Euthanizing your pet at home: what to expect
Just as each of our pets is unique, every home euthanasia experience is different, but this guide explains what to expect if you choose HouseCollar Vet to help you and your pet.
Before your appointment
When you first contact us to make an appointment or discuss our services, you’ll likely talk to Philip, our office manager. He’ll ask you about your pet’s current health concerns, answer your questions about the home euthanasia process, and work with you to set the best available day and time for an appointment if you feel you’re ready to move forward. If you’re not yet ready to schedule but want to discuss your pet’s situation and learn more about our services, that’s fine – we’ll take the time to make sure you have all the information you need. If you may need a phone consultation with Dr. Leach before moving forward with an appointment, he’ll gladly coordinate this for you.
At your appointment
Dr. Leach’s primary goal when she comes to your home is to make your pet feel safe and comfortable. If she’s never met you and your pet before, she’ll slowly and gently introduce herself to your pet, taking however long is needed for them to adjust to her presence. This is a good time to review any questions you may have while your dog or cat gets used to Dr. Leach. If your pet’s appetite is good, she may give him or her a few treats. She’ll take however much time is needed in this first phase of the process, and only once and you your pet are comfortable — never rushing — will she move on to the next steps.
Once you and Dr. Leach have decided where you’d like to be with your pet for the euthanasia, whether on a favorite bed, a favorite spot in the yard, or any other place of your choice, she’ll administer two medications. Some veterinarians use a single euthanasia medication, but she first administers a sedative, which includes a combination of strong pain and anti-anxiety medications, to ensure the process is as peaceful and painless as it can be. This first medication acts over the course of 5-10 minutes to help your pet feel tired and slowly drift out of consciousness. If your pet has an appetite and you’d like to give them a favorite food at this stage, that can help distract them from the injection and give them a happy experience with you as they drift off. Once your pet is fully unconscious and anesthetized, Dr. Leach will administer a second medication into a vein to complete the euthanasia.
Dr. Leach gives each client as much time as they’d like to have with their dog or cat after the euthanasia — there’s never any rush to complete the process. Once you feel ready to part with your pet, if you’d like HouseCollar Vet to arrange your pet’s cremation, Dr. Leach will gently transport your pet away from your home in a blanket or soft stretcher.
After your appointment
If you’ve arranged for HouseCollar Vet to handle your pet’s cremation, then we will coordinate all the remaining steps for transportation, cremation, and having your pet’s ashes returned to you if you’d like. See our frequently asked questions page for more information about the cremation process and options.
In the days and weeks your appointment, you may find that you, your family, and possibly your other pets need some guidance and support to help manage the grief you feel from losing your beloved companion. The San Diego Humane Society maintains a helpful pet loss support page that can help you find support groups, websites, books, and other support.
See these pages for more information about at-home euthanasia: