Pet Doctor At Home

This is the question everyone asks. No one is ever ready to say goodbye. When your beloved pet is very ill, it would be much easier if you didn't have to make a decision at all. Peacefully passing during sleep is always the best way to go. In reality, things don't always work out that way and we don't want to see our pets suffer. 

You want to find that right time. Before he/she starts to suffer but not too soon.

The time to start thinking about if a quality of life decision has to be made is when the bad days start outnumbering the good days. 

It is the nature of dogs and cats to hide signs of pain and discomfort so suffering may not always be obvious to us. But the below criteria can give us an idea if your pet is suffering.

The questions you need to answer are:Is your pet not able to get up and walk?
Is he/she soiling themselves or having difficulty straining to urinate or defecate?
Are bed sores developing?
Not eating for more than two days?
Having trouble breathing?
Not able to get comfortable to lie down?
Vocalizing in pain often?
Disoriented and bumping into walls causing injury

Some conditions may be treatable or manageable with hospice care. It really depends on what the diagnosis is and the prognosis. A dog with cancer that has spread throughout its body and exhibiting one or more of the above criteria is suffering. A terminal illness plus deteriorating clinical signs is supportive for euthanasia. 

The decision becomes a little more difficult for elderly pets that are still eating okay, is in good spirits, but cannot walk well and has developed bed sores. Usually this becomes a problem for large breed dogs. The size makes it more difficult to provide nursing care for them.

For every miracle cure that occurs, many other animals end up suffering along the way while owners cling onto hope. There is always a chance of recovery and cures for bad illnesses, but it must be put into perspective. I always recommend a second opinion if the diagnosis or prognosis is not clear cut. The decision to euthanize cannot be reversed so you need to be certain that you are making the right decision with the information you have at the time. 

Trouble breathing or intractable pain after failed treatment are convincing reasons for euthanasia. Some of the other criteria must be considered based on the circumstances of each unique case. 

Call Dr. Lugo at 954-372-5536 to help guide you through this tough decision making process. When it has been determined that euthanasia is the appropriate course of action it is best done in the comfort of your own home. 

Euthanasia can be a compassionate gift for your fellow family member.

You can call or text us for a free end of life phone consult and we will help guide you through the process. We can be reached at 954-372-5536.

Depending on availability we can sometimes respond for urgent at home euthanasia appointments.

If your pet is very ill, weak, lethargic, pale gums, or painful abdomen seek care at 24 hours emergency hospital. 
For Emergencies call Advanced Veterinary Care Center
​ 954-500-8387
8920 W State Road 84, Davie FL 33324

Once a time is set, Dr. Lugo will arrive at your home.  When you feel comfortable, Dr. Lugo will provide a sedative to your pet by giving an injection into the muscle. Your pet will get very sleepy. This starts the transition peacefully. It takes about 15 minutes for the sedative to completely set in.

You can hold your pet in your arms. Once you are ready, and your pet is not consciously aware of what is going on, the doctor will place an IV catheter in one of the veins. The euthanasia medication is injected and  will cause breathing to slow and then stop after about 1 minute. Occasionally breathing may speed up for a short period. But your pet feels nothing at this point. After the injection the doctor will check for a pulse and heartbeat. Occasionally an additional injection may be given if needed. 

It is not uncommon to have reflex breaths for a minute or so after passing. The whole process is peaceful. Rarely do we see a paradoxical reaction to one of the sedative drugs.  

You can spend some time with your pet after to help with closure.  Dr. Lugo will take the body with her unless you have other wishes. We make all of the arrangements with the pet crematorium “Pet Loss Center” . It takes about 1-2 weeks to get the ashes returned. Dr. Lugo will personally bring the ashes to your home if you live in the service area.

 The nice thing about the home setting is that there is no rush. It is best to think ahead of time what your wishes are for your pet’s body. The options are cremation with the ashes returned, cremation with no ashes returned, or burial at a pet cemetery. We help make all arrangements. If you would like a special urn or an engravement please view the catalog of options

Feel free to reach out to Dr. Lugo to discuss this process if you have any questions. She can be reached at 954-372-5536

You can call, text, email, or make an online appointment whatever is more convenient for your situation. 

The death of a pet is more difficult to deal with than you expect. People often say "oh its just an animal." But the bond between you and your pet is as strong as a human to human bond. The loss of my pets have been just as difficult as losing a fellow person. 

Remember that it is normal to grieve. Don't let people tell you to get over it. With time the pain recedes. The amount of time may vary from person to person. Don't suppress your emotions. Let it out.

There are several stages of grieving you should be aware of. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Understanding your emotions will help you get through each stage. Each person will spend a unique amount of time in each stage. It is not a one size fits all.

In the first stage of grieving you may be overcome with emotion and do not want to accept what has transpired. Loss is irreversible and we never want to let go. It is especially tough if the death occurred suddenly. If your pet had a chronic terminal illness you can prepare yourself overtime and spread out the pain of loss. Whether you had to euthanize your pet or if it was a natural death, the grieving is similar. With an acute unexpected death you experience the pain all at once. A huge rush of emotions will make you feel weak and hopeless in life.

It is then natural to become angry and look for someone orsomething to blame. You may repetitiously think about the same things to a point of obsession. Realize that this anger is normal and finding fault in yourself or others is likely just part of the emotional process but you must come to peace with the loss. Most of the time there is no one to blame. Unfortunately death happens when we don’t want it to.

Once the anger has passed you may attempt bargaining with a higher power to get your loved one back and then depression sets in when you comprehend the loss as permanent. Depression can often last a while. A good support system and a person to talk to can help you through depression. An understanding friend or family member can be there for you. If you don’t have anyone to talk to you can contact one of the many pet loss hotlines.

Memorializing your pet also helps with closure and is the start of acceptance of their loss. Photos, urns, a funeral, tombstone, or other memorializing keepsakes are all things that people use to fill this purpose. Some people like the idea of keeping their pet’s ashes and other people don’t want to keep them. It is a very personal decision with no right or wrong answer. 
​
Coping with a loss is not easy. Don’t rush to get to the acceptance stage of grieving. Experience the emotions but do not let them consume you. You still need to take care of yourself by eating healthy, exercising and sleeping. You never get over a loss but you learn to live with it.