Age is not a disease, but an aging pet is more likely to develop diseases that significantly impact their quality of life (QOL). To relieve their old friends’ suffering, some pet owners often decide to humanely euthanize their pets. Knowing when to take this step is difficult because you cannot know your pet’s wishes, but you can carefully assess their QOL to make an informed decision. Our Aloha Veterinary Hospital team is also here to help you assess your pet’s physical and mental wellbeing, guiding you through end-of-life decisions.

Common senior pet diseases

Senior pets often experience normal aging changes or may develop diseases that impact their overall function. Both normal and abnormal aging changes contribute to a pet’s declining QOL in different ways. Aging is an individual process, and your pet’s disease response will differ from another’s. A senior pet can suffer from these common conditions:

  • Arthritis
  • Obesity
  • Kidney and urinary tract disease
  • Diabetes
  • Cushing’s syndrome
  • Thyroid disorders
  • Liver disease
  • Heart disease
  • Cataracts
  • Hearing loss
  • Cancer

Maximizing senior pet’s health and wellness

As your pet ages, you can help minimize how changes and diseases affect them. Support your senior pet and maximize their QOL and longevity by ensuring they receive the following:

  • Semi-annual wellness exams — Enable your veterinarian to detect your pet’s subtle health changes as early as possible.
  • Routine screening tests — Early disease detection allows your veterinarian to provide effective treatments. Our veterinarians may perform blood work, X-rays, ultrasound, or blood cancer screening tests based upon each individual patient’s needs.
  • High-quality nutrition and supplements — Age and disease-appropriate nutrition can make a huge, positive difference in your pet’s health status.
  • Gentle exercise — By keeping your pet active, you help maintain their weight, muscle strength, mental stimulation, and joint health. 
  • Medical treatments — Ensuring your pet receives veterinarian-recommended treatments helps manage their diseases more effectively.

What causes suffering in pets?

Each pet’s idea of suffering is different, and your outlook is likely different from your pet’s. In addition to physical discomfort, suffering includes emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. The same disease or symptom may cause one pet to suffer, but another who has the same problem may handle it better. A concerned pet owner also suffers when their furry friend is sick because they are responsible for their pet’s wellbeing, which includes the care’s financial, social, physical, mental, and time-commitment aspects.

A QOL assessment and discussion with our Aloha Veterinary Hospital team can help a pet owner decide if their beloved companion is suffering, which is likely to initiate a euthanasia conversation. Generally speaking, the following conditions may contribute to a pet’s suffering:

  • Acute or chronic pain
  • Inability to maintain adequate hydration or nutrition (e.g., nausea, vomiting, constant thirst)
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Persistent itching 
  • Anxiety, fear, or stress
  • Isolation, frustration, or boredom

Assessing pet quality of life 

Only a pet’s owner can adequately assess their furry pal’s QOL. While our Aloha Veterinary Hospital team can make important observations, you know your pet best. If you are uncertain about your pet’s wellbeing, our team may ask you to fill out a QOL survey or questionnaire, such as this one from The Ohio State University, which will help you objectively assess the situation. Repeating this assessment weekly and at times daily can be useful to measure progress or decline over time. This article also provides some helpful insight. 

The veterinary care team’s role

Our role as your pet’s veterinary care team is to help you assess their QOL by providing guidance and information about your furry pal’s condition. We can help you determine if pain, thirst, nausea, difficulty breathing, or mental distress is affecting your pet, and discuss what these factors mean for their wellbeing. Our team is also here to discuss your needs and concerns, helping you decide what’s best for your family.

When you are faced with your pet’s chronic disease, terminal diagnosis, or end-of-life decision, we will discuss the options and walk beside you no matter the path you choose for your pet. Euthanasia, hospice care, natural therapies, and medical treatments are all possibilities.

You and your pet have a special bond and understand each other in ways others cannot, which puts you in the unique position to make the best care decisions for your furry pal. We’re here to guide you while you navigate your pet’s golden years, and our Aloha Veterinary Hospital team can help you maximize your pet’s QOL through age-appropriate veterinary care. To discuss your aging pet’s wellbeing or end-of-life care options, schedule a visit with us.