What to do if dog dies at home at night

Respectful Options for Your Pet

Backyard burials are a sincere and sometimes permittable option for home owners. For many people this allows for the significance of ceremony and a burial site as a place of calming reflection.  However, this may not suit everyone if you’re planning to move home in the future dislike the idea of having to leave your pet behind.

Choosing to memorialise your pet in a loving, thoughtful way through cremation relieves the worry of long-lost locations. Your pet’s ashes can be kept in remembrance for a lifetime and for many families this brings great comfort not only in those early, grieving days but also into the future.

Door-to-door cremation services help take away the stress of what to do next when your pet passes away.  They offer a meaningful memorial, tribute and commemorative products to suit your requests.  Caring, fully-trained staff provide support and comfort throughout the process of choosing how you’d like to preserve your pet’s memory.  Urns, candles, jewellery and framed images are just some of the ways that you can keep the presence and memory of your pet nearby.

Cremation services are also surprisingly affordable, and if up-front funds are a problem, many businesses like RSPCA Pets at Rest, offer convenient payment plans to help ease the financial burden.

The most important thing to remember when choosing an end-of-life option for your pet is that it should always be based on what feels right and is achievable for you and your family.  Final goodbyes are often the personal, first steps towards healing.

Losing a beloved pet is difficult no matter the circumstances. Ideally, I think most of us would want to hug our pet when the time comes, speak softly to him, and ask him to wait for us on the other side (depending on your beliefs) until it’s our time to join him.

If this occurs with a veterinarian’s assistance, the veterinarian can assist you with the after care of your pet’s body. But what happens if your pet dies at home and you are alone? First of all, go ahead and cry. Your heart is going to break no matter whether the death was anticipated or unexpected.

Then call a family member or friend to come over right away to help you. There is no need for you to go through this by yourself. Choose wisely, though, and call someone who is strong (mentally and/or physically) but who will also not scoff at you because you are devastated. If your help can come over within the hour, go ahead and sit with your pet until your friend shows up.

Wrap Your Pet

No matter what you decide to do with your pet’s body, and we’ll discuss those options next, as soon as your help shows up you will need to wrap the body. Unfortunately, death isn’t pretty and decomposition begins right away.

Bodily fluids may leak from the body so put several potty pads or a large trash bag under the body before you move it. Just slide it under. The sooner you do this the better.

I save my pets’ collars; if you wish to do this take off the collar now and set it aside. Then gently arrange your pet on his side, curled up in a natural position. This will look more natural to you and will provide a bit of comfort.

Choose a towel, blanket, or a piece of your clothing that you would like to go with your pet and wrap him (and the trash bag that is under him) in it. Then place the body inside a trash bag. Tightly seal the bag.

If your pet was small, if you can put his wrapped body in the refrigerator that is best. If he’s too large, put him in a cool place such as on the cool concrete in the garage. This will slightly slow decomposition until you can make arrangements. You cannot wait long though.

Now What?

In years past, pet owners buried their pets on their property. My grandparents had an area behind my grandmother’s garden where generations of well-loved pets were buried, each with their own marker, some of which had been created by the kids in the family. However, few pet owners can do this today due to space and local regulations. Thankfully, other options are available, including cremation and pet cemeteries.

If you believe that once a pet has passed away the body is just a shell, you can call your local animal control. They usually have low cost (or no cost) services to dispose of deceased pets. You can also call your veterinarian. You will need to bring your pet to the clinic but then they can arrange for disposal.

Many pet owners prefer to have their pet cremated and have the ashes returned to them. If you do this, you can then keep the ashes or, if you wish, scatter them in a place that is special to you both. I do a bit of both by keeping half of the ashes and burying half and planting a rose bush on top. It’s comforting to see Riker’s Peace rose and Bashir’s Coat of Many Colors bloom each spring.

Your veterinarian will know of local pet cremation companies, contact your vet clinic for that information. Most cremation companies will come pick up the body, especially if the pet is large. However, you may be able to drop the pet off. They will contact you in a week or so to come pick up the ashes, usually in a nice wooden box.

Another option is burial in a pet cemetery. These may accept your pet’s body or the pet’s ashes after cremation. Again, your veterinarian’s office will know if this is available in your area or you can do some online search.

Allow Yourself to Grieve

No matter whether your pet’s death was anticipated or unexpected, the loss is still going to hurt. Our pets are members of our family and their absence will be obvious. Allow yourself to grieve.

