In home euthanasia
End of life care is never an easy process for pet parents. For folks that are not sure how to decide when the time has come that their pet is having more bad days than good days we offer in home consultation to assess quality of life. For pets with terminal disease we offer hospice care to help keep them comfortable as long as their owners feel they still have adequate quality of life. When the times comes that your beloved pet no longer has an acceptable quality of life we provide peaceful at home euthanasia. For families that would like pet cremation we provide transportation to the crematorium and make all arrangements. The loss of a pet is very difficult, but we feel that allowing families the option to say goodbye in the privacy and comfort of their home helps ease the pain. Pet loss is never easy but allowing your pet to pass gently as home with their family by their side, without stress, pain or fear, is one of the last gifts pet owners can give their beloved friend.
As a mobile house call practice we are able to provide gentle in home euthanasia to make the experience as comfortable and stress free as possible for both the pet and the family that loves them. Pets are relaxed in their own home, on their own bed or in their yard under a favorite tree, surrounded by the family that loves them. We provide at home euthanasia for dogs, cats and horses.
Our end of life care services allow your beloved pet to pass peacefully and painlessly in the privacy of your home. Every pet receives sedation and pain medication so they are very relaxed and pain free for the entire process. We administer the sedation and pain medicine with a very small needle so most pets do not notice the injection. Once your pet is sleepy the doctor will then administer anesthesia so they are completely relaxed when euthanasia is administered. We have developed this process so that we can ensure that your pet is peaceful, pain free and experiences no stress during the process- ensuring a gentle passing. This process allows pets parents to be with their beloved pet for the entire process and allows the pets they love to be very relaxed during the entire process and to pass away peacefully as they drift off into eternal rest. We provide at home euthanasia for residents in Aberdeen, Cameron, Carthage, Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Ft Liberty, Hope Mills, Jackson Springs, Lillington, Sanford, Southern Pines, Spring Lake, Raeford, Pinehurst, Pinebluff, Vass, Whispering Pines, West End, NC and the surrounding area.
We ask that you have a thick, comfortable blanket for your pet to lay on. Our entire focus is making the experience as peaceful as possible for pets and their owners so we like to have the pet wherever they are most comfortable which sometimes means the backyard under a favorite tree, on the couch or another favorite resting area. If your pet is still eating, please have their favorite foods on hand so they can snack on them as they receive their sedation and become sleepy. If they are able to stand, please take them outside to allow them to urinate within an hour of the appointment time so they can empty their bladder.
Following in home euthanasia, some pet parents prefer to bury their pet at their home or while others prefer cremation service. For those that want to have their pet cremated we arrange this service and ensure careful transportation to the crematorium. If your pet is large we may need assistance in moving your pet from the home to the vehicle.
The cost for at home euthanasia is $199* plus home visit mileage. If you would like a keepsake fur clipping or clay pawprint please let us know and we are happy to provide that for you complimentary. Please inquire for cost for pets over 90 lbs, appointments scheduled for the same day, or appointments on weekends, evenings, or holidays as additional fees apply*. If you need a complete estimate prior to the appointment please let us know at the time of scheduling. Payment is due at the time of the appointment. Due to the amount of time that we have to block off our schedule for each appointment there is a cancellation fee of $59 for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours prior to scheduled time. Pricing listed includes 5% cash discount. You can also use zelle, visa, debit or mastercard.
Body Care
Cremation cost includes transporting your pet to the crematorium. Dr. Commerford will make all arrangements on your behalf.
Communal body care with no remains returned $150 for pets less than 75 lbs, $185 for pets 75-100 lbs, $215 for pets 101-125 lbs. Please inquire for pets greater than 125 lbs
Private cremation with engraved wooden urn $235 for pets less than 75 lbs , $265 for pets 76-100 lbs, $295 for pets 101-125 lbs. Please inquire if your pet weighs more than 125 lbs. Pet owners that select this option will have their companion cremated individually and remains are placed in a custom engraved wooden. A unique identifier accompanies your beloved throughout the entire process and is checked several times throughout the process to confirm identity. Please consider what you would like to have engraved. It can be your pet’s name, their name and birth/passing date, or a favorite quote. The engraving is directly onto the wood and they can fit 3-4 lines of text.
