What are the Benefits of in-Home Euthanasia for Dogs?

If you’re reading this article, odds are you’ve already decided that dog euthanasia is the most humane choice for your sick or injured friend. Saying goodbye to a pet is the most heartbreaking experience you’ll endure with your beloved animal. You’ve built a close bond with your furry friend and now you are simply looking to make the experience as peaceful as possible.In the past, the only option available was to bring a suffering animal to a veterinarian’s office to have the procedure administered. In recent years, in-home euthanasia services have become more common as many owners prefer to have their pet’s final moments take place in the comfort of their home. Here are some of the benefits of in-home euthanasia:

• Saves Your Dog the Anxiety of Going to the Vet
• Allows You to Grieve in Private
• Provides a More Intimate Setting to Say Goodbye
• Prevents the Need to Drive when Grief-Stricken
• Offers the Opportunity to Include More Loved Ones
• Can Give Closure to Other Pets

Making end-of-life decisions for your dog is an agonizing process. Having the strength to make the compassionate choice to end a pet’s suffering is much easier when you have all of the information. At Gentle Journey of Phoenix, we specialize in end of life pet services and can help counsel you through the process. Visit our website or give us call at 602-332-7757 to learn more.

Pet Loss: Helping Your Child Say Goodbye

As a parent, your instinct is to shield your children from sadness for as long as possible.The loss of a household pet is often the first opportunity many children have to learn about death. When handled honestly and with compassion, you can help your child develop the skill necessary to grieve and cope with this inevitable part of life.Providing your child the chance to say goodbye to their best friend is a first step towards enabling them to cope with their grief. It may be heart-breaking to witness this painful farewell, but the act itself can facilitate the healing process and help your child develop a healthy understanding of life and death.While providing children the chance to say goodbye is encouraged, it should never be forced. If a child isn’t ready, it may be more appropriate to honor the loss in an indirect way. Preparing a memorial ceremony with flowers, candles and some of your pet’s personal effects can be a great way to help your child explore his or her feelings. This also applies in situations, such as an accident, where a formal goodbye isn’t possible. Children should be encouraged to share their feelings about the special relationship they had with their pet and should be asked what they will miss most about them.Ultimately, how you choose to address the loss of a pet with your kids is a personal choice. Allowing children to say goodbye in a loving, peaceful environment is often the most positive way for them to mourn. At Gentle Journey, our goal is to help your entire family through this difficult time by giving you the chance to say a peaceful goodbye in the privacy and comfort of your own home. To learn more, please give us a call at or visit us online to learn more.

Your Dog Deserves A Peaceful Ending

From the time you bring your dog home, a deep relationship begins to develop. Before you know it, you can’t even remember what life was like without your furry, little friend. In many cases, the human-animal bond is often even more powerful than many human relationships. Alas, the average lifespan of the typical canine is a fraction of its owner’s. When you come to the realization that your dog’s quality of life is declining and may be coming to an end, the decision to put your loved one down can be extremely emotionally taxing.When deciding whether or not to put your dog to sleep, there are many factors to consider. Has your dog’s appetite decreased? Is he or she experiencing a great deal of pain? Is your dog able to go to the bathroom comfortably? Does your dog still enjoy the things that once made him/her happy? Deciding to put your dog down is a personal choice and there is no right or wrong answer. While, this decision is difficult, creating a peaceful, comforting environment for your dog’s final hours is an easy choice.For most dogs, the journey to the vet’s office is fraught with fear and anxiety. For some, the car ride alone is enough to induce panic. Your dog likely has a negative association with the vet’s office due to previous visits. On top of that, grieving the loss of your pet in front of other people can be an uncomfortable experience.In recent years, in-home euthanasia has become a popular alternative for many pet owners for the reasons mentioned above. While putting your dog to sleep is an extremely stressful event for you and your family, saving your dog the anxiety of a trip to the vet’s office and allowing him/her to live out his/her final hours surrounded by loved ones in the comfort of your home can be a compassionate way for you to say good-bye.What to ExpectThough you’ll want to discuss specific details of the process with your provider, the procedure should follow a basic pattern. The service provider will come to your home at a predetermined time to perform the procedure. A sedative/anesthetic that is specifically formulated to the needs of your dog will be administered putting your dog at ease. Once administered, the sedative should take between 5 and 15 minutes to take affect. At this point the euthanasia solution is injected. As the euthanasia solution enters the bloodstream, the dog’s breathing will quicken in response to injection and breathing then stops within 30 seconds, followed by the heart slowing and stopping within 1-3 minutes. The entire process will typically take 60 minutes to complete.Though they are only with us for a brief period of time, our pets have a profound impact on our lives. Every moment of your dog’s life is something to be cherished. Death is a natural part of the life cycle and in-home euthanasia is a dignified way for you to honor the final hours of your dog’s life.

Will Putting My Animal to Sleep Cause Pain?

Witnessing a beloved pet struggle with the agony of ageing or a painful disease is a living nightmare for many pet owners. When deciding whether or not to give your cherished friend a peaceful ending, it’s comforting to understand what your pet will experience as he or she is put to sleep.One of the most common fears pet owners express is that the euthanasia procedure will be painful or unpleasant for the animal. If your pet is already experiencing pain, the process will offer a brief respite before the euthanasia serum is administered. Your pet won’t experience any discomfort more potent than the poke of a needle. We heavily sedate each animal with pain medication to make sure the animal is completely comfortable (we do not put all animals completely out) before the euthanasia injection is administered. The drug affects the brain and is essentially an overdose of anesthesia. As soon as the drug penetrates the bloodstream your pet loses consciousness. The sensation that your dog or cat will feel is akin to what most people feel just before going under prior to surgery.The use of pre-euthanasia anesthesia is a relatively new practice. In prior decades, pet euthanasia was carried out almost exclusively in veterinarian's offices without the aid of sedatives. Gentle Journey is at the forefront of animal care services taking a less clinical approach to-end-of-life animal care. We prioritize your pet’s comfort in his/her final hours and cater to your emotional needs during this mournful time. Call us at 602.332.7757 to schedule a consultation or visit us online to learn more about us: