End of Life Care
The passing of a pet is the hardest part of pet ownership. It can be a difficult, yet courageous, decision to help ease your friend’s suffering by humane euthanasia. We’re pet owners and lovers ourselves, so we understand how this journey is different for everyone. We’ll be here for every step. Whether that’s a referral to a specialist for more advanced treatments, palliative care to keep your pet comfortable, or humane euthanasia, we will discuss every option with you to help in your decision.
How Will I Know When It’s Time?
When making this difficult decision, it helps to assess your pet’s overall quality of life. Are they still enjoying their favorite things? Do they have difficulty getting around? Are they interacting with the family less? Sometimes changes with your pet happen slowly over time. This can make it harder to notice if there has been a decline. Noticing these daily trends can help you when it comes time to make a decision. Here is a great resource to help you track how your pet is doing:
Humane Euthanasia
If you elect humane euthanasia, we will make the process as smooth and gentle as possible for your pet and for you. You can decide whether you want to be present for the procedure itself or say your goodbyes beforehand. It’s a very personal decision that we accept with no judgments. Euthanasia itself is very peaceful and not painful to the pet. We then work with All Paws Pet Cremation to provide cremation services for you.
Children & Pet Loss
If you have children, you may need to help them cope with the loss in addition to dealing with your own grief. Generally speaking, honesty is the best policy. Refrain from using phrases like “put to sleep” or “gone to a better place” as these can confuse or even scare them.
Children react differently to the death of a pet based on their age, personality, and cultural beliefs. There is no right or wrong way for them to grieve. Let them go through the grieving process in their own way. Be patient and supportive. Just reassure your child that what they’re feeling is normal.
For more information for helping your child through the loss of a pet, check out this helpful resource.
Contact Us to Learn More
Dealing with pet loss is extremely tough, but knowing that you did everything possible to give your pet the best life can give you peace of mind. If you want to learn more about our end-of-life care in Chicago, get in touch with us at Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic today.
