With the events of the last month for me, I wanted to ask you something. If they time I came, where I had to plan for my dogs euthanization - I always knew I would have a vet come to my house. Obviously, if it's an emergency situation, I may not have a choice. Anyway, it does seem like a lot of people, even if they have planned a day in advance, take their dogs to the vet and I wondered why. I didn't want to put my dog through any more stress or fear. Is it that people don't know that a vet can come to your house, is it the costs?

I do not have a vet that I trust that is willing to come out to my house.

I don't know of any vets here that make house calls. One of my friends used to work for a vet, however, and when the time came to put her dog down, he let her take the syringe home and do it there.

The small animal vet wouldn't come, but for a fee, the vet that goes to the farms might come to the house. I hadn't thought about that.

Most don't know or don't want to try locating a vet who will make a euthanasia housecall if they already have an in-clinic option. A mobile vet would (hopefully...) ask to either speak with the clinic vet or review records prior to the visit to make sure they're not walking blindly into a convenience euth situation, and that can be distressing to people because it's just one more aspect of a companion's death they have to deal with. And it is more expensive.

Is it that people don't know that a vet can come to your house, is it the costs?You know, I hadn't even thought about it. But yeah, it would make the most sense to do it in house if possible. Luckily I haven't had to euthanize any of my own pets yet and they still have many years ahead of them. The dog I grew up with was so sick he had to be rushed to the emergency clinic; and no one knew or expected he'd end up needing to be euthanized the next morning so there was no time to bring him home or even offer any comfort. (advanced Cushing's disease, went undiagnosed by our [former] vet).

I've had very bad experiences with mobile vets, and people I know in the industry have told me that a lot (but of course not all) of them use it as a way to get patients, when normally they wouldn't be able to stay in business because they're such crappy vets. I'm not saying I wouldn't use one, I would just be very wary first.

If you're going to use one ask your regular vet about them first, when my mom talked to my new exotics vet, her new vet, and a friend we had that worked for a vet about the mobile vet who almost killed our cat all three of them were able to guess his name first try.

In an emergency, a shot to the back of the head, or a knife through the throat and spine. We don't have a whole lot of money to be spent on death.

Our vets, both large and small animal, make house calls. Once to euthanize my cat when she was near death in a coma. It was not expensive. The visit is $15 plus the cost of the injection. Our large animal vet doesn't seem to charge for visits, only for meds.

I've gone to people's houses to euthanize their pets. Very often the people don't want to deal with the body, don't want the memory of the death at home or they can't find a vet that does house calls (tons of liability in it), very seldom is money the concern. Some vets will do special calls for certain clients though. This all assuming that the people have decided that it is time for their pet and it is not an emergency situation where they would have prefered not to let them go.

I had talked to my regular vet and they had said that if they were available, they would come when the time was right. When I knew it was Ashley's time, I found a vet (recommended by someone I trust) who came the same evening. It was the best thing I could have done for Ashley. I spent the day with her and she was surrounded by the people who love her, in her own home. It was very peaceful and although it destroyed me, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm just sorry that I couldn't give Hobie (who passed in an emergency clinic the week before) that same comfort.

So I guess, if you've never thought about it - ask your vet to refer you to someone and find a vet who will come over.

This thread makes me want to cry. The whole concept of knwoing that you have to have a pet/friend euthanized, and then scheduling that for a particular day is too awful to imagine - and yet may be necessary. I would definately want it done at home and would absolutely want to keep the body and bury it myself. Our dog is getting old - she has had cancer twice and now she seems to be losing weight and coat condition. Spending a last day with her would be like being buried alive.

This thread makes me want to cry. The whole concept of knwoing that you have to have a pet/friend euthanized, and then scheduling that for a particular day is too awful to imagine - and yet may be necessary. I would definately want it done at home and would absolutely want to keep the body and bury it myself. Our dog is getting old - she has had cancer twice and now she seems to be losing weight and coat condition. Spending a last day with her would be like being buried alive.


