Euthanasia 

An Introduction
Saying goodbye to your pet is one of the most difficult decisions you may ever have to make in your life. It can be unbearably hard to let your beloved pet go when all you really want is to have them with you forever.

The ultimate act of love and courage you could have for your pet is to allow them to pass with peace and dignity in your arms when the time is right, and their quality of life has deteriorated to an unacceptable level.

The term euthanasia is derived from Greek and literally means 'good death'. One that occurs without pain or distress.​ Dr Andrea is passionate about facilitating a gentle, calm and loving final journey for your beloved pet. ​

​WHY HOME EUTHANASIA?

  • You will have as much time as you want to say goodbye.
  • Out of the public eye, you can grieve in the privacy of your home.
  • Your pet will always be sedated prior to being laid to rest (clinics often cannot make the time to do it this way).
  • If your pet feels uneasy or frightened at the clinic, letting them go to sleep at home ensures they feel comfortable and safe in their final moments.
  • You can have as many family members and friends as you wish - our pets often have a large fan-club.
  • With the experience that Dr Andrea has attained by helping over 4000 families lay their pet to rest in a home environment, you can be sure your pet is in the very best of hands.

How do I know the time is right?

​How many of us wish our pets could just talk to us and let us know when they can’t go on?
How many of us wish they would just close their eyes one night and slip away on their own terms?

Unfortunately the answer is not always clear. As their owner, YOU are actually the one who is best placed to see the ‘big picture’ of their day to day ups and downs. You are the one that knows your pet inside out.
 
Please use the 'Quality of Life Scoring' page to help you make an assessment of your pets current quality of life. If you are still not quite sure, please book a ‘Quality of Life’ appointment with Dr Andrea who will come to your home, examine your pet, and talk through every thing with you prior to you making the final decision.

​Preparations for euthanasia

Talk to your children in an age appropriate way.
  • Children under 4 cannot understand any concept of death and it is best that they are not part of the process. This allows the parents to be fully present during their pet’s final moments.
  • Children aged 5 can distracted by toys etc, but will often feel confused and sad when they see adults crying. They will forget about things quickly though and get back into their routine.
  • Children aged 6 and 7 will be able to understand the concept of their pet dying and not coming back and will ask lots of questions.
  • Children 8 and over can see and understand their pet is suffering and can start to accept that the best thing is to gently lay them to rest. They will benefit from a very honest explanation.

​There are times when parents feel the children should perhaps not witness the final euthanasia injection. In these cases, the children can say their goodbyes after the sedation has been administered. They will see their pet peacefully sleeping, perhaps even snoring, and will comforted by this final picture they can keep in their memories. Another family member can then take them off to the park or other location so that the close family can be fully present for their pet's final moments.
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  • Make the absolute most of your pet’s final few days. You can do this by spending time with you pet in their favourite places - whether that is in the comfort of your home, or in their favourite location such as the park or the beach. Your phones will be fuller than ever of the photos of your beloved family member, treasured memories to look back on in years to come.
  • Think about the aftercare (burial or cremation) you would like for your pet. If you decide on cremation, Dr Andrea will be able to assist by transporting your pet to the crematorium after you have said your goodbyes.
  • Make sure you have someone you can lean on - on the day, and in the following weeks and months. Should you need any additional assistance, Dr Andrea can put you in touch with Free Empathy sessions run by Pet Grief Counsellors at Passing Paws Pet Crematorium.
If you are unsure and have more questions please don’t hesitate to phone Dr Andrea.

​The Euthanasia Procedure Described in Full Detail

On the day at a pre-arranged time Dr Andrea will arrive at your home. She will sit with you first and spend time talking about how your pet has been travelling. She loves to hear stories of your pets most wonderful moments and their life journey and will make sure your pet is comfortable with her presence and in no way afraid.
 
You will have decided where you would like the procedure to take place - whether it is indoors or outdoors, or in any room of the house, or it can even be undertaken at a local park 
 
She will then administer a sedation injection. This is the very best way to ensure your pet is very comfortable, very sleepy and has no anxiety prior to being laid to rest. Most animals will tolerate this injection extremely well, but there are some times when a slight sting can be felt, particularly in very thin animals, animals who are still very alert and aware or a bit nervous,  or ones who are blind and deaf and not sure what is happening. Your pet may say ‘ouch’ very briefly but will move on immediately with eating treats and being stroked by you.
 
If your pet still has an appetite, then it is beneficial to distract them with food - something soft to lick off a spoon or out of a bowl, such as cream cheese, ice cream, peanut butter, or tuna oil.
 
