Author: Autumn Madden, DVM

References American Animal Hospital Association Certification Course. Hospice and Palliative Care Module 4: Understanding Death: What to expect from the dying patient. Coren, Stanley, PhD., DSc, FRSC. Psychology Today. Can Dogs Sense When Someone Is About to Die? May 2009. Marples, Megan. CNN. Dogs Can Smell When Humans Are Stressed, Study Suggests. September 2022.,References Close,Dogs understand a lot. They can recognize human words, gestures, and emotions, and learn to work as service dogs or emotional support animals. But do dogs know when they are dying? Through my work as a general practitioner, and as a pet parent myself, I have observed many moments leading up to a dog’s death. Even though I’ve participated in these experiences, there’s no way to know for certain what’s going through a dog’s mind in their final moments. We do know, however, that they are at least aware that death is near by sensing the changes that are happening in their bodies. Can Dogs Sense Death? It’s been shown that dogs have uncanny abilities to detect medical issues, such as cancer, oncoming episodes of medical crisis (such as seizures), or anxiety. There is anecdotal evidence that dogs can also sense death, but how they process and perceive this information is still being debated and researched. Dogs have a strong sense of smell that allows them to pick up on changes that can happen to a body. Research has shown that dogs can literally smell things like stress in humans. Changes associated with death occur months before the event takes place.  These changes can affect subtle differences in the smell of a person or another animal, an indicator that death is near. When it comes to the possibility of their own death, they are at least aware that they are not feeling well or are sick. They can also sense our levels of stress and know that something is wrong. However, canine companions are not as self-assessing as humans about death. They don’t assign meaning and complex emotions to it; it’s just a fact that it happens.

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References Close,WRITTEN BYAutumn Madden, DVM Veterinarian I am from Washington, DC, and I wanted to be a veterinarian since watching my uncle on his farm at 8. I graduated from Tuskegee University…,Congestive heart failure (CHF) is when the heart isn’t able to pump blood adequately throughout the body. This results in blood backing up into the lungs and fluid accumulating in the body cavities, which constricts the heart and lungs and prevents sufficient oxygen flow throughout the body. In most cases of CHF, the issue is not reversible. Here are some of the signs that your dog might be nearing a stage where they need hospice care or you would consider euthanasia. What Are the Signs of a Dog Dying of Congestive Heart Failure? There are several stages of congestive heart failure: Stage A: The dog is high-risk for CHF, but has no symptoms and no changes to the heart. Stage B1: The dog has a heart murmur but no other signs. Stage B2: The dog has a heart murmur in addition to structural changes to the heart, but no clinical signs. Stage C: The dog has a heart murmur, structural changes to the heart, and clinical signs associated with CHF. These dogs are typically treated. Stage D: The dog has CHF and is not responding to standard therapies. The dog will require special treatment strategies. The clinical signs for CHF are similar once a dog reaches Stage C and D. These clinical signs that a dog is dying of congestive heart failure are: Coughing Constant panting Issues breathing while indoors Rapid breathing, especially at rest Reluctance or refusal to exercise Easily tired after walking and playing Blue-tinged gums Distended abdomen Coughing up blood Collapse If you see these signs of late-stage CHF, it does not mean you must immediately consider euthanasia. A pet’s symptoms can resolve or be managed at a variety of stages. For example, cough, trouble breathing, and rapid breathing may be treated with bronchodilators, antibiotics, corticosteroids, cough suppressants, environmental modification (air purifiers), and even weight loss.