5 Things to Do When Your Pet Dies at Home

If your pet recently died at home, you’re undoubtedly experiencing immense sadness and even anger. You’re also likely experiencing confusion, especially if you had no idea your pet was sick and on the verge of dying. This is normal and to be expected, as a pet is often equivalent to a family member in many households. However, you need to handle the situation strategically because the better and the more quickly you’re able to adequately handle things, the sooner you can celebrate your dog or cat’s life and move on. You might have no idea what to do if your dog dies, and that’s okay because not every pet owner does. Here is a complete overview that will explain five things that you should do if your pet dies at home:

Check for Signs of Life

If you believe your dog, cat, or other one of your pets has passed away, you want to be absolutely certain before you start making arrangements. You don’t want to cause yourself a lot of grief for nothing, and you also don’t want to bury a pet that is still alive. There have been some cases in which pet owners believed their pets were deceased, yet they actually weren’t. Some pets were either in a deep sleep, making them unresponsive, or they may have been ill, which caused shallow breathing that was almost undetectable. If you find that your pet is not dead yet, but you are sure death is imminent and they are suffering, you might consider finding a vet and euthanizing them. Putting your pet down might sound scary or even cruel, but it’s a peaceful process that can immediately end unnecessary suffering. If your pet is in a lot of pain or struggling to breathe, there’s no reason to allow them to suffer when you can end this pain humanely. 

Take a Few Moments to Process Things

Even if your pet was terminally ill and you were expecting them to die, its actual death can be very shocking and traumatizing. Regardless of the death’s circumstances, you must quickly figure out what to do with the animal’s body. You and other family members can take a few moments to pet Fido or Kitty, but you need to take action once everyone has said their goodbyes. However, before you can take any action, you first need to take a few moments to process things. While a few moments will likely not be long enough for you to fully process what has happened, taking a few minutes will enable you to compose yourself enough to make the necessary quick decisions. 

Find an Old Towel or Cloth to Place Under Your Pet

When dogs and other animals pass away, they typically pass their bowels involuntarily. This is a natural occurrence that should not startle you. Since you don’t want your pet’s bowels on furniture or wherever they might be lying after death, you must place an old towel or mat under its rear end to protect the area. Once you decide what to do with your pet’s body, you can simply dispose of the soiled mat. The last thing you want to do is contend with trying to remove a stubborn stain or lingering odor from your furniture or carpet when you’re already dealing with the death of your pet. This is why it’s best to prevent feces from coming into contact with your furniture or carpet in the first place. 

Make Some Important Decisions

There are a number of ways to memorialize your pet after its death, from burying it in a pet cemetery to cremation and much more. Now that you’ve had a few moments to compose yourself, you need to decide which of these ways is best for memorializing your pet. If you’re not sure, you can perform some research or even contact Animal Family Pet Preservation for advice. Animal Family Pet Preservation is a premier company, and we specialize in providing post-mortem procedures on pets to preserve them. Our staff is compassionate and knowledgeable, and we can discuss the various options available and help you determine which one might be best for your situation. 

Get Your Pet’s Body Out of the House as Quickly as Possible

Once your pet dies, its body will start decomposing, and the warmer it is in your home, the quicker the process will happen. You can’t allow the dead body of your dog or cat to lie around for many hours or even days, as its decomposing body could pose some risks to you and your family’s health. One especially major risk involves the gases emitted from its body as it decomposes. These gases smell unpleasant and intolerable and can cause respiratory and allergy symptoms in some individuals. If necessary, place your pet’s body in a container and a freezer if there is a delay in deciding what to do with its body. 

So, if your precious pet has recently died at home, following these five steps is important since not every pet owner knows what to do after a pet dies. If you’ve decided that you’d like to have your pet’s body cremated, taxidermized, or something similar, you will need the assistance of an experienced professional. An experienced professional can help bring you peace, reducing the severity and length of your grief. We have assisted families with pet deaths since the 90s. Consider giving us a call to discuss what you’ve decided to do with your pet’s body, the cost, and how to get it to our facility.

Categorised in: Pet Passes Away at Home

This post was written by mmaier