Euthanasia

Caring and Compassionate Pet Euthanasia

It can be difficult for pet owners to determine when it’s time to say goodbye to their beloved pets, especially if your pet has good days and bad days. If you are unsure as to whether it’s time to say goodbye, our veterinarians can evaluate your pet’s health and answer your questions in order to help you make a decision.

In-Office Pet Euthanasia

Many pet owners choose in-office pet euthanasia. Once you arrive in our office, you will have the option of choosing how involved you wish to be in your pet’s final moments. If you wish to stay with your beloved dog or cat throughout their final moments, our team will escort you to a private room where you can say your goodbyes. Due to COVID, we are restricting the number of family members in the room to one person.

Private Cremation Services

We partner with Koefran to provide private cremation services for owners who wish to keep their pet's cremains. Koefran uses an identification tag that is filled out by Blue Cross Pet Hospital. This tag stays with your pet until your pet is cremated. During the actual cremation the identification tag is removed and attached to a clipboard on the cremation unit. After the ashes are carefully gathered, the identification tag goes back with the cremains and is transferred to the boxing room where a memorial card with your pet’s identification number replaces the original identification tag. Each pet is individually cremated and placed in a finished cedar pet urn. You also have the option of choosing a different urn along with optional engraving. Your pet's cremains will be hand-delivered to our facility and we will contact you directly as soon as your pet's cremains arrive, within approximately 3-4 weeks.

Group Cremation Services

This option is available for those who do not wish to keep the cremains of their pet. Koefran scatters cremated remains on private property in the Sacramento Valley Delta or the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

Parasite Prevention

Fleas and ticks are more than just a nuisance. They can make your pet extremely uncomfortable and cause several different types of illnesses, like flea allergy dermatitis and tapeworm infestations. Blue Cross Pet Hospital can evaluate your pet to determine the best type of flea prevention medication.

Pet Health Hazards Of Fleas And Ticks

Fleas and ticks carry diseases that can cause serious harm to your pet. The most common problem associated with fleas is flea allergy dermatitis, which causes excessive itching, skin inflammation, sores and hair loss. The second most common problem associated with fleas is tapeworms. Fleas can carry tapeworm eggs, and when the flea bites your pet, the egg can be deposited under your pet’s skin, causing a tapeworm infestation.

Ticks are known to carry many different types of bacteria that can cause zoonosis, rocky mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. Lyme disease causes lethargy, pain in your pets joints and a decrease in appetite. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause skin lesions, vomiting, problems with your pet’s nervous system and depression. Zoonosis is known for causing bloody diarrhea, fevers, runny noses and watering eyes.

For pets who are small or advanced in age, a severe flea infestation can cause anemia, which is characterized by rapid breathing, lack of appetite and excessive sleeping. If you suspect your pet has anemia due to fleas, it is an emergency situation.

Types Of Flea Prevention Medication Available

When it comes to preventing fleas and ticks, there are several different types of medications available, including sprays, oral tablets, spot-on treatments and flea collars. Blue Cross Pet Hospital can help you decide which method is best for your pet, depending on his or her lifestyle.

Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

What Happens During a Spay or Neuter Surgery

The first thing a veterinarian does when a female pet undergoes spay surgery is to provide her with anesthesia to put her into a deep sleep. The veterinarian then removes the ovaries and uterus through an opening in the dog or cat’s abdomen.

After a male pet has received anesthesia for a neuter surgery, the veterinarian makes a small cut in the front of his scrotum. The veterinarian then removes each testicle and ties off the vas deferens that produces its blood supply.

Veterinary staff carefully monitors a pet’s heart and breathing rate throughout the procedure. They also provide pet owners with home care instructions once the pet comes out of surgery.

Benefits of Neutering and Spaying

Spaying a female cat or dog decreases her risk of developing uterine, ovarian, and mammary gland cancer. Neutering surgery a male cat or dog, significantly reduces the risk of developing testicular or prostate cancer. Neutering or spaying a pet increases his or her lifespan by an average of three to five years .

An unaltered female cat may go through several heat cycles each year. Intact female dogs usually go into heat two times each year. A cat becomes fertile well before she reaches one year old, which means she could produce dozens of unwanted litters of kittens during her lifetime. Cats in heat have loud vocalizations and can act aggressively to try to gain the attention of male cats.

Both dogs and cats can engage in aggressive behavior and roaming when they have not yet undergone the neutering procedure. The aggressiveness can surprise their human family when the dog attempts to bite or even act in a sexual manner towards people. Unneutered pets also spray their urine to claim a territory as their own. This odor is not only extremely unpleasant, it can be difficult to eliminate as well.