Scientific Results: Analysis of 2,570 responses to Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey demonstrates that euthanasia is associated with cause of death but not age
January 29, 2024 - 5 minutes readWho worked on this research?
Elizabeth B. Pearson
Jessica M. Hoffman
Rachel L. Melvin
Kellyn E. McNulty
Dog Aging Project Consortium
Kate E. Creevy
Audrey Ruple
Where was it published?
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
What is this paper about?
Euthanasia is a common manner of death for dogs in the United States. We wanted to find out what factors led owners to make the decision to euthanize their dog. Was it disease or illness? Poor prognosis? Was the dog suffering? Was it a poor quality of life?
We looked at 2,570 participants of the Dog Aging Project pack whose dogs had died. When owners report that their dog has died, the Dog Aging Project invites them to complete the End of Life Survey. From these surveys, we learned that 85.4% of these dogs were euthanized, while the remaining 14.6% died without assistance. Overall, owners reported that the most common reason for euthanasia was pain and suffering, but when looking specifically at older dogs, the reason was more likely to be poor quality of life.
We found that age was not a factor in the decision to euthanize, but rather, it was decreasing quality of life and increasing number of medical issues. So, it was not necessarily old age but the symptoms of aging that led to the decision.
What do these results mean for me and my dog?
The end of a dog’s life is heartbreaking for most families, and the decision to euthanize or not is one of the most difficult. Understanding the factors associated with the manner of death is important so that veterinarians can help owners best care for their companions at the end of their lives.
Where can I learn more?
PEARSON, E.; HOFFMAN, J.; MELVIN, R.; MCNULTY, K.; Dog Aging Project Consortium, CREEVY, K.; RUPLE, A.2023 Analysis of 2,570 responses to Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey demonstrates that euthanasia is associated with cause of death but not age. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. DOI:https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.07.0366
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey was used to evaluate factors associated with manner of death (euthanasia vs unassisted death), including cause of death (CoD), reason for euthanasia (RFE) if performed, medical symptoms, old age characteristics, and perimortem quality of life (QoL).
SAMPLE
Responses collected between the End of Life Survey launch (January 20, 2021) through December 31, 2021, from 2,570 participants whose dogs died.
METHODS
Response frequencies were described. Associations between manner of death and medical symptoms or old age characteristics were evaluated using logistic regression. Factors associated with RFE were evaluated using multinomial regression. The effects of CoD, age at death, and QoL on the frequency of euthanasia as the manner of death were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression.
RESULTS
2,195 (85.4%) dogs were euthanized, and 375 (14.6%) experienced unassisted death. The most frequent owner-reported CoD was illness/disease (n = 1,495 [58.1%]). The most frequently reported RFE was pain/suffering (n = 1,080 [49.2% of those euthanized]). As age increased, RFE was more likely to be “poor QoL” than any other response. In a multivariate regression including CoD, chronologic age, and QoL, euthanasia as the manner of death was not significantly associated with age.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Euthanasia was a common manner of death for dogs in the US. Compared with unassisted death, euthanasia was associated with CoD illness/disease, lower QoL scores, and the presence and number of medical symptoms and old age characteristics. Understanding factors associated with manner of death is important to veterinarians who care for dogs at the end of life.
Tags: Scientific Results