When to say goodbye? How to assess your senior dog's quality of life.

Question

I need advice on when do I know it is time to say goodbye to my 16-year-old cockapoo. She is still eating but is unstable on her feet and is going potty at times in her pen. She does not seem to be in pain but is moving slowly. She can still make it around the block if we walk slow. The local vet said that almost 2 years ago she had Cushing's disease but we never put her through the tests so he was just guessing. I do not want to give up on her if she is not in pain. Need advice. Pet's info: Dog | Cockapoo | Female | spayed | 17 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

I hate to hear that about Tootsie. It’s always so hard to know when to let them go. I recommend to keep a daily calendar. At the end of the day mark if it was a good day, a bad day or a mediocre day. This will give you a concrete way to evaluate her overall quality of life. Things to look for are decreasing appetite or not eating, no longer enjoying the things that they used to enjoy, pain or isolating themselves. These are all quality-of-life indicators. I hope this helps you through your difficult time. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

When to say goodbye? How to assess your senior dog's quality of life.

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