Safe, in-home pet goodbyes FAQ

Yes, all our mobile vets are members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and are especially trained and experienced in the sometimes difficult pet home euthanasia procedure. This ensures when the time comes, the last ‘service’ is peaceful and gentle and leaves only a beautiful memory of your companion for yourself and your family. Additionally, our home vets are accredited and certified in end of life care, mobile pet euthanasia and animal hospice of which there are less than a handful in the UK at this time.​

“When is the time right to put my pet down”, is the most frequently asked question we get from our clients when they call us. We know from years of experience and as animal lovers ourselves, this can be the most difficult to know or decide. We always say, that it’s better to let go a week or even a month “too early” than even a day “too late”. To help you say goodbye at home, we offer Pre-Euthanasia Appointments with our experienced and caring at home vet so everything can be talked through before having to make that hard decision. We also offer Quality of Life consultations with our certified hospice mobile vet. If you would like to know more of what can be done with medication or other treatment or would like a second opinion for your pet to keep him or her comfortable with you for as long as possible, do contact us for an unhurried home consultation. Please use our quality of life scoring chart to help with this.

We all would like to just gently slip off in our sleep in our own bed. That would be so nice. However, after helping pets and their families at home since 2005, we can say with confidence that, sadly, this wish is granted only very rarely and hardly ever if your pet is elderly or chronically ill. As with people, animals also often suffer too much before dying naturally. Luckily with our pets we can make plans and have the option to make the planned goodbye very similar to that wish. By using a gentle, pain-free sedation first this will send your pet slowly into a deep, almost natural sleep, before we give the final injection. Your pet won’t notice the final injection at all. These very special methods, which we have developed ourselves over the years, are why we call this goodbye at home a “true gift’ – a last gesture of love for your beloved companion.​

Rest assured, we have a fully qualified mobile vet available 9am-6pm, seven days a week ready to come out to you when you need us, where you can stay with your pet. Please call between 9am – 2pm Monday to Friday to make a regular booking. We are observing the UK Government recommendations during this difficult time. We know too well something unplanned can easily happen outside normal “office hours”. Clients that are already registered with us as VIPs after a Quality of Life or a Pre-Euthanasia Consultation have priority in the unlikely event we have other urgent calls at the exact same time. We will prioritise the animals who need us the most in the event of several coinciding emergencies. We have learned over the years that this is usually ok with our lovely clients who also are animal lovers and can understand such a difficult situation. As we dispatch our duty mobile vet as soon as you request this (if urgent), we have to charge you a cancellation fee if you cancel within 1 hour of the start of the appointment or if you pet passes before we arrive.​

As everything is taking place outside a busy clinic setting, we are usually able to take as long as we need to, which can be anything from half an hour to several hours to have a peaceful pet goodbye, depending on the situation. This is to ensure everything is unhurried, gentle and tailored to your pet’s circumstances, personality and the general family situation. The gentle sedation we always give first, takes only a few up to 10 mins to work once it is administered with your pet hardly noticing. When you pet is fully asleep we then give the final injection and he or she then passes immediately and peacefully. Our caring mobile pet euthanasia vet will always talk you and your family through everything before starting so you know what to expect. We also address any questions or concerns at this time, especially if children are present. This is something we generally recommend as they deal with this side of life in a very natural way with a bit of support from us.​

Absolutely not. Your pet will feel no pain, stress or worry because they are in your own home. Quite the contrary, the tailored painless sedation we give as a quick injection in the back of the neck, or in the side, is rarely noticed – if at all. Once administered, it is very effective and will soon take all your pet’s pain away. The special methods that we use, have been tried and tested over many years helping thousands of pets have a beautiful ending to a lovely life.​

We are a full service vet practice in this regard and collaborate with the highly accredited pet crematorium and pet cemetery, Chestnut Lodge in East Grinstead (www.clpets.co.uk) who we trust implicitly to care for our own pets as well as yours in the most respectful way possible. Afterwards and even after an emergency pet euthanasia, we will respectfully take your pet with us and help arrange either a group pet cremation or a 100% individual pet cremation with ashes returned by hand-delivery to your usual vet practice. We can also help direct you in transporting your pet to the pet crematorium yourself. We can also advice you how to have a memorial ceremony or a special home burial. Which ever seems right for you, we are here to help you decide.​

As we have helped thousands of pets at home, we know the whole procedure is extremely gentle and peaceful, although sad of course, we encourage everyone who has been significant in your pet’s life to come and be part of this special send off. We have conducted many different ceremonies with whole families, neighbours, friends, children and other pets present. We think it should be a celebration of your pet’s life too, not just a sad occasion if at all possible.

As we are truly mobile vets, far away from a clinical setting and here to make this YOUR special memory, we can help you say goodbye to your dearest companion anywhere you wish. A peaceful goodbye is where your pet is most comfortable. Many times we have been touched when asked to assist in a special, personal place. For a peaceful dog euthanasia, this can be a favourite park or forest walk, in a private allotment, on the deck of the family boat, or just the favourite spot in the garden. For cat euthanasia, staying at home is best so it can be on a warm, safe bed or sofa, wrapped in a loved ones arms. Wherever your pet is comfortable, we are able to make this ‘last long sleep” as good a memory as possible, for everyone.

We believe the secret to a gentle, peaceful end is we never tell your pet we are actually vets! We are “just a visiting friend”. This is why we almost never have needed to use a muzzle and avoid it at all times if at all possible. Usually your pet is not expecting a vet at home and we will together find an effective distraction for your pet e.g. with favourite treats, play or cuddles instead for that one quick second we give the painless sedation injection in the back of the neck. We respect all dogs are individuals and lovable companions even if they are a bit protective or unsociable at times and know they will be much more relaxed in their own home. As experienced home visit vets, one of our specialties are actually dogs that don’t “behave well” going to the vets. Remember all our vets are huge animal lovers, just like you.

YES! Always. Unlike in a busy clinical practice environment aimed at ‘curing and fixing’ animals, we would never not give a sedation first because we believe as specialists in our field and animal lovers ourselves, that being able to “go gently in our sleep” is the way we all should to “go”, whether we are human or animals. Luckily this is more than possible with the use of our tried and tested Vets2Home unique, customised pet euthanasia drugs and methods. We make sure we have plenty of time, making this last goodbye a beautiful and memorable experience. We make sure the time is right – never too early nor too late. ​

We are the first certified, true specialists in our field of end of life pet care at home, animal hospice and pet home euthanasia and have spent years perfecting this very special last experience where everything goes just right. Putting a beloved dog down or putting a treasured cat to sleep, is a unforgettable, life long memory and can only be done perfectly once. As animal lovers ourselves, we know saying goodbye to a beloved companion or furry family member is something very special. For those reasons, we want it to be as perfect as possible, every single time, for a beautiful life-long treasured memory. We spend on average 2-3 hours on each visit including travel time so our prices reflect our high expertise and time spent giving a unique and personal service. Please contact us to discuss your pet and your requirements and our caring team will be more than happy to give you a quote.