When to put a dog to sleep with severe arthritis?

For many dogs, even those that initially coped with the disease very well, the challenge of living with arthritic joints eventually becomes all consuming, and their quality of life will wane. Managing pain and reduced function from not only the primary location, but also the overworked areas that have been compensating for the affected limb(s), will challenge their coping strategies. Over time the dog’s limb(s) will weaken and the pain will increase. Eventually owners witness their dog not willing to stand up, not willing to walk, and not able to interact. At this stage the dog’s quality of life will be considered poor and the decision to humanely euthanise will need to be made.

However during chronic illness, such as arthritis, deciding on the right time can be more difficult. If you are not sure then your decision should be based on your pet’s quality of life. Persistent inability or want to eat, persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, collapse, inability to stand and signs of pain, stress or discomfort are all times when euthanasia should be considered. There are two main ways we recommended to help you make the decision: Make a list of 5-10 things that define your pet. When your pet is no longer doing half of this list then it is time to start considering euthanasia. At the end of each day decide as a family if today has been a good day or a bad day for your pet. When there are more bad days than good then thats is a sign that it is time. Our animal companions live in the moment, they do not think about the good times they have had before or ponder about the good times that may lie ahead, they just consider about what they feel like today. If you do not feel it is time it is also worth checking why, is it just because you are not ready to let go or is it because your pet still has a good quality of life.