End-of-life decisions for companion animals require careful welfare assessment, honest communication between vets and owners, and a willingness to prioritise the animal's experience over owner emotions.
End-of-life welfare for companion animals depends on honest assessment of quality of life and willingness to act on that assessment. The ethical obligation of owners is to the animal's experience, not their own grief or desire for more time. Delaying euthanasia when quality of life is poor causes avoidable suffering. Vets play a crucial role in providing honest guidance without being directive, supporting owners to make decisions aligned with their animal's welfare. Palliative care is appropriate when it genuinely maintains quality of life - not as a substitute for timely euthanasia when suffering cannot be adequately managed.