End of Life
Losing your pet is an extremely difficult time as a pet parent. We understand that your pet is a much-loved family member. When it comes time for your pet to cross over the rainbow bridge we want to help make that process as stress free as possible for your pet; and give you the support you need.
Euthanasia is a pain-free form of saying goodbye to your beloved pet. Although it is the very last thing that any pet parent wants to do, there are times that we have to make the difficult decision for the good of our pets. Euthanasia is done by administering a high dose of an anaesthetic agent. This will cause your pet to drift off to sleep without pain or awareness.
Here is what to expect:
1. Sedation
We will first sedate your pet by giving a small injection of a sedative agent – this injection is given under the skin usually at the back of neck so causes minimal discomfort.
The purpose of this is to relax your pet and alleviate any stress they may feel. It may cause your pet to be a little tired.
Sedation normally takes about 10 minutes to take effect.
2. Intravenous (IV) Access
We will need to administer the anaesthetic drug into a vein (intravenous). So following sedation we will may place an IV catheter in your pet’s leg or we may administer the injection directly into the vein. Your pet will be completely relaxed at this point and should not be aware of this process happening.
3. Saying Goodbye
Following IV access, when you are ready we will begin to say goodbye to your pet by administering the final injection which is an anaesthetic drug.
The process may take 1-2 minutes and at this point your pet will drift away as the drug takes effect. We will tell you when your pet has left us.
4. Burial options
You can choose what happens to your pet’s body after their passing. You can choose to bring them home for a home burial if that is an option for you.
Alternatively, you can choose to send them for cremation; in which case we will coordinate with Pawprints Pet Cremation service on your behalf.
There are two options: You can choose to get your pet cremated and have the ashes returned to you (private cremation) or not to do so (communal cremation).
Should you choose to get the ashes back, there are a selection of urns and memorial items to choose from. The options are available at www.pawprintscremation.ie.
Generally the ashes will take 2-4 weeks to return and they will be returned to the veterinary clinic for you to collect.
We can also arrange to gather some paw or nose prints from your pet, and some hair clippings if you so wish.
Booking an Appointment:
We know this is a very difficult time and therefore even contacting us to chat about it can be distressing.
If you are unsure it is the right time for your pet then please book a consultation with one of our vets.
We will examine your pet and discuss any treatment options that may be available.
If we don’t think treatment is the best option for your pet we can discuss and plan your pet’s end of life care options.
To get in touch with one of our team you can:
- Call our reception team on 045 434848
- Send us a message on PetsApp – if there is a specific vet or nurse you would like to chat to please put this in your message and our reception team can connect you to them.
- Email us on: info@cottagevet.ie
- Book an appointment with one of our vets on our website or by PetsApp.
Home Euthanasia:
Losing your pet is very difficult, and we do our best to make the process as peaceful and painless as possible. Home euthanasia is an option which can be less stressful for everyone involved as your family and your pet stay in a private and familiar environment.
We will do our best to provide this service if requested but unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate all requests for home euthanasia as we may not be able to provide a vet and nurse to attend the home in a timely manner if the pet is very unwell or in pain. Contact us at 045 434848, send us a PetsApp message or email us on info@cottagevet.ie if you have any questions about this service.
