Euthanasia

All our vets are able to help with talking about quality of life and end of life care. If you’re feeling that the end is nigh because of reduced quality of life, poor mobility or senility signs (pointless vocalisation, vacancy, loss of toilet training, forgetfulness/confusion) and want to talk things out we can help. You would never be judged for what you decide to do, nor coerced into doing something you weren’t ready for.

The aim of euthanasia is to give an anaesthetic overdose in the least stressful and kindest way possible for all concerned (animal, owner and veterinary professionals).

All pets are different and a different approach may need to be adopted in different situations. The core aim remains the same – the least stressful and kindest way possible.

• Where – we can make house visits, see animals in consultation rooms at the surgery and in some circumstances in vehicles at the surgery.
• Sedation – in some circumstances it is kinder to sedate an animal for euthanasia to make cannula placement possible. We commonly give sedation to euthanasia cases to take the stress out of gaining intravenous access. Sedation reduces blood pressure and can make finding a vein more challenging but a good level of sedation makes the patient unaware of the process of cannula placement.
• Who – we find people have very different needs when the time comes to say goodbye to a pet. Some people need to be present throughout the whole procedure, others would rather not see the cannula placement but want to be there when the injection is given and others do not feel able to be present at all. We can accommodate whatever feels right at the time and will not judge people if they do not feel able to stay. Nearly all euthanasias require two veterinary professionals (usually a vet and a vet nurse) to be present.
• Children – in most circumstances children of primary age or younger are best kept away from an end of life consultation. They should, however, be honestly told what is happening (or what has happened) and why.
• The moments of death – Once an anaesthetic overdose has been administered several things happen to the animal. Firstly, within a few seconds to two minutes, unconsciousness is reached. If you are holding your pet, they start to feel limp and heavy; if they are sat or stood, they sink down and if they are lying down they soften and lose their blink reflex. Next the heart stops – the vet will be checking this either visually (by watching the chest), by feel or by stethoscope. Breathing can continue for some time after the heart stops and there can be a series of gasps called agonal gasps (we recognise more agonal gasping events in very sick animals or those who have required deep sedation for euthanasia). Finally the body fully relaxes – during this time muscle twitches can be present, bladder and bowel control can be lost and the animals eyes remain open.
• Other pets – some owners request that other pets are able to see the deceased. This can be helpful in some circumstances and is usually possible at home euthanasias.

Once the attending vet has confirmed death, families are given choices of what to do with their pet. It remains legal to bury pets at home in the UK and many families will do this. Others choose to have their pet’s remains cremated and there are options for the return of ashes. Animals we euthanase who go to be cremated are taken to Paws to Rest in Armathwaite. Where ashes are requested, those are brought back to the practice in either a casket or scatter bag according to owner preference.

Talking to friends and family about the loss of a much loved pet can be very helpful but sometimes the loss is debilitating and the grief hard to come to terms with. We often hear people saying that they were more affected by the loss of a family pet than by the loss of a parent. In these circumstances reaching out to trained professionals can help e.g. Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service | Pet Loss