At home euthanasia vs. vet's office

[wasabipea]

I know everyone would rather that their pet pass in their comfortable home environment, but I have some concerns about at home vs. vet office eithanasia.

Apparently my vet used to make rare exceptions for clients and do occasional at home euthanasia visits, but now she has changed her tune to "no can do", she claims that she doesn't have the staff to support it (which I'm not sure I'm buying), but that she also wants to stay in the office so that she is in a controlled environment and has access to anything else she may need.

I've spoken to a co-worker that has done the "one shot" euthanasia in the office, but the vet suggested that he and his Other not be present because it's not the preferred method and can be painful/traumatic on the animal.

When Len was put down they gave his something in his leg to make him go to la-la land (I can't recall whethter it was a catheter or just an injection.) then she either added to the catheter, or gave him a seperate injection to send him over the bridge. It seemed peaceful, with the excpetion of a few "phantom breaths" that he took, which she assured me were normal and just a reflex, things seemed very peaceful for him.

Anyway, apparently from what I read on the web - things can go drastically awry when putting an animal down - maybe that's why she sticks close to the office now, because something did go wrong at a home visit.

Has anyone had a bad experience with home euthanasia? Does anyone have experience with the "one shot" (phenobarbitol only) method? It seems more common with dogs than cats, but as I said - relatively frequently things go wrong and since the vet isn't in the office with access to other meds, etc - I would hate to have something go badly.

When Roni's day comes, I wanted to keep her at home - but now I'm wondering if the office setting is preferable only because of potential troubles. I was really adamant that she be done at home, but now... any negative experiences or advice that anyone is comfortable sharing?

Sorry, I fret about everything.

 

[ritz]

I can only speak from a third person experience. Both cases involve dogs (one small, one medium), not cats, and both were planned for a while (kidney failure). I don't know if dogs/cats make a difference.
My twin sister did an at-home euthanasia. She called around looking for a vet who would do this, and found one. If I recall correctly, two people came to Becky's house. It went well. I do believe there were two shots involved.
My friend (who rescued Ritz) took her dog to a woman who does euthanisia in her own home, i.e., not my friend's house. This was due to the very pretty location where the woman lives (in the mountains somewhere). She was very pleased with the procedure though of course sad.
When the time comes (I can barely think about it without tearing up), I will do in-home euthanasia. I don't care how much it costs.

 

[betsygee]

My first kitty was euthanized at home and she was so ready to go, she went in just a few seconds and nothing went wrong.  With the kitty we just had to put to sleep, we didn't want to make her wait until we could get an appointment at home so we took her to the vet's office.  That also went fast and she went peacefully and then we brought her home wrapped in a blanket to bury here at home.  With both of them, they were given one shot to relax them, then the second shot for the euthanization.

My preference is to do it at home but fortunately my vet is a kind caring person and made the in office procedure as trauma-free for both us and the kitty as possible.  

Thankfully I haven't had any bad experiences either way.  

 

[wasabipea]

Seems that most vets/clients offer the two shot procedure - actually it's part of the deal - but I know of some people that didn't know any better (and I would have been one of them, since I never really researched the topic) - but the one shot of phenobarbitol (I think that's what they use) without a sedative beforehand can end badly in some cases.

I suppose the percentage of at home tragedies is relatively small, and I guess I still will do that with Roni when her time comes, if time allows. It didn't with Len, so an office visit had to be done.

I guess with Roni, she has become such a trooper about going for her fluids - no struggles to get in the box, she looks happily at me on the car ride there and back, never any trouble at the vets, she knows exactly what to expect and she is so good, no hissing or scratching or struggling - they always remark how sweet she is and a good patient.

I just can't pull the rug out from under her like that if it makes any sense, euthanasia is not what she's expecting. She knows what to expect, and is such a good traveler and patient. It would kill me if she looked at me with that little face and he little mews on the car ride there, not knowing what was in store.

Anyevent, I was just wondering if anyone ever regretted doing it at home.

Thanks!

 

[Winchester]

Two of our cats have been put to sleep at home by our vet, one at 2:30 on a Saturday morning, when he suddenly took a turn for the worse. We had just had him in for a visit and she said to the other vet when we left that she thought she might be at our house later that night. She was right.

