At-home pet euthanasia

Dollface thread.

Where to begin.

Seriously though why are you asking about this? Are you not physically able to take the dog to the vet? Is he a great big fat dog?

When my lovely Papillon Koa was ready to go, I called his vet. He came in his mobile vet clinic and administered two shots while I held my baby boy in my arms.

Our neighbors did it and it made the whole process a bit easier. Their dog got to stay in his own home with family. If you have other pets it is important they be in the room to see what is happening. You can have a cremation service or a diy burial. Please accept my condolences. It never is easy. Rainbowbridge is good resource for anyone in this situation.

OP, I’m really sorry about your sweet animal. I had a vet come to our home to euthanize our cat in 2020. The vet came in and explained what she was going to do, gave us time to say goodbye, then gave our girl a shot to relax her, followed by a second shot. The vet took a mold of her paw for a remembrance for us. We had time to say goodbye and to bring on our other cat. We got a sympathy card afterward and another note a year later. The cost was $400.

This is likely one of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make but the most humane thing you can do.

At-Home Pet Euthanasia is ABSOLUTELY the most loving and humane way to do this dirty deed.

The animal is in a safe, loving, familiar environment surrounded by loving caretakers, not in some smelly, cold, sterile exam room that smells like a million other strange animals. I wish more vets offered this as an option.

It's the way to go if you can afford it, OP. It's worth stashing money away for if you think you can't afford it.

We've had five in-home euthanasias over the years (I go for the middle aged and older dogs, hence the "high turnover").

I have not ever had a "normal" euthanasia vet, though-- I've had two or three different ones. It could just be my luck but I think maybe they're socially off and that's why they go into a relatively solitary practice, or maybe it's their little gallows humor. But I took care of a lot of dying people in my day and I knew when to switch it off for family.

One in particular, she's very good, and about $100 less than the others, but she's very loud. Talks loud, laughs really loud, can't read the room. For the last two dogs, I had to tell her via text before she arrived that we wouldn't be up for talking much and would like for things to be as quiet as possible during her visit, and she complied. But knowing that I needed to do that came from past experience with her-- so if you want it to go a certain way, if you want a certain tone to be maintained, then let them know before they get there.

This vet I'm referring to has a 5-star rating on Google, which goes to show that everyone's expectations are different, so don't assume if they have five stars that they're going to be able to read your mind-- take it from someone who's been there. Communicate to them beforehand what your expectations are for the 'tone'. And don't hesitate to speak up, either, don't do a 'wait and see', you'll probably be too out of sorts to ask/tell them anything in person. You're paying an arm and a leg for a more pleasant experience, so you do need to communicate your expectations beforehand.

Thank you for sharing your experiences — and to Mrs. Patsy Ramsey, for giving me the first laugh I've had all day.

Have you seen Old Yeller?

Love to you at this time, OP.

Wishing you the best, OP. You will be very glad you chose in-home. Stay strong.

Sorry for what you're going through, OP.

The vet and his nurse were very good (gentle but fast and got here quite quickly after I called them) and luckily the cremation people were able to come by not long afterwards.

I will only do at-home euthanasia from this point forward if it is an option where I live. We did this for our last one and while it didn't make the pain go away, I'm 1000% confident that it made my dog's passing incredibly less stressful and much more comfortable.

Both times I was contemplating this, once with one of my cats fifteen years ago and then recently with my other cat, I lay quietly with them and tried to tell them telepathically that it was time to go and did they want help. Both times the cats died quietly that night in their sleep. It's worth a try. I was getting ready to get someone to come to the house to help but they left of their own accord.

How sad. I hope you find some comfort in these suggestions.

Thanks to the Mobile Vet my buddy passed in his home and in my arms. I didn't even care about the money (and I'm cheap as shit). Sending good thoughts......

OP, please absolutely positively do a home vet euthanasia. it's kinder to yourself and to your loved one. You do not want to be trying to hold it together in public and you do not want your lobed one's last moments to be at a hated place full of noise and scents.

[quote] you do not want your lobed one's

Oh, ear.

Sending you and your beloved pet loving and comforting thoughts during your remaining time with each other.

I would worry I would mess up the steps in the process and cause my pet to experience pain because of it. I'd rather have a professional do it.

Go to the damned veterinarian you imbecile

R7 Here again . . . I forgot to mention that having your beloved pet "put to sleep" in its home also spares the poor creature the trauma of a car ride (in a pet carrier?) to the vet's practice. For some animals, especially cats, a trip in the car the most horrible thing they can experience.

Stupid ass

[quote] Love to you at this time, OP.

Same as R11. Big hugs and good luck to you. 🐶🐱🐾❤️

My understanding is death from inhaling carbon monoxide is more or less painless, you pass out and then suffocate while asleep. That's a terrible thing to go through though, are you sure you want to do it this way? I understand if there are financial barriers.

