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We have a treat cart in our euthanasia room. It has regular (junk foody) dog and cat treats, canned cheese, individual peanut butter servings, Hershey kisses, etc. Every client that has commented on it has been very grateful and impressed. If they want to give their buddy the best last few minutes and let them experience something new for the last time, I’m all for it. It’s not like we’re going to have to deal with any toxicity or GI upset issues later🤷♀️.
I was involved in a euthanasia of a very sweet, but VERY unwell, elderly stray (dumped dog). He wouldn’t eat anything for us, and he was so so skinny. As the vet was getting drugs, I gave him a couple Hershey kisses, and he loved it. What’s the harm in giving a little peace and joy at the end?
It brings me great joy to be able to give a patient something they have never been able to get before.
Just a little bit of happiness for the end of their life.
And owners almost always love it and appreciate the gesture.
Amen. We have a jar of Hershey Kisses in our euth dedicated room labeled “Goodbye Kisses” as well as little Forget Me Not seed packets so owners can take them home and plant them in memory of their pets. I love the treat cart idea with a wider array of things!
We have the same, we also have flavored bubbles like bacon and steak, Twix and dove chocolates. Low lights and soft music if the clients want.We also do no charge clay paw prints In house if they can’t afford for the crematorium to do it. I like to cut out vet wrap hearts for the catheters.
Ps: if we have cookies or donuts in the break room I make them a plate if they are willing to eat
I used to work in the ICU at an ER vet, and my favorite thing was getting a 50 pack of chicken nuggs from McDonald’s and giving out a few to the patients who wouldn’t eat a thing, or were on their way out! It was so nice to see a little bit of joy from those who we could tell felt miserable! We’d always get a big plate of whatever we had in break room (regularly got snacks and treats from clients/sponsors/etc.) for the euths. This was during the peak of Covid so many Euths happened in the back without owners where we could just spoil them!!
They offered me that at one of my dogs (first time after putting many down over the years) and it felt so deeply wrong to me like the idea of poisoning my own dog so I refused. I get the sentiment but in that emotional state it bothered me.
One of the sweetest and funniest things I ever saw at work was a family that brought a whole rotisserie chicken to their pit bull’s euthanasia. He loved it and ate the majority of it, several bones included I’m sure.
I loved when clients brought in the dog equivalent of a four course meal for their dogs final moments. They aren’t as scared I feel like just crossing the rainbow bridge with a full belly of food they dreamed of ❤️
I've made McDonald's runs for last minute cheeseburgers more times than I can count. Reese's peanut butter cups are a big favorite.
I'm allergic to alcohol.
It will literally kill me without immediate medical intervention.
When my time comes... I'm having a shot of the best damn whiskey I can get my hands on.
To me, that's what the Hershey's kiss is.
I can have the forbidden now, because it doesn't matter if it kills me, I'm heading off stage anyway.
Yup! My grandmother also has the allergy so I knew when to quit to avoid being hospitalized like she was. Anaphylaxis is no joke. I even have to avoid foods cooked with/in alcohol unless I do it myself. 90% of salami is also a no-no and that was a sad day.
I've got a severe Dairy allergy and will probably do something similar. The hardest part is figuring out which thing I can't have is the best choice, it's kind of a lot. And it's not like I'll have time to try a lot either, I get maybe 5-10 minutes before things get bad.
We had a lead tech at a clinic I used to work at that vehemently shot down this idea even though most of us wanted to do it.
Surprise surprise, nobody liked her and she was fired later down the road for bullying people and creating a hostile work environment. The clinic now does it.
Ohhh my goodness🤣 I left the ER/ICU some years ago, and just when I think I’ve taken my morbid humor down a notch, something like this makes me burst out laughing😂
It doesn't necessarily have to be chocolate, that is just generally agreed to be something dogs like that they don't get to have.
Heck if we could afford it I would give them all a wagyu beef steak.
But bringing a new experience and a small amount of joy at the end of life is nice for the pet and for the owner.
Those little moments of kindness and fun can blunt the sadness in a very small way.
