While your pet is awake
Sit where your pet usually welcomes you. You might rest a hand beside them, speak softly or simply sit together. Ask the vet where you can sit during the examination and medication. If you would like to leave before any injection, say so at the beginning so there is room for your goodbye.
If you want to stay until your pet is unconscious
At Prida BeAhava, the vet checks that your pet is under deep anaesthesia and has fully lost consciousness before giving the final medication. Looking sleepy after a sedative is different from being deeply anaesthetised. You can say, “Please tell me when she is fully unconscious. I’d like to kiss her then and step outside before the last injection.” The vet can give you that cue.
During the final injection
You can stay beside your pet and look at their face, or ask someone you trust to sit with them while you step away. If family members want different things, each person can choose. The vet listens to the heart and confirms when your pet has died. You can ask to be told quietly, or ask the vet to come and get you afterward.
If you change your mind
You may have planned to stay and then find you want to leave. A word or a nod to someone beside you can be enough if you have agreed on it in advance. You can also ask to come back and sit with your pet after death has been confirmed. Your goodbye can include any of those moments.