Pet Euthanasia & End of Life
Services at Home
Pets are beloved members of our families, and no one wants to see them suffering at the end of their life. Discussing euthanasia is never an easy or fondly- anticipated conversation to have in regards to your pet. We are able to provide a gift to your pet of a peaceful end of life when deemed appropriate. Euthanasia can be considered the biggest act of love you can show to your pet as you are making a decision to end their suffering. The decision to seek euthanasia is so difficult on our human hearts, but one we make with love and compassion for our pets.
Providing Comfort in Difficult Times
In-Home Euthanasia Services
Our in-home pet euthanasia service ensures that your companion can pass peacefully in a familiar and loving environment. This compassionate choice allows you to say goodbye to your cat, dog, horse, or ruminant pet surrounded by the comfort of your home.
showing Compassion
The Comfort of In-Home Euthanasia
Reduced Stress
Privacy Offered
what to expect
Understanding the In-Home Euthanasia Process
When it is time to offer your pet the gift of euthanasia I will come to the comfort of your home or other designated area. I consider it such a blessing to be able to come alongside your family to offer your beloved pet a peaceful passing in a familiar and comforting surrounding.
Pre-Arranged Visit
On my way to your appointment I will reach out to you to let you know I am on my way. When I arrive I will take some time to discuss your pet’s current medical state and answer any questions that you may have. We will then make sure your pet is in a comforting spot like their favorite bed, the couch, the preferred backyard sunny nap spot, or even your lap.
We will spend some time with you and your pet to let them get used to our presence in their home. We will then go over aftercare options for the body, and a form will be signed to authorize permission to move forward with euthanasia.
Keeping Your Pet Calm
Once your pet is in their preferred location I will administer an injection of pain medications and a sedative. As your pet starts to relax and fall asleep you can talk to them, pet them and feed them their favorite foods. Once your pet is deeply sleeping I will administer a final anesthetic injection to stop the heart.
Our desire is to minimize your pet’s anxiety and pain through this process.
Gentle Procedures for a Humane Transition
Once your pet has passed, I will give you time alone with your beloved pet if you desire. If you would like me to set up cremation arrangements, I will then load your pet wrapped in a blanket into my vehicle for transport to the Lasting Paws facility.
Euthanasia is not done in one specific way, but rather, there are many ways to provide a humane end to life. We strive to individualize the euthanasia process to meet your desires as we understand everyone grieves differently. You may choose not to be present during the euthanasia process, and that is absolutely fine. You may also choose to have either all your pets or none of them present, which is also your decision. We are happy to help guide you in this process as best we can and are always looking to make sure we try to best support you during this difficult time.
“At some point, we move from ensuring a quality of life to ensuring a quality of death.”
-Dr. Mary Gardner
Hospice Care
If your pet has been diagnosed with a terminal illness I am here to help guide you during this difficult time. Hospice care is designed to provide physical pain and anxiety relief to your pet and also bring emotional and social support to you, the owner. I will help guide you through with my medical knowledge and discuss different plans to keep your pet comfortable and bring quality to their remaining time with you.
Quality of Life Assessments
Are you wanting some help to know if your pet is suffering or when might be the right time to say good bye? This is a very difficult decision and one that can be tough to make on your own. I am here to help guide you and offer you a veterinary professional’s viewpoint as we discuss the many different criteria that we consider when looking at quality of life. These assessments can be scheduled to be conducted either over the phone or in person.
Client Testimonial
The level of kindness and compassion shown to us by Dr. Bruchman and Kris, the technician, was unbelievable. They quietly comforted us in such a soothing way as Scout drifted away. Scout was able to go to sleep on her own bed in her favorite spot by the fireplace.There was absolutely no stress and the entire experience was calm and amazingly peaceful. It was so comforting that we were in our own home with no distractions instead of being in the clinic.
Dr. Bruchman gently explained the process to us. We sat by Scout’s side as she dozed off. It honestly could not have been more peaceful.
We believe Dr. Bruchman has a real gift for providing this needed procedure in the most kind, empathetic and compassionate way.
We wanted to share our experience so when you face this most difficult decision, you have an option that we feel provides the most gentle of experiences for both you and your cherished pet.”
Nita
Dr. Alicia Bruchman Offers Care and Comfort During Your Pets Final Moments
I often get asked as a veterinarian how I can perform euthanasia or hear statements like “they could never do this part of the job.” I look at euthanasia as a gift and the highest privilege that I have as a veterinarian. I chose to be a veterinarian to provide quality of life to animals and help strengthen the human-animal relationship. I would argue that the best way at times that I can accomplish those goals is to provide humane euthanasia with love and dignity shown to the pet and owners. There are things in life that are far worse than a humane end to life and I find it an honor that I get to be the one to provide that peaceful passing and prevent further suffering.
How will you know it is the “right” time to elect euthanasia?
I will typically tell you that there is no “right” time but rather a “season” to seek euthanasia. I heard once that there are different colors to euthanasia. The white zone is where your pet still has a great quality of life and is enjoying their time daily by playing or interacting with their humans or enjoying their routines and activities. The white zone is typically too early to seek euthanasia services under most circumstances.
Then there is the black zone. The black zone is where the pet is actively dying and suffering. To provide the act of euthanasia as a gift to our pets and to prevent suffering, the black zone is considered too late to start seeking euthanasia services.
Lastly, in the middle, we find the grey zone. The grey zone is big with lots of shades of grey. The grey zone is where we get to step in to provide euthanasia services as a gift to both the pet and the owners. We get to seek this decision when you, as the owner, choose and get to control the surroundings. The grey zone allows us to provide euthanasia services when all the desired family members are present and in a location that honors the pet. There is no “right” time, and there never will be a “right” time, but look to find that “season.”
Dr. Alicia Bruchman DVM