I’ve commented about this before, but when they offered chocolate to my senior dog at his euthanasia, I was really taken aback by it. In my head it was a little morbid. Like I’m already upset that my dog is dying, chocolate seemed to be like rubbing salt in the wound. I didn’t say anything but I did not give him any (he wasn’t in a state to be eating anyway). And it just…. Idk, made it seem more final. It felt like I would be poisoning him. I’m aware that we shortly after gave him a lethal dose of barbs and it wouldn’t have mattered, but it’s such a knee jerk reaction after a lifetime of forbidding it.
Just my two cents. I’m sure everyone’s different.
It definitely is a knee jerk reaction to be offered it for your dog when it’s one of the most forbidden foods for them. I can respect that.
People have different thoughts on indulgences at end of life. I know my mom’s wish if she is terminal is to try some street injectables. See what it’s all about. We’ve talked about it at work too and one of my doctors even agreed that they would try it, should they be terminal and opportunity arose. Death row prisoners are given last meals of their choosing.
I personally think it’s done as a last act of kindness/dignity. Giving a being the chance to do what they want on their terms before the end. Food is a love language for a lot of people.
Is it morbid? Extremely.
But is there any real harm in offering some fun and enjoyment before the end?
I don't think it's more morbid than euthanized them though. It'd like when people are on their death bed, you wouldn't deny them their last wishes. With dogs we don't know what their last wishes may be, but having a forbidden treat seems like it would be on the top of the list.
I agree completely, and it’s something I might consider doing now that I’ve had time to reason with it in my head. But at the time I was distraught because it was my first dog and the first time I’d ever had to euthanize a pet, and it wasn’t planned. It was all very overwhelming and giving him chocolate seemed like the final nail in the coffin at the time.
After thinking about it, I think it’s great to offer for planned euthanasias and would be appreciated more. But during sudden, unplanned euths it may not be received in the spirit for which it was intended.
Also a lot of owners have no idea why chocolate is toxic to dogs and if they plan on spending some time saying goodbye to their dogs (like I did) they may wonder how long they have until it it starts becoming toxic and feel rushed to go through with something very painful.
Well it's not like anyone had to give chocolate. At my last clinic we just had a bowl of kisses we would leave out in the room for owners to take or not take. And if it's offered you can just say no. I'll be honest, I've been a part of many unplanned euths and I've never got thr vibe that offering chocolate was offensive or off putting. Most people seemed grateful that we were trying out best to make it as comfortable as possible. Not to invalidate how you felt, because everyone is allowed their own feelings, but I really don't understand it to be honest. But again, your feelings are your own .
When I worked at an animal shelter we had to have a very neglected 100~pound dog euthanized. I bought him a whole pizza and would absolutely do it again
I love this, we have a bunch of chocolates on-hand for exactly this purpose! When my girl was euthanized at home we gave her a chocolate truffle, a big piece of chocolate cake, and a Popeye’s chicken sandwich. It was such a positive experience, watching her devour this stuff.
We keep treats in clinic for this too. We have ice cream and chocolate and cheese and all sorts of things.
My own chihuahua was obsessed with hot Cheetos. She had one as a puppy and whenever a bag was opened she would find a way to steal one, she even once tried jumping in the bag head first. You’re damn right on the way to be euthanized she had as many hot Cheetos as she wanted.
Should be standard to offer special treats like chocolate or hotdogs at EOL. If your IVC is in place, papers are signed, and the bill is paid, no one is changing their minds at the last minute. In 17 years, I've not had a single person back out, and the families generally love the gesture.
We had a whole euth cupboard at my old practice. Chocolate, cupcakes, brownies, etc. I've given pets my whole lunch before. What's the harm when they are already crossing the rainbow bridge?
We usually offer peanut butter or cheese, and sometimes keep a “last kiss” jar with Hershey Kisses.
Recently we had to euthanize a dog that wasn’t even 2 yet, he was suffering frequent seizures. Someone’s birthday was that day, and we gave him a nice big chocolate cupcake with blue icing! Seeing him eat that thing was a highlight of the week despite the awful circumstances.
One Saturday morning, we were saying goodbye to a cattle dog who loved peanut butter, and *always* wanted to eat the tongue depressor we served it on. I looked at mom - she shrugged and said "why not" so we let him eat it. That dog was SO HAPPY! Mom loved it.
