The Pet Lover's Struggle - Knowing When It's Time

My boyfriend and I just returned from a walk with our three dogs, one of whom is eight and a half years old, a Golden retriever named Autumn. Autumn has not been in the best of health since she received vaccines two years ago, unbeknownst to me. Autumn has a horrible skin condition called canine ichthyosis (fish scale disease). We are unable to put weight on her, and she cannot go on long walks. She is hypothyroid, but otherwise, all the tests run on her have come back normal. Our vet is trying vitamin A in her food twice a day to see if it will improve her skin condition as nothing else is working.

Autumn used to have the most beautiful thick coat and the sweetest disposition. She's still a sweet girl, but it seems her real joy in life is when she can have something else to eat. During tonight's walk under a clear sky in nice, cool weather, I was wondering how much time she will be with us on this earth. This makes me very sad.

Click the title of this article and read one of the best articles I've read about saying goodbye to our pets when it's time, written by Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori. I hope I won't be referring back to it anytime soon.