We do not make arrangements for equine euthanasia body care but can let you know the contact information for folks that offer body care (on site burial, removal for burial elsewhere and cremation).
When is the Right Time for at home euthanasia?
There is a point where all the love, attention, therapies, and special foods are just not enough. Saying goodbye is emotionally devastating enough without having to suffer through uncertainty in your decision. In our experience it is always best to plan ahead of time to say goodbye on a good day. Pets that are nearing end of life are often on a roller coaster of good days and bad days. Eventually they reach a point at the end of the roller coaster where they peak and have a good day and then free fall in a rapid spiral of decline. At this point people often need to rush their pet to an emergency clinic for a rushed goodbye. On top of the grief of losing their beloved pet the pet parents are then often racked with guilt and feel selfish for waiting too long. We often hear people in this situation whispering quiet “sorry” to their beloved pet instead of being able to celebrate the happy times and tell them “thank you” for the joy they brought to your life. While it is very hard to impossible to decide what day is the right day, we feel that it is better to say goodbye when they are starting to have more bad days than to wait as long as possible and potentially cause the pet to suffer or need to be rushed to an unfamiliar place for an emergency euthanasia- that is often traumatic for both the pet and the family that loves them. When the bad start to outweigh the good it is time to start planning their goodbye.
Quality of Life Scale
Dr. Alice Villalobos, a veterinarian who started a quality of life program for terminal pets called Pawspice, has published a scoring system for life quality called the HHHHHMM scale (see scoring system below). Having a quality of life inventory is helpful in seeing your pet’s situation in a more objective light.
Quality of Life Scale. Score patients on each of the following categories using a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest quality of life. A total of 35 points represents satisfactory quality of life. However, if one category is very low, such as pain then we recommend scheduling a quality of life evaluation by Dr. Commerford to see if there are steps we can take to help make the pet more comfortable.
HURT - Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is the pet's pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary?
HUNGER - Is the pet eating enough? Does hand feeding help? Does the patient require a feeding tube?
HYDRATION - Is the patient dehydrated? For patients not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake.
HYGIENE - The patient should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elimination. Avoid pressure sores and keep all wounds clean.
HAPPINESS - Does the pet express joy and interest? Is the pet responsive to things around him or her (family, toys, etc.)? Is the pet depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can the pet's bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated?
MOBILITY - Can the patient get up without assistance? Does the pet need human or mechanical help (e.g., a cart)? Does the pet feel like going for a walk? Is the pet having seizures or stumbling? (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an animal who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the pet.)
MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD - When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the pet is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay. What we want to avoid is waiting too long, causing the pet to suffer, needing to rush to an emergency clinic for euthanasia and feeling guilt for waiting too long on top of the grief that is expected when we have to say goodbye to someone we love.
Books to help children prepare for the loss of a pet
“The Longest Letsgoboy” is written from the perspective of a dog.
“Lulu” is written from the perspective of a little girl.
“The Invisible Leash” - An invisible string story about the loss of a pet.
A client that told us about these books highly recommended them and said she feels they help gives words to what the kids are feeling and gives them a way to ask more questions they may otherwise not have known how to ask.
Clients sometimes ask if children should be present for euthanasia. In general, if they are very small and unable to understand the process if you have someone that is able to watch them or if they can lay down for a nap that allows the pet owner to entirely focus on their pet. If children are a little older then we recommend asking them their preference. If they want to be present, let them know that if at any point they feel overwhelmed and want to leave that they can go to their room or wherever they feel safe. If they decide they do not want to be in the room let them know that if at any point they decide they do want to come in that they can. It makes the process a little less scary if they have the ability to make decisions for themselves and if they know that they can change their mind at any time if they feel differently.