It’s a sad reality of being a pet owner that despite all the joy and pleasure we get from having a furry member of the family, eventually there comes a time to let them go. As a veterinarian it is a regular part of my job and one which I have had to come to terms with over the years. Failing health comes in as many forms for our pets as it does for us humans. Cancer is probably still the biggest nasty that forces the issue but heart disease, organ failure, or just old age are all common reasons for us to have to make the painful decision.

I have often said to pet owners at least we can spare them the final unpleasantness of terminal cancer or insufferable pain and I feel that at least this final act can be one of kindness and release. For pet owners though, as much as we know that we are sparing them much discomfort, it’s a heart-wrenching decision to make – and many will feel a sense of guilt that is entirely unjustified. I talk to owners about ‘quality of life’ and try to help establish whether we have come to a point that a pet is either too debilitated or unhappy to continue. However, given that many animals can be incredibly stoic and continue to eat and interact in the face of considerable ill-health, making these decisions is sometimes extremely difficult.

Peaceful, quick and painless
When the decision has been taken the actual process of euthanasia is usually very peaceful, quick and painless. I usually place a catheter into a vein to allow administration of the anaesthetic, often alleviating the need to have anyone holding the pet other than the owners should they wish to be there at the end. A sedative can be given if a pet is particularly anxious or stressed by this process. Finally, we administer a concentrated overdose of injectable anaesthetic – the animal falls asleep instantly then quickly passes away in a matter of seconds. I’ve performed the procedure far too many times and it always leaves me with mixed emotions.

Last year I said goodbye to one of my own pets, Marley the cat – a stray that ended up at the clinic and worked his way into my heart. He lived an over-indulged life with me and the years were very kind to him. Sadly, as with many cats, his kidneys failed and the end came quickly. Like many pet owners I wrestled with making the decision, but once I could see that the spark had left him I knew it was time to let him go. Some pet owners put on a brave face, some can't bear to be there at the end – I felt I needed to do the deed personally and shed more than a few tears in the process.

Sometimes a grieving pet owner will say to me that they can't face ever having another pet but it's only because they bring so much happiness and enrich our lives so much that we feel their loss so acutely. I honestly believe that owning a pet is both a joy and a privilege – one which hopefully gives us many years of immense pleasure. Along with that is the responsibility to look after our little friends and make sure they have as happy a life and gentle a passing as we can give them.