End of Life Care – Pet Bereavement Services

As pet owners, unfortunately making the decision to put your beloved pet to sleep can often be the kindest thing to do. However, knowing this does not make the decision any easier when the time comes.

Our compassionate team at Estcourt Vets understand what it can mean to lose a pet and how much they might signify in your life. If you would like to chat to one of our nurses about pet euthanasia and the bereavement services we offer, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone. Alternatively, we have put together some information below that may help you when thinking about your pet’s end of life care.

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How will you know if the time is right for euthanasia?

Please know that Estcourt Vets will always help you during this decision. Our compassionate nature and small, independent team means that you will be able to discuss your thoughts with your pet’s vet and they will endeavour to make this difficult time as stress-free as they can.

We want you to make that final choice being as informed as possible and we often say that euthanasia should be considered if your pet is in uncontrollable pain, suffering from incontinence, immobility, difficulty breathing or they are unable to eat or drink properly. All of these things affect their quality of life and we do not want your pet to suffer unnecessarily.

How does the euthanasia appointment work?

Whether you decide to be present for your pet’s appointment is entirely up to you. Our nurses will happily be there on your behalf if you think you will find being present too difficult. However, please note that we will require a signed consent form from the pet’s owner before we can continue.

The euthanasia procedure involves your vet injecting an overdose of anaesthetic via an intravenous catheter. It is a pain free procedure and often resembles your pet falling asleep. If you have a pet that gets particularly stressed when coming to the vets, our team may suggest using a sedative beforehand to keep them as calm as possible, making the procedure easier on both you and your pet.

Can Estcourt Vets complete euthanasia appointments at home?

It is often more straightforward for your pet to come to us at Estcourt Vets, however we do understand that depending on your pet’s personality and health status, it may be more appropriate for us to complete the euthanasia appointment in the comfort of your own home.

As you will appreciate, home appointments do require more planning so please do give us plenty of notice and our team will endeavour to manage your requests where we can.

What happens after the appointment?

Estcourt Vets uses a third party services called Companions Heaven to organise the cremation of any pets we have sadly euthanised. They offer a few different cremation options including a mass cremation (no ashes available to be returned), or an individual cremation where ashes can be returned to you in a scatter box, enamelled urn or a solid oak casket with nameplate. Our team will go through these options with you and it normally takes one week for your pet’s ashes to be returned to us at the practice.

Some owners choose to bury their pets at home. This does need to be cleared with the local authority and our team can advise you further on this option when you are at the clinic.