Saying Goodbye
As sad as it is for everybody involved, we sometimes reach a point where there is nothing more we can do for your pet and their quality of life begins to suffer.
In these circumstances, the kindest thing may be to begin end-of-life care and to eventually make the decision to have your precious pet put to sleep. The term euthanasia means ‘a good death’ and that is exactly what we aim for in our patients, we want them to live their last days in comfort and happiness, being loved and spoilt rotten, before gently and painlessly slipping away.
We are all animal lovers and every one of us here at Anderson’s Bromley North has been in the position of making the difficult decision with our own pets and with so many of our patients over the years, so we understand the tough emotions that come with it – anxiety, grief, loss, denial, guilt – we’ve been there through it all. By writing this page, we hope to give you both information and peace of mind about this difficult process.
Our vets will always be there to provide support and guidance as your pet nears the end of their life. It will never be an easy decision, nor should it be, but rest assured that we will work with you as a team to ensure your pet’s welfare and quality of life will always remain at the forefront. The process of euthanasia can vary depending on the individual pet’s needs, so this is best discussed with your vet beforehand. You will always be welcome to choose whether you’d like to be present for the procedure or not, and to ask us any questions you may have about what will happen. You will be asked to sign a form to indicate that you give us permission to proceed.
Afterwards, your vet will always check your pet’s vital signs and will acknowledge when your pet has passed away. You are welcome to spend as much time with your pet as you wish afterwards, and our vets will often give you some space so you can say goodbye privately. If you would prefer not to do this, that’s fine. There is no right or wrong here, everybody feels differently.