How Much Is Too Much? ND Family Puts Down Their Dog

As dramatic as the title sounds, it's a million times more when it's finally your turn

How many times have you logged onto your Facebook, and the first thing that hits you and your heartstrings is a series of photos of a family's pet, followed by a "goodbye" post? I see it all the time, and sadly it's a part of life that at one point or another we all face. When the quality of life starts to turn for the worse for a cherished and loved pet, you know the right thing to do almost immediately is to head to the local veterinarian.

How much is too much?

This is the burning question that can haunt you for years to come. A friend of mine in Minot recently had this situation faced directly. Their family dog of 15 years showed signs of deteriorating the last few months - with a loss of appetite and weight, it was apparent that something was wrong. When a visit to their vet came about, the doctor had bad news, Smokey had cancer. This is something that is quite alarming to me, according to wearethecure.org "...1 in 3 dogs will be diagnosed with cancer? 50% of those dogs will die from cancer. In humans, there are 1.5 million new cases of cancer each year, but in dogs, there are 6 million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year" Now what can be done? Well, blood work, x-rays, future medication, and other costs can help prolong a pet's life, but it doesn't come cheap. So how much is too much?

THE toughest decision parents will ever have to make

How does a mom or dad look into the eyes of their children and tell them that Smokey is going away forever? The parents had to look at their finances and just accept that they couldn't afford to keep the animal alive, and it was absolutely gut-wrenching. Doing the right thing and putting your pet down is THE most painful thing ever.