How Do I Know When It’s Time to Put My Dog Down? A Veterinarian Explains

Knowing when it’s time to put your dog down usually isn’t based on one single sign or one bad day. Your veterinarian can help assess your dog’s overall quality of life, including pain and comfort, appetite, hydration, mobility, hygiene, happiness, and whether good days still outnumber bad ones. Changes over time, your dog’s medical condition, and your veterinarian’s assessment will all help in your decision.

I’ve been in this situation several times, and I wish there were a sign or a definitive way to help me decide what to do. I’ve been with my Cocker Spaniels when they passed, and their circumstances were completely different.

With my first Cocker Spaniel, Brandy Noel, I faced the agonizing experience of watching disease take its toll and ultimately letting her frail body go. Years later, my second Cocker Spaniel, Dexter, was seemingly fine until hemangiosarcoma struck without warning. About 18 hours after we first suspected something was terribly wrong, he passed.

Living through that trauma taught me there isn’t always a long period of time to figure out when it’s time. And when there is, that doesn’t necessarily make the decision easy.

That’s why I spoke with Dr. Liz Fernandez, DVM, CVA, MA, a veterinarian specializing in hospice and palliative care, about how dog parents can assess quality of life, which changes matter most, and how to approach a decision none of us ever wants to make.

How Do I Know When It’s Time to Put My Dog Down?

There isn’t one single test, symptom, or number on a checklist that determines when it’s the right time to euthanize your dog. The decision depends on your individual dog, your dog’s health and quality of life, what you can still do to keep them comfortable, and what you and your veterinary team see over time.

Dr. Liz says one of the most important things for dog parents to understand is that there isn’t a universal formula for making this decision.

“There is no right or wrong decision,” she says. “It’s not an objective call. It’s not when you get a certain number of this or that or the other thing happening.”

Instead, she encourages pet parents to keep reassessing their dog’s quality of life as things change. For a dog nearing the end of life, that can mean asking yourself each day, “Is it today?”

One day, the answer may be no. Your dog may still be eating, comfortable, engaged, and enjoying the things that matter to them. On another day, something may change. The important thing is to look at the whole picture and whether adjustments, treatments, or comfort measures are still helping.

As Dr. Liz explained, there may come a point when nothing you try is helping anymore, your dog is no longer enjoying life, or their pain or other symptoms can no longer be adequately managed. At that point, the answer to “Is it today?” may be different than it was yesterday.

Your dog’s quality of life is about much more than whether they’re eating, walking, or simply still here alive and with you. It’s an assessment of their overall physical and emotional well-being, including whether they’re comfortable, can enjoy meaningful parts of their day, and whether health problems can still be managed in a way that lets them live a life they enjoy.

There is a quality of life formal assessment we’ll discuss below, but some of the things to consider are:

• Pain and comfort: Are they comfortable, or are they showing signs of pain or distress?
• Breathing: Can they breathe comfortably?
• Eating: Are they interested in food and able to eat comfortably?
• Hydration: Are they drinking enough and staying hydrated?
• Mobility: Can they stand, walk, and move around without significant difficulty?
• Bathroom habits and hygiene: Can they eliminate normally and remain clean?
• Sleep and rest: Can they settle down and rest comfortably?
• Happiness and engagement: Are they interested in you, their surroundings, and the things they normally enjoy?

Dr. Liz shared her experience caring for her own seriously ill cat as an example of individual quality of life. Although she knew her cat was very sick and likely didn’t have much time left, she shared something that stuck with me:

“She was completely happy.”

Dr. Liz allowed things to unfold until, as she admitted, “it was clear that it was time for me to help her.”

So a serious diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean your dog has a poor quality of life. What matters is how your dog is feeling and functioning with each passing day, whether they’re still enjoying the things that matter to them, and how that changes over time.

What Do Veterinarians Look for When Assessing Quality of Life?

Changes in your dog’s comfort, behavior, mobility, appetite, breathing, and interest in everyday life can signal declining quality of life. However, one change by itself doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to consider euthanasia, but new, worsening, or persistent changes should be discussed with your veterinarian. Second, even third opinions are an option to consider.

A decline in quality of life doesn’t always look the same, and it isn’t limited to senior dogs. With Brandy Noel, I watched disease gradually take its toll. I had time to see the changes and recognize that her body was becoming frail at nearly 15 years of age. With Dexter, there was no gradual decline. Hemangiosarcoma changed everything almost overnight. He was 13 years, 2 months, and 6 days old.

That’s why dog parents should never assume they’ll always have weeks or months to recognize the signs. Sometimes changes happen gradually. Sometimes a serious illness or medical crisis changes your dog’s quality of life very quickly.

Dr. Liz made this point during our conversation, explaining that a pet’s condition must be considered individually and reassessed as things change. For pets approaching the end of life, she said, “Each day we have to ask the question again…is it today?”

She also explained that there may come a point when the things you’re doing to help are no longer working: “Nothing’s helping…they’re not having a good time, they’re not eating, whatever it is, they’re painful, and we can no longer do anything to help them.”

