Putting your dog to sleep

The decision to put your dog to sleep

When do you say goodbye to your dog? This is an incredibly difficult decision. Your friend has become an indispensable part of your life, but the moment of saying goodbye will come. We understand that it is very difficult for you to determine when it is the right time. If your dog no longer has any quality of life, this difficult decision is often the right one.

You can always contact us if you want to talk about putting your dog to sleep.

When do you put your dog to sleep?

There are various reasons to put your dog to sleep, such as illness, behavioral problems or old age. The advice to put your dog to sleep or not can differ per situation. Are you in doubt? We cannot make the choice for you, but we can give you our advice.

Sickness

If your dog no longer has a sufficient quality of life due to an incurable disease and is in a lot of pain, it may be better for your dog to have him put to sleep. In some cases, it is more humane to have your dog put to sleep than to let him suffer pain.

Behavioral problems

In addition to health reasons, your dog may also suddenly show aggressive behavior. Sometimes this cannot be remedied. If it is determined that this aggressive behavior is a danger to your dog or to the dog’s living environment, it may be better to have your dog put to sleep. Of course, you do not have to put your dog to sleep after one bite, but if your dog frequently shows aggressive behavior, it is a good idea to talk to a behavioral expert. If there is no solution, there is a chance that this expert will advise you to have your dog put to sleep.

Old age

Another reason to choose to put your dog to sleep can be old age. There are a number of conditions that go hand in hand with your dog getting older. For example, osteoarthritis, the wearing down of the joints, is common. In some cases, this can no longer be remedied. In addition, problems with the heart or kidneys are also common in older dogs. If there is no longer any treatment possible for these old age ailments, it may be better to choose to put your dog to sleep.

How does euthanasia of a dog work?

If you have chosen to have your dog put to sleep, you will make an appointment for this. Usually, you will come to the clinic for this. If you prefer, we can also do this at your home. We provide home visits within a certain distance from our practice. It is up to you to choose whether or not to be present at the euthanasia of your dog. Sometimes it can help in the processing to be with your beloved pet until the very last moment. For others, it is more pleasant not to do this, this is entirely up to you.

The vet will make sure that your dog is calm and at ease. As a first step, we will place an intravenous catheter in your dog’s leg. This gives us direct access to the blood vessel. We will then administer a sedative through the IV. We will only do this when you are ready for it. Because we administer the drug directly into the blood vessel, your dog will quickly fall into a deep sleep. We will then administer a second drug. This drug will eventually cause your dog’s heart to stop beating. The vet will always check whether the heart and breathing have stopped. Falling asleep is not painful for your dog, he or she will not feel anything.

After this process we will give you time to say goodbye to your dog.

What are the costs of euthanasia of your dog?

The cost of euthanizing your dog depends on a number of factors. For example, the rate for euthanizing your dog in your own home is higher than when we do this in one of our clinics. The weight of your dog is also important. Euthanizing larger dogs will cost more than smaller dogs. It is possible that your dog is deteriorating so quickly that an immediate decision must be made to have him euthanized. Such an emergency is often more expensive than a regular appointment. Please also keep in mind that appointments in the weekend cost more than appointments during the week.

You can always request a quote from us for the euthanasia of your dog.

Saying goodbye to your dog after passing away

There are several ways to say goodbye to your dog. It is not strange to think in advance about how you want to give your dog his final resting place. By going through the options in advance, you will no longer have to make this difficult choice when your dog has passed away.

• Cremation
  You can choose to have your dog cremated individually. You can take your dog’s ashes with you in an urn or a scattering tube. You can also choose a joint cremation. In this case, your dog is cremated together with other animals and the ashes are scattered on a field near the crematorium.
• Burial
  You can also choose to have your dog buried. You have the choice to bury your dog on your own property or to buy a spot at a cemetery. If you want to bury your dog in your own garden, it is wise to check with your municipality in advance whether this is allowed.
• Destruction
  Destruction means that your dog is destroyed together with other animal material such as horses and cows. For this you leave your dog at our clinic. It is then collected together with the other deceased animals to be destroyed elsewhere.
• Donate to science
  Finally, you can choose to donate your dog to science. Deceased pets can also be donated to veterinary studies. With this, the studies want to contribute to reducing thousands of laboratory animals in the Netherlands.

In addition to performing the cremation, a crematorium often offers various options for remembrance. For example, you can receive a plaster paw print of your dog.

The cost of your dog’s funeral varies. See which option would suit you best or consult our veterinarians.

We understand that putting your dog to sleep is a difficult decision. If you have any questions about putting a dog to sleep, please do not hesitate to contact us.