Are You Faced with Making a Difficult Decision for a Sick or Geriatric Pet?

Sometimes the journey of decision making for your pet begins after your vet informs you that your beloved friend has a terminal illness, or you have been watching your best friend struggle more and more because the symptoms of old age are causing pain and discomfort during day to day activities. So Many pet parents feel unprepared and overwhelmed by the responsibility of considering end of life options for their pet. We all want them to be with us forever and we do not want to cut their lives short just because they are “old” or “sick,” but we will not be able to forgive ourselves if they experience prolonged suffering.

How can anyone sit down and chose when, where, or why the life of their wonderful animal companion must end?

As a veterinarian, I have seen so many people struggle with this decision. Each pet’s situation is different and there are no EASY answers. I am passionate about helping pets and pet parents through this process. In June of 2009, I started Home Farewell, an in home euthanasia service that offers pets a graceful and peaceful passage. This is a difficult calling, but it is truly an honor and a privilege to help pets and their families say goodbye in a calm and loving environment. Each pet that I have helped through this process has provided me with wisdom on living, healing, and dying. I wanted to share this wisdom with pet parents and animal lovers, and I decided to write Facing Farewell. The truth is….No one can make this decision for you! But, sharing the information I have gained as a veterinarian and the wisdom given to me by those that have already faced farewell, will allow you to move forward with more confidence and knowledge.

OK…so you are saying this book won’t make the decision for me or make it easy… then what does it do exactly???

When we initially realize that our pet is sick or entering old age we all want to enter a period of denial. We want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend this really is not happening to this amazing animal and pet. I even experience this fear/avoidance briefly before EVERY Home Farewell appointment. When I arrive at the pet’s home and knock on the door there is a small, child-like part of me that wants to run. I really do not want to have to do this…. I do not want to be the person that ends the life of someone’s best friend…I do not want to watch someone say goodbye knowing that I too will one day outlive my two dogs. What keeps me standing at the door????

EDUCATION, INFORMATION, and EXPERIENCE.

When I arrive at a pet’s home, it is after I have had a long consultation with the owner about the pet’s condition. Based on the pet’s illness, stage of life, and overall quality of life it has become clear that a peaceful and painless euthanasia is the most humane option for this pet. The EDUCATION provided by veterinary school, the INFORMATION provided by this pet’s loving owner, and my EXPERIENCE in seeing what will happen to this pet if we do not provide this gift of a peaceful, painless passing allows me to remain steadfast and perform this service with complete confidence that this is the right option for this pet. In Facing Farewell, I explain the difference in the way humans and animals view living and dying. I explain the euthanasia procedure and the options you can select to guarantee that your pet is completely comfortable and peaceful as they pass away. I teach you how to recognize the symptoms of pain in animals, and how to assess their overall quality of life. I help you through the decision making process based on your pet’s current stage of life. Whether you have a young pet, a terminally ill pet, or a geriatric pet, Facing Farewell provides the foundation you need to make the best decision under these circumstances. So NO, Facing Farewell will not make the decision for you, but it will provide you the same knowledge and fortitude that keeps me standing at a pet owner’s front door ready to help them say goodbye to their pet.

How will I know I won’t regret my decision?

Many people are afraid that after they make the choice of euthanasia for their pet, they will experience deep regret and guilt. In my experience, the pet owners that have taken the time to educate themselves and develop the courage to learn about the end of life process and options that exist for their pet have much more confidence and feel less remorse. If you love your pet endlessly and devote yourself to learning all you can to help him or her through the end of life process, then you will have done everything you can as person to make the best decision possible. Unfortunately, pets don't come with an owner's manual. We all have to make the best decisions for our pets out of love for them and an understanding of his or her medical condition.

What is inside Facing Farewell?

Multiple copies of several of the charts are provided to allow you to compare your pet’s comfort level and quality of life over a period of time. For years, I have advised my clients that have pets suffering from chronic illness or age related changes to write down their pet’s activity and comfort level on a weekly to monthly basis. Clients were often surprised that reviewing past entries provided clarity and made the decision making process easier.

Is this a book that deals with pet loss grief? Does it help pet parents that have already lost a pet?

No, Facing Farewell is not an ideal book to select after you have lost your pet. There are already many wonderful and helpful books that have been written by physiologists and social workers that focus on pet loss grief. These individuals are the true experts in dealing with the grieving process. My expertise and daily professional life surround helping pets and pet owners during the decision making process. I created Facing Farewell so that honest, reliable information on end of life options and the euthanasia process could be available to every pet parent.

Where is Facing Farewell sold?

Facing Farewell can be securely purchased on this site (click here), on the favorite online retailer www.amazon.com, or at your vet’s office. If your vet does not carry Facing Farewell in their clinic, then be sure to tell your office to check out the “For Vets” section of this website. We will send them a free copy so they can determine if Facing Farewell will be helpful to their clients.

Everyone is different, what if I do not find the book helpful?

Facing Farewell was created to provide information and insight on euthanasia/end of life options that you normally could only receive from talking to a veterinarian for several hours. Because we love our pets so much and we do not want to lose them, Facing Farewell was a difficult book to write, and some readers will likely find the subject matter difficult to read. We provide a 30 day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the content of the book or it was damaged during shipping. Life is a learning process, and we will always be interested in your thoughts to better help pet parents in the future.