re: When to put your dog down

When your dog's quality of life is bad, you will know it is time.

I had a dog that was getting quite old in age. She suddenly lost her vision due to an accident and I thought it would be time to put her down. I decided to bring her home from the vet and see how she would do, and it just so happened that she adapted to it very well. Her mobility was normal, she went to the bathroom by herself, her appetite was great. She was clearly not as active as she used to be but it seemed that she was just old and slowing down. I would say she was still hyper and very happy and very adaptive.

I got another 3 years out of her and I would say that entire time her quality of life was definitely well enough to keep her alive. Once they start having trouble eating and going to the bathroom by themselves, it's time, and it's much easier to put a dog down when you see them suffering consistently. It's still difficult, but it's easier.