Euthanasia

Without doubt, one of the hardest parts of owning a pet is knowing when it is time to say goodbye. While we all hope that, when the time is right, our pets will pass away peacefully and naturally, in some cases it may be necessary to make this decision for them.

As a practice, we strive at all times to provide a good quality of life to the point where owners feel that the time has come to euthanase their pet. This is a very personal decision and not one that we can make for you. We will advise you of the options at all times but in many cases, especially with older pets, their day-to-day demeanour is far more useful in making a decision than any test or examination that we can perform.

Euthanasia in veterinary medicine involves injection of an overdose of anaesthetic, where possible directly into a blood vessel. The anaesthetic works in a matter of seconds when administered into the vein and no pain is felt other than a scratch when the needle is inserted.

You have the choice to stay with your pet or to leave. Again, this is a very personal decision. Some people like to be able to reassure their pet as the procedure is performed while others prefer to remember them as they were. Regardless of your decision, you can be sure that everything will be handled with the utmost dignity and respect. All of our staff are pet owners and most of us have been through this process so we fully understand how important it is that stress is kept to a minimum.