Owner Faces Agony After Euthanasia Decision for Beloved 14-Year-Old Dog

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Ho Chi Minh City — A local pet owner is struggling with intense guilt and grief after making the decision to euthanize her 14-year-old bobtail two days ago, following a sudden and severe deterioration in the dog’s condition.

The dog, a longtime companion, had been treated for pneumonia for about a week and initially showed signs of improvement. According to the owner, the animal developed acute breathing difficulties and was taken to a veterinary clinic for emergency care.

Veterinary staff informed the owner that the dog’s heart was beating at double its normal rate and that he had gone into ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening arrhythmia. Clinicians also found the animal’s abdomen filled with fluid and discovered a tumor on his liver, although the owner was told the tumor itself was not the immediate cause of respiratory distress.

The owner said she had an appointment scheduled with a veterinary cardiologist and asked whether the procedure could wait until the following morning. Veterinary staff warned that the dog’s condition was unstable and that he might not survive the night without intervention.

Faced with the prospect that her pet could die alone in the middle of the night, the owner elected euthanasia. She said she felt rushed into the decision and has since been tormented by doubts about whether she acted too quickly.

“I didn’t want him to die alone at night,” she said. “But I keep replaying the moment — he seemed fine, a little agitated, not in pain. He even tried to catch the bubbles I brought him.”

The owner describes the dog as her first pet and a constant companion through major life milestones, including before marriage and before she and her husband had children. She called him her “son” and said the loss has left her with deep sorrow and a sense of having failed him.

“I was his person,” she said. “I should have fought for him. I was the one who didn’t let him return home and took him from this earth, from me.”

The emotions she reports are heavy and multifaceted: pervasive guilt, anger, profound sadness and a feeling of hopelessness. The owner said she is finding it difficult to imagine life without the dog and misses him “so much.”

Veterinarians say euthanasia decisions are among the most painful choices pet owners must make and are often guided by a combination of medical facts, the animal’s quality of life and the risks of further suffering or a precipitous, painful decline.

Pet loss experts recommend that owners seek emotional support from friends, family, or professional counseling when coping with grief. Many local animal welfare organizations and veterinary clinics also offer bereavement resources and can guide owners through the grieving process.

For this owner, the immediate aftermath has been dominated by repetitive questioning and vivid memories of the final hours. She continues to grapple with whether she made the right choice and how to reconcile the comfort she hoped to give with the permanence of the outcome.

As she attempts to process her loss, she urges other pet owners to hold close the time they have with their animals and to seek help if they are overwhelmed by guilt or sorrow following a euthanasia decision.