Pet euthanasia when is the right time

Sometimes the final decision is obvious to everyone. Every pet, every family, every situation is different with unique considerations for those involved. When your pet has been diagnosed with an illness that cannot be cured, but can be managed, your veterinarian can assist you with a treatment plan.

We are willing to discuss your questions, concerns, or just listen! The vets at Journeys offer compassionate, gentle in home euthanasia for families that prefer to be in the privacy of their home for their last goodbye.

You'll have to ask your vet about prices. When the procedure cannot be done in your home, your veterinarian may have a back entrance and quiet room set aside for euthanasia so you and your pet can avoid the loud waiting room. In that case, Dr.

Michael Dix of the Jacksonville Veterinary Hospital in Oregon suggests bringing along "their favorite toy, bed or blanket with the pet when the actual euthanasia is taking place. The most important thing is to help your pet feel calm and not increase their stress, says Dr.

For example, if your pet wears a collar, leave it on until they have passed, since "taking it off can be excitatory," Nelson said. And stay with your pet through the process and to the end.

Be there for them in death. You may feel comforted by being able to celebrate and honor your pet at the different stages of this process. For example, perhaps you have sufficient opportunity to prepare, create and then go out and fulfill a bucket list of experiences for your pet.

Or revisit their favorite places, and give them their favorite foods. Then on the day of, you can try to have people and things around you that will foster a peaceful and meaningful experience.

McCord recalls an elderly Labrador retriever whose owner invited several friends to come to her house to be there for the dog's euthanasia.

The group had flowers, lit candles and sang. The owner's friends "read a couple of really awesome poems. They did a little prayer," said McCord.

Your veterinarian may cry with you. In fact, it's common enough for this to happen that there's a kind of rule of thumb that the vet should ensure not to cry harder than the pet's owner. For McVety, even with the sadness, what she mainly feels is that it is "an honor" to be part of a family's life during this time.

Cox shares this perspective. You have a lot of options as to what you want to do with your pet's body after euthanasia. Your veterinarian can tell you about pet cremation services available in your area. You will generally have to specify if you want your pet cremated alone, and for their ashes to be returned to you. There are countless urns and other specialty memorials you can buy for containing your pet's ashes. A chain of pet funeral homes called The Pet Loss Center is currently expanding through Texas and Florida; other similar operations may be opening in your city.

In some jurisdictions it is legal to bury your pet in your backyard, and in some others , you can even make arrangements for you and your pet to be eventually buried together in a cemetery. But before all that, many veterinarians will allow you to spend time alone with your deceased pet — in the room at their animal hospital if that's where the euthanasia occurred, or in your home before the veterinarian takes away their body.

McCord said she's even had pet owners ask for their pet's body to be left at home overnight. McVety recommends saving a lock of your pet's fur, and keeping their collar, especially if you have other animals at home. They will smell these tokens, and it will help them grieve, too. But they get the circle of life better than we do," she said.

So even watching your pet and how they get through the process is, I think, such a great example for us humans on how we can continue moving forward in life in a moment-by-moment basis. Be sure, finally, to give yourself time and space to grieve.

Sadly, much of the time, the pet has not seen a veterinarian in years and no treatments have been given. Next, is the pet able to walk? If a pet is unable to walk without falling, it may be time to euthanize. However, once again, I must inquire what medical treatments have been sought. I once had a German shepherd brought in for a possible euthanasia, due to advanced lameness issues. The owner was incredibly sad to lose her beloved friend. I offered injections for the arthritis and oral anti-inflammatory medication.

A year and a half later, the relieved owner still has her loyal friend. Eventually, as the arthritis progresses, end of life options will need to be considered, but so far, it is not her time. Another consideration is incontinence. The most common incontinence is urinary. Once again, there are medications that can control this medical issue.

If the medications are not successful, then euthanasia may be considered due to a quality of life concern. For example, riding in the car, playing with a favorite toy, chewing on a rawhide, laying on your lap for a nice pet during TV time, rolling over for a belly rub.

As you can see from the above information, deciding when to euthanize is not easy. If your pet is diagnosed with a terminal disease, your veterinarian can assist you with medical management of the illness. This on-going treatment can be helpful in feeling comfortable with euthanasia for the family and the doctor who is faced with performing the euthanasia. These are the cases I feel most at peace with, since I know the pet has been well loved and the family has done everything within their means to help their pet.

In these cases, euthanasia can be a gift to the pet to end suffering. This partnership can make the very difficult decision easier for family and also for the veterinarian. The knowledge that the choice was made together, in the best interest of your pet, can be a comfort to all involved. Kaitlen Lawton-Betchel grew up in Lemoore. An alumni of West Hills College and Fresno Pacific University, she graduated from Midwestern University in Arizona with her doctorate of veterinary medicine and her business certificate.

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