It wasn't easy. I scheduled it in the morning for 6:30 pm. I spent the whole day with Ashley and the last few hours was like a final countdown. "We only have two hours" "We only have one hour" and when the time for the vet to come approached it was agony. But I wouldn't have had it any other way.

We always have had a ton of animals in my home. Our vet told us that the best way to put small animals down (rats, mice, hampsters ect.) is to wrap them up very warm, put them in a paper bag and put it in the freezer it takes hours but is "painless, and not tramatic, they just go to sleep." Before that my grandma would drown the animals which she claimed was fast and humane and tell me that they just died of nat causes.

putting small animals in the freezer is NOT humane or painless, it is a horrible and very painful way to die, the RMCA has an account from a rat lover who almost froze to death, as well as a list of truely humane means of euthanazia. The vet who told you that is absolutely out of his/her mind.

I think because people and pets established a relationship with their vet. That's why it's hard to find a vet to come to the house for the sole purpose to euthanize only. I looked into such a vet once, but I thought she is a total stranger. I just didn't want a stranger to care for my cat. Unfortunately, my regular vets don't make house calls. I feel better knowing that so and so vet will take care of my kittie as she passes.
I had to put my dear Minnie down two weeks ago. It's important to me that the vet made her as comfortable as possible prior to her passing. And I knew my vet would honor my request.
It's a great idea though. To let them go peacefully. But I think it depends on the illness. The sudden ones or the emergency care ones are hard. You usually end up at the vet's office.
Minnie was cat number 5 that I had to put down. It doesn't get any easier and it doesn't hurt less. But I think, I did know what to do better. I let her go fast. So she didn't have to suffer any more than she had to. : (

putting small animals in the freezer is NOT humane or painless, it is a horrible and very painful way to die, the RMCA has an account from a rat lover who almost froze to death, as well as a list of truely humane means of euthanazia. The vet who told you that is absolutely out of his/her mind.
:yes: I can't imagine being froze to death.

Freezing is for cold-blooded animals.

Your vet told you to freeze small animals?

You need a new vet

Freezing is for cold-blooded animals.


no, it isn't. Freezing isn't a humane way to kill anything. Cold blooded animals have nerve endings just like everyone else.

I don't know a lot about it, but some naturopathic (I think?) vets have prescriptions or medications or whatever, that they will provide for you to administer when you "know it's time to let go". As far as I know they're naturopathic remedies, not standard drugs like a regular vet would have to administer themselves....

If you think you might be in such a situation sometime soon, talk with your regular vet, they may have options you haven't thought about, or didn't know about...

Aside from the possible cruelty, killing your pet yourself could land you in legal trouble as well.

Aside from the possible cruelty, killing your pet yourself could land you in legal trouble as well.

???
In the wrong hands, that sort of thing could be abused.
But don't make blanket statements that aren't true.
And I AM NOT advocating doing so, just stating facts.
It is legal in many (maybe all, I don't know) states to "humanely" euthanize a pet or livestock animal you own. Most people just chose less humane ways of doing so.... like a shotgun...

I grew up on a large farm and we did all our own vet work. There were several times we "put down" a pet because they were obviously in a great amount of suffering, etc, (and my parents still operate their farm and still do so).
We always tried to be as humane as possible. We got the meds we needed from our local vet, he showed us dosages and how to administer... It was less cruel than transporting an injured animal 50 miles to the closest vet.

I think she was talking more of putting animals in the freezer than doing at home euthanasia yourself. There is a big difference between talking to someone qualified and doing a professional job or deciding it's time for an animal to go and sticking them in the freezer, wacking them in the head or any of the other number of stupid things people do to "help" their dying pets.

I think she was talking more of putting animals in the freezer than doing at home euthanasia yourself. There is a big difference between talking to someone qualified and doing a professional job or deciding it's time for an animal to go and sticking them in the freezer, wacking them in the head or any of the other number of stupid things people do to "help" their dying pets.
Yeah, that's what I meant. I have a super old cat, and I have been thinking about this topic myself. I really need to start talking to the vet about options for home euthanasia. I don't want my cat's final hour to be on the way to the vet. :( (and I am not going to whack her in the head, either.)