Do you need any recipes, Mary?

Sending strength and light to a fellow animal lover.

My friend did it with her cat, and I stayed with her for it. The vet was kind and gentle to both the humans and the animal and gave us private time to say goodbye to kitty after explaining everything she would be doing. She did it in the bedroom, on the bed where the cat was resting, but not before the owner was ready. Then, when it was over, she put the kitty in an oval, blanket-lined basket on a pillow and arranged her respectfully as if she were sleeping, then took the dearly departed away with her for the cremation.

R29 - BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing this memory.

We lost two dogs (16 and 15 years old) within one year a few years back.

I preferred being with the dogs, but at the vet's office. Husband and I (and the vet tech) were on the floor with the dog on a soft blanket.

When it was over (we paid first!), we could just leave and go home. Of course, we have the ashes at our house now, but I really liked the feeling of walking away, composing myself, and then heading home.

I'm sure each dog--and owner--is unique, but this arrangement worked better for us. As long as we were right beside the dog as she took her final breaths, I was OK with being on the floor of the vet's office.

r26 ‘at home’ doesn’t mean DIY

R32 oh i assumed this was give me advice on how to kill my pet

R33 WAIT! Is that what OP means??

Legally, you must use a vet. I would hope.

My experience about two months ago was exactly like R9's. My 12 year old Orange Tabby developed Diabetes, Lymphoma and had a Upper Respiratory Infection. He lost several pounds despite eating the fuck out of everything. I looked in his eyes and they told me it was time.

My 14 year old guy has lost the ability to move his back legs...it's been about a year. It could be hip dysplasia or it could be a spinal condition that pugs are prone to as a result the inbreeding to achieve their "cute" curly-que tail (which is apparently actually a deformity) called Pug Myelopathy. It could be both.

He's not in pain and he's fairly continent, given his condition. I use a strap that goes around his belly and supports his rear legs while his front legs work perfectly fine and i can still take him for shorter walks. If i could afford a wheelie chair, i'd probably get one.

Point being, he had gotten really sick almost a month or so ago and i was thinking that might be it for him. It turned out he most likely had a kidney stone as a result of crystals in his urine. He's fine now, but it's definitely been on my mind because of his age. I won't take him to a sterile vet atmosphere. I am hoping he just passes in his sleep when his time comes, but that time isn't right now. Now he's just like any old, grumpy man who is vociferous when it's time to eat and can be quite a curmudgeon. He's also still the sweet boy who wants cuddles when i come home after leaving him for a few hours and gives out a little sigh of satisfaction when i grab after returning home.

I'm getting sad thinking of it. But i saw this thread and knew i should probably steel myself and read it to see what others' experiences have been like because it's coming at some point.

^^grab him and hug him after returning home

I think I don't understand is why you can't euthanize your own child. I mean if you've gotten to that point you probably aren't going to get better and be a nicer parent and chances are you already f***** up your kid as is and that's why you can't stand them so let's just start anew. I mean like really it's not like we expect everything to come out perfectly at the factory there's always going to be a reject pile so to speak.

R37, is Hercules a rescue pug?

Yes.

In that I rescued him from a life in Oregon...

Seriously, getting Hercules was a completely unplanned event that happened on a trip to Oregon to visit a friend. I had not in any way planned to get a dog, it really just happened when we drove by a cardboard sign on the corner and stopped to look.

He was one of the last two pugs left needing a home, and when I held his teeny 8 week old body in my hands up to my face, he licked my nose.

OP again. Of course I'm not going to euthanize him myself. There are vets that come to your home and do it.

I assumed when we got home from the vet with the diagnosis he would want to rest on my pillow as he usually does. No; he picked a spot in the house where he'd never been before. I put down a blanket. He tried to drink some water but couldn't.

He's been in that spot for about seven hours, being very quiet, not sleeping (which is unusual). He no longer purrs when I touch him, which is unheard of — he's very attached. He just looks at me when I talk to him and wants to be very, very still. My selfish hope is that he passes in the middle of the night so I don't have to call the vet for the final shot.

And yes, he is a rescue cat who was scheduled to be euthanized at the shelter more than a decade ago. He's had a good life. Though his name is not Bootsie Gumdrops.

I appreciate the volume of animal lovers on DL.

We are here for you, OP, many having gone through the final stage of a beloved pet's life. Reach out whenever you need a virtual hand to hold tonight; someone will answer.

What is your fur baby's name?

Where I live, euthanasia at the vet’s office is around $200, vs. $600 for at-home euthanasia. The at-home is more for the sake of the pet owners who project their feelings onto Fluffy, who is usually in so much agony or in a mental fog that he doesn’t give two shits about where he is when he’s put down. Maybe we should do routine at-home veterinary care as well to spare Fluffy from the trauma of unfamiliar sights and smells of the vet clinic; spaying and neutering too.

