The majority of veterinary surgeries will offer a home euthanasia service where your veterinary surgeon will come out to you. If you would like your usual vet to perform this service then you can ask for more information.
Personally I opted for a vet who specialises in home euthanasia. My decision was based on the fact that they are experts in this field. My own vet has been amazing but I thought Gillie might associate her with ‘being the vet’ rather than meeting a new person for the first time, which he always loved!
The following vets all offer a specialist service in home euthanasia of pets. I can not personally recommend any other than Vets2home so please make sure you contact them and are satisfied that they offer what you are looking for and their fees for the service:
Brighton and Sussex
Nationwide – see website
Midlands
Kent
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire
Telford, Shropshire
London
Kent
The benefits for having a pet put to sleep at home are that they are in their own surroundings and so less likely to be stressed and anxious. Specialist vets allow plenty of time for the process although the cost will be greater than at the veterinary surgery.
It is possible if you would like to keep your pet at home for a while after they have been put to sleep. If you would like to do this, have some ice to hand (frozen peas are perfect!) Once your pet has been put to sleep, place the ice on their stomach as this is a vital area to keep cool. Replace the ice as it gets warm. We were able to keep Gillie at home with us overnight this way before he went to the crematorium the following morning. Be aware that if you do this, rigor mortis will set in and they are likely to be very stiff to move after a few hours – bear this in mind when you place them in their final resting place at home. A simple cotton sheet over the top of them allows for dignity as well as final farewells.