Saying Goodbye
If we are lucky, our pets will have wonderful, long lives and grow old by our side.
However, there will come a point where their quality of life will decline and we have to decide that the best thing is to say goodbye to them.
This is never easy but to be able to relieve suffering in a peaceful and painless way is a blessing and the final gift we give to our pets. And our team will be with you every step of the way with support and guidance.
Although it is hard to think about those final moments, we would always recommend having a discussion as a family before the time comes and making decisions about how and where you would like to say goodbye, who would want to be there and how you might memorialise your pet.
How will I know when it is time?
It is not always easy to make a judgement on the quality of life of a pet who we love dearly. Many will have good days and bad days and they will always try to be happy for us, even when it is a struggle.
You are always very welcome to call or Whatsapp us if you are worried or would like some advice, we are here to help.
One way to keep track of our pet’s quality of life is to use scoring charts. These can be extremely helpful in keeping a check on how they are doing and also allow us to be objective, which can be very challenging when we love them so much.
Ones we regularly use and recommend are;
Before the day
We offer a free-of-charge ‘Before You Say Goodbye’ consultation with our nursing team that we encourage all our clients to take advantage of. This can be done in-person or over the phone. We can arrange this for close to the time, or long before, whatever would suit you best.
During it we will describe exactly the process of euthanasia so you know what to expect and discuss any individual requirements your pet may have.
We will also chat you through the options you have for afterwards. If your pet is small, you can take them home to bury, but for most cremation is the best option. You can have their ashes returned to you if you like, and we can discuss casket choices with you.
This is your opportunity to ask questions, discuss any concerns you have and for us together to ensure we have a plan for when the time comes, so when it does you can focus on your pet in those final moments and not have to think about anything else.
We will also discuss the fees for euthanasia, cremation and caskets, so you know exactly how much it will be and what the different options are. We will also ask you when you would like to pay. We appreciate this is a difficult time and everyone will have a personal preference for this. We can take a payment at this appointment, via a link at any time or in the room on the day. All we ask is that it is made before the euthanasia, so we don’t have to disturb you afterwards.
On the day
When the day comes to say goodbye, our team will do everything we can to ensure it runs smoothly and is peaceful.
We have a cosy and quiet room for sending pets to heaven and unless there are exceptional circumstances or you prefer something else, this is where you will be.
We have access to this room to and from the back of the practice, so you won’t have to wait in the waiting room or leave via it either.
You can be assured that you will not be rushed and will be able to take all the time you need.
The Euthanasia Process
The euthanasia process involves giving your pet an overdose of anaesthesia into a vein so they drift off to sleep peacefully. In most cases this is preceded by a gentle sedative, that relaxes them completely.
We will normally give the sedation by an injection under the skin and then the anaesthetic overdose into a leg vein after they are asleep. We will place a catheter into this vein for the final injection.
This process means everything is very calm and peaceful and you can cuddle your pet and offer them their favourite treats as they drift away.
Sometimes, as all your pets’ muscles relax, they will go to the toilet. They may also take several big deep breaths, or have muscle tremors. Please don’t be alarmed these are just natural reflexes and will subside after a few minutes. Your pet will also not close their eyes after they have passed, this is very normal.
Our team will let you know what they are doing and what to expect throughout the process and you are welcome to ask any questions that you would like.
You are very welcome to stay with your pet throughout the procedure but if you need to leave at any time, or you prefer for them to be with us instead, this is absolutely fine. Many people find being with them at the end upsetting and our staff would be honoured to give them all the comfort they need.
After You Have Left
You can spend as long as you need with your pet after they are gone.
After this, we will take any fur clippings and paw prints you have requested, this will be discussed with you at the ‘Before Goodbye’ appointment. We keep hold of these until you are ready to come back into the practice to collect them. We don’t like to post them as we don’t want something so important to get lost in transit.
If you are taking your pet home to bury, we will help to transport them back to your car if you need us to. There are no restrictions on burying pets on your own land, or guidelines for the depth to protect the groundwater supply.
However, most of the pets we care for are cremated and we are partnered with Old Flatts Farm for this.
https://www.oldflattsfarm.co.uk/
They are a local, family owned, pet crematorium who provide wonderful, respectful care. If you wish you can take your pet and also collect their ashes yourself, they have chapel rooms available and their staff will be on-hand to support you.
If you choose to have your pet cremated individually, we can talk you through the options for caskets. However, as all pets cared for by Old Flatts Farm are returned in a lovely carboard tube or bamboo pouch decorated with dried flowers, you don’t have to decide immediately and there is no hurry. Many families actually opt to simply keep these because they are so lovely.
Alternatively, you may prefer to simply keep your memories. In which case your pet will be cremated communally and their ashes are scattered over the fields and into the sunshine at Old Flatts Farm.
Pets left with us for individual cremation are collected by the team from Old Flatts Farm and their ashes will be returned to us after around two weeks. We will let you know when they are back with us.
Payment
We appreciate this is a difficult time and everyone is different in how and when they would like to pay.
The costs and options for payments will be discussed at your ‘Before Goodbye’ consultation and we will follow the plan we made then.
If this consultation wasn’t carried out, then all the fees and options will be discussed before you say goodbye on the day. We find most families prefer to pay before euthanasia but we are happy to do whatever you prefer.
All we ask is that the account is settled before you leave, so we don’t have to disturb you afterwards.
Feelings of Grief
It is very normal to grieve the loss of a pet like we would any other family member but sometimes the strength of those feelings can take people by surprise.
And differently to humans, our grief is often complicated by feelings of guilt because we often have to make the active choice to say goodbye, even if it was the right and kindest thing to do.
If you feel you need support as you navigate this process, we can recommend;
‘Grief is the price we pay for love’
All pets individually cremated at Old Flatts Farm are returned in either a cardboard scatter tube or a bamboo scatter pouch as standard. You can choose a different casket either at the time of cremation by discussing it with our team, or at a later date by speaking directly to Old Flatts Farm.
