The euthanasia solution is injected. Your beloved Frenchie loses consciousness, his heart rate and breathing get slower. Soon, in a matter of minutes, both the heart and the lungs will completely stop working.
It’s painless for the dog, but heartbreaking for us.
But, how did it come to this? When to euthanize a sick Frenchie?
We all know it is never an easy decision to make, but there comes a time when it has to be done. It’s for our doggies to end their suffering.
But, when?
There are 5 final stages of health issues that tell us it is time to say the final goodbye.
These are the health conditions that your vet will talk to you about.
When there’s nothing left to do, and you can see your dog is suffering, it is time to call your vet and say the words: Yes, it is time.
When To Euthanize A Sick Frenchie
Whether your dog got sick because of its weakened immune system caused by old age or it got sick during its early years, some diseases and health conditions are incurable, and they have the same ending – euthanasia.
Just like humans, Frenchies (or French Bulldogs) (their full name) can get terminally ill. It could be sudden and rapid deterioration of their health caused by a malignant tumor or it can be a slow process, usually connected with organ failure.
No matter the case, in the end, they all cause the same health conditions that tell us it’s time to do one of the hardest things in our life.
Nothing is simply black and white. It’s not one sign and that’s it. It’s a delicate matter, and it requires thorough observation. We need to be sure we did everything in our power to save the life of our beloved dog.
So, let’s get into it. These are the 5 final health conditions that tell us when to euthanize a sick Frenchie.
1. Too Much Pain
When there is a problem in the body, whether it’s an injury caused by trauma, bacterial toxins, or tissue destruction caused by proliferating malignant tumor cells – pain is the feeling caused by these changes.
The nerves get damaged, transferring the signal back to the brain that something is wrong. Usually, pain can be subdued by using medications. However, sometimes the damage in the body is so great that nothing can stop the pain.
It is constant and torturing.
Try to imagine how your Frenchie would act if it felt pain all day and night without a pause. That is not a life worth living. They wouldn’t enjoy any moment of their life. Yes, they would still try to wag their body (their tail is quite small to wag just it), just to show how much they love you even in such difficult situations.
When your veterinarian tells you that there is no drug in the world that can help your doggie stop feeling pain, the vet will also recommend the only humane option – euthanasia.
This kind of pain usually happens in highly-progressive tumors, poisoning, and chemical and burn injuries that cover the majority of the dog’s body.
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2. Frenchie Cannot Move/Incontinence
If your Frenchie has no muscle control, or in other words – it cannot get up, walk, or move at all, it is time to stop and think about the life your dog has.
Loss of muscle control is usually accompanied by incontinence (loss of bladder and defecation control).
So, when do you euthanize a sick Frenchie? When he can’t move, can’t get up, can’t control his bladder, and you have to feed him, give him water, and clean him every day because of incontinence.
Doggies do not deserve such a life. His brain is functioning in a manner to which he understands who you are and where he is, but that is not a life.
If such a condition happens, I am sure your veterinarian will tell you about euthanasia options.
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3. Organ Failure
Symptoms, and the speed at which an illness progresses, depend on the affected organ. Kidney failure is not the same as heart failure or liver failure.
Different organs have different reserve capacities at which they can still function without showing evident signs of disease.
For example, when 66% of the kidneys are not functioning, the toxins start to build up at a higher rate, causing the first symptoms to show. However, while the percentage is under 66%, there won’t be any evident clinical symptoms.
This means that your Frenchie might have ongoing organ failure without any symptoms, but when it reaches the threshold from which it cannot recover, its health quickly goes downward.
When the organ reaches its final stage of failure, there is no coming back. Your vet will tell you that there is no other option but to euthanize your sick Frenchie, and save it from pain and suffering.
4. Unable To Breathe
This one goes without saying. It is an obvious final stage of a health condition that ended in your French Bulldog being unable to breathe.
We are not talking about anatomical characteristics of a Frenchie that can cause breathing problems. Those are innate, and are not connected to an acquired health condition.
Trauma (injuries), cancer, and chemicals of all sorts can lead to incurable, irreparable changes in the trachea, larynx, lungs, or other parts of the respiratory system of your dog, which can prevent him from breathing.
If no surgical or drug treatment can help the issue and save your dog, it would be utterly inhumane to keep your dog alive and let him “die on his own”.
5. Unable To Eat Or Drink
The same thing applies if your dog has problems with its digestive system that cannot be cured.
If your dog can’t eat or drink, and IV administration of fluids and nutrients is required to sustain his life – euthanasia is a merciful decision.
Frenchies might be small dogs, but they are playful and alert. Like all dogs, they love to sniff and explore, run around, and bark. They can’t do any of those things if they need an IV to stay alive.
How Is The Procedure Done?
You talked to your veterinarian, and realized there are no other options. Your dog has to be euthanized.
The first thing is to sign the papers agreeing to the procedure. The procedure can be done at home or in the clinic. However, not all clinics offer the in-home euthanasia procedure.
In either case, it has to be done by a licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician. If it needs to be done, they can apply sedatives prior to the procedure.
This helps calm the dog, and make the application of the euthanasia solution easier. Most veterinarians apply the solution through the vein on one of the dog’s legs.
The heart and the lungs will stop functioning a couple of minutes after the injection of the solution. This is painless, and the dog is not aware of anything that is happening.
Be Prepared
After your dog has passed away, in most cases, muscle contractions occur, which may seem as if the dog is still alive or in pain. Your dog is not in pain and not alive – these are normal body reflexes after death.
Another usual thing that happens is that the bladder and the bowel start to empty. Sometimes both, sometimes just the bladder, or just the bowel.
The veterinarian will check your dog’s heart and officially confirm that it has passed away.
The Conclusion
It is not an easy task talking about when to euthanize a sick Frenchie, or any other dog or pet. And, searching for these topics makes you already a brave dog owner.
You don’t want your dog to suffer, so you search for all the options there are to help him. However, the 5 health conditions we talked about are the definite reasons to think about the euthanasia procedure.
Of course, before any decision, your veterinarian will tell you all about the process, including why you should do it, and you both will have already tried everything there is to help your Frenchie.
Remember that in these 5 cases, euthanasia is a humane option that will stop the suffering of your beloved Frenchie.
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