Owners can help their pets die with dignity

February 8, 2007

Knowing that a beloved pet is nearing the end of life is agonizing. The slower pace and the cloudy eyes quietly confirm what we know, but wish wasn't so.

Making the decision to end a pet's pain and suffering is the most difficult decision a pet owner will face. Grief-stricken owners of terminally ill pets continually evaluate, "Is he better today? What if I miss the signs?"

Animals endure pain without sorrow. They're evolutionarily hardwired to carry on day to day. So when they show signs of illness, it's not a plea for sympathy. They do not fear or understand the inevitability of death.

Medical advances in veterinary care further complicate our thought process. How far should we go to ease their pain?

Today, treatments and medical procedures dealing with problems such as arthritis, cataracts and even cancer can extend an animal's life much longer than they did decades ago.

Recently, my friend Margaret struggled as she questioned what was in her beloved cat's best interest after a diagnosis of cancer.

Margaret had the resources to help her cat through the difficult disease. But ultimately, the cat's body no longer could battle the cancer and she knew that easing her cat's pain and suffering outweighed her own grief.

When the time came, she wanted to say goodbye in her home, where she had experienced a lifetime of wonderful memories with her treasured companion.

A sympathetic veterinarian visited Margaret's home and they joined together to relieve the cat's burden. When Margaret later shared her experience, she said that what could have been a horribly painful experience turned out to be a beautiful one. She was able to say goodbye in a safe place and her companion's pain was eased with dignity up to her last moments.

In the popular memoir by John Grogan, "Marley & Me," about his life with his beloved Labrador, Grogan shares in great detail the painful time when he had to say his final goodbyes to his 14-year-old best friend. You'll shed many tears while reading these passages, but through the tears, you realize that you've just shared a journey celebrating a joyous and wonderful life that is stronger and more enduring than even grief and loss.

- Laura Maloney