❤️Good luck with this, OP. ❤️I am sorry for your impending loss, but so happy you got to experience the true love of a devoted pet. As an oldster, I have been through it more times than I can count, as an animal lover, I have at least five more times to go through it. I am very touched by the mostly positive posts, that are full of love and devotion.

R44, where I live, home visits are cheaper.

You're a sad, twisted soul.

[quote]The at-home is more for the sake of the pet owners

I have no idea why that would be a bad thing.

You're a massive cunt R44. You should go directly to your local vet and have yourself euthanised. Now.

Best thing ever. Our cat was put down in her own world. Less than a grand - money spent well

This July, I took my most loved dog to the vet for her final visit. She never minded the vet, plus they’re only about 2 blocks away. In fact, two months earlier, I brought her in thinking it was the end and she perked up so much the vet and I were convinced she would have more time.

At home, her “sister” would have been a distraction. I am so grateful that I got to hold my little girl from our house to her final breath. The vet and technician did an amazing job of creating a respectful, compassionate experience. But God, I miss that little dog.

OP will you keep us updated. I think there are a lot of people genuinely sending you out positive vibes for a peaceful passing. Letting go is the hardest thing in the world, but the greatest act of pure love you can offer.

[quote][R44], where I live, home visits are cheaper. You're a sad, twisted soul.

That may be the case for you, R46, but it’s a privilege that’s beyond the budget of most Americans. It’s people like you who fuel the boutique pet industry that’s pricing out low-income and middle class American’s from adopting animals, which in turn has contributed to more mass euthanasia in shelters (far worse than a vet’s office) and to an increase in gruesome death on the street for stray animals. And you shame people like R50 for choosing affordable euthanasia at a clinic. That’s far more “sick and twisted” IMO.

R44, r52

You're demented, irrational, making illogical statements...and blocked .

Take your meds.

My vet has been a family friend for decades, he'd come to the house, and now that he's too old to the dogs new dr comes to the house. It is absolutely done for US, the humans, and couldn't have fewer fucks to give if someone has a 'problem ' with how I deal with my pets.

OP, do whatever you feel comfortable with; if at-home euthanasia is affordable where you live, or you have the means to pay for it, it’s a good option, but don’t feel bad about taking your pet to the vet’s office. Either way, it’s a compassionate act for your animal, as long as you’re there to provide comfort.

Yes, R52, thank you for saying that.

I’ve loved the hell out of dogs as long as I’ve been alive, but twenty years ago I would not have been able to afford a home-euthanasia for any of my dogs. When they get a chronic disease— when they get congestive heart failure, kidney disease, etc., cancer, it gets SUPER expensive. Even if you have them put down shortly after diagnosis, the cost of the diagnositics and the ‘let’s try this for awhile’ drugs will eat a working class or lower middle class person alive. Several hundred dollars a month, maybe even over a thousand, left and right.

Then it gets to that point where you have to choose euthanisia— you could do it at home but then you might not be able to afford a cremation. What do you do, this is the light of your life, your heart.

After all the illness-related vet bills, you may not be able to afford either one! So let’s keep it real and acknowledge that while this may be ideal, people who don’t have money can love their pets every bit as much as someone with discretionary income can.

It’s coming off as if you only truly love your pet if you can drop $600 for an in-home euthanasia, especially after paying ever- mounting medical bills.

Oh god, sorry for the typos, I can’t find my glasses.

[Quote] OP, please absolutely positively do a home vet euthanasia. it's kinder to yourself and to your loved one. You do not want to be trying to hold it together in public and you do not want your lobed one's last moments to be at a hated place full of noise and scents.

—rescue-chick

Easy for you to say when you had a GoFundMe earlier this year just to move to a different apartment.

R44 Here — just to clarify, I’m not against home euthanasia, spending mega dollars on premium pet food, buying high-end toys, or hiring a top notch groomer if you can afford it. What I object to is shaming other pet owners who can’t afford premium pet care and supplies… especially during this spike in owners who are surrendering pets they can no longer afford basic care for thanks to inflation, price-gouging, rising cost of housing, etc.

[quote]Easy for you to say when you had a GoFundMe earlier this year just to move to a different apartment.

Ha — good catch, R58. The depth of her cognitive dissonance (or hypocrisy) is remarkable.

cute try. the cost difference for a home euthanasia vs an office one is about $100 here. the major cost is whether you want the cremation ashes back, it's about $500 more for an individual burn.

[quote]What I object to is shaming other pet owners

No one here is shaming pet owners who cannot afford this.

It depends on which state you live in, R61. If OP is in California, we’d probably have to do a GoFundMe for him or her to pay for a house-call euthanasia.

R61/RC, there's also the huge difference in cost between a single animal vs a multiple animal cremation. Most vets (good ones, IMO) also provide cremation with their current affiliate which is less expensive than private cremation services.

