We are often asked “How long does dog euthanasia take?” Strongly believing that every pet deserves a peaceful goodbye, we ensure everything is done in a gentle, unhurried manner, so how long dog euthanasia at home takes depends very much on your pet’s circumstances and your family’s general situation.
Dog Euthanasia at Home – What We Do
When your dog’s quality of life has significantly deteriorated due to an illness, injury or old age, the kindest thing to do is put an end to your beloved pooch’s suffering at home, within the loving, comfortable environment he/she is used to – or indeed in any other location where your furry friend was happy (i.e. a favourite park, the beach or a forest walk, etc.).
We are dog lovers ourselves, so we know how difficult this decision can be and how many questions you and your family will have, so the first thing we do when we arrive at your home/other chosen location is to explain what will happen and address your/your family’s concerns and questions.
Letting you know exactly what to expect and that your dog will not suffer either stress nor pain or worry during the process will put your/your family’s mind/s at rest and is something we highly recommend especially if your child/children will be present, as children can – with a little support from us – deal in a very natural manner with this aspect of life.
We will then give you, your family and/or friends time to say farewell to your four-legged friend. When you are ready to proceed, we will administer a gentle sedative via a pain-free, quick injection into the back of his/her neck (like a vaccination injection, which many dogs will usually have had many times before). Customised to meet your dog’s specific needs, this specially developed sedative will allow him/her to fall asleep gently.
Administered once your furry companion is fully asleep, the fast-acting final injection will then allow your pet to pass away peacefully and without pain. After this, our caring, sympathetic home euthanasia vets, who are experts in what they do, will offer you advice on what happens next. You can learn more about after-care options available to you here.
So, How Long does Dog Euthanasia Take?
The customised sedative we administer usually takes approximately 10 minutes (give or take a minute or two) to work and the final injection will act more or less immediately if given intravenously but this injection is also tailored to your dog’s circumstances and disease. As such, the actual process of euthanising your furry friend will only take around 10 – 15 minutes.
We can, however, not state precisely how long we will be with you overall, as this depends very much on your specific family situation and your pet’s individual personality and circumstances; how many questions/concerns you wish us to address to begin with and how long you/your family need to properly say goodbye to your beloved pet.
If you do need a more specific time frame (perhaps due to work or other commitments), we recommend contacting us to discuss your situation/circumstances with a member of our team or the attending vet directly, which should allow us to give you a closer approximation of time needed to ensure your dog gets the unhurried, peaceful end he/she deserves.