What factors contribute to an animal's quality of life?
There are many factors that go into an animal's quality of life, and if you really boil it down, you can make it quite simplistic. I always like to tell people animals really only need a few things. They need to be able to eat, they need to be able to drink, they need to be able to go to the bathroom either outside or in a litter box, whatever they do. They need to be loved, they need to be out of pain, and they need to be able to sleep comfortably. If our pets have those things, then they have a great quality of life.
What should pet owners consider as their pets age or face health issues?
As our pets get older and certain things happen, pets sometimes start to lose those things I mentioned previously. And if they lose one thing, for example, if they cannot go outside to go to the bathroom, or if they start having accidents, that's something to consider. However, if they start to lose multiple of those things– if they are not able to sleep and if we can't control their pain– that's when I say it's unfortunately usually time to elect for humane euthanasia.
Are there tools available to help evaluate a pet's quality of life?
Now, that can be quite simplistic, and it doesn't always apply to every animal, but there are several different ways that you can evaluate their quality of life. And if you think it's time or want more information, our team is always available to help. If you want to ever speak with us, we're here for you. You can find more information about at-home pet euthanasia here.
What is another method to assess a pet's quality of life over time?
One of the other ways that they commonly evaluate quality of life is to look at a calendar. Look at the last 30 days (or start for the next 30 days), and every day, put a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Was it an overall good day or was it an overall bad day? If the number of bad days starts to outweigh the number of good days, then that's something to really take into consideration.
What defines a good or bad day for a pet?
Good day and bad day is different for every animal. Some cats, if they sleep for 20 hours a day, but they're comfortable, and they're doing their regular cat things, that's a good day. They don't need to be running around at 1,000 miles an hour. As long as they're comfortable eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom, that's a good quality of life for them.
What should pet owners do if they decide on humane euthanasia?
If you've thought about it and you are electing for humane euthanasia, we are here to support and help you through this process. We will help you through the process from preparing for the appointment, aftercare for your pet, and the grieving process.
What can I expect with an at-home or in-hospital euthanasia?
We always appreciate that getting to this point is very difficult, and it's our goal to treat you and your animal with the utmost respect during this time. The procedure itself starts with a sedation injection that we give into the back leg. The sedation usually takes about 5 to 15 minutes, and during that time, if you'd like to pet and love on your animal, you're absolutely welcome to.
What happens once the animal is sedated?
Once the animal sedates, and of course, once you're ready, that's when we follow up with the final injection. The final injection is given into the back leg, which allows you to be up near the animal if you so choose.
What are the options for aftercare once the animal has passed?
After they've passed, we have the option for aftercare at home, or we work with a cremation facility here in the Valley. We offer an individual and a communal cremation.
Can you explain the difference between individual and communal cremation?
Yes, the individual cremation comes with the ashes returned to you in a cedar wood urn, and it has the pet's name laser-engraved on top. The package also includes a clay paw print that has the pet's name at the bottom of the clay paw print. The communal cremation does not have ashes returned, nor does it have the urn. However, you can still receive the clay paw print with the name at the bottom if you choose.
Is there anything else your team can assist with?
If there's anything else we can answer for you, please give us a call at (480) 233-7276.