Pet Euthanasia at Home

An opposing perspective and things to consider:

While a relaxed home setting is idealized, there are many factors that your vet considers when making the decision to offer home euthanasia.

Thankfully “problems” with euthanasia do not happen often, they do happen and being in a hospital setting with access to multiple drugs and assistants allows us to deal with the unknown more expediently.

Until recent DEA rulings, it was illegal for veterinarians to carry controlled substances outside of the office and there is still some ambiguity about the rules in place.

Many dogs do become anxious just being in a veterinary office. Dogs are amazingly intuitive and often will react to the anxiety of their owners, particularly in the situation surrounding euthanasia. With a calm, caring staff and a family attentive to the dog’s needs during the euthanasia (rather than their own pain), an office euthanasia can be a peaceful end.

I’ve done many home euthanasias but frankly didn’t like to, the benefit was more perception than real. I’ll admit that this perception is important to many.

Just my perspective after doing this for 37 years.

Doug, DVM

Here's a site where you can search by zip code for vets who do home euthanasia -- Link

I plan to go that route from now on, if possible. I love my regular vet dearly--I've been with the same practice for 36 years--but having to say the final good bye to a much loved pet at a vet's is just awful. Home will be much less stressful for the pet and the humans, I think.

That sounds like a wonderful service. Our toy poodles while doing well for their ages don't have a lot of time left, it would likely be less stressful for them to be in familiar surroundings although my wife would be the one needing a sedative.

Great idea. I remember carrying one of our dogs into the vets office and back out. It was a terrible day.