Euthanasia & Saying Goodbye

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
-Anatole France

The best endings come gently after a long and happy life. Losing a treasured companion is never easy. There are times when we must consider euthanasia to assist our animal friends in the transition. The pain can be as great or greater than losing a human family member. Saying goodbye takes time and patience for the survivor and those around them. Some of us have found that writing a memorial is a positive way to remember a departed animal. Euthanasia Saying Goodbye

Euthanasia
There is never a good time to lose a loved one. We hope that our animals will die peacefully in their sleep. In reality, we must sometimes make decisions about ending their lives, decisions we may not feel ready or qualified to make, but must do nevertheless.

Many people want their vet to tell them when it is time to put their animal to sleep. Your veterinarian can assist you by providing information about your animal’s health and prognosis, but ultimately, you must make the decision. It is up to you to decide what time and place will be right for you and your animal.

The euthanasia procedure involves injecting a solution similar to a concentrated anesthesia drug into a vein. Animals are often sedated first and hardly notice the second injection. The euthanizing drug causes a deep sleep, followed by cessation of the breathing and heartbeat. This usually occurs within 30 to 60 seconds.

It is your decision whether to be present at the end of your animal’ s life. Many have found it important for their own comfort and closure to witness life slowly leaving the familiar form. If you will not be there, you can trust that your vet and staff will handle the procedure in a respectful and caring way.

There are some veterinarians who will visit your animal at home to provide the final injection. Euthanasia is not the only option. Consider a hospice approach to the end of your pet’s life if you prefer to stop treatment and let your pet end its life at home in comfortable surroundings.

There are many resources to help in saying goodbye. Read more about loss and euthanasia. There is an excellent article there on equine euthanasia that discusses making the decision, coping with your decision, saying goodbye, stages of grief, and a list of helpful books.

Final care of the body - your choice. Several options are available. You may leave your animal at the veterinary hospital, bury it at home (if permitted in your area) or in a pet cemetery, or have it cremated. Most animal hospitals offer both private and communal cremations. After a week or two you will be able to pick up a small urn with your pet’s ashes to keep, scatter, or bury as you wish.

Among the species there are different issues for euthanasia. Dogs, cats, and other small companion animals live in our homes and are relatively easy to transport to the vet for euthanasia or cremation. Horses have different issues not just in transport but in how quickly the decision must sometimes be made to end a life. Learn more about euthanizing horses.

Because herd animals are often kept as a business, the decision to euthanize an animal is no happier, but comes with other considerations. If the animal is diseased, could it infect others? When to euthanize must often consider cost more than sentiment. Disposal of the body poses other issues, particularly if diseased. An article by a Maryland extension agent and producer discusses another option for sheep—composting.

Saying Goodbye
Unfortunately, our treasured animal friends have lives much shorter than our own. It is hard to lose a loved one of any species. The understanding and support we receive when we lose a human friend or family member are sometimes missing when we lose an animal. The love—and the grief—is deep and real.

Your grief is unique. No one else knows how much you hurt or how you should mourn. There are stages of the grieving process most people will go through: shock, denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. We don’t all go through all the stages, nor experience them in an orderly fashion. Time is a great healer of grief, but only if you allow the grieving process to take place and permit yourself to experience the range of feelings. After allowing yourself to pass through this trauma, peace and acceptance will come.

We are forever changed by our loss. How we are changed depends upon our attitude and determination. Some people find comfort from a support group. These groups can provide a place to share experiences and learn from others. A Pet Loss Support Group can help with the following situations:

• No matter how carefully you have thought through your decisions about care and treatment (and perhaps euthanasia), we often wonder if we have done the right thing. This fear often complicates the grieving process.

• Grief over lost and stolen animals is complicated by the pain of not knowing what happened. Your animal is simply gone. The mixture of grief, guilt and fear is sometimes too much to handle alone.

• Children have a different way of grieving than adults. They may not appear to be grieving, but are deeply sad or confused. They have many questions, but may not feel safe asking them. They need special understanding to make sense of the loss.

• Most animal behaviorists now believe that animals do grieve for other animals. Be patient and understanding, giving them extra love and attention. It may help you with your grieving to be together in the pain of loss.

Support Groups for Pet Loss
The purpose of this section is to provide information about available resources for pet loss and bereavement. No endorsement or recommendation is intended.

Pet Loss Support Group - meets twice a month on Saturday mornings, call for information
Humane Society / ASPCA of King County
13212 Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA
425-641-0080

Directory of Pet Loss Resources – Scroll down to Pet Loss & Bereavement for hotlines, groups, counselors and web sites
Delta Society
PO Box 1080, Renton, WA 98057-9906
425-236-7357

Pet Loss Support Hotline – M-F 6:30-9:30 pm PT
University of California at Davis College of Veterinary Medicine
530-752-4200 or 800-565-1526

Pet Loss Support Hotline – M-Th 6:30-9 pm, Sat 1-3 pm PT
Washington State University
509-335-5704

Additional resources
Internet:

Pet Loss Support Page – includes 10 tips for coping with pet loss and a many links to other related sites

Saying goodbye to a pet

Dealing with the loss of a pet

back to Animal Stories home

see also:

Competition & Working Animals
Successful Treatment
Pet Memorials
Animal Jokes