They were all put to sleep in our bed with the other cats coming in to say good-bye. It was peaceful and the vet had no trouble. When Hydrox passed, Whisper actually jumped up on the bed and nosed around him and licked his face while the vet was giving him the shot to relax him. After he got the shot, she jumped off the bed, looked back, gave a soft meow and left the bedroom. When Pumpkin passed, he passed away in my arms on the bed.

Whenever it's possible, we prefer to have the vet come to our house. Thankfully, they are willing to do that, although we do pay extra for the service. I think part of that is because they are a farm vet as well, so they're used to going out to barns for animals. It's what they do.

 

[denice]

I haven't had it done at home so I don't know anything about it.  I know there is a vet here in Columbus whose entire practice is in home euthanasia.  She says, there is no way of knowing for sure, but she says someone in her family owns property with a meadow.  If someone prefers, the ashes can be spread there rather than returned, she charges $200 if ashes aren't returned and $300 if they are returned.

I haven't had one go badly for me.  I have heard pros and cons for both the 1 shot and the 2 shot.  I think the issue that is resolved with the 2 shot from the owners stand point is if there is an issue with finding a vein.  When I have had it done they would put the first shot in along with a little like catheter in the vein in their back area then bring the pet in the room where I was so if there is difficulty finding a vein the owner doesn't see it.

I remember that is one of the things Jackson Galaxy mentioned in his book.  The nightmare for a caring vet is not being able to find a vein, which happens more often with a very ill pet, and the owner is getting more and more upset.

 

[betsygee]

 
 I think the issue that is resolved with the 2 shot from the owners stand point is if there is an issue with finding a vein.  When I have had it done they would put the first shot in along with a little like catheter in the vein in their back area then bring the pet in the room where I was so if there is difficulty finding a vein the owner doesn't see it.

I remember that is one of the things Jackson Galaxy mentioned in his book.  The nightmare for a caring vet is not being able to find a vein, which happens more often with a very ill pet, and the owner is getting more and more upset.

Our vet put a towel over Molly where she was going to give the injection, I suppose for that reason--if she had difficulty finding a vein, it wouldn't be as upsetting to us watching her.

 

[wasabipea]

I have to admit, I didn't watch too much of the process of the vet finding the vein, etc... I was more concerned with just petting Len and my attention was on  him and soothing him. He was a big boy, 17 lbs, and hadn't lost weight from the cancer - I don't think they had too much trouble finding one. Roni is a different matter - she's small (7.5 lbs) and at the end will likely lose at least a lb or two before she gives up.

Winchester, I heard somewhere that letting the other animals see the deceased one helps the greiving process and they understand what happened to their buddy. Even though Roni knoew Len was terminal at the end (wouldn't go near him, hissed when she did), she still had a very hard time with the mourning process and is just starting to get back to life again - after at least 6-7 weeks (?). Another reason I really wanted to have Len done at home, again - only a couple of vets offer that service and they are both at least an hour away. I couldn't watch Len in that state anymore, and it had to be done.

OK, so I guess that vets that specialize in at home euthanasia have it together and are prepared for any crises that may happen. I'll still try for that for Roni, unless time becomes an issue. I asked the vet if there was a heavy duty tranquilizer I could give her at home before we went in, and with the anxiety medication she is on, sometimes tranks have the opposite effect and they will start bouncing of the walls and getting hyper, etc.

Thanks for everyone's input. Hopefully it isn't pending, but since there is the possibility that she has cancer - if she does, it's of the slow moving variety - her time could be limited. And so frail, at 18, with kidney issues... we go day by day and I monitor her behavior closely for any signs of decline.

 

[cocheezie]

Sending vibes. Both of you are so brave.

 

[wasabipea]

  Thank you... but just a kitty mommy. What else to do, they need us - just like we need them  

what would we do without our furbabies?

 

[Winchester]

 
I have to admit, I didn't watch too much of the process of the vet finding the vein, etc... I was more concerned with just petting Len and my attention was on  him and soothing him. He was a big boy, 17 lbs, and hadn't lost weight from the cancer - I don't think they had too much trouble finding one. Roni is a different matter - she's small (7.5 lbs) and at the end will likely lose at least a lb or two before she gives up.

Winchester, I heard somewhere that letting the other animals see the deceased one helps the greiving process and they understand what happened to their buddy. Even though Roni knoew Len was terminal at the end (wouldn't go near him, hissed when she did), she still had a very hard time with the mourning process and is just starting to get back to life again - after at least 6-7 weeks (?). Another reason I really wanted to have Len done at home, again - only a couple of vets offer that service and they are both at least an hour away. I couldn't watch Len in that state anymore, and it had to be done.

