The end of a companion animal's life requires careful welfare-centred decision-making about pain management, hospice care, and the timing and manner of euthanasia. Good end-of-life care minimises suffering and supports human grief.
End-of-life care is one of the most welfare-significant stages of a companion animal's life. The decision about when suffering outweighs quality of life requires honest assessment of the animal's experience, not the owner's emotional readiness. Quality of life frameworks — assessing pain, appetite, hygiene, happiness, and mobility — provide structured guides to this difficult decision. Palliative care using multimodal analgesia, nutritional support, and environmental modification can maintain comfort during the final period. When euthanasia is indicated, a calm, gentle, and painless experience at home or in a low-stress clinic environment is the highest welfare outcome. Grief support for owners is an important component of compassionate end-of-life veterinary care.