When it’s time
Euthanasia at home or at the practice, and what happens after
If your animal is suffering now, ring us; out of hours, ring Lakeland Animal Emergency on 01632 960777.
Ring the desk when you are ready; you only need to say it is about euthanasia.
- At the practice
- In the quiet room at the back, at the end of a morning or afternoon list. You don’t have to sit in the waiting room.
- At home
- A vet and a nurse come to you in surgery hours, anywhere within half an hour of Kendal. They can take your animal with them afterwards.
- Not sure yet
- Book a consultation to talk it through with the vet. Nothing has to be decided there.
- Out of hours
- Lakeland Animal Emergency in Penrith, on 01632 960777, can do it at their clinic, and our cremation arrangements still apply afterwards. Their fees are separate from ours.
- If they die at home
- Ring us. We can collect them, at the collection fee in the table below, or you can bring them in, and the same choices for afterwards apply.
In the room
What the vet does, in order, so nothing in the room is a surprise.
Children and your other animals can be with you. If you would rather, it can be done in your car.
The consent form
You, or someone you have authorised, sign one form; under 18s need a parent or guardian. It also records your choice of cremation or burial, or that you haven’t decided yet.
Time first
Take as long as you need before we start. Tell us whether you want to stay, or to say goodbye and leave; either is fine.
A sedative
Most animals have a sedative injection first. It takes five to ten minutes to work, and you can hold them while it does.
The injection
The vet clips a little fur from a front leg, may place a cannula in the vein, and injects an overdose of anaesthetic. Your animal usually loses consciousness within seconds, and the heart usually stops within a minute or two; in a seriously ill animal it can take longer, and the vet will say so beforehand.
Rabbits, small pets and some cats
Rabbits and small pets usually have a general anaesthetic first, and the last injection is not into a leg vein. Some cats need a different site too.
Afterwards
The vet listens and tells you when the heart has stopped. The eyes often stay open, and there may be a deep breath, a twitch, or the bladder or bowels emptying, so we put a pad down. These are reflexes, and your animal feels nothing.
Leaving
Stay as long as you need. You leave by the side door, not through the waiting room.
Cremation or burial at home
You can choose on the day, or later.
- Communal cremation
- Cremated with other animals at Lune Valley Pet Crematorium. The ashes are not returned; the crematorium scatters them in its garden.
- Individual cremation
- Cremated alone at Lune Valley Pet Crematorium. The ashes come back to us in a wooden casket for you to collect.
- Burial at home
- Only at the home where they lived, if you own it, with at least a metre of soil above them, more for a large dog. Not in plastic, so the body can break down. The drug stays in the body, which is why it must be buried deep, and never near a watercourse or a well.
- Not decided yet
- We can keep them in our cold room for up to a week while you decide.
What we do afterwards
- We stop reminders straight away and sort out the health plan for you.
- We can report the death to the microchip database for you.
- If the ashes are coming back, we ring you when they arrive, usually within two weeks.
- We can cut a clip of fur or take a paw print, in the room or later.
- Some insurance policies pay towards these fees; we fill in the claim form.
If you want to talk to someone: Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support, 0800 096 6606, free, every day.
End-of-life fees, by weight
You can pay beforehand, or we post the bill a week later.
| Fee | Dog under 10 kg | Dog 10–25 kg | Dog 25–40 kg | Dog over 40 kg | Cat | Rabbit, small pet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talking it through, a consultation | £58 for any animal | |||||
| Euthanasia at the practice | £95 | £110 | £125 | £140 | £95 | £95 |
| Communal cremation | £48 | £62 | £78 | £96 | £42 | £36 |
| Individual cremation | £155 | £185 | £215 | £255 | £128 | £110 |
| Home visit, added to euthanasia | +£75 for any animal | |||||
| Collection from home | £45 for any animal | |||||
Talking it through, a consultation, any animal£58
Dog under 10 kg
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £95
- Communal cremation
- £48
- Individual cremation
- £155
Dog 10–25 kg
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £110
- Communal cremation
- £62
- Individual cremation
- £185
Dog 25–40 kg
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £125
- Communal cremation
- £78
- Individual cremation
- £215
Dog over 40 kg
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £140
- Communal cremation
- £96
- Individual cremation
- £255
Cat
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £95
- Communal cremation
- £42
- Individual cremation
- £128
Rabbit, small pet
- Euthanasia at the practice
- £95
- Communal cremation
- £36
- Individual cremation
- £110
Home visit, added to euthanasia, any animal+£75
Collection from home, any animal£45
- Fees as of October 2026. The euthanasia fee includes the sedative.
- Out of hours there are no home visits: the partner sees you at its clinic.
Ring the desk on 01632 960583 when you are ready.