Euthanasia Issues - when is the right time to say goodbye?
One of the most stressful and upsetting aspects of pet ownership is facing up to the fact that an old friend is very sick and will not get better. As vets, we deal with euthanasia on a daily basis, but no matter how often we may have to put a pet to sleep, it is never an easy time for any of us.
Commonly, euthanasia or 'putting to sleep' involves an injection of anaesthetic drugs into a vein on the front leg. The time from injection to death is very short. Typically your pet will fall asleep straight away and drift off peacefully over the course of a minute or so. It is a very dignified and quiet process.
When you have decided that the time has come to end the suffering of your pet, there are a few things to consider:
Where to carry out the procedure:
Generally, we prefer to perform euthanasia in the clinic, where we have adequate light, materials and help for the procedure.
However, if the trip to the clinic is too painful we can arrange for euthanasia to be carried out in the home. Please call us to discuss this and if necessary, arrange a housecall.
What happens?
Firstly we will discuss with you the reasons for your decision and also answer any questions you have. Sometimes things are not as bad as owners think and there are treatment options available for seemingly advanced conditions. We will never try to talk you out of your decision however. You know your pet and we will respect your wishes.
When everyone is sure that this is how they want to proceed, we will get you to sign a consent form. Then we will give you a few moments to say goodbye. At this stage, if you wish to leave, you can do, or if you wish to stay with your pet during the procedure, this too is perfectly OK. We understand how upsetting it is and we are here for owners as well as pets.
The procedure itself involves clipping a small area of hair from the front leg, followed by an injection into the vein. If an animal is stressed or restless, we can administer sedation prior to this injection.
Generally, the patient will pass into unconsciousness straight away and will pass away within a minute or so. Again, if you wish to stay or prefer to step outside while this happens, just let us know.
What happens afterwards?
There are three options for the body.
If you wish, you may bury your pet.
If you prefer, we can take care of the body for you. This would involve cremation in a humane and respectful environment.
If you wish to have your pet's ashes returned to you for burial or scattering, we can arrange this also.
Our cremations take place at Glenvine Crematorium. Their range of services can be found here: glenvinepetcrematorium.co.uk/
We guarantee that your pet will be treated with the utmost respect and compassion at all stages of the euthanasia and cremation process.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this sensitive subject, please call in or give us a ring to discuss your concerns.
How do I know if the time to consider euthanasia has come?
Nowadays, pets live for much longer than ever before. Preventative measures such as vaccination and neutering have greatly reduced the amount of life threatening diseases we see and treatments for serious conditions like heart failure, kidney disease and cancer are becoming more and more advanced as time goes on. However, sometimes a disease process is so far advanced that we have to accept the inevitable and realise that a beloved pet is coming to the end of his life.
Generally we find that an owner knows when this time has come. If a once active and healthy animal is sleeping all the time, off his food, and becoming thin and disorientated or if he seems to be in pain trying to move, it can quite often be a sign that things are deteriorating.
If you have that feeling, it may be wise to give us a call to discuss your pet's symptoms and go through the options. In some cases, it is possible to effectively manage and treat symptoms that seem serious, but in others, there are simply no options left but to consider euthanasia.
I'm uncomfortable about making the decision. Shouldn't I just let my pet die naturally?
Of course, life cannot go on forever and it would be best if our pets could just quietly and painlessly slip away in their sleep when their time comes and indeed, this often happens. However, in some cases, a disease process is slow and drawn out, causing increasing pain and distress for the animal as well as the owner. Diseases such as cancer and kidney failure can be very debilitating and can cause more and more suffering before eventually causing death.
As difficult as it is to decide, we sometimes know in our hearts that we owe it to our pet to bring his suffering quietly to an end.
What happens when I make the decision?
When you have decided that the time has come to end the suffering of your pet, there are a few things to consider:
Firstly we will discuss with you the reasons for your decision and also answer any questions you have. Sometimes things are not as bad as owners think and there are treatment options available for seemingly advanced conditions. We will never try to talk you out of your decision however. You know your pet and we will respect your wishes.
When everyone is sure that this is how they want to proceed, we will get you to sign a consent form. Then we will give you a few moments to say goodbye. At this stage, if you wish to leave, you can do, or if you wish to stay with your pet during the procedure, this too is perfectly OK. We understand how upsetting it is and we are here for owners as well as pets.
The procedure itself involves clipping a small area of hair from the front leg, followed by an injection into the vein. If an animal is stressed or restless, we can administer sedation prior to this injection.
Generally, the patient will pass into unconsciousness straight away and will pass away within a minute or so. Again, if you wish to stay or prefer to step outside while this happens, just let us know.
Can the injection be given at home?
If you would feel more comfortable having the procedure performed at home, or if it is difficult getting your pet to the clinic, it is possible to arrange a housecall. A vet would arrange to visit your home and the injection would be given there. Please call us in advance to discuss your wishes.
What happens to the body afterwards?
There are three options for the body.
If you wish, you may bury your pet.
If you prefer, we can take care of the body for you. This would involve cremation in a humane and respectful environment.
If you wish to have your pet's ashes returned to you for burial or scattering, we can arrange this also.
Our cremations take place at Glenvine Crematorium. Their range of services can be found here: glenvinepetcrematorium.co.uk/