at what point do you reach your limit for veterinary care for an ailing pet?

a family member of mine has a morbidly obese pet who cannot lose weight despite diet, exercise, and medication. This dog is 10 years old and she has paid thousands upon thousands of dollars, and has nearly lost her house in the process because of the financial burden of the veterinary care. The veterinarian has suggested euthinization (sp?) for the dog many times, but my family member still insists on prolonging his life as long as possible through pain medication. At what point is enough enough?

When the pet owner decides it is...i was once told to put my dog down because "he could not survive a back condition he was born with" i didnt listen and 3 yrs later my dog runs, jumps, plays and is a happy healthy dog with no signs of being in pain like the vet said he was. Pet owners offend know their pets better than anyone and i dont know anyone who would let their pet suffer. if pain meds help the dog and it is still happy and able to live life comfortably then i dont see a problem.

Oh that is tough, you have to be willing to accept what is best for the animal. the fact that the animal was obese to start with makes me think the owner has issues with the animals care. If the animal is suffering and it can't be helped it's time.

No vet recommends euthenasia lightly. Once a vet recommends it, I would take the matter very seriously, and, depending on the condition of the animal at the time, I would probably take it home, give it a great day, or week, and then have it put to sleep. (Unless the animal was obviously in pain, dying, etc)Once the animal's quality of life is compromised, and there is little to nothing that you can do for it, then I would opt for euthenasia. But it depends largely on the situation, the health problem, the age of the animal, the health of the animal in general, how the animal would react to the treatment, how much time and money I have to commit to the pet (lets face it- sometimes you just cannot afford to fix things, or do not have the time necessary to rehabilitate them properly) etc, etc.

A very tough question. And I'm answering it with a purring cat in my lap, which I rescued at some expense. (flea treatments, eye infections, etc.) She was young and just needed a loving home. I was glad to pay the $500. One thing to consider is that our animals friends live much shorter lives than we do, so a 10 year old dog has already lived a fairly long life. The most important thing is to give them a painless, graceful exit in a loving way when it's obvious their quality of life has been impaired.Always spay and neuter your pets!

The fact that your family member almost lost the house is a bit much but as long as the animal is not suffering, then why would euthanization be an option?

Obviously you're looking out for your family member, but she might not take it that way. To me enough is enough when there is no more quality of life left in the dog, but your family member may not feel the same. She loves the dog, and when the right time comes, she will know it.

Yes, if the doggie is still eating And can get around, let it be. It is nice to have the input from the vet, because sometimes we know it is right and the vet won't give that to you. But your friend will know, and you should never try to sway someone. It is her right as the owner and I don't think she would want her pet to suffer. The time does sound like it may be in the next year. The pain medications have a tendency to make the kidneys fail, and then the time will be very near. My last dog was on medication for 2 years and his kidneys failed and he would lie there in his own urine, so I knew I had to do it. Good Luck to you, your friend and most of all the doggie

We have faced this dilemma several times with three special needs dogs. First and foremost, we look at the comfort of the dog. What is his quality of life. Is he in pain, does he take pleasure in little things like chasing a ball, chewing a bone, running through the sprinkler. What is his age, prognosis, and the likelihood that a treatment or cure is within our means? And will it improved his quality of life or just prolong his suffering?We joke about owning a $19,000 free dog. We adopted a dog that was ultimately found to have a catastrophic brain malformation requiring multiple MRI's and two complicated neurosurgeries including insertion of a shunt. He was an otherwise healthy puppy with an amazing personality. We made a conscious decision to forgo some vacations and renovations to the kitchen because we felt an obligation to him. We knew he had some sort or unidentified problem when we accepted him and we had agreed to take care of him. Although the breeder we adopted him from urged us to put him to sleep, we looked at the situation and felt he deserved a chance. His second surgery had to wait until we saved enough to cover the procedure and the vet worked with us to keep him comfortable during that time.Would I have jeopardized our financial security, our home, or our children's education? Never. But putting him to sleep wasn't palatable to us either. His prognosis was guarded, but we also saw an opportunity to benefit veterinary medicine since one of his procedures was experimental. Would I have made the same choice for an overweight 10year old dog? Not in a million years.And if my vet was suggesting euthanasia, I would take that suggestion to heart.Your family member sounds pathological. This dog didn't get morbidly obese on his own and there is a school of thought that allowing that to happen is an insidious form of animal cruelty. In light of the vet's advice, he fact that she can't let go even to the detriment of her family and their financial security is concerning. I think it's important to determine what the dog represents to her. Clearly it's something she is having a great deal of difficulty letting go of, and her reaction when the dog ultimately passes may be extreme and necessitate professional help.

When the doctor is even considering euthanasia.In my opinion,your family member has put that animal through enough hell by over feeding it and letting it get so big that the doctor thinks it should be put down,that poor thing.They deserve to lose their house and home and go into debt for being so stupid.K a r m a