Some changes or signs that warrant a conversation with your veterinarian and a closer look at your dog’s quality of life include:

• Pain that is becoming difficult to control
• Difficulty breathing comfortably
• Trouble eating or drinking
• Increasing difficulty standing, walking, or going to the bathroom
• Loss of interest in favorite activities or family interaction
• Repeated medical crises or worsening disease

These signs don’t automatically mean it’s time to euthanize your dog. They are reasons to talk with your veterinarian about what you’re seeing and what those changes may mean for your individual dog.

What If My Dog Is Still Eating?

A dog who is still eating can still have serious health or quality-of-life concerns. Appetite is one part of the overall assessment, but the fact that a dog is still eating doesn’t tell you whether they are comfortable, how an illness is progressing, or what may happen next.

This question hits especially close to home for me because of Dexter. His decline wasn’t a long, predictable process where he simply stopped eating and gave us an obvious sign that the end was near. He was eating, drinking, playing, went for a walk, and showed no signs of slowing down when he suddenly and without warning collapsed on that horrible November afternoon.

Brandy Noel stopped eating, and she was on an IV at home, plus baby food, as suggested by our veterinarian at the time. So each dog is unique.

I asked Dr. Liz about this specifically. What if your dog is still eating and drinking and seems to be doing okay, but you know their disease could lead to a sudden medical crisis?

“We don’t know what’s going to happen between now and then,” she told me. She explained that sometimes a dog’s condition is clearly declining even though a crisis hasn’t happened yet. In those situations, pet parents may need to consider not only how their dog is doing today, but what could happen as the disease progresses.

Dr. Liz emphasized that there isn’t one correct choice for every dog or every family. Some pet parents may decide they want to prevent a foreseeable crisis, while others may feel comfortable allowing their dog’s illness to unfold naturally. As she told me, what matters is making a decision you can live with and feel comfortable about.

Eating matters, but it is only one piece of your dog’s quality of life. Your veterinarian can help you consider appetite along with your dog’s diagnosis, comfort, pain, mobility, behavior, disease progression, and the possibility of a medical crisis.

Using the HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale

When emotions run high, it can be hard to look objectively at how your dog is doing from one day to the next. The HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale, developed by veterinary oncologist Dr. Alice Villalobos, gives pet parents and their veterinary teams a structured way to assess several important areas of a pet’s daily life.

HHHHHMM stands for:

• Hurt: Is pain being adequately controlled, and can your dog breathe comfortably?
• Hunger: Is your dog eating enough?
• Hydration: Is your dog getting enough fluids?
• Hygiene: Can your dog stay clean and comfortable?
• Happiness: Does your dog still show interest and enjoyment in life?
• Mobility: Can your dog move around adequately, with or without assistance?
• More Good Days Than Bad: Are the difficult days beginning to outnumber the good ones?

The scale isn’t meant to make the decision for you. In fact, that fits with something Dr. Liz stressed during our conversation: “It’s not an objective call. It’s not when you get a certain number of this or that or the other thing happening.”

Instead, I think of the scale as a way to organize what you’re observing, notice changes over time, and give you something concrete to discuss with your veterinarian.

Are There More Good Days Than Bad Days?

Tracking your dog’s good and hard days can help you spot patterns that may be hard to recognize when you’re living through them day by day. What counts as a good day will be different for every dog, so think about what makes your dog feel comfortable, engaged, and like themselves.

For one dog, a good day might mean enjoying a favorite meal, greeting you at the door, taking a short walk, or asking to play. For another, especially a dog with limited mobility or chronic illness, a good day may simply mean resting comfortably, enjoying affection, eating willingly, and showing interest in what’s happening around them.

This is also why I believe it helps to write things down. When you’re worried, grieving, exhausted, or caring for a sick dog around the clock, yesterday can blur into today.

That’s one of the main reasons I created the DogMinder, an affordable dog health journal available for under $10 on Amazon. Dog moms and dads asked me for a simple resource to keep important information in one place, including symptoms and changes they notice, medications, veterinary appointments, eating and drinking habits, behavior, mobility, and other details they may want to discuss with their veterinarian.

Writing things down can also help you look back and recognize patterns that may be difficult to see in the moment, especially when you’re emotionally overwhelmed.

Dr. Liz talked about this idea of reassessing during our conversation. When caring for a pet nearing the end of life, she said there can be days when you know, “Today isn’t that day.” But you need to ask again as things change.

“I know the decision wasn’t yesterday. Is it today?” she shared.

That doesn’t mean one difficult day determines the answer. It means continuing to pay attention to your individual dog, what is changing, what is still helping, and whether they are still experiencing the things that make their days good.

What If My Dog Has a Good Day After Several Bad Ones?

One good day after several difficult ones doesn’t necessarily mean your dog’s overall condition has improved. Dogs with chronic, progressive, or serious illnesses can have better days and worse days, which is why looking at the pattern over time can be more helpful than focusing on a single day.

