Pet Euthanasia

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     Putting a pet to sleep is a really difficult decision to make. I have been through this painful experience when I had to euthanize my dog. He had grown older, and his health was deteriorating. He even lost his appetite. He was suffering every day and night. I could not see him suffer like this, waiting for a natural death. I consulted a Veterinarian who told me that there was no hope of recovery and suggested that I euthanize the dog. Just the thought of ending my dog抯 life, traumatized me. I was not ready to part with my dog and wanted him to live longer. I did not want to make such an excruciating decision in hurry. I decided to come home and discuss with my family and get more knowledge about this. I read detailed information on internet about Pet Euthanasia. After that, I was convinced and my family also supported me in this merciful process of ending the suffering of my dog. I am sharing some of the insights of my understanding about Pet Euthanasia which may prove useful to the people in the same situation.

Technically, Euthanasia is the process whereby an animal is humanly put to death by a veterinarian or other animal industry professional qualified to do the job in order to relieve suffering; uncontrollable behavioural defects (e.g. aggression, inability to tame, extreme toileting misbehaviour); population control; disease control and/or personal financial limitations (*Source 朩ikipedia).

In short, Euthanasia means 揋ood Death?also termed as 揚utting to sleep? It is the act of humanely putting an animal to death with the help of strict medical measures to end its painful life. There could be many reasons to euthanize a pet such as Terminal illness like cancer, Behavioural problems like aggression, Old age, Illness or broken limbs, Lack of homes or laboratory test procedures.

Deciding the time to put a pet to sleep is also extremely important. Some important things to be considered while deciding when to euthanize the pet:

?Pet has a terminal illness
?Pet is spending more time in hospital than at home
?The pet no longer has a good quality of life
?The pet is in pain such as it starts whining, groaning, reluctant to move from a comfortable position, feels restless, unable to sleep, stops eating etc.
?You feel that you are keeping the pet alive just because you can抰 say goodbye

It is very tough, but once you have decided that you want to put your pet to sleep, you should make an appointment with the animal doctor or a veterinarian for the Pet Euthanasia procedure. It is advisable to consult a vet as his experience and knowledge can ease the animal抯 pain while performing the euthanasia procedure. Ask your veterinarian and discuss with him about whether you should go ahead with the decision of putting the pet to sleep and how it should be done.

Typically, the Euthanizing procedure is a two-step procedure. First, a sedative should be administered, relaxing the pet, and literally putting it to sleep. Then, the euthanizing drug will be administered. After this procedure, the pet will relax and its heart will stop beating. It is a very difficult moment for any pet owner to observe. Some people prefer not to stay with the pet when it is being euthanized. It could be out of guilt or the pet抯 pain that the owner decides not to stay for the procedure. It is emotionally traumatic for anyone.
The next question that comes to mind is what should be done with the pet抯 body? Cremation, Pet cemeteries, Burial at home or Leaving the pet抯 body with the vet are some of the after care options from which one can choose.

In the end, I would say 搒aying goodbye?to a companion and best friend is not easy. But the decision to euthanize a pet is an act of mercy to them. So one should not feel any guilt or any kind of pressure. Just try to move forward keeping the pet memories in your heart forever.