Putting A Dog To Sleep - One Of The Toughest Decisions You Will Ever Make

If you are a pet owner there may come a time when
you are faced with the dilemma of whether putting
a dog to sleep is ethically the right thing to do
or not.

It's now been three months since I had to make
that decision and still I reflect on it. The
hardest part is actually making the decision
that it is the best thing to do for your four
legged friend.

What is involved?

Naturally you should consult with your vet and
ask about all your options before making any
decisions. Depending on the condition of your
pet's health, dog euthanasia may not be the only
course of action. Can surgery or drugs help to
extend their life? Will they suffer if I do not
put my dog to sleep? What will be their quality
of life be like if you do nothing? These are all
very important things to consider before going
down the path of putting a dog to sleep.

If there is no alternative then your next step
is to carefully pick a day for this to happen. I
recommend that you take the day off work as it
will be very distressing and you will not feel
like doing anything other than grieving. After
all you are saying goodbye to a loved one.

I had no idea the trauma it would cause and
just how bad I would feel afterwards. There is
always an element of guilt even though you have
done everything possible to keep them alive,
pain free and happy. I don't think I stopped
crying for three days despite the fact I made
the decision knowing it was the right thing to
do for my best friend of 14 years.

Putting a dog to sleep is not in any way a
painful procedure in fact that is the easy bit.
The vet merely administers a larger than normal
dose of aesthetic. This puts your dog to sleep
in a few seconds, once a sleep the aesthetic
then causes the heart to stop. Your dog will
feel no pain or discomfort. All you are aware of
is that your pet has gone to sleep. The vet will
then give you time alone with your dog to say
your goodbyes.

Another very important decision to be made
prior to the day is what you want to do with
your dog's body after they have passed away.
Arrangements have to be made and your vet
notified.

You have a few options:

1. Do you take the body home with you where you
can bury it in a special place in your garden.
Although not everyone has a garden or suitable
place in which to bury a dog. (No cost involved)

2. Cremation, without keeping the ashes. This
is usually done by a cremation company which
your vet will arrange on your behalf (Nominal
charge for this service)

3. Cremattion and you keep the ashes to take
home with you. (The most expensive choice)

Regardless of what choice you make about the
body disposal. It is important that you consider
holding a memorial service or gathering of family
to say your goodbyes. I found this was the best
thing we did as it helped with the grieving and
gave me a chance to end the overall process. We
were travelling at the time so had no place to
bury our little friend and could not take the
ashes with us. So we went to a place we had all
enjoyed walking together and the two of us held
a brief ceremony to say a few words, leave
flowers and a plaque. It really helped me move
on and I felt more at peace afterwards.

Putting a dog to sleep is not an easy thing to
do but sometimes it is the best thing we can do.
One thing you can be assured of; the good
memories of times spent with your pet will stay
with you long after your dog has gone and the
memory of the day you said goodbye will slowly
fade away.


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Before you make any final decisions about putting
a dog to sleep, you may like to read a
publication that I found helped me a lot. Not
only did it give advice on how to make the
decision and the best way to prepare, it also
covers everything relating to prevention,
treating cancer in dogs and other terminal
illnesses. Simply click this link to find out
more: http://www.cancertreatmentfordogs.com


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