When we spend time with pets day and night, we can always develop a deep relationships. Even if pets die, we will not forget them. Dogs are our most loyal pets. Although we are unwilling, we still have to face this cruel reality-dogs will eventually leave us first. If we can judge from all the signs that the dog will die soon, we can make some preparations in advance to let it leave with dignity, peace, and comfort.
Observe if the dog shows signs of dying
Pay attention to whether the dog is listless. In the days or hours before the dog’s death, its breathing will be very shallow, the interval will be very long, and finally, it will be in a state of air spring. Under normal circumstances, it breathes 22 times per minute; when it is about to die, it may only breathe 10 times per minute.
- Before death, the dog’s exhalation sound will become very heavy, like a balloon deflated.
- The dog’s pulse is weak, and his heart rate drops from 100 to 130 beats per minute under normal conditions to 60 to 80 beats per minute.
- In the last few hours, the dog’s breathing became very shallow, staying alone in the corner, unwilling to move.
Pay attention to changes in the dog’s appetite. When dying, the dog will have a loss of appetite and will not eat or drink, because, at this time, its liver and kidneys have lost their functions.
- At this time, due to dehydration, its mouth will be very dry.
- It will vomit. Due to loss of appetite, there is no food in what I vomit, only foam or yellow-green stomach acid.
See if the dog’s muscles react abnormally. Due to the lack of glucose, the dog will be very weak and convulsions unconsciously. At the same time, it does not respond to pain and lacks reflex movements.
- When the dog wants to stand up and walk around, the pace is always inconsistent, even wobbly. You may also be unconscious before death.
- The ill and dying dog has muscle atrophy and is very weak.
Pay attention to changes in dog toilet habits. At this time, the dog can’t control the bladder and anal sphincter. Even if he is well-trained, he can’t control his bowel movements.
- I can’t control my urine, and my urine output is very small.
- The dog’s stool is like water, and it smells bad, sometimes bloody.
- At death, the dog will urinate once because he can’t control his muscles at all.
Observe the skin condition of the dog. Due to dehydration, the dog’s skin cannot return to its original shape after being pinched. The mucous membranes on the gums and lips are pale. Under normal circumstances, a dog’s gums will return to their original pink color after a second when they are pressed; but when they are about to die, they will not return to their original state for a long time.
Determine if the dog is old
See if the dog responds quickly. If the dog only becomes sluggish, and there is no problem with eating, drinking, walking, or standing, it can respond when you call it. This just means that the dog is old and it has no other pain.
- At this time, the dog will still do some things it likes, such as walking around, being petted, playing, like dealing with other dogs, but not as often as before.
Pay attention to see how much it eats. When the dog gets older, his appetite will decrease, but he eats regularly. Just like human beings, when they are old, they consume fewer calories and eat less naturally. This is just a natural law, there is nothing to worry about.
Observe the dog’s sleep. Dogs are old and sleep a lot more than before, but they can walk around after sleeping, are willing to socialize, and are willing to eat; while sick dogs sleep a lot, but are reluctant to walk around and eat less.
Observe how it reacts to other dogs. Dogs will lose interest in sexual behavior when they are old, even if there is a dog of the opposite sex next to him, he will be uninterested. Humans and dogs are not the same. When people are old, they may be happy for a long time because of little things.
Observe the dog’s appearance. When the dog gets old, many things will gradually appear, such as:
- The hair becomes gray.
- Places where the body rubs frequently, such as elbows, leg bones, buttocks, etc., will be bald.
- The tooth is missing.
- The hair on his face turned white.
If your dog has these symptoms, try to make it more comfortable. These symptoms all show that it is very old, you can do something to make it more comfortable:
- Let it stay in a warm and airy room.
- Give it a quilt to make it sleep better.
- Give it food and water, but don’t force it to eat.
- Spend some time with it every day. You can talk to it and touch its head.
- Although it is in the final stage of life, the dog still tries its best to please its owner. When you caress it, it will try its best to respond even if it is lying there unable to move. Some dogs will wag their tails weakly, and some can’t do anything but will roll their eyes in response.
Let the dog go away comfortably
Find out if euthanasia is suitable for your dog. Authorities believe that euthanasia can allow animals to die without pain. This is a humane way of killing dogs. It has three main goals:
- Relieve the suffering of animals.
- Before the animal loses consciousness, minimize its pain, tension, fear, and anxiety.
- Let the animals not hurt or struggle when they die.
- If euthanasia makes it easier for the dog to die, consider this method. But in the long run, is this approach good? You have to think carefully.
Think carefully about whether to euthanize your dog. Sometimes, we want our dogs to accompany us more. It is actually a manifestation of our selfishness. The dog may live a very painful life. If you can let it die without pain, it is actually a kind of relief for it. So should we euthanize the dog? You can think from the following aspects:
- Is the dog’s disease incurable?
- Does the dog’s pain no longer work with painkillers or other medicines?
- Is the dog’s injury not healed? For example, it was amputated, its head was severely injured, and its bleeding continued.
- Does its disease make it difficult to live? For example, can it not eat, drink, move, or defecate on its own?
- Are dogs born with defects and cannot be treated with surgery, so their quality of life is low?
- Are dogs infected with diseases such as rabies, which pose a great threat to the lives of other animals and humans?
- Even if it can be cured, can it still do what it liked to do before?
- If the answers to these questions are yes, then it is time to euthanize the dog.
Whether or not to euthanize, you still have to consult a veterinarian. They can accurately assess the dog’s physical condition through testing and determine whether your dog can be cured. If there is no rule, it is better to euthanize it.
- However, the decision is still in your hands.
Understand the conditions for euthanasia. In general, any situation that causes severe physical pain can be euthanized, whether it is acute or chronic. Specific examples are as follows:
- Injured in a car accident.
- Canine Trichocystis.
- Late stages of diseases such as renal failure, liver failure, invasive tumors, or malignant tumors.
- Contagious diseases like rabies cannot be cured and pose a threat to the lives of other animals and humans.
- For dogs with behavioral problems, for example, some dogs will be aggressive to other animals or humans, and treatment will not be effective. This poses a threat to the lives of other animals and humans and the environment.
Find out if the dog is dying. If you have the following signs, you should consider euthanizing them.
- Dogs can’t walk, eat, drink, stand at all, and have no interest in doing these things.
- The dog can’t get up and has incontinence.
- The dog is listless, has difficulty breathing, and any emergency treatment and medication will not work.
- Due to a certainly fatal disease, the dog will constantly cry or whine.
- The dog can’t lift his head.
- If the dog’s body is cold, it means that its organs are failing.
- The dog has a big tumor and cannot be treated with surgery. The tumor makes it painful and poor blood circulation.
- Mucous membranes such as gums are pale and dehydrated.
- The pulse is slow and weak.
- When the dog has these symptoms, it is best to ask the vet to help you check the dog’s physical condition. The veterinarian will provide you with professional advice to help you make a decision.
Suggest
When deciding to euthanize a dog, it may be very painful, but this is a problem we must face. The most important thing is whether we can let the dog leave peacefully and with dignity. If it can make the dog die less painful, this thing is still worth doing.
It’s cruel to let the dogs leave like this, but it’s better than watching them die. Remember to take a picture of it at the last moment.
Saying goodbye to the dog is the most painful. But if you don’t let it euthanize, its pain will become more and more serious. So when you say goodbye to the dogs, stay with them until they leave. When you keep the dog in mind, it can stay with you forever.