Knowing When to Euthanize a Pet with Cancer

Discovering that your pet has been diagnosed with cancer can be devastating. As a loving pet parent, you want hold on to that special relationship as long as possible. However, it’s also important to consider the comfort level and quality of life of your pet with cancer when wrestling with such a difficult decision.Cancer in pets comes in many different forms and impacts different systems of the body in different ways. Some can metastasize in the body quickly, while other forms may remain local. If you are considering whether or not euthanasia is the right choice for your pet with cancer, you will want to answer the following questions:

• Where is the cancer located?
• Has the cancer spread?
• What are the available treatment options for this type of cancer?
• What is the cost of treatment?
• What’s the long-term prognosis for my pet?
• What is the quality of life associated with the disease?

Answering these questions will help you make a better-informed decision on what is the best option for your pet. If your pet is older, expensive surgeries or invasive treatments may be less appealing, especially if the long-term prognosis is not good. Whatever the facts, deciding whether or not to euthanize a pet is a highly personal decision so you want to be sure you are at peace with whatever you decide.While euthanasia is a decision many pet parents face, pet hospice is an option that is has become popular among those caring for a pet with cancer. These palliative treatments aim to make a suffering pet as comfortable as possible. Dr. Christina and Gentle Journey have compassionately been helping manage pain for pets with cancer in the Greater Phoenix area for years. If you would like to learn more about this service, please give us a call at 602-332-7757.

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. 

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: