There is no definitive right time as there are so many factors involved. It will combine how sick your pet is, how this is affecting their enjoyment of life and how emotionally prepared you are. Remember you know your pet best and you see them through all the good and bad times that they may be having throughout the day and night. The reality is that financial resources may also have an impact. If you need any help talking through your individual situation, we are here to help without judgement. We offer a free consultation on the phone or by email. Phone: 027 466 3293 Email: goodbye@ourpets.co.nz

It can be really helpful to understand the way we structure a house call. There is a lot of fear in the unknown and this can help alleviate this. We make an appointment time for one of our lovely vets to come to your home. It is always fine to reschedule or cancel as it is a very tricky time of life. We will spend some time talking initially and this allows your pet to get used to a new person in their house. We will go through the consent form if you haven’t signed this online before we arrive. Your pet can eat right up until after the first sedation, although we recommend not giving them so much that they feel sick or something they are not used to, as this also may make them feel nauseous. We then always start with some sedation, pain control and anti-anxiety medication that is given like a vaccination around the back of the neck. This takes a couple of minutes to start making your pet feel gradually more sleepy. They can settle down anywhere that you and they are comfortable to be. 5-10 minutes later, we give a second part to the sedation, again like a vaccination that will take your pet to a deep sedated sleep. They may even start snoring if they are normally a snorer. The last injection is given while your pet is fast asleep from their sedation. They will drift into unconsciousness and then everything in the body gently stops. We are creating the situation where your pet is gradually getting sleepy at home with you there. It is important that it is not stressful for them and also for you. Everything we do is to make things as calm as possible. We don't like to rush the visit, so we allow plenty of time for the appointment. We always offer ink paw and nose prints, if you would like these and they are included in the price. Afterwards, if you want to bury your pet at home you can, we are more than happy to get them cuddled up in some blankets so that they are easy to move for burial. If you would like us to organise cremation, the vet will go out to the car and give you some time. When you are ready we will cuddle them up in some bedding and ready to take them to a bed we'll have ready in the car and from there we take them for cremation.

We would advise to ask your child if they want to be present. We find from a very young age they often know if they would like to or not. Being at home gives them the option of staying for as little or long as they like and they can go to another area of the house if they prefer to say goodbye and then not be around. Firstly, It is good to decide if you would prefer children to be part of the euthanasia experience or if you would prefer not to have any distractions and be able to fully concentrate on your pet yourself. The answer to this question really depends on the individual child, as their parent you know best your child’s personality and whether it is appropriate or not to give them the option to be there. If you decide you want a child to have the option, we find that from a very early age kids can have quite a strong opinion about this, so we would advise asking them directly and not assuming either way. Children as young as 3 years old may have an opinion. Often however, they don’t know and need some more information to help them to decide. If they are sure that they don’t want to be present, then it is important to respect their wishes. We all deal with death in our own ways, and it is kind to honour our children’s and our own ways through grief. Secondly, check with the veterinarian team that will be euthanising your pet as it can depend on what is wrong with your pet and subsequently how they may respond to sedation. A pet’s temperament can affect how easy it is to give your pet sedation. At Our Pet's Goodbye, the way we go about a home euthanasia is very much intended that it is a very gentle process and appropriate for children to be around. We are always happy to have children there and answer any of their questions. It is really helpful to talk to your children about being as quiet and as calm as possible as your pet is starting to get sedated. Don’t have food around, if possible, again as this can delay your pet’s sedation. It can be tempting to have food to quieten children, but it can be distracting for a pet that hasn’t lost its appetite. One of the great benefits of being at home is that children can be part of the euthanasia visit but be able to go away and play if they get bored or don’t want to be around anymore. In the clinic it can be harder to balance these needs for example if they are too young to wait in the waiting room by themselves but have changed their mind about wanting to be around.We would advise to ask your child if they want to be present. We find from a very young age they often know if they would like to be there or not.

Yes, please give all medications as usual especially pain and anti-nausea medications. If you pet is anxious or shy of new people, we can recommend medications for them to have before our visit. Please speak to us if you are unsure or if your pet is very nervous if injections or new people.