Poor quality of life and recent veterinary consultation are associated with increased owner-perceived pain and/or suffering prior to euthanasia in dogs.

Veterinary consultation and poor quality of life—not diagnosis burden—most influence owners' pain perception driving euthanasia decisions.

This retrospective cohort study analyzed end-of-life survey data from the Dog Aging Project (2020–2024) to evaluate factors influencing owner-perceived pain and/or suffering as a reason for euthanasia in dogs. Of 8,955 owner surveys reviewed, 87% (n = 7,764) identified pain and/or suffering as a contributing reason for euthanasia. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that older owners, smaller dogs, and dogs under 5 years of age were less frequently associated with pain being cited as a reason. Notably, the presence of a chronic condition and total number of lifetime diagnoses were not independently associated with pain perception as an euthanasia driver. In contrast, recent veterinary consultation was positively associated with owner-perceived pain or suffering (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.50–2.05), suggesting that veterinary interaction shapes owner awareness. Better quality of life scores were negatively associated with pain perception (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.86–0.93). These findings highlight that subjective quality-of-life assessments and veterinary guidance are more influential in end-of-life decision-making than the objective disease burden alone. The authors recommend proactive owner education regarding pain recognition and end-of-life care, particularly during routine and palliative veterinary visits. Future research should focus on identifying the most effective educational strategies to support informed euthanasia decisions in dogs.

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