
Quality of Life
Keep tracking of your pet's quality of life is a key tool that will help you know when the time is coming, when a decision must be made, and when the pain or struggle of your animal is starting to overcome and overwhelm them.
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Think of the three activities your pet finds the most enjoyable or important
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For Cats
A cat's list may include bird watching, playing chase the laser light, or staying beautiful by grooming.
For example: My cat's #1: Lounging on the foot part of the recliner while I'm on my laptop.
For Dogs
A dog's list may include car rides, walks together or going outside to eliminate & not having accidents in the house.
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For example: My dog's #1: Going to the park!
Additional Resources
If you are still struggling with deciding when it is time, these are two helpful resources that we recommend:
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Evaluate whether enjoyable activities are still part of your pet's day on most days.
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Monitor your pet's appetite, activity level and weight. Small changes day to day can be unnoticeable, but they add up.
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Keep track of your pet's good days vs. bad days. When the bad days start to overtake the good days, this is an indicator that it may be time to start the decision process.
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