Thinking about euthanizing your dog can feel like one of the most difficult decisions you have ever faced. Thinking about this invokes a very wide range of emotions.
After sensitively supporting clients over my 25 years of conducting at home pet euthanasia in Tucson, I can tell you there’s no one right way to respond. Everybody is different and you have to let yourself feel what you are going to feel. Most commonly people will feel guilty, sad, anxious and depressed. This is why when I go to people’s homes I make sure to first sit down with the pet parents and have a calm and empathetic discussion to help the pet owner identify the best way forward.
I never rush owners into euthanizing their pets because sometimes it is not the right time. Occasionally, owners will decide they want to wait and I always tell owners that they must make the decision they are most comfortable with.
If you are not sure whether it is time to humanely euthanize your dog, use my user friendly pet quality of life checklist. If you have methodically assessed the quality of life of your dog and decided it is definitely time to euthanize, one of the earliest decisions you will have to make is whether to euthanize your dog in the comfort of your home or at your local veterinary clinic.
After respectfully providing in-home euthanasia for dogs for several decades, I can tell you that one thing owners truly appreciate is their ability to customize the atmosphere that the in-home euthanasia is done within. At home you can control all of the atmospheric factors surrounding this sacred activity. For example, you can select any special elements such as candles or music. See my website page called How to Make it Special for more information on how you can customize this to your dog and your family. In this blog I will help you better understand the process of having your dog euthanized in your home.
What is at-home euthanasia
At-home euthanasia is a process where you are able to have your pet euthanized in the comfort of your own home rather than your pet having to travel to a clinic. Many owners have told me that they consider at home euthanasia to be a more humane way to euthanize their dog. One reason is your dog is most familiar with being at home with you. In contrast, when your dog goes to the veterinary clinic, it is a place that can be very uncomfortable for them. Dogs can have memories of negative experiences at the clinic.
Corporate vs locally owned
If you have decided you want to have your dog euthanized at home, your next decision is whether you want to use a corporate franchise based in-home euthanasia service or a non franchise-based veterinarian. Feel free to go to my website page where I discuss major change in more detail. These corporate companies tend to be significantly more expensive than locally owned at home euthanasia veterinarians. Click here to read a blog I wrote where I go into detail about the cost of at-home euthanasia for a dog.
Preparing for the at home euthanasia appointment
Once you have decided which type of veterinarian you want to use, it is now time to prepare the atmosphere that you want the at-home euthanasia to be done within. It is important that all people who have a significant emotional bond with your dog sit down face-to-face and take time to talk about what element you want to include in the euthanasia process. Remember to reference my How to Make it Special section of my website to review the questions you should ask yourself so the euthanasia process is exactly what you want it to be.
Steps of the process
Because I have done at home euthanasia for dogs for over 25 years, I have handcrafted a process that I believe integrates the best practices that high quality veterinarians follow. Thus, I will talk you through how I conduct my in-home euthanasias knowing that it represents the kinds of things you should expect from any in-home veterinarian.
When I arrive I sit down and make sure you feel like you have learned enough about me so you feel comfortable to proceed to discuss the way you want the euthanasia to be conducted. I always walk clients through the process I’m going to use to conduct the euthanasia.
Checking if a quality of life assessment is needed
As I previously discussed, the first step is, if necessary, is to conduct a quality of life assessment on your dog. As I mentioned above, you can click here in order to use my quality of life checklist.
Identifying and applying your special preferences
After any necessary quality of life assessment has been conducted, I will ask you what your preferences are. That way all of your family’s special preferences can be integrated into this compassionate process.
Constant emotional support
When I provide in-home euthanasia I make sure to be emotionally supportive. One way I do this is to make sure I fit into the atmosphere you want for your dog. My goal is for you to feel I am addressing what you need most. This is the level of sensitivity you should expect from any veterinarian
Comforting sedation
A comforting sedation is given to your dog in the form of an injection. Before this is done, I will often ask owners if there’s a favorite treat they want to give to their dog to make them feel as good as possible.
Euthanasia injection
The next step is the actual euthanasia solution is injected into your dog as painlessly as possible. Before I do this I always ask owners where they want to be when I do this. When this injection is completed your dog will slowly lose consciousness and pass away. I am always careful to make sure that your dog passes away in as peaceful a state as possible.
Giving you the space you want
After the euthanasia solution is given to your dog, I always will give owners as much space as they want. This often means I will walk outside of your home so that you and any other family members have the time you want with your dog to say goodbye. I discussed this further in the Making it Special section of my website.
Handling your pet
After you’ve said your final goodbyes to your pet, I will ask you, the owner of the dog, and anyone else to help me wrap the dog up in a respectful manner so I can transport them carefully.
Grief support
For owners who feel overwhelmed by their emotions, I provide them with supportive resources so they feel supported and they have someone they can talk to. It can take a long time to grieve the loss of your dog and I want to make sure that you have the resources you need so you can process your grief. I discussed this further in the Making it Special section of my website.
Return of ashes and keepsakes
After the euthanasia has been completed and your dog’s ashes have been transported to a crematorium, your dog will be cremated if you have not chosen a home burial. If you have chosen a home burial then I leave your dog at your home and you and anyone else are free to bury your dog on your property.
Summary
Remember, if you follow a couple of steps, this process can seem much more manageable. You can always refer to my quality of life checklist to assess the quality of life your dog is currently having. Secondly, if you’re definitely sure you want to euthanize your dog, you can go to the Making is Special section of my website in order to see a detailed explanation of what a typical at home euthanasia process will look like.
If the time comes to humanely euthanize your pet, and you do not know how to find the best in home in home pet euthanasia veterinarian, here is a list of 7 questions to ask.