Dog Euthanasia : How to Cope with a Hard Decision

     I did not even consider my alternatives when, last Fall, the choice came for me to pay $4,000 to save my dog's life with a procedure. I was confident he would be well again, because even though his stomach damage was dire, he was just 3 years old.

It did not take long before, I saw blood when he would go to the back yard to go to the bathroom. We went back to our veterinarian, who is a family friend, and she recommended another round of testing, but Carl was unable to get up after taking a nap just two weeks after the appointment. Because he had paralysis caused by a seizure in his spine, he was able to pick up his head to look at me with his helpless brown eyes, but was unable to do anything else.

This distressed me. Despite the fact that every day in the hospital witnessed his state lessen, I did not give up hope and even tried to find dog wheelchairs. Just a miracle, not a quad wheelchair, could give him the life he should have, and I could not forget that. However I still wished he could stay forever.

I may have been downcast, but not impotent. It gave me the willpower to make the best choice after I was aware of every one of my choices.

If you're similar to me, and I know you are or you wouldn't be reading this, you are worried about your pet, and you strive to make the best decisions. However, where do you start?

Even though everyone views dying differently, but that isn't to say that a guide can't help you arrive there more smoothly Where you go is determined by the choices you make, however it's possible to strip away the apprehension and pain once you are aware of your choices, and where they will guide you.

A close friend gave me an invaluable book just before I lost Carl - More Than a Pet, by Dr. Pat Bradley. It told me all the information I needed to know to make good decisions. If you would like to be positive you're making a choice in line with your world view, I suggest you read something along these lines.