Quality of Life Scale for Pets

[KZ Kari]

My dog, who’s getting close to 18 years old, is going through his “making him comfortable” days. These past couple months, his health has been declining steadily.

You always hear people say that you’ll just “know” when it’s time. I disagree. In these past 3 months, I’ve have made 2 appointments to have him euthanized. I’d make the appointment while he was having a bad day, and he would turn around and return his more alert self, relatively speaking, by the time of the appointment.  It’s a torturous roller-coaster.

Anyone who has had to put their pet down, knows how hard this last appointment is. This will be my third in 7 years. And while it’s hard to make that appointment, you certainly don’t want to push beyond that, and selfishly drag your poor dog through days of pain and/or discomfort, when there’s no quality left to be had.

On Friday, I talked to a different veterinarian who sent me a link to this “Quality of Life Scale”. This allows you to actually evaluate a handful of different areas to determine a quantitative value for the quality of life remaining. This method might not be for everyone, but it has certainly helped me by removing the uncertainty from emotion and to consider and combine all factors of his happiness and well-being in a more analytical fashion. I work and deal with things better that way.   

Before Friday, I had never heard of this, and wish I had. I’m sure there are other pet people on here, so I just wanted share this in case it could be helpful to someone else in the future. 

 

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/bond-beyond/quality-of-life-scale.aspx

 

 

[Gixxus Christ!]

Sorry your dog is nearing the end of the line. There are few things in life that are harder than losing a good dog.

[scottb]

The hard part is we love our pets, sometimes we are selfish in knowing when. 

May 2013 we put down our cocker after 17 years. 

In those final months, he had a hard time walking, was losing his eye sight ( bumpng into things) and could barely hear.

I would carry him outside, up the stairs and onto the couch. 

What forced my desicion, the dog not eating or drinking in those final days. 

 

This was not the dog I knew, and was unfair to him just exist / breathe. 

That morning, it was a quiet ride there and an even more quiet ride home.

 

The vet asked if we wanted to be in the room. Well, no, but i did not want those last monments of him to be alone. 

I just held him and that was that. 

 

( I am crying as I type this, WTF is wrong with me)

Edited March 23, 2014 by scottb

[KZ Kari]

Thank you guys very much. These furry little beasts can really get the best of us. 

 

I'm sorry Scott to rehash hard memories.You did very good for your dog. I have friends who foster for a dog rescue organization, and there are so many stories where people own a dog for years, and once those senior years really set in and the dog requires a little more care, they'll dump the poor dog off at the shelter. It happens all too often. 

[scottb]

It is all good KZ.

 

Not to jack your thread, but last sunday we adopted a 4 year old German Shepard from Ashtabula APL.

 

The wife and I thought it was time to share the love with another dog. We have 4 cats and the cocker and cats all got along fine

Monday morning we took him to the vet, clean bill of health except for kennel cough.

 

It took till Wednesday for the dog to eat. We figured that he was just getting used to his new home and the cough. 

We have the cats seperated upstairs and the dog in the living room behind a baby gate. 

We still kept the dog bed from the cocker, and the shepherd is currently sleeping on it. So, it is good to see that it is being used. 

Our cockers ashes are on the shelf just above where new dog sleeps, kinda cool in a way.

 

This dog is smart, and already knows a handful of basic commands. He walks great on a leash,appears house broken, does not bark needlessly.

 

Yesterday, we tried to introduce the cats, one at a time, to the new dog. We have to practice this more.

The new dog appears more excited then "attacking" the cats, and of course the cats run away.

 

If we can at least get the cats and dog to leave each other alone, this will be great. 

If they can not get along, or the cats do not accept the dog, then we will have to see what we will do.

 

I can wish and hope and correct behaviors, but the cats were first.

[madcat6183]

Definitely thinking of you man, I cannot imagine the day I have to do this, and I hope deeply that Basco just goes at home some day/night like our last dog did.  Everytime I read one of these I think back to when our 1st dog had to be put down, and when Geno died the day before he was going to be put down.  Geno fell asleep on a rug in the foyer with his favorite toy, and we knew he hated the vet and didn't want to go that way.

 

Those were the only 2 times I have ever seen my dad cry, and when we have to put our dog down or he passes it will be the 3rd.  Don't even like to think about it.

 

Good luck and best wishes.

[DAC]

It hurts like hell to go through this. Been through this several times. If it's any consolation, the good memories come through more as time goes on. Not to get too heavy, but those good things are ripples in the pond that go out into the forever.

Take care.

[speedytriple]

It is a hard choice when to decide is the right time. I have not had to deal with a old dog, but have had to take in a 3 year old akita I had after he had a stroke due to his brain pressing against his skull and causing seizures all the time it pinched off a blood flow and he had a massive stroke. It was hard but he was suffering and it needed to be done. My current four legged friends mean the world to the family and I hate to think of the day it has to come to it. 

