Talking to Your Kids About Pet Euthanasia
Choosing to end the life of a suffering pet is a difficult experience on it’s own. When there are children in the home that have formed a close bond with the animal, it can make the process much more difficult. Knowing the right things to say to kids about pet euthanasia can be tricky. As a general rule, it’s best to be clear and honest about the whole experience. Providing children with too much or not enough information leads to confusion and can ultimately make the process much more difficult. Here are some answers to key questions you might get from your kids about pet euthanasia:Why Can’t We Save Our Pet? Explain to your child that you’ve done everything you can to save his or her pet, but that the disease or injury is very powerful and will not go away. The important parts of the pet’s body are no longer working and he or she is in a great deal of pain. The euthanasia procedure will make this pain go away.Will Euthanasia Hurt My Pet?Explain to your child that their pet is suffering but that you can end his or her pain through a gentle euthanasia procedure that a veterinarian will perform. Explain that the vet is an expert and knows the right steps to take to ensure pets don’t feel too much pain. Though it’s a very difficult decision, we make the choice to euthanize our pets out of love so they don’t have to suffer any longer.Will My Dog Be Afraid?Tell your child that you will do everything you can to make sure the dog/cat are not afraid. He/she will be surrounded by the people he/she loves the most, and when it’s the right time, the vet will give a drug that will make him/her drift off to sleep and he or she won’t wake up again.Talking to children about pet euthanasia needs to be handled delicately, but an honest approach will relieve your child of some of the confusion he or she may be experiencing. At Gentle Journey of Scottsdale, we specialize in compassionate at-home euthanasia services and can help answer any questions you have about talking to your kids. Give us a call at 602-332-7757 or visit us online to learn more about our services.