Translated by Nick R
Sadly, our dogs are not immortal and can become very sick because of some pathology or simply because they are very old and could die at any moment.
In such cases, what matters is to make their quality of life as good as possible and to accompany them in such a difficult moment. Here I’ll tell you what you need to know if you think you will soon have to say goodbye to your furry friend.
Table of Contents
How do I know if my dog is about to die?
There are different behaviors that your dog will develop at that moment. Some signs you can take into account are:
- Disinterest: in activities and other things that interested him before no longer generate any curiosity. Your dog may ignore you when you get home instead of greeting you as before, he may no longer like the idea of playing and prefer to lie down and do nothing.
The reason? Whether due to illness or old age, doing certain activities can cause him a lot of pain or fatigue, and therefore, he prefers to avoid them.
- Depression: Apart from losing interest in activities he used to enjoy, as I said before, your furry will be more isolated from the rest of the family, trying to find his own space away from others.
- Loss of appetite: it’s normal for a dog to lose interest in food or even in drinking water when he is sick or when it’s time to leave.
- Breathing difficulties: in moments close to death, your canine will have shallower breathing, but with longer intervals.
- Lack of coordination: commonly, dying dogs will have trouble getting up or when walking, they may bump into furniture or objects in the house as if they do not have good control of their body.
- Incontinence: They may lose control of their bladder and, therefore, relieve themselves in an uncontrolled manner where they did not do it before.
What should I do if my dog is in agony?
If you have already taken him to the vet and there is nothing you can do to extend his life expectancy, you can opt for euthanasia. This is the best option if your dog is suffering and you want to spare him pain at that moment.
This can be done either at the veterinary clinic or at home, but you should ask which veterinarian can perform this procedure from your home if you think it is the most comfortable for your dog and the family, as not all of them offer this service.
There are 3 types of euthanasia:
- Active euthanasia: this is the one people usually have in mind when talking about euthanasia. It consists of an injection with a large amount of anesthesia, so the death of the dog is painless.
- Passive euthanasia: one could say that it is a natural death, no medication is injected, and the underlying diseases of the animal are simply not treated in order to extend its life expectancy, as this would cause more suffering.
- Indirect euthanasia: this is when the symptoms of the disease are treated with medication, even if the treatment leads more quickly to the death of the canine.
Remember that it is important to be with your pet at that moment so that it feels accompanied by the people he/she loves, it can be very difficult, but animals need comfort at that moment, besides, it will be the last moment to say goodbye to your friend.
If you decide to spend that moment at home and maybe you have veterinary service at home you can do the following:
Comfort your dog
First of all, comfort your dog during these moments, and create a quiet environment without disturbing noises.
Also get him a very comfortable place to lie down and comfort him by encouraging him so he knows he is not alone and caress him without making him uncomfortable since in those moments he will feel very different from how he was before.
On the other hand, although he may not want to eat, you can put the bowl of water near his bed so he doesn’t have to get up, and if you see that he doesn’t drink, but seems dehydrated, you can use a dropper and give him a few drops of water.
Remember the important thing is to keep him out of pain so always contact your veterinarian for the best options if your furry one is in too much pain.
It’s clear that some options may be more complicated when the decision is yours alone, however, it can be said that active euthanasia is the one in which your dog will suffer the least. When it is applied, he will gradually fall asleep without feeling any pain and in about 30 seconds his heart will stop.
Burial or cremation of dogs
When your dog has passed away, you may not know what to do with his body. So, here I explain which organizations can help you or how to do it yourself.
How to properly bury or cremate your dog?
Some people simply call someone to pick up their canine such as:
Bogota, Colombia: Line 110 or 195, which connects you with the Special Administrative Unit of Public Services.
Or you can even contact them via email at linea110@proceraseo.co.
You will have to fill out a collection request with your name, contact number, and the address where they will pick up the deceased pet (you’ll have to deliver it in a garbage bag with the number of the request).
In other cities and countries, you will have to look for the entity in charge of collecting dead animals.