Dr Andrea will then move away to allow family and friends to be very close to their pet and stroke and talk to them as they gradually become drowsy. This usually takes 5-10 minutes. It is helpful for a towel to be placed under your pet as there can sometimes be a little leakage of urine when they are relaxed. 
 
It is wise to allow your pet to toilet within the hour prior to Dr Andreas’s arrival.
 
Once the sedation has taken full effect, you pet will be in a very happy place, feeling relaxed, with any pain and anxiety under control. They will still be able to hear your voices, so please talk to them so they know you are there.
 
Dr Andrea will then shave one of the legs (usually a foreleg, so she may need to squeeze in to a spot just in front and to the side of your pet - please dont feel you have to move away, your pet will feel comforted by you being close to them)
 
A tourniquet will be gently tightened around your pets elbow so that a vein may be found. No catheters are used, just a simple intravenous injection.
 
The euthanasia injection can then be gently administered. It is a bright green colour, and is a very strong anaesthetic agent (Pentobarbital). 
 
Your pet will feel no pain. The sensation will be similar to being put under anaesthetic for a surgical procedure, and if your pet could count, they would probably get to '1, 2……..' and then become overwhelmingly sleepy and totally unaware.
 
The solution will rapidly travel to the brain and tell the brain it doesn’t need to send any more signals to the body. This allows the body to gently shut down and the heart will stop beating within a minute or so. Sometimes the animal will take some deep breaths, and then the breaths gradually fade to nothing. 
 
In some rare cases due to illness and low blood pressure, it may be difficult to find a vein. It may be necessary to try a different leg. There are some extremely rare instances when it may be necessary to administer the injection into the chest or body instead. Please be assured that your pet will be fast asleep already and will not be worried if it takes a little longer than planned to gently help them go.
 
Dr Andrea will monitor the heart beat, and will listen for at least 2-3 minutes. During this time, there can sometimes be a few ‘last breaths’ which can sound quite sudden. This is completely normal, and the breaths are not an indication that your pet is still here. They are one of the body’s reflexes, much like a hiccup, and are not distressing to your pet, in fact your pet is absolutely not aware of them at all.
 
There can be some slight flickering of muscles particularly around the muzzle as the nerves gradually shut down.
 
Dr Andrea will let you know once your pet has passed away and will then move outside to her car so that you can have those final moments to say your goodbyes.
 
When you are ready to let your pet go, we can gently wrap them in a blanket or towel (which you can provide) and then carry them out to the car if they are going for cremation. Larger pets are best ‘stretchered’ out on a large beach towel.

Aftercare

Dr Andrea will be able to take your pet to either Passing Paws Crematorium, or Lawnswood Pet Crematorium.
 
Cremating your pet allows for them to be safely reunited and taken with you on the rest of your life’s journey, wherever that may take you.
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Should you and your family decide that you don’t want your pet’s ashes, a ‘companion cremation’ can be organised where your pet is cremated with other animals and the ashes scattered in the bush local to the crematorium.
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You may have already decided to bury your pet is a special place in your garden. However, burying your pet is not always easy now due to council restrictions and of course the shear size of your pet can be a factor.  Often families are renting too, which would then mean leaving a beloved family member behind when the family moves homes. There is the added worry of your pet being disturbed by your other animals. For there reasons, cremation is often the preferred choice, and this can be set up seamlessly following your pet being laid to rest.

Fees for home euthanasia

​Cats and small animals - $310
Dogs < 5kg - $310
Dogs 5 - 10kg - $315
​Dogs 10 - 20kg - $320
Dogs 20 - 30kg - $330
Dogs 30 - 40kg - $340
Dogs 40 - 50kg - $350
Dogs 50 - 60kg - $360
 
Transport with Dr Andrea to the crematorium for your pet's private cremation with ashes returned to you is $72. 
The actual Cremation fees are additional, and can be found on Passing Paws Crematorium website.

If you do not wish to have your pet's ashes returned to you, and would prefer to just 'let your pet go',  Dr Andrea can still assist by transporting your pet to the Crematorium for 'Companion Cremation'. This means that your pet will be handled with just as much care and respect, but will cremated together with other pets, and no ashes will be available for you to keep.
Companion cremation costs between $100 to $180 depending on your pet's weight.

*After hours incurs additional cost.
No more stressful car journeys to the vet clinic. A house call is only a phone call away.
Our service area covers the majority of the Northern Suburbs of Perth.  (Please refer to the shaded area on the map on the Contact page.)
​Coastal - Wembley Downs to Butler
​East - Carabooda to Osborne Park