Hello, I’m Miasa, and I create memorial goods to honor beloved pets.
I once lost my dog to illness, and to this day, I carry a regret about the treatment I chose at the end of his life.
Looking back, I may have gone too far with life-prolonging treatments.
I sometimes wonder if my dog, Muku, would have preferred to be free from pain sooner.
The treatment may have extended his life, but whether that was truly the right decision—only he would know the answer.
Some of you reading this may also have similar regrets.
And perhaps some of you are currently facing the difficult decision of whether to continue treatment for your pet.
As someone who often receives messages and consultations from customers experiencing pet loss, I also hear about concerns related to medical decisions at the end of a pet’s life.
While I’m not in a position to say what is right or wrong, I listen with care as I create each memorial item—and I’ve seen how this process can bring a bit of peace and comfort to grieving owners.
Today, I’d like to share my thoughts on the difficult topic of end-of-life care and whether to prolong a pet’s life—in hopes that it may help you navigate this emotional journey.
My Dog Muku’s Battle with Cancer and the Decision to Prolong His Life
In 2008, we lost our dog “Mook”.
In 2008, we said goodbye to our beloved dog Muku, who had been with us for seven wonderful years.
Here’s a photo of me and Muku.
One day, Muku began dragging one of his front legs. After a visit to the vet, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.
From the moment we received the diagnosis, we tried everything we thought might help his health—medications, supplements, even natural spring water.
Muku underwent surgery to amputate one of his legs, yet he lived for more than a year after that—far beyond the vet’s initial prognosis.
In fact, the vet once said, “I honestly don’t know how he’s still alive.”
One thing the vet said still echoes in my mind:
“He must be in a lot of pain.”
Despite his condition, Muku was still able to eat on his own, use the bathroom by himself, and even go for walks every day—on three legs.
I often wonder: if he had been unable to eat or move on his own, if he had been confined to IV drips, would he have lived as long? Would we have had the strength to keep going?
Euthanasia never came up—not in our minds, and not from the vet.
Was Muku suffering?
Looking at his face each day, I truly believed he was happy.
And in the end, he passed away peacefully in his sleep—without showing signs of struggle or pain.
The experience of caring for Muku during his final days is what inspired my current work:
creating custom pet memorial items that help others honor the bond they shared with their beloved animals.
Choosing Not to Prolong My Cat’s Life
This is a photo of me and my cat, Maro.
Maro passed away just two months after we discovered he was ill.
I still carry the weight of not noticing his illness sooner, and I will probably always wonder whether the choices we made for his care were the right ones.
We were never given a clear diagnosis.
According to the vet,
“To determine the exact illness, exploratory surgery would be necessary. But the tumor has likely progressed so far that treatment may no longer be an option.”
There was already a large mass growing in Maro’s abdomen.
The veterinarian was kind and compassionate, and talked with me carefully about all the possible treatment options.
In the end, I made the decision not to pursue life-prolonging treatment and to let nature take its course.
The vet agreed this might be the most compassionate choice in Maro’s case.
You can read more about Maro’s illness and my experience with pet loss here:
My cat’s illness and pet loss experience story
To Those Currently Caring for a Sick Pet
If your beloved pet is undergoing treatment for a serious illness, there’s something I gently ask you to consider.
That is: hospitalization in the event of a sudden change in their condition.
There are cases where pets are admitted to the hospital, and then sadly pass away that same night—separated from their families.
We’ve heard this heartbreaking story from several of our customers.
Please be aware that some pets take their last breath alone in a hospital room, right after being admitted.
For more on this topic, please read:
When a Pet’s Condition Suddenly Worsens: Hospitalized at Night and Gone by Morning
Customers who stopped life-prolonging treatment for pets
From now on, I will introduce you to the customer.
About cat treatment
I received an order from a customer.
It seems that the cat was seriously ill half a year ago and was saved by spending a lot of time and money.
From that day on, he began to fight the disease, and he was repeatedly in and out of the hospital and going to the hospital.
However, it seems that it was painful to see him getting weaker and weaker every day as he was addicted to medicine.
The cat seemed to have a hard time, and with the advice of the veterinarian, one day he stopped life-prolonging treatment for the cat.
Then the cat became gentle like before, and it seems that the cat died a few days later.
He said he was wondering if he made the right choice. Finally, I think it was a happy time for the cat, spending time at his own home and being loved.
old dog care
This is a story of a customer who says he was nursing an old dog.
The dog was over 17 years old and could have died at any moment.
It seems that everyone in the family was prepared.
The dog was not particularly sick, just a natural longevity and senility.
The hospital asked him if he wanted life-prolonging treatment, but after consulting with his family, he decided to leave it to nature.
Medical technology for pets has progressed, and various treatments may be possible, but when you think about the true happiness of pets, you don’t know how much you can do.
Characteristics of customers who do not receive life-prolonging treatment
If you have a minor illness or can be cured with simple treatment, you need to be treated at a hospital.
My cat was also prescribed medicine for urinary tract stones, and it didn’t get serious.
However, pets who have reached the end of their lifespan can choose to die naturally without any special treatment.
There is a word that customers often say. It’s life expectancy, that he lived long enough, that he fought his illness enough, and that he wanted to take care of him at home in the end.
If you are satisfied and feel that it is good for your dog or cat, further treatment may not be necessary.
These words made me realize that just prolonging one’s life does not always lead to happiness.
mental and financial burden
I will tell you about my case.
My dog Mook was treated for a year with bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
At first, the dog’s leg seemed to be in pain, so I went to the hospital, and the doctor said,
“I think the dog is probably in a lot of pain”
Although he was told he had only three months left to live, he immediately underwent treatment and eventually had one of his front legs amputated by surgery.
He recovered and we were able to live together for the next year.
It is also true that during that time, I had to take time off from work to go to the hospital, and the treatment cost money, which was a burden.
Once you start life-sustaining treatment, you will not know when to stop.
It is a fact that the owner is burdened, so please consult with the hospital doctor and give the treatment that you are satisfied with.
Regret of too much treatment
Sometimes people regret treating their pets too much.
Customer said,
“I want cats to live as long as possible.”
He said that he tried all kinds of treatments because he thought it was the affection for the cat.
It seems that the pet lived much longer than the expected life expectancy, but in the end it seems that the treatment was worried about whether the treatment was good.
While consulting with a veterinarian, he asked himself many times, repeatedly conflicted, and his beloved cat died.
Wouldn’t it have been better to let the pet die in comfort?
Also, it may have been a painful experience for a long time.
It seems that I was worried about that.
He said that if possible, he would like to meet his pet and apologize.
Related article
The reason why the owner disqualified and blamed himself got back on his feet
A friend’s determination, what is true happiness?
My friend was doing check-up nursing for the dog.
Her pet was nearing the end of its life and she was ready for it to die.
And she said she did what she had to do.
In the end, she didn’t go to the hospital anymore.
she said.
“It’s no need to give my pet medicine, and even if my pet’s life is extended by a day or even a few hours, that’s not true happiness.”
It’s time to let nature run its course and break free from this body.
She will see it off.
When I listened to her story, I felt sad, but at the same time, I could feel her kindness.
I also felt warm.
And she said.
“I wish I could have had more treatments. I wanted to play more with my dog.”
No matter how much you treat it, all owners may think the same.
After crying for a while, we who are left will start walking again.
It’s a repetition of that.