In-Home Pet Euthanasia FAQs

Due to increased demand, as our city continues to grow, we have had to reduce our travel radius at this time. Our service area now includes most of Austin (excluding some areas of far west Austin), Buda, Kyle, Manchaca, Manor, Pflugerville, Hutto, Round Rock, Wells Branch, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and sections of Leander and Liberty Hill (along the 183 corridor). We truly wish we could help every pet in need, and hope to be able to expand our service area in the future.

• We are fully vaccinated.
• We are happy to wear masks upon request.
• We are open to any additional requests to aid in your comfort in the pursuit of health safety (i.e. removal of shoes, washing of hands inside the home, outdoor appointments, etc.).

Your pet may have severe arthritis, cancer, kidney failure, or any number of debilitating diseases that are causing a loss of quality of life. He has been part of your life and has been a faithful companion. Now, you see it in his eyes; he is letting you know it is time.

You want your pet to feel your reassuring touch in his last moments.  You want him to drift off to sleep, and then pass in his bed surrounded by love, home, and comfort.  You don’t want his last moments spent frightened.

This is an emotional time for you as well. In-home euthanasia allows you to create a lasting memory of a special treat shared and snuggles in a place that is comforting…home. It allows for the final parting to be unhurried. The privacy of your home also allows you to express your grief without worrying about how to find the strength to make the drive home…alone.

Dr. Maggie understands this, she has experienced this personally, and has dedicated her practice to providing a compassionate, professional passing for your beloved pet in a loving environment with respect and dignity.

Your regular veterinarian will help you by explaining what can be done medically and surgically to help your pet, what the limits of that help are, and will help clarify when those limits have been reached. However, you, as the pet owner and knowing your pet best, will be the one to notice if his quality of life is diminishing, and when you must be an advocate for your pet to ensure he is not suffering (see When is it Time?).

This decision is a very personal one and one that only you are in the best position to make. Dr. Maggie and her Care Team will work with you. If the decision is made to have a child present, it might be best to have someone available who can be with your child if he or she feels the need to leave mid-procedure.  Please remember the focus is on providing your pet a peaceful passing, and loud crying will, naturally, cause stress and anxiety for your pet, especially if they interpret the crying as someone harming your child.

The general belief is that your other pets should be given the opportunity to say goodbye to their friend and housemate. This does tend to bring closure for them. When pets go to the vet for euthanasia and do not come home, it can be very traumatizing to the remaining pets at home, as there are no odors or clues as to what happened to their friend, and they are not able to process that their friend is deceased. This is especially important for dogs, since they are naturally pack animals, but it is also true for a lot of cats.

Do not necessarily expect a lengthy process.  In most cases, all it takes is a glance, a brief sniff, and they walk away.  This is most often enough for them to be able to move on.  However, it is entirely possible that the pet(s) will continue to grieve and may still look for their deceased friend, but this process is not as traumatic as if their friend had just “disappeared”.

Dr. Maggie feels it may be best if other household pets are given the opportunity to say their goodbyes after the procedure is over. However the decision is yours to make.

Hospice care, also called palliative care, is an option if your pet is suffering from a terminal illness and a cure is not possible. The focus is to make a pet’s final days or weeks more pleasant with the proper use of pain medications, dietary strategies and human interaction. The goal of pet hospice is not to cure your pet’s illness, but rather to extend his life at home in your care without undue suffering. It is very difficult to face losing a pet, but your choice between hospice and euthanasia must not be clouded by fear of the grief you will experience or by the difficulty of making the decision.

Hospice care requires an active commitment from you, working with your veterinarian, to ensure your pet’s quality of life continues until his death. If you are considering hospice care, these are things to consider:

• Do I have a veterinarian with expertise in providing hospice using advanced techniques in pain management, alternative treatments, oxygen and hydration?
• Do I have a veterinarian available to provide emergency euthanasia if my pet’s suffering becomes excessive?
• Do I have adequate resources to provide constant care for my pet, even when I am out of the house?
• Will I have the time to provide hospice home care for my pet without seriously disrupting my regular family and/or work obligations?

For hospice resources click here.

It is important to understand what the body does when death occurs so that you will be prepared to witness the passing of your pet without unpleasant surprises. Death occurring naturally, unaided by euthanasia, is usually more dramatic and violent, often accompanied by deep, agonal breathing that may last for several seconds and even minutes.  Twitches are often present and if your pet is experiencing pain, he may vocalize.  With humane euthanasia many of these movements and reflexes are diminished if not completely absent; the process is more like falling asleep for surgery and just not waking back up.

