Euthanasia, otherwise described as ‘humanely ending life’, is a topic many of us don’t like to talk about but it is something we all may face at some stage during our dearly loved pet’s life.

Most of us may hope that when the time comes, our very much loved pet will just pass away quietly one night in its sleep.  Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen and we are then left with the difficult decision.  Should you have your pet’s life painlessly ended or should you persevere with treatment to ease discomfort and prolong your pet’s life?

Although this is never an easy decision, for your pet’s sake, you must weigh up the future carefully and ask yourself a few questions:-

• Is your pet still enjoying life?
• Is his/her quality of life good?
• Is there treatment available that will give a good chance of recovery to a nearly normal life?

If you answer no to any of these questions, then you may need to be be brave enough to make the decision of euthanasia.  This means that your pet can die quietly with dignity and without unnecessary pain.  You can also ask for a medical opinion of your pet’s health.  This may assist you in making a decision.

Euthanasia is performed by one of our veterinarians with the owner’s consent.  An overdose of anaesthetic is injected intravenously (mostly into a vein on the front or back leg) and your pet passes away very quickly without pain and distress. Often we will sedate your pet first to ensure your pet is relaxed prior to giving the final injection.

Burial/Cremation

This can also be a difficult decision to make especially when you have just euthanased your pet.  This procedure can be made less traumatic if you prepare for it before the euthanasia has taken place.  This way you can go home to grieve without having to worry about what is happening to your pet’s body.

There are a few options you have:

• You can choose to bury your pet in your back yard but this can be a difficult job if your pet is large.  It should be noted that some councils have laws that don’t allow this to be done.
• We have a burial company that comes to the clinic and they hold special permits to bury pets in certain areas.  Animals that are picked up in this way are placed in a mass grave with other animals.
• If you wish, there is a company that runs a pet cemetery and they can arrange for individual burial of your pet and they place a plaque on top and you can then visit your deceased pet in the memorial gardens.
• Finally, there is also a cremation service where the company can individually cremate your pet and they then send the ashes back to you in a polished wooden box.  This service is becoming more popular amongst owners so they can remember their loved pet.

Please note we can take care of all arrangements for owners if preferred.

Some other questions you may wish to think about before making the decision to have your pet euthanased are:

• Should I stay with my pet when it is being euthanased?
• Should my children come with me? (If applicable)
• What will I tell my children?

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING EUTHANASIA OR BURIAL,  PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO DROP IN OR PHONE THE CLINIC.  WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP.

Click on this link for some information on how to help you deal with losing a pet.