Euthanasia & Bereavement

At Ryan and Calder we recognise that the euthanasia of a beloved pet is a very difficult and emotional time. As pet owners ourselves, all of us already have personal experience of the los of a pet. 

It is often a decision that, understandably, owners want to put off and not think about. However, it is important to recognise that it is the final act of kindness we can do for our pets. In a strange way, the beauty of veterinary medicine over human medicine is that we ensure quality of life, rather than extending a life no matter what the quality.

To help you make this difficult decision we recommend approaching it in stages:

1. Get support for your decision. Let us help you discuss the situation to help you along the way. We will always respect your decision because you know your pet best.
    
2. Please let us know that this is likely to be your pet's final visit so that we are able to spend time with you. Generally we recommend arranging an appointment either at the very start or very end of our consulting times (see our opening times for details). This will minimise the number of other people in the surgery (i.e. other clients in the waiting room and moving between consulting rooms).
   • If you would prefer a house visit so that your pet's final time is at home this can be arranged (this incurs an extra cost). Although we endevour to grant your request, house visits are arranged around our appointments and emergencies must take priority.
   
    
3. Decide who is going to be present. We will ask you to sign a consent form giving us permission to carry out euthanasia. You may wish to be present throughout the final procedure or you may prefer to pass your pet's care on to us. This is very much a personal choice. Remember there is no right or wrong way.
    
4. The procedure. The euthanasia procedure itself is actually relatively simple and very quick. Essentially, an overdose of an anaesthetic is administered into the blood stream, much like a standard anaesthetic or sedative. The vet will talk you through what will happen every step of the way.
    
5. Afterwards – Your Pet. A few options exist for your pet afterwards.
   • Burial (As long as you own your own garden): You are welcome to take them home for burial, although you must bear in mind that their system contains traces of a potentially lethal drug. Make sure you bury in a grave deep enough to avoid wildlife digging them up, and avoid areas near pond life and water supplies. There are designated pet cemeteries available that we can recommend on request.
   • Cremation: If you would like your pet cremated we will give you a brochure which explains the various options for the return of ashes. You may decide you do want wish the ashes returned. Whicheveroption you decide on, we can guarantee that your pet will be cremated with the utmost respect.
   
    
6. Afterwards – You. At Ryan and Calder we are here for you as much as we are here for your pet. The loss of a pet is not easy – we’ve all been there before and will be there again. Pet bereavement is regularly overlooked by veterinary practices, however, at Ryan and Calder we believe that if we support you through this difficult time, it will ease the heartache and enable you to move forward with happy memories of your pet.  For more advice please visit our links section and see "Pet Bereavement". Here you will find some good websites that offer good advice on getting through the loss of a pet. If you would prefer to talk to someone, please do not hesitate to call us, or why not try calling the  Pet Bereavement Service on 020 8303 1859 or the Pet Bereavement Support Service on 0800 096 6606 or the EASE Pet Bereavement Service on 07870 740 605.

For more information, click here to download the Time to Say Goodbye handout from the Blue Cross. It is also available in our downloads section.

Remember, we are always here for you. If there is anything we can do to help you please do not hesitate to contact us.