OK, so I guess that vets that specialize in at home euthanasia have it together and are prepared for any crises that may happen. I'll still try for that for Roni, unless time becomes an issue. I asked the vet if there was a heavy duty tranquilizer I could give her at home before we went in, and with the anxiety medication she is on, sometimes tranks have the opposite effect and they will start bouncing of the walls and getting hyper, etc.

Thanks for everyone's input. Hopefully it isn't pending, but since there is the possibility that she has cancer - if she does, it's of the slow moving variety - her time could be limited. And so frail, at 18, with kidney issues... we go day by day and I monitor her behavior closely for any signs of decline.

 My heart goes out to anyone who has to think about this, whether it's at home or at the vet. 

Our cats hated the drive to the vet. Hydrox, especially would pee, poop, and puke til we even got less than a mile away from the house. So when the cancer got too bad for him, we asked our vet to come to the house and he was more than willing. I think it helped our other kids to be with him and I think it helped him when Whisper stayed with him. And it was the same way with Pumpkin. The other cats were on the bed and they watched, but they didn't really go near him, probably because he was in my arms in the bed and I was crying. But I think it helps them to know (if they do.....and I like to think they do) exactly what's going on. 

Again, I can't say what most vets would do. I just know that we are lucky in that our vet also deals with farm animals and so they're used to being on the site for the animals. 

I firmly believe that cats will grieve. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. When Banshee died, poor BooBoo was lost for a good six weeks. Banshee was the link with the rest of the cats. Where she was, that's where everybody was. She would lie down, they would cuddle with her, especially Boo. During mealtimes, Boo and Banshee would go at it, fighting and biting and carrying on for all they were worth. And when she died, Boo didn't handle it well at all. He would come out to the kitchen and just sit there, looking like he had lost his best friend....and he had. It took him a long time to get back to normal. So yes, cats will grieve for their buddies, especially when they're close buddies. And while they're weren't litter siblings, those two were very close.

I will be thinking of you.

 

[betsygee]

 

 My heart goes out to anyone who has to think about this, whether it's at home or at the vet. 

Our cats hated the drive to the vet. Hydrox, especially would pee, poop, and puke til we even got less than a mile away from the house. So when the cancer got too bad for him, we asked our vet to come to the house and he was more than willing. I think it helped our other kids to be with him and I think it helped him when Whisper stayed with him. And it was the same way with Pumpkin. The other cats were on the bed and they watched, but they didn't really go near him, probably because he was in my arms in the bed and I was crying. But I think it helps them to know (if they do.....and I like to think they do) exactly what's going on. 

Again, I can't say what most vets would do. I just know that we are lucky in that our vet also deals with farm animals and so they're used to being on the site for the animals. 

I firmly believe that cats will grieve. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. When Banshee died, poor BooBoo was lost for a good six weeks. Banshee was the link with the rest of the cats. Where she was, that's where everybody was. She would lie down, they would cuddle with her, especially Boo. During mealtimes, Boo and Banshee would go at it, fighting and biting and carrying on for all they were worth. And when she died, Boo didn't handle it well at all. He would come out to the kitchen and just sit there, looking like he had lost his best friend....and he had. It took him a long time to get back to normal. So yes, cats will grieve for their buddies, especially when they're close buddies. And while they're weren't litter siblings, those two were very close.

I will be thinking of you.

Our first cat was an 'only child' so when she passed of course we didn't have to deal with the other pets grieving.  Now that Molly's gone, I'm learning about it.  Travis was Molly's best friend, they were inseparable.  I thought about showing him Molly's body when we got her home from the vet but didn't really know if it would upset him or help, so I didn't.  Now I kind of wish I had.  He was inconsolable for the first week.  Followed me everywhere yowling constantly, sniffing around the rugs and other places where Molly had slept.  I wish I had more things that smelled like her but because one of the sick kitties was always peeing, pooping or puking on something we were washing bedding and towels constantly.  I finally put one of my slept in t-shirts in Travis' bed that he used to share with Molly so at least he could have my scent to keep him company while I'm gone at work.  

All six of the other cats were milling around for the first few days--I can't say if our original Three Amigos really missed her, they didn't spend a lot of time with her, but the other Newbies--her housemates for over 10 years--sure knew she was gone.  

