We feel very strongly that end-of-life care should be delivered with dignity and respect for all concerned. We know that losing a pet can be incredibly traumatic and upsetting, and while we know that it will never be a good experience, we strive to make end-of-life care and euthanasia as good as it can be in the circumstances.
Euthanasia – Before the Appointment
When it comes to saying goodbye to your pet, we will do everything we can to help make it the experience that you want it to be. We offer a pre-euthanasia appointment, where you attend the clinic without your pet to discuss the euthanasia appointment, what to expect and to go through the options that you have. This means that when it comes to the euthanasia appointment, your sole focus can be on your pet.
We understand that for many people, it is preferable for euthanasia to be performed at home, and we will endeavour to attend home visits within hours by prior arrangement wherever possible, to allow you and your pet to be in familiar surroundings. However, due to the small size of our team, there may be circumstances where unfortunately this isn’t possible.
If euthanasia is performed within the clinic, we will make every effort to make it as calm and peaceful as we can, and we welcome you bringing any blankets, toys or treats that you feel will help to put your pet at ease.
When it comes to euthanasia, we encourage use of a mild sedative for all but the most laid back pets, because simply the presence of a vet and nurse can be daunting for our pets. We can prescribe sedatives for you to take home, to try and keep your pets stress to the minimum possible.
Euthanasia – What to Expect
At the appointment, we will allow your pet to settle wherever they are comfortable. The vet and nurse will then place a cannula into your pets leg vein. By placing the cannula, it means that when we give the injection to euthanase your pet, you can be sitting as closely as you would like, without the nurse having to hold them still. Occasionally, pets that are very old or poorly may have collapsed veins, and so it may be necessary to try a different vein, but please be reassured that we will take every care to keep any discomfort and stress to the minimum we can.
When the cannula is in place, the nurse can step aside and you may be as close to your pet as you wish to be. When you are ready, the vet will slowly administer the injection. The injection contains an anaesthetic, so your pet will drift off to a deep sleep and we continue to give enough anaesthetic that they won’t wake up again.
It is common that upon their death, pets eyes remain open. Their internal muscles relax, meaning that they may urinate and defecate, and as the oxygen leaves their body they may take reflex gasps, and their muscles may twitch. Please be reassured that none of this means that anything has gone wrong, they are all normal changes that the body undergoes.
After administration of the injection, the vet will check for a heartbeat and blink reflex, to confirm death. After this, you are welcome to take some time without the vet present to say goodbye to your pet and, if you would like, to allow any other pets to say goodbye as well.
What happens after my pet has been euthanised?
You have choices as to what you would like to happen to your pets body after death has been confirmed, which are as follows:
- Home Burial – if you have space at home, you may bury your pet on private land.
- Cremation – you can elect to have your pets body cremated. If you elect for cremation, you have the option to either have your pets ashes back, or not not have them back.
- Individual Cremation – your pets ashes are returned to you. Care is taken to ensure that you receive back only YOUR pets ashes. The ashes may be returned in a choice of vessels, ranging from scatter boxes to caskets and urns.
- We routinely send pets to Pet Cremation Services Crematorium in Northampton, but if you have an alternative Pet Cremation company that you would like to use, we are happy to work with you to arrange this.
- Communal Cremation – your pets ashes are not returned to you. Instead they are interred in the gardens are Pet Cremation Services in Northampton.
- Individual Cremation – your pets ashes are returned to you. Care is taken to ensure that you receive back only YOUR pets ashes. The ashes may be returned in a choice of vessels, ranging from scatter boxes to caskets and urns.
We are also able to offer additional services, such as paw prints, nose prints and fur clippings. If you would like more information about these services, please so ask us and we are happy to show you.
After your pets passing
Losing a pet can be traumatic, and we know how hard it can be to cope after the loss of our much loved pets. Our door is always open if you need support or to talk.
If you need any additional help or advice, there are various resources available:
- www.theralphsite.com – contains a discussion forum to talk to other people who have been through the same type of experiences
- www.ourspecialfriends.com
- The Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Service – 0800 096 6606 ; pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk
- The Samaritans – www.samaritans.org
It is important to know that it is completely normal to grieve the loss of our pets. We’ve heard so many people, after their pets passing, say things like ‘I’m just being silly, he was only a dog’, but they’re not JUST pets, they’re companions who are there for us day in, day out, who rely on us for food and warmth and in return give us love and loyalty. We often see more of our pets than we do of our family, so it’s only natural that their passing will leave a huge gap in our lives. So please always be kind to yourself.
Should I get another pet?
This is a very personal decision, some people can’t bear to get another pet soon after losing a much loved companion, while other people can’t bear the quietness in the house. There is no right or wrong, it’s entirely based on how you feel.
A common concern is the feeling that by getting another pet, you are trying to replace the companion you’ve lost, but the truth is you can never replace a lost pet, because our pets are individuals and their characters are all so different. So don’t view it as trying to replace them, but as a growth of your family and a new addition.
If you have anything you wish to discuss with us or ask about euthanasia, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We know it can be hard to broach the subject, but we want you to have all the information you need to make the decisions that are right for you.