Hospice for the 100-pound Pet

Yes, we are considering just that.

Yes, there will be people who disagree with us.

If you have ever found yourself in the place where you have decided to euthanize your pet, you have probably found a very rough place to be.

Too many tears, So many rallies, Your guy/girl has always bounced back.  When each bounce back takes more time, you know that soon there will be no way around it. Your pet is not going to bounce back.

The adult in you listens to the protocol – do the right thing, do not let the animal suffer.

These words are correct. We cannot let the animal suffer.

But when the specifics that are plaguing you include -the animal is not suffering, it is not injured, it is quietly closing this chapter of it’s life, making the decision to kill it is hard.

This animal that has lived with you in love and life, with its sheer company - eased you through countless tough places, has been a friend through and through, snores beside you, breaths beside you, trusts you.

The decision to euthanize is hard, period.

This blog is about Hospice.

A project is being taken on by our family to Hospice our slowly dying Cane Corso. He is dying. He is not in pain. He is very tired.  He is conscious, eating and drinking. Other bodily functions are normal.  This gentle dog has been a member of our family since we rescued him as an adolescent in 2012. That makes him 15 absolute years, possibly 15+. This dying chapter of his life has not caught us by surprise.  He is a giant. We knew he would not have an extensive life-span.

He’s peeing and pooping in the “wrong” places.

He has lucid spells and confused spells.

When he’s lucid, he wants to get outside, once outside he can become very confused.

Leashing him to go outside now is a must.

Only 3 days ago he was not on leash, and galloping. Galloping.

2 days ago he started to fall and not be able to get up on his own.  He had been falling, but was always able to get up. We knew “it was time”.  My husband and I cried and made plans for his euthanasia.

This is a big, big boy. Simply putting him in a car to take him to somewhere else to put his death in the hands of someone else, seemed hurtful, not loving.

It was hard.  We were weak.  While we gathered our resolve, we cordoned him to his favorite ‘me’ place, under a temporary studio table in the front room, a space typically strewn with blankets or towels for the latest project.  He loved it there.

And he peed on the blankets.

And we thought.

It was late on a Saturday. We resolved to make the trip to euthanize him on Monday.

Until then it was hospice time – keeping him on clean bedding, keeping him from hurting himself, providing water and light food, lots of loving, lots of touching, long strokes, many tears.

In keeping him on clean bedding, we sacrificed a few comforters to the cause.

My husband went to work the next morning, Sunday, after he had loaded the most recent comforter into the washer and hung the just previous comforter to dry.

I monitored Mo and loved him quietly every office break I had, getting him outside if it appeared he wanted to go.  He often gazed back into my eyes with perfect recognition, other times he was off in some inner place where I couldn’t reach him.  Most times he just slept.

Then I thought about it.  The dog wasn’t aggressive, was not injured, was simply and quietly on his way out.  If we were changing his bedding, providing the right amounts of food and water, monitoring his walks, For a Day, then why couldn’t we do it for a few more days?-and he could just die at home with the people who loved him.

I called my husband - he was already in mode to pick up more comforters from the thrift store on the way home.  We laughed together.

Hospice it is, for now. Gamechanger will, of course, be any onset of pain.  Wish us luck.

This is going to require some strict plans.

Clean bedding

Appropriate feed

Appropriate water intake

Appropriate very light exercise when he was able to get up; Joint range of motion therapy when he is not able to get up.

Repositioning every 2 hours if immobile to prevent bruising, bed sores

All the Research we can both achieve on the subject.

 Notes, For Further Reading

How to Hospice Your 100 lb Pet – AI generated answer, spot on, highly recommended read: https://share.google/aimode/BNhsTmwKmwuFmE2P2

*In my experience with the vets I have had the honor of becoming friends with many, it is true your own family veterinarian may come to your home to euthanize your dog, when that time comes, or at least give you guidance if you would like to call them. There are also such organizations as ‘Lap of Love’ offer support for anticipatory grief, https://www.lapoflove.com/.