Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine
with a passion!
with a passion!
Preparing for End of Life Visits
At Chicago Exotics we strive to be here to support you and your pet through all stages of your lives together from the first visit to the last with compassion and without judgement. We understand that preparing for the last visit can be challenging and painful and that the “right” decisions are unique to each pet and family. Our hope is that these resources will allow you to prepare for that visit and to make the decisions that are right for you.
How do I know when it’s time?
Knowing when is the right time to say good-bye is often the hardest part of pet ownership. The most simplified answer is “When supportive care and medical management can no longer provide a consistent good quality of life”. But what that means to each pet can vary. One of the biggest things we watch is comfort. Are we able to help manage your pet’s pain levels? Are they able to groom themselves or will they allow you to help them without becoming stressed?
Some people find it helpful to pick 2-4 things that indicate a comfortable and happy pet and monitor those behaviors or qualities, setting a time frame to know when it’s time. For example: if my pet is displaying less than 2 of the 4 behaviors for X number of days out of the month I’ll know it’s time.
Others are less comfortable with this method and prefer a more qualitative approach. Then it may help to mark a calendar with “good days” and “bad days” and when you start to notice that the bad days are taking over decide it’s time.
There are many resources to help you make this assessment but please keep in mind that these are broad guidelines and may need to be tailored to your specific species and pet. Please talk to our staff if you need help with this.
https://www.lapoflove.com/how-will-i-know-it-is-time
https://www.lapoflove.com/how-will-i-know-it-is-time/Lap-of-Love-Quality-of-Life-Scale-2024.pdf
https://www.lapoflove.com/quality-of-life-calendar.pdf
https://www.veterinarywisdom.com/resource-center/support-for-pet-parents/
What will happen at the visit?
We want this appointment to go as smoothly as possible and to support you in a private space. This is why we ask that (when possible) you to call ahead and let us know you will be bringing your pet in for a euthanasia appointment. This will allow us to prepare a time and space for you to say good-bye in private.
When you arrive you will be shown directly into a room where a staff member will discuss your decisions and options with you. We will handle all of the paperwork and checking you out first so that you can then say your good-byes without interruption.
There are two options for how we move forward:
In Room Sedation
Unfortunately unlike with dogs and cats most of the species we treat either cannot have catheters placed or are stressed by the process. While this means we are unable to administer the final injection in the room with you, we can provide an injectable sedative that will allow you to spend your pets' last aware moments with them in the room.
If you choose in room sedation, then when you are ready a staff member will take your pet into the treatment area for a moment to administer the sedative before immediately returning them to you.
We will then leave you alone with your pet while the sedative takes effect. This can vary in time and experience for different patients and species but will generally take between 5-15 minutes. Please be aware that this sedative isn’t enough to stop your pet’s heart - they may still be breathing, blinking, or even slightly responsive - however it does put them into a sedated state in which they aren’t aware of anything around them.
When you and your pet are ready we will then take them into the treatment area where we can use a gas anesthetic (exactly like we would for surgery) to ensure that there is absolutely no muscle or nerve sensation before giving them their final injection to stop the heart.
Service done in ICU
Not all owners want their pet to lose consciousness in the room with them. In that case, when you have said your good-byes a staff member will take your pet into the treatment area where we can use a gas anesthetic (exactly like we would for surgery) to ensure that there is absolutely no muscle or nerve sensation before giving them their final injection to stop the heart. A staff member will be with your pet at all times from the moment they leave your arms.
Depending on your wishes we can then bring your pet back to the room after their final injection to allow you one last good-bye.
What happens after my pet is euthanized?
We offer several different options for your pet’s remains
Home Burial
We will lovingly wrap your pet and place them in an appropriately sized box for you to take home and bury. Unfortunately due to legal restrictions we cannot offer this for farm animals
Communal Cremation
Your pet’s cremains will not be returned to you but will be spread at a communal memorial site at the cremation center.
Private Cremation
Your pet will be cremated privately and its cremains placed in an urn with a certificate of cremation. There are several urn and memorial options available. Please ask a staff member if you would like to see what these options look like.
Urns:
Standard Wood Urn - this is a tasteful wooden rectangular urn which is included in the cost of private cremation. Custom engraving of a name and /or date can be added for an additional fee.
Marble Urn - this is a rectangular urn of either black, tan, or white marble. It is a special order for an additional fee which includes custom engraving if you choose it.
Memorial Items:
The cremation service we work with, Faithful Companions, offers a variety of memorial items including glass keepsakes made with your pet’s ashes. They include heart and orb shaped paperweights approximately 3” - 3.5” in size and smaller pendants approximately 1” in size. These come in multiple color options. Please ask a staff member if you would like to see all of the options. These items are an additional fee.
Chicago Exotics offers clay paw prints made with your pet’s footprint (or tail in some reptiles). These are lovingly made by the staff who has helped care for your pet. We include one paw print if requested with each private cremation, but prints can be made for any pet for an additional fee.
We also offer a small clipping of your pet’s fur or feathers in a memorial vial at no cost.
