Making the decision to say goodbye to your pet is never easy, even when your pet is old or very sick.
As pet owners, we have a responsibility to maintain a good quality of life for our pets, and sometimes euthanasia is the last caring act we can do for them.
One of the frequently asked questions we receive is “How do I know it is time?” Well; you are certainly the best person to make that judgment as you are in a uniquely close relationship with your animal. Some questions to consider when thinking about letting your pet go would include;
- Is your pet so sick or injured that they are unlikely to ever recover?
- Can your pet still do the things with you that they once enjoyed?
- Can they still respond to you in their usual manner?
- Is there more pain than pleasure in their life?
The quality of life for you and your family is also an important factor to consider.
We are always happy to help you with this decision. By making an appointment with one of our veterinarians they can examine your pet, discuss possible diagnoses for their problems, and give you an idea of their chances of recovery. While we cannot make this serious decision for you, we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Once you have decided to have your pet put to sleep, you may like to arrange for family and friends to say goodbye. Depending on the seriousness of your pet’s condition, this could be through a final night at home, or by having them meet you at the veterinary clinic. Please feel free to ask us if you would like to arrange this. With prior notice we can usually arrange an extended visit. Every person is different when it comes to saying goodbye and expressing grief. You may prefer to remember your pet when they were healthy and not be there for the procedure. This is absolutely fine too.
It is usually best to decide beforehand what you would like to do with your pet’s body afterwards. There are several options available. You can:
- Take your pet home for burial - be aware the council discourages burying them in your backyard due to ground water contamination concerns. There are pet cemeteries in operation however. Euthanased animals must be buried deep to prevent other animals potentially being exposed to the anesthetic drug also.
- Leave them with us for group cremation (i.e. you do not receive their ashes back).
- Arrange for a pet cremation service such as ‘Finowen’ or ‘Lawnswood’ to pick your pets body up from the clinic and return their ashes to you (a separate fee is involved).
- For horses, a company called ‘Southdale’ will pick up the body for group burial (a separate fee is involved).
If you would like to be with your pet for the euthanasia, it helps to know exactly what to expect. In the case of dogs and cats, an overdose of an anesthetic drug is usually given into the front leg vein and shortly thereafter (within a minute or so) your pet will fall asleep and stop breathing. The vet will then check that their heart has stopped. In older, frailer animals, or very sick animals, it can be difficult for us to find a vein. In some cases a catheter may need to be placed in the leg or your pet may need to be sedated and have the anaesthetic injected into an organ where it is quickly absorbed. Most commonly this is the kidney. Even once the heart has stopped, sometimes they will appear to be taking deep breaths or twitching – these are due to nerve impulses and can be disturbing to see, but rest assured your pet is already gone and is not suffering.
For smaller animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and birds getting access to a vein is harder and the injection is usually given into an organ. We will endeavor to allow you to be present for the procedure but as gaseous anesthesia is sometimes required to handle them, this may not always be possible.
For large animal euthanasias sedation may or may not be given beforehand. Similar to small animals, an overdose of anesthetic is then given into the jugular vein. Shortly thereafter they collapse, which can be quite traumatic. It is recommended that small children be kept away as when they fall it can be dangerous for bystanders.
While the process of euthanasia can be stressful for some animals, apart from the small pain of injection, this is a quick and pain free procedure. While it is happening we usually prefer and allow you to touch and talk to your pet to reassure them.
Once your pet has been euthanased, it may then take some time to come to terms with your loss. Talking with friends and family can certainly help to deal with this, but if you feel you need further counseling we can provide you with numbers to contact. The process of grieving is an individual one and while getting a new pet straight away may help some people; this should only be done after careful consideration.
