As pet owners we all hope that our pets will live healthily to a ripe old age and, when their time has come, they will curl up and go off to sleep in a favourite spot in the home. Unfortunately, it does not always work out this way, and we may be faced with the difficult decision to let our pet go.
Ending their life voluntarily is called euthanasia and we would choose to do this as a means of preventing suffering when it is clear that we can no longer help our pet maintain a reasonable quality of life. Euthanasia provides a dignified and comfortable way of doing this.
At Braid Vets we understand this will be an emotional period for all involved, and therefore we do our best to provide a quiet and respectful time and place for the euthanasia to be carried out.
Most euthanasias take place at the practice in a private room, with the Vet and Vet Nurse present. The Vet will talk you through the procedure in advance. This entails giving your pet an overdose of an anaesthetic drug by intra-venous injection that allows your pet to fall asleep peacefully.
Some owners like to be present and remain with their pet, however, some prefer to remember them in better days so choose not to stay. The choice is yours.
In certain circumstances it may be possible for us to make a home visit for euthanasia, when the Vet and Vet Nurse will come to your home at a time that suits you.
Once the euthanasia has been carried out the final decision for an owner to make is how to take care of their pet’s body. A small number of owners choose to take their pet home for home burial, however, it is made clear to the owner that they must dig a deep grave in order to prevent other animals uncovering the body.
The alternative method is cremation and we take care of the vast majority of pets in this way. We employ the services of a reputable pet crematorium called Elysian Fields for all cremations. There are two forms available: firstly, the pet can be cremated individually and the ashes returned to the owner in a discrete urn, or secondly, the standard service where the crematorium takes care of your pet’s ashes.
We understand there is a lot to consider at this difficult time, but we hope that this page provides you with the necessary information to make the decisions clearer. However, if you have any further questions regarding euthanasia then please do not hesitate to contact us.