Pet’s fate tough decision

Paw’s Corner

Q: My best friend, “Jake,” a beautiful housecat, had just celebrated his 10th birthday last year when I noticed he was losing weight. The vet diagnosed him with diabetes, noting that he had lost 7.4 pounds and that his blood (sugar) was above 500. He was given special food, and I was told he would need insulin shots every day.

Jake did nothing but eat and sleep, and you could tell he didn’t feel good. The vet said that he would not get better. We were given four days to decide what to do. We felt that the cost of treatment was too much and that he had no chance of getting better, and so we decided to put Jake to sleep. It has been weighing on my mind ever since. Did we do the right thing? — James K. in Westminster, Colo.

A: The choice of providing treatment versus ending a pet’s suffering is one of the hardest decisions a pet owner can make. There will always be questions, no matter which way one goes, as to whether the decision was the right one.

The answer lies with each pet owner, but I can say this with confidence: You made your decision with love. Jake was clearly suffering, with little or no chance of improvement and no chance of a cure. Would keeping him alive a little longer have made Jake happy, or just you? Because he’s your best friend, you had to make a decision that was best for him.