Dog Aging Project studies offer insight into how owners experience pet loss – Texas A&M Stories

For many families, the loss of a dog is not just the loss of a pet — it is the loss of a family member.

Two recent studies from the Dog Aging Project are shedding new light on how dog owners experience the loss of a beloved companion — and how veterinarians can better support families during the end-of-life process.

One study examines how owners perceive canine death and make end-of-life decisions, while the other explores how these experiences differ — or remain similar — depending on the manner of death.

Together, the studies suggest that while the circumstances surrounding a dog’s death may vary, the emotional impact on owners remains strikingly similar. Owners reported comparable emotional experiences whether their dogs died through euthanasia or unassisted death, highlighting the powerful role of the human-animal bond.

“Loss is loss regardless of how it happens,” said Dr. Jake Ryave, a clinical intern in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. “The human-animal bond is really strong, and regardless of how a pet passes, that bond doesn’t change.”

As the number of companion dogs in the United States continues to grow, researchers say understanding the emotional experiences of pet owners will become increasingly important.

Understanding how owners perceive canine death

One study, led by Dr. Kellyn McNulty, a former internal medicine resident at VMBS, examined the End of Life Survey in great depth to better understand how owners perceive canine death and how those perceptions influence end-of-life decisions.

The survey was designed not only to capture medical information about dogs’ deaths but also to understand the perspectives of the people who cared for them.

“The End of Life Survey was specifically designed as an owner-facing survey,” McNulty said. “Owners’ perceptions and subsequent actions directly impact medically relevant data, including cause and manner of death.”

The study found that pain and suffering were the most common reasons owners chose euthanasia, followed by poor quality of life and poor prognosis.

Owners frequently described behavioral or physical signs that led them to believe their dogs were suffering, including vocalizations, mobility changes, or subtle shifts in facial expression.

“Participants would often describe changes such as vocalizations, depressed mentation, changes in mobility, or even statements like ‘he looked at me and I knew it was time,’” McNulty said.

However, the research also revealed that some owners may struggle to distinguish between signs of pain and normal aging-related changes.

“The findings suggest that owners may not fully understand how to recognize pain or aging symptoms in their dogs,” McNulty said.

Similar emotions regardless of how a dog dies

The second study analyzed free-text responses from the Dog Aging Project’s End of Life Survey, which invited owners to describe the circumstances surrounding their dogs’ deaths. Researchers compared responses from owners whose dogs were euthanized with those whose dogs experienced unassisted death.

Unexpectedly, the study found no significant differences between the two groups in the emotions owners reported.

Sudden death was more frequently mentioned among dogs that died without euthanasia, but feelings such as grief, guilt, and blame occurred at similar rates across both groups.

“I thought that there may be more significant negative emotions in the cases of unassisted death as owners may not have had time to emotionally prepare for the loss,” Ryave said.

Many owners used the survey’s optional comment section to share detailed narratives about their dogs’ final days, often describing illness progression, declining quality of life, and the events leading up to their pets’ deaths.

At the same time, many owners chose to share positive memories of their dogs.

“Even after a difficult loss, many people focused on the joy their pets brought to their lives,” Ryave said.

Improving communication and end-of-life care

Both studies highlight several opportunities for veterinarians to improve communication with pet owners about aging, quality of life, and end-of-life care.

For example, McNulty’s research found that a notable percentage of owners reported that prognosis was not discussed or not fully understood during veterinary visits near the end of their dog’s life.

“Given that pain and/or suffering was the most common reason for euthanasia and our data suggests that owners may find it challenging to differentiate chronic pain from cognitive decline, it is our responsibility as veterinary professionals to educate and empower owners to effectively recognize and treat both chronic pain and age-related ailments.”

Ryave said the findings reinforce the need for veterinarians to proactively provide emotional support resources to grieving pet owners.

“Owners whose pets pass unexpectedly may not have access to the same support that people receive when euthanasia occurs in a veterinary clinic,” Ryave said.

Providing grief resources to all clients who experience the loss of a pet — regardless of how the death occurred — could help address that gap.

“I think this research really highlights the need to provide resources to everyone,” Ryave said.

Supporting both pets and the people who love them

Ultimately, the researchers hope their findings will encourage veterinarians to recognize the emotional impact of pet loss and to support owners throughout the grieving process.

The work reinforces the idea that veterinary care extends beyond treating animals to also supporting the people who care for them.

“We get into this field because we want to help animals,” Ryave said. “But animals always come with people, and supporting those people is part of our responsibility, too.”