When to consider pet euthanasia: end-of-life planning for dogs and cats

Euthanasia, often referred to as “putting to sleep” or “putting down,” is always distressing for pet owners. The process is never easy, but Banfield aims to support you throughout. 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.

More of a visual learner or just want the quick facts? Watch our handy video below.

What is pet euthanasia?

Pet euthanasia is a veterinary procedure that humanely ends a pet’s life to relieve suffering when its quality of life has significantly declined or when medical options are limited.

How do I know it’s time to let my dog or cat go?

It can be hard to know when it’s time to say goodbye. We recommend using the quality of life scale for pets, which you can easily find online. It will help you evaluate your pet’s social, mental, and physical health to give you a better picture of your pet’s quality of life. Your veterinarian will also be able to help you assess your pet’s quality of life and if it’s time to say goodbye.

Can Banfield help me understand if it’s time to put my dog or cat down?

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 environment?

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.

Is hospice an option over euthanasia?

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 will strive to create a calm and supportive environment to make you and your pet as comfortable as possible.

What is the euthanasia process like?

Typically, you’ll be brought into a special room for these visits, where the veterinary 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 the process, or you can say goodbye and let the veterinary team provide a compassionate environment during your pet’s final moments.

Your pet will be given an injectable sedative to keep them calm and comfortable. After the sedative has taken effect, a catheter will be placed in a vein so the veterinary team can administer the “euthanasia solution” with minimal pain.

When you’re ready, the euthanasia solution will be administered and your pet will gently pass away. 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.

Here are some additional steps Banfield Associates take to help you and your pet during this process:

• Leading up to the appointment, we’re available to answer any of your questions about the process
• We can schedule the appointment based on your needs and help you pick a quiet time of day
• On the day of the appointment, we provide options for how you’d like to enter the building to help ensure your pet’s comfort
• We bring you into one of our comfort rooms equipped with tissues and soothing music and discuss next steps as well as answer any questions
• We place a sign in the hospital asking our Associates and guests to please keep the atmosphere quiet out of respect for your pet
• We illuminate a candle in honor of your sweet furry friend

Can Banfield put my dog or cat to sleep at home?

As of now, we do not offer any at-home euthanasia services. However, we do offer in-hospital euthanasia at all of our hospitals nationwide. Please contact your nearest Banfield hospital to get a price estimate on euthanasia.

Saying goodbye is never easy, but we’re here to offer professional, compassionate guidance to help you throughout this difficult process.

To learn more about our process, check out this story from TikTok user @Samn8r in Orlando, Florida, who saw one of our candles glowing in honor of a pet that had just passed away.