Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons!


Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons

If you have any friends or family members who are veterinarians, then you must have heard them complaining about how many euthanasia appointments they have been booked to do. This might make you wonder why more pets get euthanized during the holidays.

So, why are more pets euthanized during the holidays?

There are five top reasons why more pets get euthanized during the holidays. They are the following:

  1. Euthanization due to the pet being stressed
  2. Euthanization due to human stress
  3. Euthanization due to temperature changes
  4. Euthanization due to Travel
  5. Euthanization due to the want of spending one last holiday with the furry friend

If you want to learn more about these top five reasons why more pets get euthanized during the holidays, and you are wondering whether it is legal to euthanize a healthy dog, then make sure that you continue reading my post.

Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons! |

Why are more pets euthanized during the holidays?

There are five significant reasons why pets get euthanized during the holidays. They are the following:

Why are more pets euthanized during the holidays?- A sketch of a dog standing on their legs
  1. Due to the pet being stressed
  2. Due to human stress
  3. Due to temperature changes
  4. Due to Travel
  5. Due to the want of spending one last holiday with the furry friend

Reason no. 1: Euthanization due to the pet being stressed

As unbelievable as it might seem, many physical illnesses could develop in humans because of stress. Unfortunately, the same is true for our four-legged best friends.

In fact, any kind of stress might worsen any condition that a pet might be struggling with. Though holidays are supposed to fill the atmosphere with joy, they tend to be super stressful on pets.

The smallest changes that take place during the holidays like have guests, changing the decorations inside of your home, as well as a shift in your or your pet’s schedule could worsen your pet’s overall health.

Did you know that even short-tern stressors could lead to a significant increase in sickness behaviors in both healthy cats and cats who have feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)?

Reason no. 2: Euthanization due to human stress

Like I have previously mentioned, stress could affect the health of both humans and pets. The holidays seem to be also very stressful for many pet owners.

Apparently, some pet owners euthanize their pets due to tight finances. However, temporarily tight finances should not be the reason why a pet gets euthanized.

There are always other options like finding someone to adopt the pet, etc.

Reason no. 3: Euthanization due to temperature changes

During the holidays, the weather tends to be very cold in some cities and countries. This decrease in temperature could be very tough on some pets. For example, if a large dog has an advanced stage of osteoarthritis, then this cold weather is going to make the dog experience more pain.

The dog’s parents should be vigilant and observe whether their dog’s level of pain and mobility get worse with the colder weather or not.

Why are more pets euthanized during the holidays?- A sad dog sleeping on a blanket

If that turns out to be true, an appointment with the veterinarian should be booked for further assessment.

Depending on the dog’s level of pain and mobility, the veterinarian will recommend specific changes to be made to accommodate the dog’s mobility needs. They might even recommend a particular form of treatment to help improve the dog’s quality of life.

Unfortunately, some pet owners are unable to accommodate and implement these changes for their dogs, and they end up euthanizing them.

Reason no. 4: Euthanization due to Travel

There are some pet owners who like to travel often, especially during the holidays, but they do not like taking them along to avoid stressing them.

While getting a pet sitter or asking a friend to house sit while they are gone are both great ways to deal with the situation, some people do not like bothering others or do not want to/ can not pay for this to be done.

This yet another reason why more pets are getting euthanized during the holidays.

Reason no. 5: Euthanization due to the want of spending one last holiday with the furry friend

This is one of the most understandable reasons why more pets get euthanized during the holidays. Some pet owners have a sick pet and recommendation from a veterinarian that it is time to euthanize a dog, but they choose to do that by the end of the holidays.

Why?

During the holidays, families gather, and kids come back from university to spend the holidays with their family. This gives everyone the chance to see their beloved pet one last time and allows them to have a proper goodbye.

A dog smiling at the camera

Many veterinarians do not support this kind of act because they value the pet’s quality of life over anything else, especially if the pet’s health has declined.

Some veterinarians might end up spending a long time trying to convince the pet owners to euthanize their pets as soon as possible to prevent the pets from living in unbearable pain.

Kindly note that these five reasons are based on why people euthanize more pets during the Holidays and is no way, shape, or form a guide where I recommend doing that. 

I would personally never recommend or even consider euthanizing my furry friend for some of the reasons that I have just mentioned. 

Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons! |

Is it legal to euthanize a healthy dog or pet?

Unfortunately, there are no laws that ban the act of euthanizing healthy dogs and healthy pets. In fact, many dogs in shelters get euthanized on a daily bases in various countries all over the world. That is why it is recommended to always adopt a dog instead of buying a furry friend.

Many pet owners euthanize their dogs when they feel like they can not take care of their dogs properly, which is why people should seriously think about whether or not they are capable of handling the responsibility of adopting or buying a dog.

Luckily, the majority of the veterinarians are going to refuse to euthanize a healthy dog and will only do so if the dog has a critical medical condition. However, that is not the case for dogs who are in shelters.

I genuinely hope that one day, the act of euthanizing healthy dogs and pets, in general, becomes banned.

Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons! |

Other questions related to Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays

Does putting a dog down hurt them?

No. Putting dogs down via euthanasia doesn’t hurt them. Once the euthanasia solution is administrated into the dog, they will become unconscious within a few seconds. This means that when they stop breathing and their hearts stop beating within the next minute or two, they won’t feel anything, and thus, there is no pain.

Can dogs wake up from euthanasia?

Many dog owners, as well as other pet owners, have this common fear of their beloved pets waking up from euthanasia. However, dogs can not wake up from euthanasia. It only takes the euthanasia solution a few seconds to make a dog completely unconscious, then they will stop breathing, and their heart will stop beating. 

Once the veterinarian checks on the dog’s vitals and announces their death, the dog won’t wake up from euthanasia.

How much does euthanizing a dog cost?

On average, the cost of euthanizing and cremating a dog ranges between one hundred and fifty dollars and three hundred dollars (150-300 dollars. However, a vet could charge you between fifty and three hundred dollars and even more (50-300+ dollars) for just the euthanization.

Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons! |

That’s it for today’s post. You should now be familiar with the top five reasons why more pets get euthanized during the holidays and know that it is, unfortunately, legal to euthanize a healthy dog. They are the following:

  1. Euthanization due to the pet being stressed
  2. Euthanization due to human stress
  3. Euthanization due to temperature changes
  4. Euthanization due to Travel
  5. Euthanization due to the want of spending one last holiday with the furry friend
Why Are More Pets Euthanized During the Holidays: Top 5 Reasons! |

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