By vetstreet.com | Pets – April 2013 By Dr. Andy Roark | vetstreet.com Thinkstock Just last week, while I was performing euthanasia for a critically ill patient, the pet’s owner looked at me and said, “I bet this is the hardest part of your job.” That gave me pause. For me, putting animals to sleep is not one of the hardest parts of… Continue Reading;
Signs of Pain & Suffering
February 1, 2013 by
How Do I Know When To Euthanize A Pet? The following could be signs that your pet is suffering, frustrated, or painful: panting, falling, stumbling, hesitating, slow, licking wrists, biting, restless, shifting positions, anxious, unsettled, can’t get comfortable, can’t sleep fully on side for long periods, wanting to be upright all the time, tense or… Continue Reading;
Quality of Life Questions
January 17, 2013 by
QUALITY OF LIFE FACTORS TO CONSIDER: PAIN? – The worst forms of pain and suffering are breathing difficulty, bone pain (debilitating arthritis and bone cancer/osteosarcoma), and nausea (most commonly from kidney failure). Is your pet’s pain well managed? Can they breathe properly? Is there abdominal effort to breathe (bad)? Is there panting all the time… Continue Reading;
Older Horse Care Info
December 19, 2012 by
Horse care info below was obtained from the following website in an attempt to help people learn more about how to care for their older horse: http://www.vetstream.com/scott-dunns/html/Factsheets/Horse/24_269864.asp?id=1 The average age for a horse is about 24 years. When is a horse ‘old’? For young horses, one year is equal to about 3.5 years of a… Continue Reading;
We Handle Pet Cremation Transport
December 5, 2012 by
What do I do with the body? Cremation is the most popular option. Or you may handle burial in your yard if legal in your area. Most people have us handle body care and cremation arrangements. Consider private cremation with ashes returned or group cremation with no ashes returned. Some people want to save the ashes… Continue Reading;
How Does Pet Euthanasia Work?
December 5, 2012 by
How does pet euthanasia work? What happens? How do I prepare? Pet euthanasia is a massive overdose of anesthesia. A tired, relaxing, falling asleep feeling is what your pet experiences. First, a calming sedative is given carefully under the skin with a tiny needle (it can be helpful to distract your pet with food during… Continue Reading;
Should Children Be Present?
December 5, 2012 by
Should my children be present during euthanasia? Yes, it is recommended. When children know how and why their pet died, it eliminates years of asking questions. Be honest with kids when discussing euthanasia and include your children in ongoing family discussions. Focus on how lucky we are to relieve our pet’s suffering through euthanasia. The entire… Continue Reading;
How Do I Know When To Euthanize?
December 5, 2012 by
Here, I explain various end-of-life situations and how they may be handled. When our very old pet dies in their sleep on their own terms, this kind of death is a little easier to handle. We knew it was coming, it happened painlessly during sleep, and we didn’t have to make the decision. When our… Continue Reading;
What Does Home Pet Euthanasia Cost?
December 2, 2012 by
Cost depends on two main factors: driving distance and body care afterwards. Extra time is the main reason why a home visit is more expensive than a vet clinic appointment. The added fees for this type of house call involve our drive times back and forth, unrushed unlimited home time, extended hours of availability, quicker… Continue Reading;
Help With Euthanasia Decision
November 14, 2012 by
Signs of Old Age => Agonizing Conflict => Knowledge about Suffering => Clarity & Confidence => Euthanasia => Relief One of the most painful experiences we can face in our lifetime is the loss of a beloved pet. The decision to euthanize is so difficult. We experience agonizing conflict about what is the best thing… Continue Reading;
