It’s important to remember that when it comes to saying goodbye, there isn’t a formula that suits everyone. As with humans, animals all have their own unique and wonderful personalities, and no two animals are ever the same. As their owner, you know more than anyone else your pet’s personality and preferences. Once the decision has been made that an at-home put to sleep service is the kindest way forward for your loved one, together, we will create a plan of how best to help your pet pass peacefully.
Making Sure You’re Fully Prepared
Before making your booking for an at-home put to sleep service, I will go through a list of details with you to retrieve as much information as I can about your pet’s health conditions and personality. This is due to the fact that some drugs can take longer to take effect if certain health conditions are present. So, it’s important I obtain the correct information to help achieve that balance.
I will call you on the number you provide me with at least 10 minutes before arriving at your property. I will arrive in a car (not a van), and I will wear casual and colourful scrubs. The reason for this is to prevent pets associating my visit with any prior trips they’ve had to a veterinary practice. I prefer a domestic car to keep my visit private so owners can decide if it’s something they’d like their neighbours to know about.
At-Home Put To Sleep Sedation
It is important for me that all animals are under sedation prior to the final injection. Often, animals receiving euthanasia are suffering from chronic health conditions. A Sedation allows you to spend those final moments with your pet pain-free and drifting off into a deep sleep. For animals who have a more challenging temperament, I will give oral sedatives to you to administer while I wait in my vehicle. This is so I am out of sight from your pet and I won’t cause any unnecessary alarm.
Upon entering your house, I will introduce myself to your pet and administer a small subcutaneous injection. This is generally well tolerated and often goes unnoticed. I will either leave the room or wait quietly in a corner of the room as you spend some time comforting your pet as they fall into a comfortable slumber. I will then ensure that your pet is completely anaesthetised before we proceed.
The Euthanasia Injection
Once I have established that full general anaesthesia is present, I will proceed to place a catheter in a vein. This process usually dictates that I clip away a small amount of your pet’s fur to make for greater visualisation of the vein. As chronic health conditions can result in lowered blood pressure, there are times when gaining venous access is difficult or impossible. In such cases, I will administer the final injection into an organ. I will only do this after verifying that your pet is deeply sleeping under a general anaesthetic.
While your pet will be completely unaware of anything going on, I will always endeavour to keep you completely informed at every step of the process. If you want to step out of the room or look away for the final injection, this is something I am comfortable helping you through. Everyone deals with life and death differently, and it’s important that you have as much support as you need.
What to expect in the final moments
When I administer the final injection, your pet will already be in a deep slumber. I will listen for a heart rate 2 minutes after administering the injection. I will let you know as soon as your pet’s heart stops beating. It is important that if you have any questions or concerns, you do not hesitate to ask them. I understand this is potentially one of the worst days of your life. Therefore, I want to make sure it goes as smoothly as it can for both your pet and for you and the rest of your family.
At-Home Put To Sleep Aftercare
After your pet has passed away, I will offer my emotional assistance and stay with you until you feel safe for me to leave you. If you are using my cremation services and if your pet is 10 kilograms or under I am comfortable carrying your pet to my car on my own. If your pet is heavier than 10 kilograms I will require assistance from you, a family member or friend to help me carry your pet to my vehicle. I understand that this is a very difficult time and not everyone is comfortable assisting me with carrying their pet. If you don’t have anyone that is able to help me please select the assistant option on my consent form and I will bring an assistant with me on the day. There is a £25 surcharge for this service. This is a flat rate to cover the costs for my assistant. I don’t travel with my assistant as default, this is to keep my prices as low as possible. I will return to you once your pet is safely secured in my vehicle.