I also hope it's nothing you have to worry about any time soon, @wasabipea, but it's good to have things as planned out as you can beforehand.  

 

[furbabyvet]

Hi,

I'm new here, but wanted to offer you my insight on this topic. I am a vet and have seen all sorts of euthanasia situations. It can be quick and peaceful but can also be confusing and scary for everyone. If you have ever been on the "administration" end of a rough euthanasia, you will know why many vets prefer to do it in just a particular way. It makes you feel HORRIBLE when things don't go well and it's hard to predict everything that could happen in every case. I know how distressing it is to be a pet caretaker having to experience their baby in distress or not to understand what's happening.

Anyway, I don't know where the OP lives, but in our city there are several vets who do euthanasia house calls as their primary business. They have a specific method/routine they use that really increases the possibility of a peaceful procedure. Maybe you can do a Google search for "house call euthanasia" and see if there are any who specialize in that service.

Short of that, my personal experience is that I prefer to have an IV catheter in place plus to give a strong sedative before administering the euthanasia drug. This eases the transition and usually helps things go a lot smoother. The IV catheter means the pet parents can hold the pet if they wish and the animal won't feel the needles. Yes, it requires some manipulation to place the catheter, but I think it is well worth it. The biggest complication in euthanasia procedures is not being able to find a vein or having the drug go outside the vein so it's not effective. Many vets in my city are adopting this procedure but I know it's not done this way everywhere. You can always request it, though.

I hope this was not too graphic. It's a difficult thing to face. I just wanted to try to shed some light on the technical aspects so maybe it will make it easier for you to know what to seek. 

Tabitha

 

[white shadow]

 
I heard somewhere that letting the other animals see the deceased one helps the greiving process and they understand what happened to their buddy. Even though Roni knoew Len was terminal at the end...she still had a very hard time with the mourning process and is just starting to get back to life again - after at least 6-7 weeks

Here's a piece that may help:  7 Ways to Help Your Cat Through a Grieving Period

 

[white shadow]

Helpful resources for Guardians:

In the lead-up to a loss: APLB Chatroom for Pet Loss

And for after: APLB Chatroom for Anticipatory Bereavement

 

[catwoman707]

@furbabyvet  welcome to the cat site, we are happy to have you!

Honestly, I would prefer some graphics on what it could be like when something does go wrong.

I have a rescue group, and have had to put many cats down, and have never seen anything go wrong, so it makes me wonder just how often it does happen and what actually goes wrong.

I also completely agree about the surviving cats grief.

I have seen this, and it's very sad for them.

So last year when I had to put one of my darling permanent cat room residents down (Stella, stomach cancer at 3 yrs old   ) I knew it was going to be hard on Destiny, her bestie and bonded friend. I mean Destiny would wait to eat until Stella came home, as she was allowed to hang out in our yard. 

She would call her even, and Stella would come

I brought Stella's body home and semi-unwrapped her and walked away for a few minutes so she could see her, smell her, and understand, rather than the whining and crying and searching I've seen prior.

It really did help. She still pouted for a bit, but wasn't wondering what happened to her.

 

[wasabipea]

 
Hi,

I'm new here, but wanted to offer you my insight on this topic. I am a vet and have seen all sorts of euthanasia situations. It can be quick and peaceful but can also be confusing and scary for everyone. If you have ever been on the "administration" end of a rough euthanasia, you will know why many vets prefer to do it in just a particular way. It makes you feel HORRIBLE when things don't go well and it's hard to predict everything that could happen in every case. I know how distressing it is to be a pet caretaker having to experience their baby in distress or not to understand what's happening.

Anyway, I don't know where the OP lives, but in our city there are several vets who do euthanasia house calls as their primary business. They have a specific method/routine they use that really increases the possibility of a peaceful procedure. Maybe you can do a Google search for "house call euthanasia" and see if there are any who specialize in that service.

Short of that, my personal experience is that I prefer to have an IV catheter in place plus to give a strong sedative before administering the euthanasia drug. This eases the transition and usually helps things go a lot smoother. The IV catheter means the pet parents can hold the pet if they wish and the animal won't feel the needles. Yes, it requires some manipulation to place the catheter, but I think it is well worth it. The biggest complication in euthanasia procedures is not being able to find a vein or having the drug go outside the vein so it's not effective. Many vets in my city are adopting this procedure but I know it's not done this way everywhere. You can always request it, though.

