Guide to euthanization for your pet, pets life
#euthanizationforyourpet #petslife
There is, however, a drastic difference in our life expectancies. The average life expectancy for an American according to the CDC is 77.7 years. The life expectancy of a dog is considerably shorter.
Many people use the 7=1 equation. Although it may be helpful as a generalization, it really does not have any basis in reality.
The life expectancy of a dog is more accurately determined by breed and size. A good rule of thumb is the smaller the dog, the longer he will live. A dog that is less than 15 pounds is not generally considered a senior until it is 9 years old, while a vet may suggest that a dog over 80 pounds begin receiving geriatric checkups at the age of 4.
As dogs age, their health is likely to deteriorate just as you would expect in humans. The difference is that humans are left to live out their lives regardless of the ailments and diseases they contract.
Dogs, on the other hand, become candidates for euthanization if their illness becomes untreatable or the pain becomes too severe.
There are those who do not agree with the idea of euthanization. They believe that an animal should be able to choose his or her own time to die. Perhaps we need to consider a couple of points before making a final decision.
Unfortunately, in the case of an accident, you may be forced into a decision that you may not have prepared for. In the case of an aging pet, you have time. For assistance in making up your mind, you may want to visit www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/goodbye.html. It offers a list of questions that might help you as you struggle with the difficult decision about euthanasia. If you are considering allowing your dog to choose her own time, you might want to visit http://www.pethospice.org/. It, too, contains valuable information.
When the time comes, whether the decision is to allow your dog to choose her own time or if you decide that euthanization is the correct choice, there will inevitably be a certain amount of guilt associated with the decision.
Seek comfort in the idea that you made the decision based on your love for and what you thought was best for, your pet. Allow yourself time to grieve. Whether you decide to get another pet right away or wait is a personal decision.
#euthanizationforyourpet #petslife
The Ultimate Decision
We are bornSound familiar? As we all know, these stages apply to all of us as humans, but we can just as easily apply these things to our faithful companions, our dogs.
We explore and learn as youngsters
We challenge and test as teens
We grow stronger and experience more mental development as adults
And as we age and grow older, those things begin to wane away.
Our energy decreases,
We sleep more,
Our skin condition changes and our appetite decreases,
Our vision begins to grow less acute and we begin to lose our hearing.
Our joints begin to stiffen and we begin to have senior moments
In some cases, we are plagued by poor dental health or disease. "
There is, however, a drastic difference in our life expectancies. The average life expectancy for an American according to the CDC is 77.7 years. The life expectancy of a dog is considerably shorter.
Many people use the 7=1 equation. Although it may be helpful as a generalization, it really does not have any basis in reality.
The life expectancy of a dog is more accurately determined by breed and size. A good rule of thumb is the smaller the dog, the longer he will live. A dog that is less than 15 pounds is not generally considered a senior until it is 9 years old, while a vet may suggest that a dog over 80 pounds begin receiving geriatric checkups at the age of 4.
As dogs age, their health is likely to deteriorate just as you would expect in humans. The difference is that humans are left to live out their lives regardless of the ailments and diseases they contract.
Dogs, on the other hand, become candidates for euthanization if their illness becomes untreatable or the pain becomes too severe.
There are those who do not agree with the idea of euthanization. They believe that an animal should be able to choose his or her own time to die. Perhaps we need to consider a couple of points before making a final decision.
- Because of the advancement in veterinary medicine, our pets are living considerable longer than they use to. The average lifespan for dogs has increased from 7 years in the 1930s to more than 12 years today. These advancements are allowing them to develop painful conditions and disease that in the past would not have been an issue. Is it possible that their lives have been extended beyond where nature intended?
- Our dogs still have a connection to their ancestors. One of their base instincts is to mask pain and illness. If a dog were to give in to pain in the wild, they would almost certainly be killed by another animal,sometimes even by members of their own pack. As a result your dog may be in considerably more pain than you are aware of or can even imagine.
Unfortunately, in the case of an accident, you may be forced into a decision that you may not have prepared for. In the case of an aging pet, you have time. For assistance in making up your mind, you may want to visit www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/goodbye.html. It offers a list of questions that might help you as you struggle with the difficult decision about euthanasia. If you are considering allowing your dog to choose her own time, you might want to visit http://www.pethospice.org/. It, too, contains valuable information.
When the time comes, whether the decision is to allow your dog to choose her own time or if you decide that euthanization is the correct choice, there will inevitably be a certain amount of guilt associated with the decision.
- Did I wait too long?
- Did I not wait long enough?
- Did I make the wrong decision?
Seek comfort in the idea that you made the decision based on your love for and what you thought was best for, your pet. Allow yourself time to grieve. Whether you decide to get another pet right away or wait is a personal decision.
Unlike some people who have experienced the loss of an animal, I did not believe, even for a moment, that I would never get another. I did know full well that there were just too many animals out there in need of homes for me to take what I have always regarded as the self-indulgent road of saying the heartbreak of the loss of an animal was too much ever to want to go through with it again.
To me, such an admission brought up the far more powerful admission that all the wonderful times you had with your animal were not worth the unhappiness at the end.
Cleveland Amory
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_Vinsant
|
More info on dogs on my other blog at:
No comments:
Post a Comment