euthanasia and end-of-life preparation

Euthanasia, often referred to as “putting to sleep,” is always distressing for pet owners. The process will never be easy, but Banfield aims to support you throughout the journey. Our approach is designed to make your pet as comfortable as possible while being sensitive to your needs and concerns during this challenging time. 

Like most difficult decisions, it starts with open and honest communication. 

Open and honest communication 

It can be hard to know if it’s time to say goodbye. At Banfield, we can help you make this decision based on several factors. We’ll conduct a physical exam and review your pet’s health history to try to assess how your pet is feeling. We’re looking at things like:  

• Level of discomfort: Are they experiencing pain? How are they feeling day to day? 
• Overall behavior: How do they seem? Are they enjoying activities and interaction? 
• Mobility: How is their movement? Are they able to navigate their environments? 

This assessment is the starting point for open and honest communication between you and your Banfield veterinarian to determine how we can help keep your pet as comfortable and healthy as possible.

Assessing your pet’s status is important, but be sure to consider your own culture, beliefs, and caretaking abilities when weighing your options. Learn more about what to consider when you’re unsure if it’s time to say goodbye.

Reviewing your options

Depending on your situation, you may have multiple options when considering how to move forward. You may decide to try hospice care first. Hospice care aims to help maintain your pet’s comfort and provide you with resources to help you with caretaking. Hospice care can begin months to even a year prior to euthanasia for pets with terminal illness. Read more about hospice and palliative care here.

If hospice care will no longer support your pet’s quality of life, you may decide it’s time for euthanasia. When this day comes, Banfield strives to create a calm and supportive environment to make you and your pet as comfortable as possible. 

The euthanasia procedure at Banfield

Banfield reserves a special room for these visits, where our staff will review the process of saying goodbye and you can ask any questions you have. You can choose to be with your pet during euthanasia, or you can say goodbye and let our team provide a compassionate environment during your pet’s final moments.  

We’ll give your pet an injectable sedative to keep them calm and comfortable. After the sedative has taken effect, we’ll place a catheter in a vein so that we’ll be able to administer the “euthanasia solution” with minimal pain. 

When you’re ready, we’ll administer the euthanasia solution, and your pet will pass away within minutes. Our staff will remain close by to support you and answer any questions. The process is designed to give you time to say goodbye and make your pet’s last moments as peaceful as possible.  

Saying goodbye is never easy, but Banfield will offer professional guidance to help you throughout the process.