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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect our vet to come to our house to pts our pet dog?

49 replies

MrsJackAubrey · 07/12/2014 15:54

Our dog has heart failure and the vet who has treated her for 12 years, has said we need to take the dog to the vets to have her pts.

i kind of assumed this happened in the dog's home, because dogs don't generally like the vets! mine gets all stressed at the vets, and the last thing i want is to have my poor girl who is already struggling to breathe, being stressed and panicky at being carried into the vets.

AIBU?

OP posts:

Topseyt · 07/12/2014 18:40

I am so sorry you are going through this. I have two dogs and I dread the time when I have to face this sort of situation.

I would have thought that most vets would come to your house if asked, though clearly there is likely to be an additional fee for it.

Have you asked them? What breed / size is your dog? I ask because if you have a large dog who has become unable to get themselves into the car then you could truthfully argue that this makes it a problem to get to the surgery.

FeelTheNoise · 07/12/2014 18:52

I'm so sorry

crumblebumblebee · 07/12/2014 19:20

I feel for you. Are you willing to find another vet to do it?

Vycount · 07/12/2014 19:32

They will routinely ask you to bring your pet in, but in my experience if you ask they will come out. Last time, for my dear little cat, this was an additional £100. A vet and nurse came and they were brilliant.

Pixel · 07/12/2014 19:40

We've always had our dogs pts at home, I thought it was very normal too. YANBU at all.

raltheraffe · 07/12/2014 19:40

Some vets offer a service to pts animals in their own home and others do not.

Varya · 07/12/2014 19:44

Hugs for you and I feel for you, at this heart-breaking time of loss, XX.

SunshineAndShadows · 07/12/2014 19:49

Hi MrsJack, so sorry for your loss Another vet here. Unfortunately house calls depend a little bit on the out of hours cover available at your practice on a Sunday. Your vet might not even be on call this weekend (depending on rota) and may have other off duty commitments. Does your practice serve their own out of hours or does a specialist company deal with this? These things will influence the service they provide as a dedicated out of hours service might be taken up with emergencies and unable to leave the clinic for a house call. Sadly PTS for chronic conditions are often better when scheduled in advance (as difficult as this may be). I hope everything goes as well as can be expected x

Whatsthewhatsthebody · 07/12/2014 21:12

So so sorry it's heartbreaking.

We are kinder to our dying pets than to out dying humans.

FoxgloveFairy · 07/12/2014 21:35

We have always had to take ours in. Our vets offer an on call service overnight/weekends. When we had our girl Jenna put down, it was not very nice. Jenna had skin cancer that had spread to her liver etc. Obviously terminal, but she seemed knocking along okay. In the fortnight before she died she had a couple of short fits. Obviously, her brain was now affected and she did not have long. Then one night, about 3am, I was woken by her blundering around downstairs. She was having continuous fits with maybe a couple of minutes between. She was dazed and confused, boiling hot and exhausted and getting worse. Rang the after hours number and the vet was very bad tempered with an "oh for God's sake" type attitude and couldn't it wait until morning. No it couldn't-she was going to die of exhaustion before then. Took her in with me in the back while Mr Fox drove, she fitted all the way.She fitted in the car park, in the door of the exam room and then put on a very high table.She looked like she would fit again, so I asked Mr Fox and the vet to get her onto the floor. The vet, to his credit, seemed to agree that we had not disturbed his sleep lightly. He gave Jenna a sedative and muscle relaxant, and then she was put to sleep, with me stroking her head, although I don't think she had a clue what was going on by this.

FoxgloveFairy · 07/12/2014 21:38

Sorry-that turned into a self indulgent ramble. Op, I am really sorry about your pet. Funny how much we care for our furry housemates. They give us so much happiness and don't ask for much.

ovaltine · 07/12/2014 21:43

We had it done at home with my old boy; I'd booked days in advance as I knew he wasn't getting better. They were lovely and took him away after.

My first dog I couldn't do it in the vets, seemed so wrong so we sat outside the vets in the setting sun and had it done there.

Feel for you so much, it's such a hard time

Aeroflotgirl · 07/12/2014 21:44

It is so to hear all these stories of their beloved pets. I am a non pet owner, but would love a dog in the future once kids have grown and I have more time and energy to take care of it. I think that you could pay for a vet to come to your house to do that, it seems the most nicest way to go, in a familiar setting, surrounded by all your loved ones.

CrispyFern · 07/12/2014 21:45

Some vets won't come out but you can ring other local practices. Sorry about your dog. :(

frumpet · 07/12/2014 22:14

When my parents old dog became very unwell , he was a 15 yr old labrador and had stopped eating by this point ( anyone who knows lab's will know this to be a very bad sign ) , the vet came out to the house on his own and put the dog to sleep , while my mother and I stroked his head , my father was too devastated to watch . The vet then took his body in a bag back to the surgery .
I am so sorry you are going through this , horrible time for you

Original poster

MrsJackAubrey · 09/12/2014 22:26

thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and flowers, I am really touched, truly.

She's still with us - just. A big injection and some new pills - cleared her lungs, vet says she may make it past xmas if we're lucky.

I have talked to the vet about home visits and it's like Bakingtins said!

Those of you who shared the experience of your own animals, thank you - because it has helped me feel more confident that my dog won't suffer too much if i do have to take her in to the vets later on. I like the idea of them 'doing it' in the car, too.

I'm giving her heaps of love and chicken - i think she's quite happy now her breathing has improved. I know she's only going to be with me a few more weeks at most but i'm making the most of each day - as is she..

thank you again -

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsJackAubrey · 03/01/2015 20:43

thank you all for your so helpful comments earlier in December. Today I took my lovely Rosie to the vets to be put to sleep as she was really not happy today, she couldn't get comfortable to sleep and she was so tired all she wanted to do was sleep. So i called the vest who did offer to do a home visit on monday but she was clearly starting to suffer and i felt that waiting for monday was too long.

so in the end i took her to the vets. And it was okay. I sat on the floor with her on a blanket (soft and with pink hearts, supplied by that the vets) and the vet did what was necessary. Rosie was calm - she died within a second or two at most of the injection going in; her breathing stopped and she just relaxed in my arms. She died so quickly the vet didn't complete the injection. Rosie didn't suffer from it being in the vets. If the vet had come to our house, Rosie would have felt obliged to try and bark at her, and do all the stuff she did when people came into our house for the first time.

She was always with me; at home, in the bathroom, at work, in the car. I loved her she was my daemon. It's all terribly sad. All the love they give us, we pay for in the end.

OP posts:

mom2twoteens · 03/01/2015 20:54

I'm so sorry.

I'm sat here with my boy curled at my feet and tears in my eyes.

I'm glad it went as well as it could for you both in the end.

My thoughts are with you, be glad for all the special times you had together.

(((((hugs)))))

ToomuchIsBackOnBootcamp · 04/01/2015 00:29

So very sorry for you, it's heart breaking but it sounds like you were caring and thoughtful of her needs right up to the end. Rest in peace Rosie, run free forever.

nippiesweetie · 04/01/2015 07:38

Sorry you've lost your poor old girl. You must be heartbroken. Keep those memories and be glad that you had Rosie and Rosie had you.

Devilforasideboard · 04/01/2015 08:49

So sorry for your loss but glad it was peaceful in the end

TidyDancer · 04/01/2015 09:07

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thinking of you.

Original poster

MrsJackAubrey · 09/01/2015 22:15

thank you all, for your kind thoughts and flowers - very much appreciated and valued x

OP posts:

HappyGirlNow · 09/01/2015 22:27

So sorry for you. I can't imagine how awful it's been for you. I love ours so much xxx

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