We wish we could tell you that your best friend will live on for eternity, but in reality you will most likely have to make the choice when the time comes. We like to call that choice The Last Act of Kindness. If you have had an older pet or currently have one by now, you have probably heard the term “quality of life” spoken by your veterinarian or others close to you. This can be very difficult terminology to hear and is highly dependent on the disease process your dog or cat is experiencing, your pet’s personality, and your personal beliefs. We have a Quality of Life Scale that can sometimes be helpful when you are making these difficult decisions.
The Process at Albin Animal Hospital
After you have made the difficult decision, you can call our office and set up an appointment. This appointment is typically made for the beginning of the day or the end of the day, when it is quieter in the office. Some of our clients wish to set up a housecall appointment, which can be arranged as well.
Once you come in, you will be asked to sign a form that has a list of options on it. The first one you will be asked is if you wish to be present during the procedure. There is no right or wrong answer for this question, it is completely personal preference.
The next question you will be asked will be about burial; are you either taking your pet home or would you prefer cremation. When choosing cremation, you have the choice to either pick a group or private cremation. The cremation service we use is Paws to Remember out of Champaign. We have trusted Paws to Remember for over 3 years with our clients' pets as well as our own personal pets. We can assure you that if you choose private cremation, you are assured to get back your own pet. Your pet will come back in an urn with your pets name engraved on it. This process will take approximately 1-2 weeks. If you choose group cremation your pet will be cremated and then scattered in a field by Paws to Remember.
The final question will be if you would like a complementary paw print made by our staff members.
Once you have answered the questions and signed the form, we will then let the doctor know that you are ready. The doctor or technician will come in with an injection that will be sedation. This injection may take about 5-10 minutes for the pet to get sleepy. Once the pet is sleepy, the doctor and a staff member will come in to administer the final act of kindness to your beloved pet. Your pet will pass quickly and quietly and will be able to cross the Rainbow Bridge in peace.
Please remember that we are just as attached to our clients pets as we are our own. This is a very sorrowful time for all of us involved, but we do realize that we have the choice to not let our pets suffer needlessly.
Adam's Memorial in Charleston makes beautiful memory stones of your beloved pet if you wish to contact them to get this done.
