Euthanasia
There comes a time in most every pet parent’s life when you face the difficult decision to provide the gift of euthanasia to your best friend. Whether this is a longer journey to the end of the road, or a decision that must be made suddenly, we here, at Serenity Vet Care strive to provide the most peaceful and comforting experience to you and your family as possible.
How do I know when it’s time?
Every life experience is as unique as the individual pet, including the end of life experience. All of us with furry (or scaly) loved ones go through the struggle of not wanting feel that we’ve robbed our loved one of time here on this Earth vs. not wanting to be selfish and have them suffering because we want more time. Monitoring food and water intake, mobility and clear signs of suffering such as trouble breathing or vocalizing are great markers to help keep track of our pet’s quality of life. But unfortunately, it’s not always clear when it is time is for euthanasia. In these cases, we offer in home quality of life consults to help you measure and monitor your pet’s day-to-day comfort, so you can feel more confident in navigating the tough decision.
Should children or other pets be present?
Just like adult humans, children and pets are very much individuals, so each case is very much unique to each family. Serenity encourages any family members to ask their children if they’d like to be present and to let other pets in the area, but do not force any specific interaction.
*Please note that during the COVID pandemic, we do ask that all family members wear a mask. If multiple people are present, we ask the people not directly with the pet remain 6ft apart.
What does an in-home euthanasia appointment look like?
Upon arrival at the scheduled appointment time we will answer any questions the family may have and we will go over options for after life care including general or private cremation. Consent forms will then be presented for signatures and payment will be collected for services prior to performing the euthanasia.
When everyone is ready to start the procedure we will give your pet an intramuscular injection of medications to help ease any anxiety and pain. This will sedate your pet so they will be more comfortable for the remainder of the procedure. These medications can take up to 30 minutes to set in, or in most cases less than 5 minutes. Most pets become so relaxed that they may start snoring. Depending on how critical the pet is at this time, sedation medication alone may cause death.
We then place an IV catheter for gentle administration of the euthanasia medication, though in some older or more sick pets we may forgo this if we feel it would not be beneficial to the care of your pet – for example, small rodents or other pocket pets may require alternate methods of euthanasia or pets with low blood pressure and dehydration may have smaller, more delicate veins that are not conducive to placing a catheter.
When your family is as ready as they can be to say goodbye the veterinarian will give the final push of euthanasia medication that results in a deep peaceful sleep, causing brain, heart, and respiratory function to cease. The veterinarian will continue to monitor until the heartbeat can no longer be heard, then you and your family may take any additional time you would like to say goodbye to your pet’s remains. If you have opted to do any of the cremation options, we will take your pet with us and deliver it to the cremation facility.
What are the cremation options?
With communal/general cremation, the remains of several pets are placed together in the chamber and cremated together. With communal cremation, the crematorium facility will accept responsibility for disposing of the ashes. Ashes are not returned to pet owners with this type of service.
In a private cremation, only one pet is cremated at a time. Your pet is placed in the cremation chamber alone. This type of cremation ensures that the remains you receive back are not mixed with those of other animals. Remains are typically available within 7-14 days but may be delayed due to current Covid-19 changes. We will notify you when the cremains (ashes) are available to discuss the best way for you to receive them.
How do I schedule an appointment for an in-home euthanasia?
Please call or email anytime and if we are unable to answer or if it’s after hours, please leave a message and we will return your inquiry within 24 business hours.