The Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey reveals owners' perceptions of canine death and highlights areas to improve client education.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The Dog Aging Project (DAP) launched the validated owner-facing End of Life Survey (EOLS) to better understand companion dog death. METHODS: Participating owners whose dogs died between December 26, 2019, and March 24, 2021, were surveyed. Responses were reported descriptively. Student t and χ2 tests were utilized to assess differences in dog demographics among response-variable groups. RESULTS: Owners whose dogs died within the study period (n = 793) were invited to complete the EOLS. Response rate was 85.7% (n = 655 respondents; 29 invitees with unexpired response windows). After respondents lacking baseline DAP survey data (n = 9) were excluded, 646 EOLS responses were analyzed. Mean age at death was 13.0 ± 3.0 years. Most dogs (536 of 646 [83.0%]) experienced euthanasia rather than unassisted death, with most instances of euthanasia performed in a veterinary clinic (411 of 536 [76.7%]) or the owner's home (122 of 536 [22.8%]). Ninety-five of 646 dogs (14.7%) died without any veterinary involvement. The most common owner-perceived causes of death (CoDs) were cancer (192 of 646 [29.7%]), "old age" (190 of 646 [29.4%]), and organ system diseases (144 of 646 [22.3%]). Perimortem quality of life (QoL) was negatively associated with age at death. The most common reason for euthanasia was pain and/or suffering (260 of 536 [48.5%]), followed by poor QoL (133 of 536 [24.8%]). CONCLUSIONS: Owner-perceived CoD varies among dogs of different ages. Owners' perceptions about canine pain and suffering, QoL, and old age influence euthanasia decisions. Future analyses will heighten veterinary professionals' understanding of these perceptions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding end-of-life factors that are important to dog owners enables veterinarians to thoughtfully educate clients and optimally care for and support aging dogs and their families.