However, this can be very impersonal for many who prefer to say a symbolic goodbye to their pet with a burial. Since this entity will be in charge of the body according to the regulations of the territorial entity on the final disposition of this type of case.
Funeral homes for pets
So, for this, there are different funeral homes that provide the service to burying or cremating pets, the price varies depending on the specifications of each funeral home. Likewise, depending on the funeral home, different services can be performed, such as:
Group cremation: here, they do not return your furry one’s ashes to you and they can dispose of them as compost for the cemetery (an example).
Individual cremation: they let you say goodbye to your pet before the cremation and you receive the ashes.
Cemetery: some have a special pet cemetery where your dog (depending on the plan you choose and the company) can stay for a few years. You will have the headstone, your canine will be in a coffin and you will be able to visit him/her during available hours.
Colombia
- La Fe Pets
Website: https://www.lafemascotas.com/
Address: Carrera 11 #69-11, Bogotá.
Telephone: 320 626 8317
- Road to Heaven
Website: https://www.caminoalcielo.com.co/
Address: Calle 57 #80-86, Bogotá.
Telephone numbers: 319 358 5508 or 322 218 7087
- Funeravet
Website: https://funeravet.com.co/
Address: Calle 70A #53-41, Bogotá.
Telephone numbers: 318 529 6284 – 3111077
- Trafunpet
Website: https://trafunpet.com/
Address: Cl. 35ª #66ª-81, Medellín.
Telephone: 305 356 4555
Spain
- Infinity Pet
Website: https://crematoriomascotasinfinity.com/#quienes-somos
Address: Nave A12, Calle Galileo, 3, 28914 Leganés, Madrid
Phone numbers: 910 3780 16 – 655 67 46 04
- CRESMA Group
Website: https://cresma.es/
Address: Carrer dels carreters, 19. 46950 Xirivella, Valencia.
Telephone: 666 59 09 72 – 963 31 30 27
Panama
- Pets in Heaven
Page: https://petsinheavenpty.com/
Address: San francisco, 68 East Street, Plaza Kamilah, local 4.
Phone: 507 6828 2030
Chile
- Eterna Pets
Website: https://www.eternapet.cl/
Address: Javiera Carrera sur 793, La Reina.
Phone: 616 100 35 – 995 166 46
Mexico
- Animal Rest
Website: https://animalrest.mx/
Address: Calle centeno 701, Colonia Granjas México, Iztacalco, Mexico City.
Av, División del Norte 3259-B, Col. La Candelaria, Coyoacán, Mexico City,
Telephone numbers: 55 31 82 22 29 or 55 58 01 52 68
- Huellitas en el cielo
Website: https://www.huellitasenelcielo.com.mx/
Address: Iztapalapa or Tláhuac, CDMX
Telephone numbers: 55 6350-1427 or 55 6350-6672
Email: contacto@huellitasenelcielo.com.mx
Burying your dog at home
In other cases, you can choose to bury your dog at home, but you must take the following aspects into account:
If your dog died from poisoning it is not good to bury it, much less if there are children or dogs or other animals nearby because it could be toxic.
It’s also not a good idea if it was euthanized as the chemicals may still be in the body.
Now, if you have a place in your backyard to do it, you can do the following:
- The place: it should be one where they are not going to do any type of excavation or construction so that they do not dig up the grave and preferably that it is away from where other animals that you have at the home walk. In addition, it is advisable that it is far from water sources.
- Measurements: you must know how tall your deceased canine is in order to make the width and length of the hole correctly.
- Wrap your dog: use a biodegradable material to wrap your dog in, such as clothes or cotton sheets, so that it will decompose with the body over time.
- Hole: dig the hole at least 1-meter-deep, then leave your canine at the bottom and start filling it again with soil, tapping it little by little to make it compact.
Note: You can plant some flowers on top to know where the grave of your furry friend is.
Conclusion
There will come a time when you will have to say goodbye to your furry friend, the important thing is that you are together at the moment he/she leaves and as much as possible, make his/her last moments alive comfortable, and painless.
And what happens after this, you can decide according to the ceremony you want to give him after death.
