After you have made your appointment, there is nothing left for you to do except love and be with your pet. We will take care of all details of the appointment so that you can focus on making sure your pet is comfortable. Feed only very small amounts of food in the 4 hours prior to the appoinment.

Dr. Fixler and his technician work together to offer a superior level of in-home care. This is very important and will make your experience much more peaceful. Though possible, it is often a challenge to perform procedures with one person. Having two experienced veterinary professionals present ensures that your pet will get the full attention he/she deserves and, in most cases, eliminates the need for you to assist in any way. The presence of a technician allows complete control of each situation and allows you to be able to focus on loving your pet, and not worrying about what the veterinary team is doing. A technician is usually not available for middle-of-the-night appointments in which case some assistance may be required of pet owners.

After introductions, you will first have time to talk with Dr. Fixler and his technician about any of your questions or concerns. Any of your particular wishes for the appointment can be brought up at this or anytime throughout the appointment. Dr. Fixler is very knowledgeable and can answer any of your questions as they arise. It is important that you are comfortable with what is happening with your pet, so please ask us questions.

Most pets will receive sedation/anesthesia prior to euthanasia. Since every pet is different, we have several different types of sedation and anesthesia so that we can choose the right protocol for your individual pet and situation. The sedative we use contains a potent pain reliever that will alleviate any discomfort your pet may have been experiencing. The sedation will bring about a very comfortable state and may or may not cause your pet to fall asleep entirely. There are certain situations where sedation is not optimal and Dr. Fixler will make this determination upon examination of your pet.

The sedation will be administered by an intramuscular injection. Although no injection is ever appreciated, the medication that Dr. Fixler uses is specially formulated to cause minimal discomfort.

Yes. An IV catheter is extremely important and ensures that the medication we give goes directly to the bloodstream where is works instantly and painlessly. After your pet is well-sedated, we will place an IV catheter in his/her leg. While under sedation, your pet will likely not even notice the placement of the catheter. If you have a small pet that is very dehydrated, or if your pet is in cardiovascular shock, placement of a catheter may be impossible. If this is the case, the bloodstream will be carefully accessed by way of direct injection.

Euthanasia means inducing the death of an animal in a humane and painless manner. The euthanasia drug that is used is a very common anesthetic agent, one that is used regularly in veterinary and human hospitals. If you have ever had surgery, you should remember the anesthesiologist asking you to count backwards from 10, then you drift off to sleep. This is exactly how your pet will feel. The only difference is that an extreme overdose will be given causing your pet's heart to stop.

Your pet will drift to sleep within seconds of starting the IV injection. He or she will pass within seconds after the injection is given. Dr. Fixler will then listen to your pet after the euthanasia injection has been given and will let you know when your pet has passed, however you will likely already know.