A new study has revealed that decisions about euthanasia for dogs are mainly driven by diseases and concerns about quality of life, rather than age.
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The study, conducted by the Dog Aging Project, involved 2,570 dog owners who were asked about the circumstances of their dogs’ deaths, including the cause of death, whether euthanasia was involved, the reason euthanasia may have been chosen, and what medical symptoms, age characteristics, and quality of life the animal had before death.
Of the owners who responded to this survey, more than 85% of those whose dogs died reported opting for euthanasia. Additionally, nearly half of them said they did so to relieve their pets’ suffering. More than half of the total respondents also listed disease or illness as the actual cause of death.
“What this survey shows is that all dog owners struggle with deciding when it’s time to say goodbye, and you’re not alone if you’re facing this decision,” said Dr. Kellyn McNulty, internal medicine resident of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) of Texas A&M University.
“As veterinarians, we encourage people to consider not just the ‘lifespan’ of a companion animal, but also the ‘health span’ – the portion of your dog’s life when they’re in good health. Advocating for your pet is about more than helping them live longer — it’s also about making sure that the time they have here on Earth is a good time,” she added.
To the researchers’ surprise, the dog’s age was not a significant factor contributing to the choice of euthanasia. “One of the most interesting things that we learned from the survey was that euthanasia isn’t something that primarily affects older dogs,” McNulty said.
“Some illnesses and diseases can affect younger dogs, which can lower their quality of life and lead owners to wonder whether it might be time to say goodbye sooner rather than later,” the veterinarian concluded.
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