Dying Naturally
Faced with a terminal illness or a geriatric pet in a declining state, pet owners have to eventually come to terms with their pet's passing and make the decision between a “natural death” and humane euthanasia.
Many owners fear their pet “passing alone” while others do not. I imagine just about everyone would like their pet to comfortably crawl into their bed one night, drift off to sleep, and pass away peacefully while sleeping. I hope that I personally pass that way as well and I believe this is what many people think “natural death” is. However, more often than not, this is not how a pet dies naturally and a “natural” death does not necessarily mean a peaceful death.Table 36.1 Variations between religious rituals and beliefs.
| Religion | Cremation | Funeral Details | Mourning |
| Catholic | Cremation is allowed but body present for the funeral is preferred | Funerals do not occur on certain holy days | No specific mourning period or memorial events |
| Baptist | Cremation is allowed | Burial should take place within three to five days of the death | No specific mourning period or memorial events |
| Buddhist | Cremation is acceptable in Buddhism | Traditionally held on the third, seventh, forty-ninth, and one-hundredth day after the death. | In Tibet the day of death is thought of as highly important. It is believed that as soon as the death of the body has taken place, the personality goes into a state of trance for four days. Some Buddhists will keep the body out for this period of time. |
| Jewish | Depending on the degree of orthodoxy of the deceased, the rituals around cremation may vary. For Orthodox Jews, cremation and embalming is not acceptable. | There is no generally no viewing, visitation, or wake in Jewish tradition. | The first mourning period (‘Shiva’) is 7 days following the funeral, the second mourning period (‘shloshim”) lasts 30 days. On the first year anniversary, a memorial event called the “Yahrzeit” is held. |
| Muslim | Cremation is forbidden for Muslims. | According to Islamic law the body should be buried as soon as possible from the time of death. | It is acceptable in Islam to express grief over a death. Crying and weeping at the time of death, at the funeral, and at the burial are all acceptable forms of expression. However, wailing and shrieking, tearing of clothing and breaking of objects, and expressing a lack of faith in Allah are all prohibited. |
Source: Data from Everplans.com.
Occasionally I am asked to help families through the natural dying process with their pet. For different reasons, these families are against euthanasia. I explain everything I possibly can, from how a natural death may look to how long it may take, and what their pet may experience.
I also educate the family that they may be present for the death and that can be difficult to watch, especially for non-medically oriented people. Most people can watch a human family member in pain much more easily than they can their pet. To an extent, we can talk other humans through physical pain or discomfort.
To begin with, one has to understand how an animal actually dies. Unfortunately, this is not fully understood in many cases as it is dependent on the disease or issue the pet is suffering from. Many “end stage” diseases can be extremely painful or full of anxiety for the pet.
When I consult with clients who desire a “natural passing” for their pet - I explain what their pet may experience during that process depending on their ailment.
I also ask why they want a natural passing for their pet. More often than not, I receive two answers.1) They do not want to make the decision (or make the decision too early) which is understandable. However, death will occur eventually but it is up to us to help relieve pain, anxiety, and suffering for our furry family members by electing humane euthanasia which is the gentlest, most caring thing one can do for an ailing pet.
2) The second most common answer I hear is that they think euthanasia hurts and entails giving a poison to their pet or giving them a heart attack. None of which are true.
Another thing to keep in mind about a “natural” passing is that it doesn't always happen at night while they are in bed. It can happen when the owner runs to the store, when they are at work, when they are outside getting the mail, and so on. More often than not, death doesn't occur while they are asleep but instead the pet eventually does fall unconscious which people then perceive as having occurred while they were asleep.
A natural passing doesn't always happen very quickly either. I have had many frantic phone calls from people wanting me to rush to their home because they wanted a natural passing for their pet but the process is taking too long or not very peaceful. The pet might start having a seizure, they may start to choke or they may have difficulty breathing. This is not easy to watch or let your pet go through and people need to be prepared for this. I wouldn't want to be alone during my final moments, so families with pets that are near the end should have someone with them at all times to make sure they are not suffering.
Points to cover with families during the dying process:
• It can happen at any time - day or night
• The dying process can take hours
• The pet may stretch, put their head back, yawn, seize, and even vocalize
• Afterwards, they will first have a period of muscle relaxation (including the release of urine and feces) followed by rigor mortis
• Plan for aftercare - provide the family with information on how to handle the body after including information on burial, crematory information, or a local emergency clinic that will arrange cremation.
A family should know that it is never too late to call a veterinarian if the natural route is not going as they had planned. The owner should give themselves permission to choose humane euthanasia if their plan for natural death is not what they had envisioned for their pet's end-of-life experience.