Story Time Thursday

As I mentioned about a month and a half ago, I had to sadly put down my dog, Kasper. He was my second dog that I’ve gone through this with. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.

My first dog was one I had grown up with. I had her from the time I was 6, and she was my emotional support animal (though I didn’t know it at the time). When it came time that we had to put her down, my parents let me make the decision because she was really my dog. It was hard to say goodbye and lose the emotional support and unconditional love she had given me all those years.

In one way, though, it was an easy choice. She had been struggling to walk and one day just couldn’t urinate. The vets couldn’t say why without surgery (not a good option for a senior dog), so it was clear that not making the call would only cause her more suffering. It was the obvious choice that we had to say goodbye then, which made it much easier to deal with.

With Kasper, it was harder because it wasn’t the obvious choice. He developed diabetes the year before he died, which was quite expensive for us. However, we paid for his insulin and he continued to live a happy life. Towards the end of last year, I started to notice some changes in him. He would often grunt and moan when he was laying down and struggled to stand up after laying down. His diabetes also seemed to accelerate in it’s progression. He was still eating well, but he began lose a little weight the last month we had him (one of the final stages of diabetes).

When we made the appointment, money was a big reason. We couldn’t continue to afford special food and the ever-increasing doses of insulin, but he was still so full of life that it was still hard to make that decision. However, looking at how he was starting to lose weight and show signs of painful arthritis, I am confident in saying we made the right decision. I truly don’t think he would have continued enjoying life for much longer. I find comfort in knowing that he enjoyed life right up until the end and that we were able to utterly spoil him before saying goodbye.

All that to say, it’s hard to know when to make that difficult decision to euthanize a beloved pet. They're family and we should make the most of the short time we have together. When they do start showing signs of chronic pain and continued decline in health, I think it’s important to think of them and their comfort. They are animals that don’t understand what’s going on or why they’re feeling uncomfortable. At that point, I think the most important factor should be what’s kindest to them, even if it’s the harder choice emotionally.

I also feel I should mention the financial factor. One of my friends said to me shortly before we put Kasper down “I don’t think God calls us to go into debt for our pets.” Sometimes it makes sense to rehome if you don’t have the money to care for your pet, and sometimes it doesn’t. We do the best we can for our pets. For some, maybe that means a surgery that costs thousands of dollars, for others that can mean making sure they don’t needlessly suffer.

When it’s time to say goodbye:

• Being there for your pet and giving them the easiest passing possible is one of the most important responsibilities of pet ownership

• Always keep your pet’s quality of life in mind when making these decisions

• It’s ok for finances to be a factor

• Don’t be so hard on yourself; let yourself grieve