[jbot]

i dont know why i read these threads.  i would brutally murder every single one of you in the worst, most unspeakable fashion over and over and over again, rather than have to watch my puppy close his sweet brown puppy eyes for the last time.

[bloodninja420]

Good link Op. This type of framework could really help people to do the right thing.

There should honestly be a version for old people as well. Over the last few years I've seen too many family members and acquaintances push an older person into invasive interventions that caused unneeded suffering. Seems like oncologists should advocate more for the patient, versus the spouse or children who if given any kind of out, will try to prolong life, quality of life be damned. But that approach doesn't pay the bills I suppose.

i dont know why i read these threads. i would brutally murder every single one of you in the worst, most unspeakable fashion over and over and over again, rather than have to watch my puppy close his sweet brown puppy eyes for the last time.

I used to be the same way, then I had a kid. Now I would gladly drown the dog in my bathtub if it meant the kid would sleep 1 extra hour.

[jbot]

i was going to name my kid after my dog, but realized no normal human child can handle the crushing weight of falling short so utterly in the face of such excellence that is Gatsby.

[Gump]

Sorry about your dog. My father's dog got hit by a car and killed this thursday. Myself nor my siblings have ever seen our father so distraught or emotional over anything ever. It always sucks. I had to shoot one of my dogs in the back of the head this fall. She had a softball size tumor which was physically pushing it's ribcage out, vet said he'd put it down, I said no, she's still happy and doesn't seem bothered. Months went by, she got all the hotdogs or treats she wanted, still ran rabbits all night, very happy. I came home one day, she met me at the front door late because she was having a hard time walking, labored breathing, whining, and was in severe pain, and when I waved the hotdog in front of her nose, there was zero reaction as if in a trance. Pulling myself together when I realized it was time, was the hardest, shooting it was easy because it needed done right now.Then I mourned. But it was a lot easier than the other dog I lost two summers ago, who I watched die a painful death for several hours. I drove her to the vet after hours of trying to help her and my not wanting her to go, got in the way, and she suffered for it. I won't make the same mistake again.     

[Bakemono]

Sorry about your dog.  Thats a difficult decision, especially because our pets can tell us how they feel in words and tell us when theyre done.

[redkow97]

The fact that you're acknowledging the inherent conflict of interest is a huge step.

My wife has a coworker who (IMHO) may have held onto her dog a little too long. It was hard to hear her stories having known what her dog used to be like.

When the time does come, look into having a bet come to the house. That type of service is getting more popular, and it can really cut down on the stress for te dog. Maybe for you as well...

I know one of our dogs gets all kinds of crazy when we're at the vet. The other is happy to have 3 people all paying attention to him at the same time!

[2talltim]

Sorry to hear about your pup, we have lost 2 members of the family in the last couple years, one went unexpectantly on his own the other i was a no brainer as to what needed done. But i did the dirty deed myself, ive seen other pups on the vets table where the drug didnt take right or took too long so i wasnt going to put her through that while she was already suffering. She suffered from seizures her whole life and she went into one and when she came out she was in lots pain and could not walk, her health was already in decline over several months and was 17 year old as well. 

[max power]

Losing a pet is never easy.

Gump, I didn't know you had to put your dog down your self. As I've always told you, I will do it for you when necessary because I know you would do it for me. I don't think I could ever put a bullet in my own dog.

[Gump]

Losing a pet is never easy.

Gump, I didn't know you had to put your dog down your self. As I've always told you, I will do it for you when necessary because I know you would do it for me. I don't think I could ever put a bullet in my own dog.

Appreciate it but there was no time, I came home and 15 minutes later it was done. She was in extreme pain with zero possible recourse. It was very clear what needed done. My selfish mistake with Honey made me realize my feelings prolonged a best friends suffering, so from that aspect, I think you could do it when you needed to. I'm never taking another dog to a vet, place they don't like, to lay on cold stainless steel. Edited March 24, 2014 by Gump

[Bakemono]

Losing a pet is never easy.

Gump, I didn't know you had to put your dog down your self. As I've always told you, I will do it for you when necessary because I know you would do it for me. I don't think I could ever put a bullet in my own dog.

Yeah, that would be tough.  Id like to believe that Id do what I had to do in the moment but killing an animal that you love would be very difficult and is easier said than done.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Bakemono

[KZ Kari]

I don't think I could ever "end the suffering" myself. I hope the time never comes where I'd be put in that situation. My vet is a pretty amazing and compassionate person; I'm glad to have her there and available. 

 

Thank you all for your kind words. 

[Gump]

Very very difficult. Handful of deep breaths to regain composure before opening the gun safe, then its a job for a friend.