FACING FAREWELL: MAKING THE DECISION TO EUTHANIZE YOUR PET

By Julie Reck

Be informed before you bid farewell to your pet One of the most difficult aspects of being a pet owner is making end of life decisions for beloved dogs and cats. While many end up deciding to “put their pet to sleep,” the euthanasia procedure remains a mystery for most people adding to the stress and fear an owner experiences at this critical time. Author Julie Reck is a veterinarian who has devoted her professional career to helping owners make more informed decisions about euthanasia. In Facing Farewell, you will be provided with a complete description of the euthanasia procedure so that you will know what to expect and be confident that you have made the right choice for both you and your pet.

You will learn about
• The symptoms of pain and discomfort pets display as they approach the end of life.
• Information you should gather and share with your veterinarian as well as questions you should ask you vet about how she conducts a euthanasia procedure.
• What options are available in terms of medications and techniques used during euthanasia so you can be a more informed advocate for your pet.
• What happens when in detail during euthanasia so that you will know what to expect.

What experts are saying about Facing Farewell:
Facing Farewell walks families through the pending loss of a pet with gentleness while offering a feeling of empowerment at the same time. Pet loss support begins well before the death itself. Dr. Reck has provided the tools for a safe and healthy end-of-life experience for both the pet and family.
Dr. Kathleen Cooney, author of In-Home Pet Euthanasia: The Veterinarian’s Guide to Helping Pets and Their Families Say Goodbye in the Comfort of Home

Facing Farewell is an invaluable guide for the family facing the ultimate, important decision in their pet’s life. Dr. Reck gently takes the reader by the hand and provides compassionate guidance through the decision making process. Quality of life and pain assessment are two very important considerations regarding end of life decisions, and they are thoroughly covered. Families will find that the assessment forms included in this book are indispensable for helping to determine “when the time is right.” Knowledge is freedom, and Julie helps free the family from some of the anxiety and pain involved in making decisions in preparation for saying that final good-bye to a beloved family member.
Wayne Hunthausen, DVM. Behavior consultant, international lecturer and co-author of Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat

What reviewers are saying...

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“The decision to let your pet go is often quite a difficult one. "Facing Farewell: Making the Decision to Euthanize Your Pet" is an advisory guide from Julie Reck as she advises readers on how to better cope with petting a pet down. Reck focuses on the conditions and the pain that come with it, discussing important issues with one's veterinarian, and how to comfort oneself and the pet during these hard decisions. "Facing Farewell" is a strong pick for pet owners who may dread having to make this decision in the future.” James A. Cox

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781617810879

Julie Reck

Dr. Julie Reck owns and operates a full service animal hospital in Fort Mill, South Carolina where she lives with her husband, two dogs and horses.

Book preview

farewell."

CHAPTER 1

Human and Animal Perspectives on Life and Death

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.

~ James Herriot

As a culture we are guilty of interacting and caring for our animals in an anthropomorphic manner. We (including myself at times) often view pets as our children providing them with toys, play dates, and even clothes. In my experience as a veterinarian, a reasonable attachment and association of human-like qualities with our animals is generally harmless and can encourage compassion toward the animal kingdom. While attaching human characteristics to our pets can strengthen the human-animal bond, it is critically important to not impose our human perspectives and fears associated with death on our beloved animals.

I chose to begin this book with a discussion of the difference between the human and animal perspectives on life and death to help the pet owner make rational, compassionate end of life decisions for their pets without the insertion of human contrived fear and angst toward death. All creatures have a day of birth and a day of death. Humans, in contrast to animals, know they will die some day. Humans uniquely perceive a straight timeline between birth and death and strive for the timeline to be as long as possible. From early childhood we are instilled with the need to achieve goals and life accomplishments. We seek education, career, adventure, and the formation of our own family. Our species has had a long fascination with retaining youth and seeking immortality. Throughout our lives we can always find something to live for: weddings, births, or unachieved ambitions. We fear the concept that the world will continue to function without us. These perceptions and apprehensions are uniquely human and are not shared by our animal companions.

Like us, animals are given a day of birth and a day of death, but unlike us their lifespan is not linear but circular. Initially they are young, then they mature, and with time they age. Pets do not fear any stages of life and receive the onset of a grey muzzle and stiff joints with grace. My experience as a veterinarian has provided me with the wisdom that animals do not fear death, but they do fear pain. I really began to believe this concept a few months after beginning Home Farewell. During the process of scheduling a home euthanasia, pet owners frequently asked if they should restrict the other household animals from the euthanasia area. In the beginning, I did not have solid advice on this but often encouraged owners to allow the other pets to have access to the euthanasia area so long as they did not upset the patient or disturb the process. The other pets rarely were disruptive and their response to the situation and the loss of a housemate was often astounding. In almost all instances the other household animals acknowledge the deceased. They did not seem to be fearful of the situation and expressed an understanding of the housemate’s passing. Two memories from home euthanasia appointments deserve sharing and reveal an animal’s sentiment toward passing