What Happens When I Put My Dog to Sleep? from Gentle Pet Passages's blog

One of the most difficult aspects of caring for a dog is their short lifespan. While small dogs can live up to twenty years, the average lifespan of a dog is closer to ten years. It's unusual to live for fifteen years. That means the dog will almost certainly die before you.

While Putting my dog to sleep one day and never wake up, we, as loving pet owners, must often make the difficult decision to euthanize them. This is a difficult issue that raises the problems of "how soon is too soon?" and "how late is too late?" That is a decision that you and your veterinarian must make. It all comes down to the dog's quality of life and how much pain he or she is experiencing.

You may not know what to anticipate if you have never had to euthanize a dog before. The majority of individuals take their pets to the veterinarian after scheduling a euthanasia appointment. You will be asked if you want to take the dog home after it has been euthanized, have it cremated, or have the body disposed of by the veterinarian. If you want to take the dog's body home, make sure you have a location to bury it or a cremation appointment. Some cities make it illegal to bury dogs in your yard.

Cremation is more expensive, but you get to keep the small box of ashes for the rest of your life. You can even have them buried with you when the time comes. There are a lot of crematoriums in most cities. The delivery of your dog's ashes usually takes a week. Dogs are cremated separately, and additional precautions are made to guarantee that your dog's ashes are not mixed up with those of another animal.

You will be offered the option of staying with your dog, waiting in the waiting area, or leaving when you arrive at the veterinarian's office. Staying with your dog prevents him from being scared. The dogs normally become slack, groan, and eventually cease to breathe. They vanish in an instant. The veterinarian will normally leave for a few moments so that you can say your goodbyes.

Be warned that as the dog dies, the contents of the bowels and bladder will be released. For this reason, most vets place the dog on a blanket before death. If you're taking the dog home or to a crematory, the veterinarian will most likely wrap him in a clean blanket and transport him to your car. You say your goodbyes and go if you're leaving the body with the vet. Most veterinary offices run a background check on you before the operation since they know you'll be angry afterwards.