Helping the Dying Pet: 10 Ways

Death is inevitable, but the process can be smooth

Photo by Harrison Kugler on Unsplash

I just answered a question from a concerned owner who was afraid of the euthanasia drugs.

We have an older dog whose back legs are ceasing to function. Many years ago, I read the drugs used to put a dog to sleep were anything but peaceful for the dog. When the time comes, what can be done/used to ensure she has a peaceful and quick transition? What veterinarian drugs should I be aware of good and bad?

In my experience, the main drug, pentobarbital, is a very smooth way to help a suffering animal to die. It has to be administered by a vet and there are now more options for home euthanasia than ever (one of my top recommendations, if you can pull it off).

But that said, there’s much you can do both around the actual time of dying and years before.

I wrote about this in a post called “Your Dying Animal: 10 Ways to Help”

Regardless of where your animal is in life, people have taken comfort from this. Perhaps you’ll find value as well.