Catnip Veterinary Care

In-home Pet Euthanasia and Comfort Care

We strive to make the most difficult stages in your pet's life easier for them - more comfortable, less stressful. And when it is time to say goodbye, we provide a peaceful and pain-free transition over the rainbow bridge.

Our mobile service is based in Mertztown, PA.

We support families with compassionate care in Berks and Lehigh counties and surrounding areas. Please contact us if you have questions about your specific location. Travel outside our service area can be arranged by contacting our care team to discuss your individual needs.

We offer cremation services which include aftercare transportation to the crematorium and hand-delivery of your pet's remains back to you.

Appointment hours:

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm

Sat - Sun, 9am - 12noon

Contact our office if you wish to arrange an after-hours visit.

What to Expect During an In-Home Euthanasia Visit

Catnip Veterinary Care offers a compassionate in-home euthanasia service that is intended to be as gentle and stress-free as possible. Your familiarity with the course of events during this visit may help to prepare you emotionally and curb some of the anxiety about the euthanasia procedure. Less anxiety for you also translates to less anxiety for your perceptive pet.

For this visit we can accommodate whatever location is most comfortable for your pet, be it in their favorite bed or outside in their backyard. After we arrive at your home and have met the patient and family, you will be asked to fill out a brief consent form that confirms your wishes for compassionate euthanasia and your choice of aftercare. We can take care of payment at that time as well.

The euthanasia procedure itself begins with an initial injection of a calming sedative. When your pet is fully relaxed, the final euthanasia medication is given. It acts very quickly, and is painless. Your pet experiences a relaxing, falling-asleep feeling, and within a few minutes, the heart and breathing stop. The doctor will confirm that your pet has passed away. You may have already sensed that this has occurred. At this time, you will be offered time alone with your pet.

The euthanasia process is a gentle and peaceful one, but for full preparedness, immediately after your pet has passed you may see a few breaths; these are only reflexive and a natural part of the dying process. Your pet may or may not not close their eyes all the way. You may also see a few mild muscle twitches for a few seconds.

We can arrange for cremation of your pet's remains and will take care of the transport. For private cremation, your pet is handled separately at the crematorium, and your pet's remains are returned in a carved, wooden urn. Communal cremation is a lower cost option and no ashes are returned.

We strive to provide in-home pet euthanasia services with compassion, empathy, and kindness in a way that supports both humans and animals during one of the most difficult moments of their journey together. We understand how important it is to make these last precious moments with your pet as peaceful, comfortable and stress-free as possible.

What is "Comfort Care"?

Comfort Care focuses on making our pet's last stages of life as comfortable as possible. For pets of any age who face difficult medical challenges, there are many reasons why a pet owner may choose not to pursue in-hospital diagnostics and treatment. For these situations, we offer comfort care within your home to make your companion's final months, weeks, or days as “normal” and comfortable as possible. When a cure is unavailable, relief from pain or troublesome symptoms can be managed to keep your sweet companion happy and comfortable for as long as possible.

Comfort Care offers relief for the pet struggling with health issues like debilitating arthritis, dementia, chronic disease, cancer or other terminal illness. The focus is on providing comfort, not finding a cure. We can help manage pain, nausea, loss of appetite, incontinence, confusion associated with dementia, or mild dehydration. For a time, we can help maintain an acceptable level of comfort and dignity, thereby improving quality of life.

In addition to pain-management medications and other home-based treatments, the doctor may suggest changes to diet, daily habits, or the home environment to help your pet deal with his/her specific challenges. Each pet and situation is different, and the doctor will work with you to set up the highest quality of life for your furry companion.

We can also offer guidance with the tough, end-of-life decisions when it is time to do so.

When making an appointment for In-home Comfort Care, please forward any relevant medical records.

Catnip Veterinary Care

In-home Pet Euthanasia and Comfort Care

When It's Time to Say Goodbye

What to Expect During an In-Home Euthanasia Visit

What is "Comfort Care"?