Preparing to say goodbye to a much-loved pet at the end of their lives is something that we recognise is incredibly difficult. This is never an easy topic but one which we wanted to discuss as there is so much to consider. Our commitment to pet wellbeing and to alleviating suffering is obviously of paramount importance, but we also understand the emotional pain of preparing to lose a much-loved pet.
As well as being committed to the health and welfare of animals throughout their lives, we are also committed to supporting you when the only way to alleviate suffering is through euthanasia.
Euthanasia means “good death” and whilst it is a hard decision to make, in most cases the alternative of leaving an animal to die of their own accord and the suffering that may entail, is something that should be avoided. Advances in our knowledge of animal behaviour and the availability of modern medicines and diagnostics allows us to offer our pets a peaceful and pain free goodbye.
There is a saying in the welfare profession that it is “better to say goodbye a week too early, than a day too late” Our pets can’t tell us when they have had enough but as veterinary professionals, we know the signs to look out for and can share our knowledge with you. We have seen many examples over the years and our objective will always be to help you give your pet an amazing life with positive emotional and physical wellbeing.
It can be distressing for our team to see animals left to suffer without adequate pain relief and denied one of the basic welfare freedoms of life. We will help and support you in keeping your pet comfortable and then guide and support you in making the decision to give them a “good death” without pain and suffering.
It is important to recognise that seeking advice and support when you notice changes in your pet is absolutely the right course of action and is one that will usually not only improve quality of life but also potentially lengthen life.
We will support you all the way and have years of experience of recognising pain in animals. Offering your pet pain relief will always be our primary objective. We will then work with you in assessing your pet which might include asking you to bring in videos of them interacting in the familiar environment of their own home so we can ask questions and discuss all the options with you.
We encourage clients to use the mobility questionnaires that we have available on our website. It is a good idea to start using these regularly and from as early as eight years old. Keeping copies will also help you to be able to recognise changes more easily as this can be difficult when you see a pet daily.
You can access the questionnaires via this link; https://blackwatervets.co.uk/physiotherapy/recognising-pain-in-your-animal/
Quality of life scales can also be useful indicators as your pet gets older. Simply marking your pet’s quality of life with a mark out of ten each day can help you assess how they are doing.
This is a useful guide for what you should be assessing.
Unfortunately, quality of life deterioration often goes unnoticed. Changes in your pet’s behaviour, appearance and habits can be gradual, and this can make it difficult for us as pet owners to realise the extent of the changes. As veterinary professionals we are here to help guide and educate you throughout this journey.
Assumptions can often be made around pets displaying behaviours that we may perceive as positive such as a cat purring. It may surprise you to know that a cat may purr to help soothe themselves in stressful situations. Cats are especially adept at hiding signs of pain so we can use our knowledge and experience to guide you.
Another common misconception is that animals stop eating when in pain. Due to evolution, animals will usually continue to eat through the pain, and often will not react to pain as dramatically as we expect. This is why we insist you bring your pet in to see our vet Ola at least once a year. This enables us to closely monitor their health and wellbeing and pick up on any subtle signs of pain or deterioration which are easy to miss when you see a pet daily. This can also be cost effective, as we are often able to address the issues before they become too severe.
There are so many options for older pets that we can discuss and often something as simple as environmental changes such as moving cat litter trays, putting up stair gates, utilising nonslip matting and changing exercise regimes can make all the difference. We will always discuss all the options with you and if your pet has a good quality of life, we will share your objective of keeping them as part of your family for as long as possible.
However, inevitably there comes a time for every living being when life must come to an end and in many ways, we are fortunate that we can make that decision and prevent suffering but how and when to make that decision is difficult.
We are all pet owners ourselves and have experienced the pain of planning to say goodbye; we understand how difficult it is and as welfare professionals will always support and guide you.
The Blue Cross also provides a bereavement support line;
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss
If we can help and support you with any aspect of your pet’s health and welfare, please contact us on 01206 384999.
