FAQs

Yes, Dr. Haskin always gives an injectable sedative to take away any anxiety or stress your pet may be feeling. This injection will make your pet very sleepy, but they can still hear you talking to them and comforting them.

The sedative injection can cause some behaviors that may be upsetting to see. Pets may stick their tongue out, move their head back and forth, snore or breathe heavier, or drool more than normal. These are all common with sedatives, but can make families uncomfortable.

No, that is not required. It is always an option if that is what you would prefer. However, we are happy to accommodate other locations. For example, inside your home in the living room, a bedroom, the kitchen, etc. Or outside on the porch/deck, on the lawn, etc. We will do our best to help keep your pet as comfortable as possible.

That is up to each individual family. Everyone feels differently about having children/young teens present for a euthanasia. There are some parts of the process that can be confusing and/or concerning to children and should be taken into consideration when allowing them to be present.

No, you do not have to stay. Some people feel comfortable being present from the beginning to the end of the procedure and others would rather not be present at all. We understand that this is not an easy decision to make and we will do everything we can do make sure you are comfortable with each part of the process. If you feel the need to leave at any point, that is perfectly ok.

Everyone feels differently about this. In our experience, if your other pet(s) have a strong relationship with the pet that is going through the euthanasia procedure it is best that they are present or at least allowed time after the procedure is over to say their goodbyes. Pets go through a grieving process just like humans and some handle it better when they have a chance to see their friend after they have passed. In some cases the house mate(s) may become protective of the body once the pet has passed. This is part of their grieving process, but can cause extra stress if they become upset with us being there.

It typically takes 2 weeks or so for the cremation service to return ashes to us. We will bring your pet home as soon as we can along with any memorial products that were chosen.

Abbey Glen Pet Memorial Services will perform a communal cremation where several pets are cremated together. The ashes are then taken and used to make a man-made coral reef and placed in the ocean. More information can be found at www.petreefs.com.

The company that provides cremation services for us has wonderful resources for pet loss-related grief counseling. It can be found on their website at www.petmemorialservices.com.

Of course, we can step outside or into another room to give you some time and privacy after your pet has passed. After a few minutes, we will come back and address any questions/concerns you may have and continue with the process.

Yes, you are welcome to send anything you would like with your pet. However, the cremation services will not cremate anything with your pet. Anything that is sent with your pet will be discarded prior to cremation.

After your pet has passed, there is the possibility of some muscle twitching. This is just some leftover energy leaving the body. It does not hurt and they do not feel anything since they have already passed. On rare occasions, the diaphragm can spasm as part of the excess energy leaving the body. This can look like they are trying to catch their breath and it can be very disturbing to experience. Again, this doesn’t hurt and they do not feel anything.

Their eyes cannot close as it takes a muscle contraction for that to happen. This can also be disturbing to some families. Sometimes their tongue will come out of their mouth because they’re not able to keep it inside anymore.

They will also lose control of their bladder and their bowels. We provide absorbent padding to keep everything as contained as possible.

Depending on the size of your pet, we will either carry them or place them on a stretcher to take them to our truck. They will be wrapped in a blanket and taken care of with the utmost respect.