Avoid those people who will demean your grief and keep close those who understand your feelings. Allow them to provide some sympathy and solace.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, contact a pet loss support group. There are many of these; some of which meet in person in local areas and some that are online. For a local group, contact your local humane society or your veterinarian for information. Online, search for pet loss support group or pet bereavement. On Facebook, there are several pages for this, including Pet Loss & Bereavement. Grieving is normal and takes time. Be patient and be kind to yourself.

The death of a beloved pet is an incredibly sad time for owners. Whether your dog dies naturally at home or is put to sleep at the vets, it’s always a stressful and upsetting time.

If your pet has been unwell, or is very old and naturally approaching the end of their life, you may already have plans in place for their eventual passing. However, even the best-laid plans can be disrupted by external factors or by grief. If you’re struggling with your pet’s death in the immediate aftermath, always ask for help from a friend, family member or veterinary professional.

What often adds to the trauma of a pet’s death is the uncertainty of how to handle their remains. Take some of the stress out of this period with this comprehensive guide on what to do when your dog dies.

We usually associate the death of pets with them being put to sleep at a veterinary surgery. But what happens when a dog dies naturally at home?

If your pet dies at home, it may be difficult to handle their remains. You may wish to call your vet or another professional service, such as a company that can assist with dead dog disposal. Remember that such services may not be available on weekends or during national holidays.

When a dog dies, their body may still show signs of what can look like life, such as the following:

• Twitching, as a result of natural nerve spasms after death
• The release of air from the mouth when moved
• The release of bodily fluids and gas

These can all be quite upsetting for owners to witness, especially if they aren’t expecting them. They aren’t, sadly, signs that your pet is coming back to life. They are simply the natural bodily functions and what happens when a dog dies naturally.

When handling remains, always wear gloves and thoroughly clean any area that has been touched by the animal, as well as thoroughly cleaning any fluids that may have been spilt. It’s important to limit the spread of germs in the immediate aftermath.

You may wish to leave your pet at home for a few hours before organising a dead dog disposal; in which case, ensure that the body is left in a cool room, for no longer than 24 hours. Be aware that rigor mortis—the stiffening of joints after death—will begin to set in after around three to four hours.

Your local vet will be well placed to deal with dead dog disposal, and if you wish for it to be handled by them simply place a call as soon as possible. Your vet should then be able to organise the collection and subsequent burial or cremation, according to your preference.

If you wish for your dog to be cremated, it is possible to organise this yourself rather than going through a vet. Dog cremation is more costly than home burial, but gives owners a variety of options when it comes to memorialising their pet’s remains.

Crematoriums will return a dog’s ashes to their owner and these can be stored or scattered according to personal preference. Many owners choose to keep dog ashes in an urn or even store them in keepsake items, such as a piece of jewellery. Owners also often scatter their pet’s ashes in some of their favourite places or walks.

Remember that there are various options when it comes to cremation, including communal or private cremation. If you’re planning to use your pet’s ashes for a specific memorial, do bare in mind that although crematoriums do make an effort to keep ashes separate during communal cremations, this cannot be guaranteed.

The cost of dog cremation varies between different crematoriums and the options that they offer. These options depend on a variety of factors, such as the size of dog and whether a communal or private cremation is preferred. So, how much does it cost to cremate a dog? Overall costs will generally run to over £100.

Some owners choose to bury their dog at home. This option reduces the cost of dead dog disposal by avoiding expensive cremation costs and gives a final resting place to beloved pets, at home. If you’re thinking about home burial, it’s important to consider local laws. In the UK, it is legal to bury pets in a garden that you own. It isn’t legal to bury animals in the gardens of rented accommodation, any property that you don’t own, or in public places. If you choose to bury your dog, check with your vet that their remains are not hazardous to human health before proceeding and choose a place away from water sources.

When burying a dog at home, ensure that their grave is no less than three feet deep, to ensure that their remains stay covered. You may also wish to mark the burial site with a covering of stone, or even a potted plant.

There are some pet cemeteries and crematoriums around the UK that will provide burial services for dogs. This is generally a more expensive option than dog cremation, the final price being dependent on weight. Cemeteries may also require that remains be buried in a coffin or other container, which further adds to the overall cost.

Pet cemeteries will offer individual plots for dog burial and you may also erect a headstone or other memorial marker over the gravesite.

 What to do when your dog dies is just the beginning of a process that can be very difficult for pet owners. For many, the passing of a beloved pet is similar to the death of a friend or family member and you should always seek support if needed.

Grieving a pet is always difficult, but there are many support groups and organisations to reach out to during this time.

Sometimes death can be prevented by regular check-ups with your vet. If you’re concerned about your dog’s health take a look at our content hub and find out how to keep your dog in top health.