The Most Difficult Decision A Dog Lover Must Make
When you adopt a puppy, you are inviting him to share your life
and you get the privilege of sharing his. As his owner, you are
responsible for making sure he behaves, providing him plenty of
healthy food, and giving him plenty of love and attention. He
repays you with unconditional love and anyone who’s had a happy
doggy face to meet them after a long hard day at work knows that
what he asks for is little enough for the joy that he so happily
offers. Part of being a responsible and loving dog owner,
however, is knowing when you need to say good bye.
There are unfortunately several situations in which you may be
called upon to make one of the most heart breaking decisions of
a dog owner’s life. Your dog might have been in accident, or he
might have developed a life-threatening illness. In the middle
of his situation, you might be called upon by your vet to decide
whether it would be more merciful to continue treatment or to
simply let your beloved pet go. Times like this are
extraordinarily difficult, but as the person who has always been
responsible for your dog, you need to make the right decision
for both his sake and yours.
When placed in this position, you need to evaluate all the
facts as logically as you can. What is the vet proposing? What
are the chances of success? Even if the operation or treatment
does succeed, what is your precious pup’s quality of life going
to be like? These are all questions that your vet can help
answer for you, but you are the one that knows your dog the
best. You know better than anyone else what will make him happy
and content, and you know what situations will make him
miserable.
If you ever have to make this difficult decision, it will be
difficult to avoid being swayed by sentiment. You should never
think of euthanasia as having your beloved dog killed; in many
cases it is a mercy, though a heartbreaking one for the ones
left behind. Your dog doesn’t have your powerful reasoning
abilities; he will never understand why he is in pain from
continual treatment or diseases. All he will know is that every
day is difficult and he cannot do the things that used to make
him happy. You are the one who is responsible for your dog’s
continued happiness and contentment, so seriously think about
how your dog will live out his life. If you feel that he can
come out of treatment as a healthier dog who can enjoy his life,
that’s one thing, but if all it means is continued survival by
scraping by, you need to consider your dog’s happiness.
The big question to ask yourself is whether your beloved canine
companion is still enjoying his life. Think about all the things
that he loves to do. Is he still able to do them? If your dog
can’t muster up the energy to even enjoy the snacks you bring,
or even gentle petting can make him uncomfortable, it might be
time to say goodbye.
About The Author: Joann Henry operates “Doggie Health Care”
http://www.DoggieHe althCare. com a blog all about our pooches
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