I recommend the following health check schedule for your senior pet:
Yearly: Blood and urine checks
Every 3 months: General health checks (less-invasive checks, for example, checking over your pet's skin, fur, teeth, and mobility)
Regularly: Keep an eye on their weight
If you have any questions at all about how to keep up with changes in your pet's health and overall quality of life, get in touch at [email protected] 🍂
#qualityoflife #veterinary #pethealth #dogs #cats #seniorpets #qol
A lot of people say “You know when the time is right”. I have found, that not everybody has this epiphany moment.
I generally advise families to start the conversation early in the ageing or disease process by performing a Quality-of-Life assessment (QoL) and continuing to do so regularly during the end of your pet’s life. Autumn Animals has a free assessment available on the website that can help you score your pet’s QoL on various subjects, ranging from physical to emotional well-being. It also asks the question “What makes your pet’s life worth living?”.
This last question is a great icebreaker for families to start talking about what their pet enjoys the most and whether it’s time to start talking about “putting them to sleep” when the pet is not able to perform that favourite thing in life. For dogs this can be eating their favourite snack or getting up to greet their humans and for cats it can mean being able to walk around the house without help and to enjoy being stroked.
I would always recommend people have these conversations with relatives and friends who also know the pet, to keep the primary veterinarian in the loop and ask them for their professional opinion and hold them accountable.
In the end, you will decide to euthanise your pet together with your vet, or the Autumn Animals vet, so you don’t have to worry about “playing God” and not making an informed decision.
In general, we would always prefer a euthanasia that is performed (perhaps) a bit too early, than one that is performed in a rush, because your pet crashed and needs to be relieved from suffering. The latter will often be experienced as a traumatic event for the guardian(s) and not one you think back to as a beautiful ending to your physical story together.
#homeeuthanasia #euthanasia #pethospice #dogs #cats #athomeeuthanasia #vet #endoflifecare
Describing the process of how we perform euthanasia at Autumn Animals...
1) Placement of IV catheter
2) First sedation
3) Second sedation
4) Transition from life to death
Not all vets use two injections. Some inject the euthanising agent (a strong sedative that stops the heart beating) straight into the pet’s vein. This can be traumatic for some pet guardians and not the peaceful transition we want to see for the pet. Other vets do use a milder sedative before the final injection, but inject the fluid into a muscle, which can give a stinging sensation and the pet can respond to that with a yelp or otherwise. This again, is not the peaceful transition we’d like to see. This is why we use direct access to the vein, which gives a more gradual transition from being awake to being sedated, and is gentler on the pet.
The first injection that is given through the IV catheter is a cocktail of the same sedative given before surgery and morphine. This will cause a gradual drift into sedation, which takes all pain and consciousness away. Their body goes limp, and it looks like they are asleep. We would recommend stroking them and talking to them, ensuring that if they have any awareness, they know you are with them. Showing them love and gratitude is a great way for the guardian to be present in the process, acknowledging the shared history between you.
When the pet is fully unconscious and you are ready, the vet gives the final injection through the IV catheter, which is a stronger sedative that makes the heart stop beating. This usually takes a minute or two. Your pet might take a few deep breaths, which is the body's natural response to the drugs. It’s truly a very gentle transition from life to death. After their passing, they release all control of their muscles, making them keep their eyes open, and lose any urine and stool left in the system.
Because we know exactly when they will start their transition (the moment we start injecting the second drug), you c
Why euthanasia really is "a good death" 🤍
We have all heard the stories of elderly people and pets peacefully passing away in their comfortable and warm beds, while they were sleeping. Of course, if this was a given, we’d all opt for this tranquil transition into death, but it’s not.
Modern (veterinary) medicine has come a long way, meaning we can treat a lot of the symptoms of conditions that come with old age, such as osteoarthritis and loss of the senses. We can also treat the symptoms that come with non-age-related diseases such as cancer. And because we can do that, hearts keep on beating for a long time after we pass the threshold of what is considered a good quality of life and well-being.
I always find it useful to turn the question around and try to put myself in that pet’s “shoes”: What if I couldn’t use the toilet, eat, or interact with my friends and family anymore? Would I want to continue living without any sense of agency and independence?
I've shared more of my responses to FAQs about euthanasia in our recent blog. Have a read, consider what quality of life means to you and your beloved pet, and get in touch if you have any questions: [email protected].
#euthanasia #pethospice #dogs #cats #athomeeuthanasia
I challenge you to #brushyourbestie daily for three minutes 🍂
Today we’ll be remembering and celebrating the lives of a few of our special friends who had to say goodbye to their families in 2023.
Mouse
Rosie
Buster
Tiger
Cassie
Tiny
Sam
Huxley
Rex
Mister Blue Sky
Zorro
Riley
Suki
Mishka
Aggie
🧡
As Winter sets in, we must remember that seasonal changes affect our furry loved ones too.
Their routine will often need to change with the daylight. You may also notice differences in your dog or cat's coat, skin condition or general mobility.
Simple changes to the home environment can minimise any discomfort as the seasons change, for example, it's more important in winter months to ensure your pet's bed is not in the firing line of a cold draught, especially if they are senior and/or arthritic.
Environmental assessment is one of the services that we offer; our quality-of-life expert can take a (virtual) tour through your home and talk through everything that can easily be adjusted. Get in touch to find out more! [email protected]
#seniorpets #pets #cats #dogs #mobilevetclinic
