Deciding to say goodbye to a pet is never easy. As a pet parent, your primary responsibility has always been to make your pet feel safe and loved. It’s natural to feel a wide range of emotions when determining whether or not to put your beloved friend to sleep. We know many of experienced veterinarians have offered compassionate in-home euthanasia for years, even decades. They hear a lot of the same concerns over and over again and they understand exactly what pet parents worry about before, during, and after the euthanasia process. Here’s what they want you to know.

The Euthanasia Decision is Never Black-and-White

In a small number of cases, euthanasia is the only option. When a pet is suffering from severe bodily trauma, for example, or in excruciating pain. But for most pet owners, the decision to say goodbye to a pet isn’t one they come to overnight. The euthanasia process is a process, and it often starts weeks or even months before the final decision is made. It’s totally normal to waver back and forth over time, weighing factors like your pet’s quality of life, overall prognosis, and level(s) of pain. A great veterinarian will always talk with you about your options. You may just “know” when it’s time to say goodbye and you may not. It’s always a complex decision and very few pet owners feel 100% confident they’re doing the right thing until after they’ve said goodbye. Once emotions settle, our vets find that pet owners are usually more equipped to see things objectively; we rarely meet pet owners who “regret” their decision to euthanize, but we do frequently work with clients who wished they’d euthanized soonerfor their pet’s sake.

Euthanasia Does Not Negate a Life Well-Lived

Having to make the difficult decision to euthanize your pet in no way diminishes the wonderful life you’ve given them. If your pet has felt loved and cared for their whole life, one moment in time can’t possibly erase those emotions. Vets want you to know that your pet will know you’re there with them as they pass, but that they won’t feel anything other than peaceful. Your pet won’t hold it against you that you’ve made an incredibly hard decision on their behalf but will rather feel grateful for your love, compassion, and presence at the end. Your vet will always make sure your pet isn’t scared, nervous, or unsettled during euthanasia by using as much sedative medication as is necessary to help them relax. Euthanasia is as humane as any medical procedure available to pets today.

The Euthanasia Process is Essentially Painless

The number one questions our vets get about in-home euthanasia is, “Will it hurt?” Of course, it’s only normal to worry that the process will somehow be painful or unpleasant for your pet. Our vets want you to know that the euthanasia process is almost completely painless. Putting a pet to sleep is a two part process: A vet will start by giving your pet an IV which is usually painless or nearly painless, depending on your pet’s tolerance for shots. If there is any pain, it will be very short-lived. After the IV is in, the vet will give your pet a sedative medication to help them relax and enter a dream-like state. Once the vet is confident the sedative has taken effect, they’ll then apply the medication(s) that will ultimately allow your pet to drift off to a final, peaceful sleep. Neither medication is in any way painful for your pet.

A Compassionate Goodbye is a Gift for Your Pet

If you ask any human, most will say they’d like to eventually pass peacefully in their beds while they sleep. Why would anything be different for our pets? Providing your pet with a calm, controlled environment during death is perhaps one of the most compassionate gifts you can give them. In many cases, the decision to euthanize is itself a remarkable act of selflessness. Carrying out the euthanasia process at home where the pet is most comfortable is another way to ease the transition. All pets eventually pass away. Allowing our pets to do so on terms that are positive and loving is one of the clearest ways we can show them we love them as much as they loved us.