At Home Euthanasia

You will be the best judge of when it time to say goodbye, as you know your animal best. I encourage you to plan for and schedule your pet’s end of life care at least one week in advance.

Here are some helpful websites that can guide you:

Laps of Love, Quality of Life

Laps of Love, Knowing When

Dr. Mary’s Video on Knowing When

First, a calming sedative is given into the muscle of the back leg. Peaceful relaxation sets in over 5-15 minutes. Next, a catheter is placed in a vein in one of the front or back legs.

Another sedative is given into the catheter, which will cause sleepiness in 30 seconds-1 minute. This medication is commonly given to surgical patients right before surgery. Finally, a dose of highly-concentrated anesthesia specially formulated for euthanasia only is given into the catheter. A tired, relaxing, falling asleep feeling is what your pet experiences over 1-3 minutes. You may see that the eyes will remain open, the skin may twitch, and the diaphragm may spasm causing a few sudden deep breaths. I will then listen with my stethoscope to confirm passing. If you have elected cremation, I will then wrap up the pet in a blanket and transport them.

I am unfortunately not an emergency service and may be unable to accommodate last minute or same day requests. If your pet is in immediate distress, please reach out to your local veterinary clinic or Allied Veterinary Emergency Clinic for assistance.

Please contact me directly via email at dovetailvetrelief@gmail.com, by phone at 507-577-4317 (text or voicemail), or via my contact form on my website. Please leave your name, number, email, home address, pet’s name, weight, and species, cremation preference (private or group) and days/times that work for you.

I work full-time at various veterinary clinics and thus have a varied schedule. I will try to accommodate your needs the best I can and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

I provide euthanasia for dogs, cats, small mammals (e.g. rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, etc), birds, reptiles and amphibians. If your animal is not on this list, please reach out.

I do not charge any additional fees for cremation based on weight. However, if your pet weighs more than 40 pounds, I will need assistance for transport. If you are comfortable helping with lifting, please let me know. If you are unable, I will bring along a veterinary technician to assist ($50 additional cost).

Unfortunately I cannot accommodate pets larger than 100 lbs at this time.

$350 base

+Private cremation $200 all sizes

+Group cremation $100 all sizes

+$50 if technician assistance needed, >30 minutes of travel time, past 5 PM on weekdays, Saturdays/Sundays

+$100 holidays

The base cost covers travel, a visit to your home, a brief consultation and discussion of your pet’s needs, sedation, euthanasia, and clay paw prints. A typical visit lasts between 30 minutes and one hour. The baseline cost does not include cremation costs, the cost of assistance if your pet weighs > 60 lbs, after hours, holidays, or weekend hour surcharges.

Payment options include Venmo, cash, or a link sent to you via email accepting most major credit cards (3.2% credit card surcharge added).

Payment is due at the beginning of the session as most families do not want to think about paperwork or payment after the appointment. Payment in advance is also appreciated and will allow for things to go more smoothly the day of.

I most often service Rochester, MN and small surrounding cities.

However, if you are farther away, I ask that you try to schedule as far in advance as possible to allow for planned travel time. If your location is farther than an hour round trip, I do charge an additional $100/hr or $50/30 minutes for travel time.

Please set aside two large dry towels for bladder or colon leakage and a blanket or bed sheet used as a gentle wrap.

Providing a calming and relaxing environment is key for peaceful passing. Surrounding them with their favorite toys, blankets, or treats will help them feel comforted. If you have a primary veterinarian, I highly recommend inquiring about calming medications such as Gabapentin for cats and Trazodone for dogs that you can give 1-2 hours before our appointment. This will ensure less stress for your pet and for you.

These medications can also be used in exotic animals.

If your pet is still eating, you may hand feed some extra-tasty food during and after the sedative injection. There are no food restrictions before or during our visit.

Sometimes, elderly animals are dehydrated and debilitated thus making it difficult to place a catheter. In this case, the euthanasia solution will need to be administered into an organ such as a kidney, or into the heart. While this may sound painful, patients are completely unconscious and will not feel the injection. You do not have to be present for this injection if you do not wish to be.

Exotic animal euthanasia is very similar to that of dogs and cats. Reptiles are given a special medication into the muscle that allows them to sleep and become immobile. Otherwise the same or similar medications are used for small mammals and birds. Due to the size of exotic animals, it is often not possible to inject into a vein, therefore the dose of anesthesia is given into the heart or belly. While this may sound painful, patients are completely unconscious and will not feel the injection. You do not have to be present for this injection if you do not wish to be.