In the process of a quiet, peaceful home euthanasia, it is unlikely that you will witness anything very upsetting or unsettling.  In about 95% of the cases, you will not see anything other than the cessation of breathing and motion.  Body reactions can occur however, and in the event that you see something, it is important to understand that these reactions do not equate to suffering, but are part of the natural event of dying.

The most surprising reaction is “agonal breathing”.  This may look like sudden or convulsive “breaths”.  Agonal breathing occurs as the body transitions from life to death; your pet has no consciousness of this action and feels nothing. Usually, these spasms are silent, but occasionally, breathing noises can accompany them.  It is important to understand that agonal breathing does not mean that your pet is suffering or that any pain is experienced.  Remember, when they do occur, your pet is already unconscious and most likely the heart has already stopped.

Other reactions that can be seen are little twitches of the muscles or skin.  These can sometimes last for several minutes after your pet has passed away.  They are normal nerve reactions, and are most often seen around the lower part of the shoulder or around the muzzle, but they can be seen anywhere on the body. Very rarely, the entire body can stretch during the death process or immediately after.  Please be assured this is not a sign of your pet feeling any pain.

The normal, relaxed position of the eyes after a pet has passed away is for the eyelids to remain open. Pet owners often ask to close their pet’s eyes.  Unfortunately, despite efforts, they will remain open.  In addition to the eyes remaining open, the cornea (the clear part of the eyes) will take on a glassy or blurry appearance within a few minutes.

Bodily fluids and gas will “leak” out.  Even if your pet has recently urinated, it is likely that there will be a little bit of urine leakage.  It is not as common for stool to be passed, but it can happen, especially if your pet has recently been struggling with diarrhea.  If your pet has been very ill with severe diarrhea or bloody stools, it can be quite messy after his passing.  This is why Dr. Maggie and Dr. Danielle will slip a potty pad under the pet.  Rarely, blood-tinged fluid will escape the nasal and oral cavities after death.

After the passing of your pet, when his body is moved or lifted, sometimes, the air empties out of the lungs and as this happens, you may hear something that sounds like a breath or a grunt.  This does not mean that your pet is still alive or is still breathing.  It is just leftover air leaving the lungs.

With all the above said, home euthanasia is usually very peaceful. However, being aware of what can occur will find you prepared for all eventualities, and will minimize the upset and trauma you will inevitably feel at the loss of your beloved pet.  The most important thing to remember is that your pet’s spirit left peacefully, and the body reactions are just body reactions and do not indicate suffering.  The euthanasia process for your pet will be like falling asleep for surgery and just not waking up.

If you know that you are likely to be upset in the unlikely event that any of these reactions occur, you may want to consider not being present for the final injection and say your final goodbyes beforehand.

If you have any concerns regarding any aspect of the body’s reaction to death, please do not hesitate to discuss them with Dr. Maggie or Dr. Danielle. They are experienced in these matters and are here to assist you.

The state of Texas requires all animals to be tested for rabies if:  1) they have bitten or deeply scratched a person or another animal within the previous ten (10) days, or:  2) they have been exposed to a known carrier of rabies within the last ten (10) days.

If either of these scenarios has occurred, you must declare it on the online Euthanasia Consent Form. If you have already completed the form and have not indicated that a possible rabies exposure has occurred, prior to the appointment contact the Care Team, or tell Dr. Maggie at the appointment. While we will provide a peaceful passing via in-home euthanasia, aftercare is not an option in this situation.

Please note that if the answer is “yes” to either of the scenarios mentioned above the following must occur:

• You must arrange for transport of your pet to a veterinary clinic of your choice, or your local Animal Shelter, for rabies post-mortem testing once our appointment is complete and the euthanasia has been performed. It is strongly recommended that these arrangements are made prior to scheduling our appointment so that they can be coordinated.

Unfortunately, due to the method of rabies testing, your animal will not be returned to you from the clinic or animal shelter once testing is complete.  Any keepsakes that you may want, such as a clip of hair or a paw print must be done prior to transport. If you would like assistance with this, please contact our Care Team via text/phone call (512-553-8333) or email [email protected] prior to our appointment with you.

For additional questions regarding Rabies Law in the state of Texas and required testing, please call your regular veterinarian or the local animal shelter and ask to speak to an Animal Control Officer.

We certainly understand that timing for these appointments can be very difficult and that your pet’s condition may change suddenly, requiring you to alter plans. However, late-notice cancellations often prevent us from being able to schedule services for another pet in need. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please contact us no later than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment. Same-day cancellations may incur a cancellation fee of $150.