I'm from the kind of family where animals are as important to us, as children (evidenced by the very few of my 7 aunts and uncles, just my mothers side, my father was one of six, to me having 5 cousins on both sides combined). One of my aunts has her life insurance set up for her horses- but with no children or husband, why not? She's also cremated her goats- extreme eccentricities to say the least. The cremations are one of the heaviest off gassing offenders.

But when you've sublimated animals for children, it's important. My first dog, was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure around 14, and I have care credit, which I thought I'd max out, but the monthly supplies were not as expensive as I'd assumed, it wasn't more than 50.00 a month, including doing sub-q fluid injections and a fresh food (I cooked) diet, it wasn't as cost prohibitiveas Id assumed. The diagnostics were the expensive part, along with the cremation. I wound up getting almost 2 years, good years at that, and it was worth every penny. Pet insurance has also come a long way. I also found the Facebook support groups a treasure trove of diet suggestions and places to buy supplies, at the best prices.

I also figure if I'm going to critique my friend having a ton of kids, and is constantly complaining about money, and I ask what they expected when they were having 7 kids; I could put my money where my mouth is.

Also cremation services are prohibitively expensive in some states, especially if you have a large dog because they charge based on weight. The only affordable option in these places, unless home burials are allowed, is tossing you cherished companion into a landfill. Imagine if human funeral industry started charging by the pound. Maybe they should!

*your cherished companion

*the human funeral industry

I’ve nothing to add, OP, but sending you much love.

How lucky he was to have made his home with you.

Our veterinarian had always promised to assist us at home when the time arrived. However, my fur baby was stricken on a holiday Sunday and I didn't have the heart to disturb our vet. We took our last "walk" then to the local Emergency Care facility where I sang him to sleep in my arms.

I took his remains to our vet the next morning, who arranged for an individual cremation, I received his cremains several days later.

Have we heard from OP today?

[quote] Also cremation services are prohibitively expensive in some states, especially if you have a large dog because they charge based on weight.

Pet owners need to plan ahead. For sure, every dog is going to die.

[quote]No one here is shaming pet owners who cannot afford this.

Actually, you’re right, R62. We’re anonymous here. “Guilting” is the more correct term.

[quote]Have we heard from OP today?

Thank you for asking; he has rebounded a bit today (I think the vet visit yesterday was stressful and painful) and has chosen to lie next to me and purr and make biscuits. I think I'll know when it's time.

As much as the experience is dreadful, the vet from Lap of Love made it as peaceful as possible. My elderly dog passed away peacefully in her favorite bed with my arms around her. I was glad that I could spare her the final, scary trip to the vet’s office.

I don't have personal experience with it. But, I was with my friends (a married couple) last year when they had one of their cats put down at their home. The wife has ALS and is now wheelchair bound and her speech is slurred. It's difficult for them to go places because of her condition. She's very self-conscious about her slurred speech. The husband called me the night before to see if I would come and be with them. I agreed even though my only pet euthanasia experiences at been at vet's offices.

The vet was a young woman early 30s, very calm, kind, and patient with my friend whose slurred speech is hard to understand. Having the cat put down in their house was a good decision because my friend became very emotional and I held her in my arms while the husband was petting the cat afterward. I drove out with them to the wife's parents' house which is out in the country about 30 minutes away. The cat was buried in a little pet grave area behind the parents' house.

R72, we used Lap of Love this past January for our sweet Beagle, and it was a wonderful experience. He had Laryngeal Paralysis and he went downhill fast. He was having trouble breathing on a Friday and no amount of meds would help. By Saturday afternoon, I knew it was time. I called in the evening and scheduled for Sunday at 9am. Then I stayed up all night with him, fed him pieces of rotisserie chicken, and told him over and over what a good boy he was.

The vet was wonderful. She brought him a brownie because "all dogs should get to enjoy chocolate once in their lives" and gave us all the time we needed to say goodbye. He got to lay on his blanket in his spot while we petted him and told him how much we loved him. Afterwards, my husband and I helped her carry Bentley out on a gurney to her van. I went to bed and just tried to sleep the day away. Meanwhile, she took him to be cremated and the crematorium dropped off his ashes to our door a few days later.

[quote]She brought him a brownie because "all dogs should get to enjoy chocolate once in their lives"

Damn these poltergeists - peeling onions in my apartment this time of the night!

Thanks, R74. I will remember that wonderful gesture.

My vet had a little sign with the same phrase about chocolate next to a bowl of chocolate treats. My little girl was not eating much at the time, but it was a nice gesture. However people handle this, a compassionate vet is the key. I didn’t notice it at the time, but mine basically contorted herself on the floor rather than having me adjust my embrace of my dog. They loved her too. It felt like the whole vet office was grieving with us.