At Chicago Exotics we strive to be here to support you and your pet through all stages of your lives together from the first visit to the last with compassion and without judgement. We understand that preparing for the last visit can be challenging and painful and that the “right” decisions are unique to each pet and family. Our hope is that these resources will allow you to prepare for that visit and to make the decisions that are right for you.
How do I know when it’s time?
Knowing when is the right time to say good-bye is often the hardest part of pet ownership. The most simplified answer is “When supportive care and medical management can no longer provide a consistent good quality of life”. But what that means to each pet can vary. One of the biggest things we watch is comfort. Are we able to help manage your pet’s pain levels? Are they able to groom themselves or will they allow you to help them without becoming stressed?
Some people find it helpful to pick 2-4 things that indicate a comfortable and happy pet and monitor those behaviors or qualities, setting a time frame to know when it’s time. For example: if my pet is displaying less than 2 of the 4 behaviors for X number of days out of the month I’ll know it’s time.
Others are less comfortable with this method and prefer a more qualitative approach. Then it may help to mark a calendar with “good days” and “bad days” and when you start to notice that the bad days are taking over decide it’s time.
There are many resources to help you make this assessment but please keep in mind that these are broad guidelines and may need to be tailored to your specific species and pet. Please talk to our staff if you need help with this.
https://www.lapoflove.com/how-will-i-know-it-is-time
https://www.lapoflove.com/how-will-i-know-it-is-time/Lap-of-Love-Quality-of-Life-Scale-2024.pdf
https://www.lapoflove.com/quality-of-life-calendar.pdf
https://www.veterinarywisdom.com/resource-center/support-for-pet-parents/
What will happen at the visit?
We want this appointment to go as smoothly as possible and to support you in a private space. This is why we ask that (when possible) you to call ahead and let us know you will be bringing your pet in for a euthanasia appointment. This will allow us to prepare a time and space for you to say good-bye in private.
When you arrive you will be shown directly into a room where a staff member will discuss your decisions and options with you. We will handle all of the paperwork and checking you out first so that you can then say your good-byes without interruption.
There are two options for how we move forward:
In Room Sedation
Unfortunately unlike with dogs and cats most of the species we treat either cannot have catheters placed or are stressed by the process. While this means we are unable to administer the final injection in the room with you, we can provide an injectable sedative that will allow you to spend your pets' last aware moments with them in the room.
If you choose in room sedation, then when you are ready a staff member will take your pet into the treatment area for a moment to administer the sedative before immediately returning them to you.
We will then leave you alone with your pet while the sedative takes effect. This can vary in time and experience for different patients and species but will generally take between 5-15 minutes. Please be aware that this sedative isn’t enough to stop your pet’s heart - they may still be breathing, blinking, or even slightly responsive - however it does put them into a sedated state in which they aren’t aware of anything around them.
When you and your pet are ready we will then take them into the treatment area where we can use a gas anesthetic (exactly like we would for surgery) to ensure that there is absolutely no muscle or nerve sensation before giving them their final injection to stop the heart.
Service done in ICU
Not all owners want their pet to lose consciousness in the room with them. In that case, when you have said your good-byes a staff member will take your pet into the treatment area where we can use a gas anesthetic (exactly like we would for surgery) to ensure that there is absolutely no muscle or nerve sensation before giving them their final injection to stop the heart. A staff member will be with your pet at all times from the moment they leave your arms.
Depending on your wishes we can then bring your pet back to the room after their final injection to allow you one last good-bye.
What happens after my pet is euthanized?
We offer several different options for your pet’s remains
Home Burial
We will lovingly wrap your pet and place them in an appropriately sized box for you to take home and bury. Unfortunately due to legal restrictions we cannot offer this for farm animals
Communal Cremation
Your pet’s cremains will not be returned to you but will be spread at a communal memorial site at the cremation center.
Private Cremation
Your pet will be cremated privately and its cremains placed in an urn with a certificate of cremation. There are several urn and memorial options available. Please ask a staff member if you would like to see what these options look like.
Urns:
Standard Wood Urn - this is a tasteful wooden rectangular urn which is included in the cost of private cremation. Custom engraving of a name and /or date can be added for an additional fee.
Marble Urn - this is a rectangular urn of either black, tan, or white marble. It is a special order for an additional fee which includes custom engraving if you choose it.
Memorial Items:
The cremation service we work with, Faithful Companions, offers a variety of memorial items including glass keepsakes made with your pet’s ashes. They include heart and orb shaped paperweights approximately 3” - 3.5” in size and smaller pendants approximately 1” in size. These come in multiple color options. Please ask a staff member if you would like to see all of the options. These items are an additional fee.
Chicago Exotics offers clay paw prints made with your pet’s footprint (or tail in some reptiles). These are lovingly made by the staff who has helped care for your pet. We include one paw print if requested with each private cremation, but prints can be made for any pet for an additional fee.
We also offer a small clipping of your pet’s fur or feathers in a memorial vial at no cost.