I know how powerful those good days can feel. Your dog eats a favorite meal, wants to go outside, brings you a toy, or simply seems more like themselves, and suddenly you wonder whether you’ve been worrying unnecessarily. It’s the greatest joy a pet parent can feel!

That good day matters. Enjoy it. But also consider it alongside what has been happening over the previous days or weeks and what your veterinarian has told you about your dog’s condition.

This is another reason tracking can be so valuable. Rather than relying on memory during an incredibly emotional time, you can look back at what you’ve actually been observing and share those patterns with your veterinarian.

PRO TIP: Take a short video of changes you’re seeing at home. If your dog is having difficulty walking, breathing, getting comfortable, eating, or doing something else that concerns you, a video can help your veterinarian see what you’re seeing, especially if your dog behaves differently at the veterinary hospital. NEVER delay emergency veterinary care in order to record a video.

Am I Making the Decision Too Soon?

The fear of making the decision too soon is one of the hardest parts of considering euthanasia. We want every possible good day with our dogs, but we may also be afraid of waiting until they experience a frightening or painful medical crisis.

I asked Dr. Liz about this during our conversation because it was something I wrestled with after losing Dexter to hemangiosarcoma. What do you do when your dog may still be eating, drinking, and enjoying life, but you know their disease could suddenly cause a catastrophic event?

Dr. Liz acknowledged something incredibly difficult: “We don’t know what’s going to happen between now and then.”

She explained that sometimes we know a serious event could happen, but we cannot know whether it will happen peacefully or become a crisis. For some pet parents, there may be a possible outcome they know they would not want their dog to experience.

In that situation, Dr. Liz said, “There’s only one way to make sure that doesn’t happen, and that’s to make a decision before it happens.”

But she was equally clear that this isn’t a rule for everyone. She has also worked with pet parents who choose to allow their pet’s illness to unfold naturally and are comfortable with that decision.

That distinction matters to me. There isn’t one universally “right” moment for every dog and every family. Talk openly with your veterinarian about what may happen as your dog’s disease progresses, what a crisis might look like, what can be managed, and what circumstances you hope to avoid.

Talk To Your Veterinarian Before A Crisis Happens

If your dog has a serious, progressive, or life-limiting condition, talking with your veterinarian before an emergency happens can help you understand what may lie ahead. You don’t have to wait until you’re in the middle of a crisis to start asking difficult questions.

Some questions you may want to ask include:

• Is my dog experiencing pain or discomfort, and how can we tell?
• Can their pain or other symptoms still be managed?
• What changes should I be watching for at home?
• What is likely to happen as this condition progresses?
• What would constitute an emergency?
• Are there additional treatments or comfort-care options we can try?
• Would hospice or palliative care be appropriate?
• Who should I call if my dog declines after hours or on a weekend?

Your regular veterinarian may be able to help you navigate these conversations. You can also seek additional support from a veterinarian who specializes in hospice and palliative care.

Dr. Liz offers virtual consultations through Wisdom Paws for pet parents facing questions about quality of life and end-of-life decisions. She described her approach to me simply: “I’m going to be listening before I say anything.”

Her role isn’t to make the decision for you. As she explained earlier in our conversation, “I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to support you and to facilitate you in being able to make those decisions.”

I wanted dog parents to hear directly from a veterinarian who helps families navigate these decisions, so I sat down with Dr. Liz Fernandez for an honest conversation about quality of life, anticipatory grief, and the question so many of us fear: How do I know when it’s time?

In our conversation, Dr. Liz talks about why there isn’t a single formula for making this decision, what to consider when your dog is still eating and drinking, and why quality of life looks different for every pet.

If you’re facing this decision now, I hope our conversation gives you some questions to consider and helps you feel better prepared to talk with your veterinarian.

These are some questions dog parents often have when trying to understand their dog’s quality of life and whether it’s time to say goodbye.

A Final Word From One Dog Parent To Another

I wish I could tell you there is one unmistakable sign that tells you when it’s time. I wanted that certainty with my own dogs, too. Those signs never came for my spouse and me.

Brandy Noel and Dexter taught me that the end of a dog’s life can unfold in very different ways. With Brandy Noel, I watched disease gradually take its toll. With Dexter, I barely had time to understand what was happening before he was gone. Neither experience gave me a perfect roadmap for saying goodbye. Death, like life, is just that way. You just never really “know” until you are faced with the decision.

What I have learned is to pay attention to the dog in front of you. Notice the good days and the difficult ones. Write things down. Ask questions. Talk openly with your veterinarian about what you’re seeing and what may happen next. Talk with Dr. Liz. She is a compassionate veterinarian with a wealth of knowledge to help guide you in this journey.

Most of all, spend time with your dog in the present instead of allowing the fear of what is coming to take all of that time away from you. I’ve written about anticipatory grief, as I experience it to this day.

If you’re reading this because you’re facing this decision right now, I hope the information and resources in this article help you have the conversations you need and make the decision that is right for your dog and your family.

As my trademark goes, “My Heart Beats Dog®” but it breaks dog, too.