When it's time to say goodbye..

anyar.dris

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Just sharing this...


Hubby and I always insist to be in the room and hold our guinea pig when it's time for them to be put to sleep. Heartbreaking but that's the least we could do for them to let them know we will be there until the end. 💔
 
It's heartbreaking people don't want to be with their pets at the end. When my elderly cat was put to sleep I stroked her and told her I loved her until the vet said she had gone. I've not been allowed to be with my piggies because of the method the vets use we can't be in the room. It was dreadful last year when I had to hand Peanut over in the carpark, I couldn't even go into the building with him.
 
That's so sad. :( I've had to have pets put to sleep before and I always wanted to be there until the end. I would have felt awful leaving them without someone familiar to comfort them. Luckily the vets I've used have never had a problem with that. Most of my pets that have passed at home have done so with me holding them (unless I didn't find them until after they had passed.) Having gone into the pandemic with several elderly pets, one of my biggest worries has been that one of them would need to be put to sleep and I wouldn't be allowed to be there with them. Fortunately, although we have lost a hamster and a guinea pig over the course of the pandemic, both passed on their own so I could be there.
 
I was always present for these last moments except with Muffin. My vet still doesn't allow owners to be present during examinations but I hope that she would make an exception in my case because we have known each other for a long time.
But Muffin needed to be PTS really quickly, so I had to go to a different vet. She examined him inside, gave the first injection and brought him outside again to say goodbye. So I hope that he knew I was there in the end. :(
 
It’s heartbreaking. We’re not allowed to be in the room when the vet puts a piggy to sleep due to the method used but when my cat was pts in 2019, we stayed with him until the end
 
I’ve never been allowed to be with my small animals when it’s their time to go, I have to hand them over to local vets (as they won’t allow me in the back room where it takes place) which is so unbelievably hard and very heartbreaking.
I was with my Rosie the cat when it was her time, cuddling and fussing her until she’d gone. It was by far the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever done as we were so close for nearly 14 years but I’m glad she had me and I got to comfort her. ❤️
 
Because I was allowed to be there when my first piggy I've had as an adult was PTS, for the gas bit and injection, it feels all the more upsetting when vets have said since that I can't be there. Later when the piggy I was most bonded to needed PTS, I phoned round a lot of vets to find one who would agree for me to be in with her. When I got there, they said I couldn't. I couldn't cope with that and so the vet said I could be there if she did it by injection only. Tbh having seen both methods, I thought that was better, (just going on my limited experience). I find it upsetting not having the choice to be in with them. Some owners might not go in as they know they'd be upset and could upset their pet, then the decision either way is for the pet's best interest.
Does your vet let you go in @anyar.dris ?
 
When my hammie had to be pts the vet gave him the injection and handed him back to me to hold him while he drifted away, I’d never had to do anything like that before and it hurt so bad but I’m glad that’s how it was done. Also with my 18 year old cat, we found her on the kitchen floor taking her final breaths and I stayed and loved her until she stopped breathing, can honestly say with her I’ve never felt more emotional pain in my life watching her go and trying to keep calm so she can go peacefully but ultimately I’m glad I was able to be there for both of my babies until the very end.
 
Have always stayed with all of mine (small animals, horses, dogs), and always will do. I've found horses can be the most traumatising to attend due to complications with one particular method, but I owe them to be there till the very end.
 
I have always been with all of mine at the end - ranging from hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, dogs.
I can't imagine a method that means you couldn't stay in the room?
I have seen various methods used of the years, and have always had the vets explain exactly what they are going to do beforehand and offer the option to leave.
I know not everyone has that choice, but I can't imagine not being the last person to say goodbye to an animal that has been part of my life.
 
Yes, you're told you can't be present because of the gas, which I can't believe having been present when it was used. The variability I find hard to accept, if it was universal and fixed, I'd accept it. One piggy this year at an out of hours vet as an emergency, the short hair piggy was returned to me with a big shaved patch. I'd have questioned why the vet did this in my piggy's final moments of suffering if I'd been present. It is a bugbear for me.
 
Because I was allowed to be there when my first piggy I've had as an adult was PTS, for the gas bit and injection, it feels all the more upsetting when vets have said since that I can't be there. Later when the piggy I was most bonded to needed PTS, I phoned round a lot of vets to find one who would agree for me to be in with her. When I got there, they said I couldn't. I couldn't cope with that and so the vet said I could be there if she did it by injection only. Tbh having seen both methods, I thought that was better, (just going on my limited experience). I find it upsetting not having the choice to be in with them. Some owners might not go in as they know they'd be upset and could upset their pet, then the decision either way is for the pet's best interest.
Does your vet let you go in @anyar.dris ?
Yes, our local vets allow us in when time to pts. They would take the piggy for gas at the back but they would bring them back in the room with us for the injection. It's heartbreaking to see it but I would be more devastated that I'm not holding my piggy while they pass away. I didn't know how the local vets did it during the worst of the pandemic last year but when Rocky passed away July this year they took us inside the consultation room. Same with Sierra when we took her to another local vets.
 
That sounds very civilised, glad your vets allow that. I'll try again to be allowed with them in future but it's a difficult time to argue the case :(
You are so right.
At a time when you are already upset and distressed the last thing you need is to be standing in a waiting room (or car park) and arguing with the vet.
And of course it does vary from place to place.
Even at the height of lock down we were always allowed into the consulting room with our animals.
I am so sorry this has been so hard on you. :hug:
 
That sounds very civilised, glad your vets allow that. I'll try again to be allowed with them in future but it's a difficult time to argue the case :(
Yes I’ll be doing the same as it’s definitely a bugbear too, but like you say it’s not the best time. Hope your vets will change their mind in the future (and mine!) x
 
Always been with any of mine if we've had to make that choice and I'm thankful for that x
 
That is so sad. I've always been with mine as well.
Ugh. Breaks my heart that some places don't allow you to be with them; I get some people can't bear the last few moments, but me personally, I definitely prefer to be there. :(
 
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