These guides are for the last stretch of a dog's life, when you are trying to work out how they are really doing and whether it is getting close to time. None of them decides for you. Each one gives you a way to see the weeks more clearly and better questions to bring to your vet.
Start with the scale
Most of these pages lean on one tool. The dog quality of life scale asks seven questions about your dog's past week (hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility, and whether the good days still outnumber the bad) and gives you a score out of 70 and a one-page sheet to take to the vet. It takes a few minutes. Scored once a week, it shows you the direction things are going in a way single days can't.
The guides
- How to Know When to Euthanize a DogHow to know when to euthanize a dog: the signs vets watch, a seven-area scale to score the weeks, what the appointment involves, and the questions to ask.
- How to Know When to Put My Dog DownHow to know when to put my dog down: there is no formula, but there is a way to think it through. The signs, the scale, and the conversation with your vet.
- When to Euthanize a Dog With CancerWhen to euthanize a dog with cancer is not a date the diagnosis gives you. How to watch the weeks, score them, and ask the oncologist the questions that help.
- When to Euthanize a Dog With Kidney FailureWhen to euthanize a dog with kidney failure: how families watch the weeks, which of the seven areas kidney disease touches first, and how to bring it to the vet.
- Senior Dog Quality of Life ScaleA senior dog quality of life scale for the slow decline, when "she's just getting old" stops being enough. Score weekly, download the PDF, bring it to the vet.
- Saying Goodbye to Your DogSaying goodbye to your dog, whether it’s a week away, tomorrow, or already done. What families do with the last good day, what the day is like, and what helps after.
If the loss has already come
If you are reading this afterwards, there are poems for a dog who has passed away, including one for the people who had to make the choice, and a page for friends and family who want to help.