At-Home Pet Euthanasia Services
Euthanasia is the most difficult decision we face as pet owners. It can be difficult to determine the “right time” for your pet. Some things to consider are:
- Can your pet’s condition be improved by surgery or medication?
- Is your pet eating?
- Can your pet get around comfortably?
- Is your pet able to enjoy activities that he/she always enjoyed?
- Is your pet breathing comfortably?
Take Action to Get Diagnostic Testing and Treatments
If you feel your pet’s health is declining, you should always schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to assess what diagnostics or treatments may be available. Often, owners do not realize there are treatment options available until it is too late. Sometimes diagnostics can at least help you understand what the condition is and provide peace of mind in making the decision to euthanize.
At-Home Euthanasia
We provide at-home euthanasia services for our existing clients. We understand many people that currently have another vet would still like the opportunity to say goodbye at home, but unfortunately our schedule does not allow for us to provide this service. We are often booked out for weeks with all types of appointments and are committed to providing top priority to our clients and patients. There are several euthanasia services available in Northeast Ohio depending on your location, and we recommend you reach out to them for more information.
Information for our Clients
When you schedule an at-home euthanasia, be sure to address any concerns or ask any questions you have about the procedure ahead of time. Each situation is a little bit different, as our primary goal is to keep your pet comfortable and make this very difficult situation a little bit easier.
For dogs, the majority of the time, we will have your pet out to our mobile clinic and an IV catheter will be placed to give us access to a vein, so we do not have to poke your pet with needles. We prefer to do this procedure in the clinic since our lighting and positioning is better. We give them several treats or attention as we do this, to reduce stress. Your pet can then remain in the clinic or be brought to a special place on a porch or under a favorite tree with a special bed. We will give you time to spend with them to give more treats or just love. When you are ready, the veterinarian will inject an anesthetic through the IV port and your pet will fall asleep, as if having surgery. The euthanasia medication will be given after this.
For cats, we may elect to do the procedure just as we do for dogs and place an IV catheter first, or we may sedate your cat with an injection in the muscle instead. We tailor our protocol to your pet and what we feel will be the least stressful. Please feel free to discuss this with us so we can go over the recommended plan.
We will speak to you about funeral home arrangements when the appointment is scheduled. You may choose to bury your pet at home, take him to a funeral home of your choice (you should make those arrangements ahead of time), or use our funeral home services (we will make all of those arrangements for you). We work with Faithful Companion out of Twinsburg and they will generally meet us at the appointment and transport your pet back to their facility where they will be cremated within 24hrs. A staff member will contact you the next day and arrange a time to bring the ashes back to you. You must be home to receive the ashes. Faithful Companion does provide a wooden urn and a paw print for you.We highly recommend them, if you prefer cremation.
Call 330-904-2129 or contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sarah Ford.