Giant Breeds | Preparing For Passing

The thought of preparing for your beloved dog to pass is almost like self-torture. We can run so many different instances, theories and what-if's through your mind and create so much anxiety for ourselves. When you have a giant dog breed, that is amplified by whether you need to do anything in a certain way to ease the journey for not only you, but for them as well.

We spoke to our Vet, Claire Murray - and asked her how one can prepare for the passing of your giant dog. Here's the advice and tips she shared with us:

"Giant Dog Breeds are generally defined as those weighing 45-50kg or more.

They include breeds such as the Bernese Mountain Dog, Newfoundland, Irish Wolfhound, Mastiffs and many others.

Although they are large dogs, they tend to have incredibly gentle temperaments and make good family pets. Sadly due to some predisposed health problems, they can have a shorter lifespan. Some conditions that they more commonly get include degenerative joint disease, heart problems and bone cancers.

When your beloved dog is entering their final chapter and finding life a bit more challenging, you may want to think about what happens when the time comes to let them go.

As large dogs would find it a struggle to get into cars and travel to the vet practice or they may struggle to get up/stand, the option of a Home Euthanasia would allow a peaceful end to their lives with their final moments without any stress or worry.

The vet would always suggest some sedation to relax them which includes pain relief in case they have sore joints. A cannula (plastic needle) is then placed into a vein and a barbiturate is injected to ensure the most peaceful of passings."

For the Individual Cremation side of things, we suggest the following to keep the transportation of your pet calm and dignified:

• Position them an open space of your home for ease of transporting (i.e. in the garden, living room, dining room etc. where there is space to move around your dog)

• While we understand that you would like your dog to stay in/on their own beds, these are quite large and difficult to carry. It's much more dignified to transport your giant dog in one of our flexible stretchers without a large bed

• Unless you have a vehicle with a large boot space, opt for our Home Collection service

• Manoeuvring a giant dog is more difficult than you may think. Once they have passed, they will feel even heavier and most difficult to move. Prepare for this by having extra support nearby of friends & family who are able to help.

• Support their head - sometimes, it is quite common and natural for pets to release themselves once they have passed. This can be in the form of urine, feaces or sometimes liquid from their mouth and nose. We always advise propping their head up to reduce the chances of this happening.