Saying Goodbye
We know how important your pet has been throughout their life to you and undoubtably saying goodbye is the hardest and most heartbreaking part of owning a pet.
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We are commited to making these last moments precious and as comfortable for your and your pet as possible in a pain-free way.
How do I know it is time?
We always say that quality of life is the most important thing when it comes to our beloved pets. It is hard to know when it is time. Each pet has their indvidual quirk that makes them who they are - for instance, a dog may greet you at the door with their favourite toy or have an unusual favourite snack. When the small things that make them indivdual have declined, it would be worth looking at their quality of life.
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It can be easy for a lot of pets to hide pain, especially cats. Quality of life can mean different things for different pets, but overall, how are they in themselves?
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Owners will commonly say that their pet is eating less, unable to move comfortablly or have started to toilet inappropriately in the house. If you would like a conversation on your pet's quality of life one of our qualified nurses or vets will be able to give you a call to discuss this.
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How do I book my pet in for euthanasia?
Goodbye is the hardest part of any relationship, but when you feel it is time, we are here to support you. Making an appointment for you pet to come and see the vet is often an emotional time, however, our trained receptionists and here to help find a date and time which is suitable to come in with your pet.
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If you would like a home visit, please ask our reception team and we will do our best to accomodate this. Unfortunately, we are only able to do a home visit within Weston-super-Mare.
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What happens on the day?
A vet will speak to you and any other present family members regarding your decision. We will support you in any way to ensure that this is the right decision for your pet.
Once the decision has been made, our vets will go through a euthanasia consent form to be signed. This is also where you can decide on cremation. We use Companion Haven, an independent cremation service, based in Bristol, who offer a beauitful range of urns, caskets and jewellery. In addition to this, we also offer free of charge fur clippings and pawprints.
If your pet is eating, we usually offer your pet lots of tasty naughty treats, such as chocolate and biscuits beforehand - many pets, dogs inparticular, love this. We also make sure they have a nice comfy bed to lay on. Some cats prefer to stay in their cat basket where they feel most comfortable.
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Some pets are sedated beforehand, this is just to ensure that the experience is as pain free as possible. Some of our vets will also place an IV canula whilst your pet is asleep, they will not feel this after their sedative injection.
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Our vets will ask if you would like to spend some more time with your pet before the euthanasia is performed. You can have as much time as you would like with your pet. Once ready, the vet will inject a painless overdose of anaesthetic which will stop the heart. After this, you are welcome to spend as much time as you would like with your pet.
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Who can I speak to about the loss of a pet?
Blue Cross have a pet loss support hotline where anybody can get in touch to speak about the grief of a losing a pet. Please call 0800 096 6606. They are open between 8:30am - 8:30pm daily. Alternatively you can email plsmail@bluecross.org.uk where they promise to respond within 48 hours. Additionally there is a Blue Cross Pet Loss Support Community group on Facebook where anybody can discuss their loss.