I hope this was not too graphic. It's a difficult thing to face. I just wanted to try to shed some light on the technical aspects so maybe it will make it easier for you to know what to seek.

Tabitha

Hi FurBabyVet, welcome to the cat site

Thank you for your insight and for me, absolutely not too graphic - helpful info for a really hard decision and I never really looked into euthansia and the procedures since I always thought it was one shot and done, I defnitely want to be informed - especiallly from a vet's point of view, thank you. I was a bit resentful towards my primary veterinarian for not coming to me house, because she knows how emotional I get and since I heard she made occasional exceptions for certain clients, I took it personally that she didn't consider me one of those exceptions. But now that I read more about how euthansia can go wrong, and in some cases horribly wrong, I can understand her decision. I always thought euthanasia was a no-brainer, and that there was little, if any, room for error. I guess, while likely rare, that's not the case.

Unfortunately as I wrote in an earlier post, I live in a somewhat rural area, and finding a vet that does at home euthanasia - well they are usually booked on average a week or so in advance. Once I was able to get a two day wait, and took that appt - but the girl rebounded and I cancelled to see where the rebound was going. As many posters have agreed, how can you decide a week in advance with an acute illness that it's time to let them go? I suppose, while I haven't been on that side of that fence, it could make sense with a chronic illness - even though the waiting must be tortorous. I'm going to try to talk to the one at-home vet and explain my situation, hopefully she will be understanding. Since I'm assuming the rate of "error" (for lack of better words) is relatively small and worth the risk?

Long story short, I have a girlkitty Roni who was diagnosed with early stage CRF at 13 (she's 18 now). Her creatine and BUN, without kidney treatment progressed so slowly (like +.1/yr increase), that while we kept an eye on it, and she got the occasional subQs, she was more or less fine. Cue up approx 6 weeks ago. Her (non-genetic, but together since 5 months old) brother had to be PTS after an aggressive form of lung cancer cancer/pulminary edema  took him within a week or so (put down at vets office, I couldn't wait for an at home appt). All they knew was every day together for 18 yrs.

As Winchester said, cats do grieve and while my two hadn't been as close the past couple of years (old married couple syndrome - lol), she is lost without him. Still, afrer about six weeks, she cries all night, and right after his demise - she let herself go, her kidney values shot up, she stopped eating, developed an infection and became reclusive. She was in terrible shape, and I had two appts to have her put down - one in the office and one at home. They both got cancelled since she started improving. But the kitty crying (and owner crying) continues during the night, and she's restless like she is looking for him, roaming, etc  - she never cried before this. We are still working on getting her back to health, I think she gave up from depression.

I'm hoping when Roni's time comes, and at 18, in her condition - there are good days and bad days. I hope she will let me know and I can get someone in the house to do it. At 7.5 lbs, being a vet, do you see finding a vein to be difficult - does it depend on the animal's size? I guess every cat is different, and there would be no way for you to know.

Thanks you for your input, and White Shadow, thank you for the link - I'm going to go read it and hopefully get some ideas to help Roni along. I realy didn't her grieving/feelings of loss would last this long, especailly since she loved being Queen of the House kitty. I always thought that if she went first, that Len would be the one totally lost.

 

[wasabipea]

I think I may go out and buy a tall cat tree type thing for her to investigate. While not as limber as she was before, she can still climb pretty high. I was always hesitant to bring one in the house because her brother was so big (he topped out at 27 lbs at one point) - 17 lbs in his last days. He was never limber, even though he wanted to be, and I dind't want him to be jealous of her in a tall perch.

Maybe a new perch that she has no association with Len might be a good thing. All the other cat beds in the house she shared with him. Thanks for the link and the idea!

 

[wasabipea]

<respectfully snipped>

Destiny would wait to eat until Stella came home, as she was allowed to hang out in our yard.

She would call her even, and Stella would come

<again>

OMG, that's so sweet.

 

[betsygee]

 
Thanks you for your input, and White Shadow, thank you for the link - I'm going to go read it and hopefully get some ideas to help Roni along. I realy didn't her grieving/feelings of loss would last this long, especailly since she loved being Queen of the House kitty. I always thought that if she went first, that Len would be the one totally lost.

My vet said it could take a couple of months for a cat to get used to a companion cat being gone.