Is it OK to put your dog to sleep if treatment becomes too expensive?

Question

I have a cocker spaniel who is 12 1/2 years old. He's been relatively healthy his whole life, but recently he went into right-sided heart failure. His stomach is hugely distended and is full of fluid - they drained 2 1/2 pounds of it today at the vet. They gave him some medication, but if it doesn't work they recommended we take him to a heart specialist an hour away - the vet said this might start adding up to $10,000. We don't have that kind of money. He is a loving dog and we love him very much, but when is too much too much? He's not in pain - just uncomfortable from heavy breathing (due to the heart failure).

My question - is it ethical to put a dog to sleep, even if there is treatment that may or may not work, because it is too expensive?

Please help. :o(

UPDATED: Thank you all so much for your extremely kind words... I think all I was really looking for is to feel a little less like a monster for considering this option... and that is certainly what I got.

If this was my child, of course, I would give her my heart a hundred times over... but it isn't, it's my (beloved) dog. After the procedure today he seems much happier and livelier, and we have started him on the medication. I hope that that will be enough - we have two different vets (we like second opinions), and both of them said that if this works we could have 4-5 more years with him. As long as he is not in pain, I have no problem with paying a few hundred dollars every now and again to have his abdomen drained, like they did today. That, we can certainly afford, especially if it gives us a few more great years. :)

Thank you all so so so much for taking the time to make me feel a hundred times better.

Answer 1

I think it is a personal decision and I think sometimes people do a lot more than necessary to prolong the life of their beloved pet because they do not want to let go, even if it is time. I do not think it is a great life for you or the dog to have to go through procedure after procedure, I know it can be painful to watch and it is very upsetting when it does not work.

I am sure that many people will say that it is cruel but until they are in the same position faced with the same decisions they have no room to judge.

You are the only one that can decide what is best in this situation.

Answer 2

I had a dog that was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that there was little hope of curing. First he had the surgery, then we had to take him for a two hour drive to a small college town near me to get his radiation treatments. Every weekend we could pick him up on Fridays and bring him home, until Sunday when he'd have to go back for another week. This went on for a month and cost thousands of dollars. We didn't mind the money because we had it and we felt as long as he had a standard of living that was all right we were doing the right thing. But looking back...I wouldn't do it again. Looking back I feel like we just prolonged everything. There really wasn't any stopping it anyway and I now feel it might have been kinder in the long run to let him go before we did the radiation treatments. Because the truth is he had cancer, and he was ill the whole time. I don't mean he was miserable, but he wasn't himself and the inevitable happened anyway.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is know when to say goodbye and when to NOT intervene. I'm sorry you are facing this, GL

Answer 3

I would say that if he doesn't improve with meds then it wouldn't be unethical for you to have him euthanized. Veterinary medicine is progressing very quickly and unfortunately while some procedures are out there, very few people can actually afford them. Plus hospitalization and surgery is stressful on dogs and if it is unlikely to work anyway the kindest thing would be to have him put down.

Do try the medicine though. Unfortunately congestive heart failure is degenerative, but it might work well enough to make him comfortable and give you a little extra time with him. Also your vet may suggest a low sodium diet.

Answer 4

I am not really sure what is ethical for this type of situation. My best guess would be to ask the vet first. If the vet says no, then I would try calling some animal rescues or dog shelters and see if they will take the dog. But if the dog has to go through all of this it probably would be best to put the dog down to save you pain and also the dog pain.

Answer 5

I think a better question - is it ethical to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on an ederly dog that may or may not work? Just because we have treatments for certain conditions doesn't mean that we should artificially extend life - especially if the quality of the life is going to be greatly reduced (e.g. think edlery people on ventilators for years simply because a family doesn't want to let go).

This question that you have asked is quite a personal one. Ultimately, you need to decide what you can live with. It is ethical to put down an older (a lot older!) dog because treatment is expensive and quality of life has degraded. You need to decide if you can live with that. The aftereffects of putting the dog down are what you need to think about. After you do it - will you regret it a few days later? Would you think, oh no, I should have spent that money? If the answer is yes, then you have your answer, you are willing to spend the money for treatment, regardless of anything else. If the answer is no, he had a great life, he was really sick, he was suffering, his quality of life was not good and wouldn't have improvved, keeping him alive by spending all of that money would have been selfishness on my part, then you know what to do.

Only you can decide which scenario fits. Please think - and I will say a prayer for you and your pet. May whatever decision you come to be one of peace.

Answer 6

Unfortunately sometimes it is the best option.

You have to look at it this way, the dog is already 12.5 years old (easy math calculation that makes him about 87 years old-not really, but close enough for this).

Even if the surgery works, it is going to shorten his life span slightly and slow him down.

Remember also that your dog is not going to understand any of this. He's going to go to the vet for a scary treatment that he may or may not make it out of, and that may or may not help him.

Were it my dog, I would try the meds. If they dont work reevaluate, but consider how his life will be each way and whether that amount of money is really being well spent.

Im sorry youre having to make this decision, but please dont feel bad. Sometimes these things have to be done. Love him while you can, remember him when he's gone.

Answer 7

That's a question that every dog owner has to answer for himself. If the dog is expected to recover with the right treatment but you don't have the money you can ask the vet either for payment options, referrals to charities that help with vet bills, or possibly surrendering it to a rescue group who has some funds for this.

What I'd recommend is going as far as you can financially. Given the details you said, I'd at least try this medication. You know, don't rule out an option that's financially feasible for you right now just because the possibility of it not working. Try what you can.

Also, explore alternatives. I looked into this but never did it with our dog (turned out he didn't have a heart problem) but it seemed promising: http://www.caninehearthealth.com/

Best wishes.

Answer 8

In your case, yes I think it's okay to put him to sleep. This is an extreme measure that a lot of people use to just get rid of an animal that becomes to much of a problem or inconvenience to deal with. However, your spaniel has had a long and healthy life with a family who loves him. So I hope the meds work, but if not you'll still be in my prayers.

Answer 9

Yes, it is ethical, and even humane in many cases.

Your dog is over 12, so he is getting up there in years, and the treatment might not work. Plus, look at what he has to go through.

The thing is, you can spend until you have no more money left, but sometimes it is just his time.

I spent @ $10, 000 once to try to save an 8 yr. old dog. In retrospect, he suffered too much. I wish I hadn't done that.

It is your decision. I am sorry you are having to deal with this.

Answer 10

It is a terrible situation, and no one should have to make that decision. I have two dogs and I love them very much.

Having said that, and reading that it could cost you up to $10,000, I would say it is ethical to but your dog to sleep. It would be hard to come up with that kind of money for yourself, much less your dog.

Maybe ask your vet if there are any alternative treatments that aren't so expensive that might, if not save him, then at least make him more comfortable.

Good luck in your hard times.. *hugs*