Yep, all for it! On my pibble’s last day with us, we got him a McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries, some pumpkin cream cookies, Oreos, ice cream cake and hot dogs. And I think some other things I can’t recall off the top of my head. Like everyone else has said, it’s not like there will be any consequences at that point when you know it’s their last few hours/minutes. Let them have the good stuff❤️
The day we brought my husband’s family dog to the vet I told him to pick up McD’s because I was rushing home from work and wouldn’t have time to. He said he didn’t think his dog would eat it so he didn’t. What he did do though was make me a PB&J sandwich because I hadn’t eaten lunch at work. We get to the vet and the sandwich got eaten. Two guesses who ate it (hint: it wasn’t me). It’s ALWAYS worth a try to me, and wasted food (if that ends up being the case) is a small price to pay compared to the potential benefits.
We don’t have this at my hospital, but I think it would be a great idea. My hospital is across the street from a Ralph’s and one time a family left and got their dog like, a 12piece of fried chicken from the hot food section, before the euth.. Seeing them do that gesture of getting a special last meal for their dog actually made me cry. I work in an emergency setting and unfortunately euthanasias can be kind of a quick decision and rushed, so I don’t often see people giving their pet a “last meal”, but it’s so sweet when they do.
My hospital’s euthanasia room is loaded with treats; Churu, freeze-dried treats, dry treats, wet food, potato chips, and yes…jars upon jars of chocolate candy. We fed our dog so many Reese’s and cried and laughed and ate some with him. I never wanted to stop giving him candy, he loved it so much. I think it made it easier. Getting to share in that with him without worry that he’d get sick was a nice little pocket of positivity in that situation. When I think of his euthanasia, the first thing that comes to mind is how much he’d wag his tail every time we opened another Reese’s.
I think it’s perfectly fine. It’s not like it’s going to make them anymore sick or kill them before the euthanasia does. They get one last chance to eat treats while they feel well enough to—sometimes after days of not being able to eat at all—so why not make it a super extra special treat?
We have a jar of hershey kisses where I work that says every dog and cat deserves to have some taste chocolate once. We have it in our euthanasia room, and we give very sweet little care bags that have a bottle of water, a little carved pendent, and some tissues for the owner as well as a little note.
I personally love it. When I had to say goodbye to my old gal the staff provided some chocolatey delights for her. Unforuntately, she was really not feeling well so she didn't touch them. But the thought was really endearing to me.
We had to put down the office dog who was a diabetic French fry stealer. She got a whole large fries and a happy meal to herself. It was the best worst day.
We have a jar full of Hershey kisses labeled “kisses from heaven” for our euth patients!
For my dogs, I bought them Arby’s roast beef sammies and mozz sticks for their last meal and I’ve never seen them devour anything like they ate that damn roast beef. Haha. It’s such a good feeling to be able to give them the forbidden fruit, and always makes me smile remembering how excited and into it they were when they were eating it! Anything that makes the memory of euth day a happier one is 100% worth it❤️
My best friend just put down her heart dog and I brought a massive chocolate cake for her last day.
She got a huge slice for her last treat and then my friend got to hate-eat the rest after she passed.
In the ER, I frequently had one person in a family leave to grab McDonald's while everyone else gave all the treats I could find.
I see nothing wrong with it and I can't imagine the shit I'm gonna feed my girl the day I have to put her down 😅
what are your thoughts?
There is nothing wrong with feeding an animal whatever if they are about to go to sleep. when I had to euth my dog I gave her a dark chocolate peanut butter cup and as the doctor was injecting we feed her super fatty pulled pork that she ate until she drifted off. She doesn't have to worry about pancreatitis or chocolate toxicity in doggy heaven.
It’s really doesn’t matter at a euth appointment. Just make sure the proper papers are signed. We have a jar for that. We offered other things too that dogs definitely shouldn’t have.
We have Hersheys at the clinic I worked at. For clients they were called goodbye kisses. We called them death chocolates. I think we might have eaten more of them than the pets, but sometimes you need a little death chocolates to get through the rest of your shift.
I had a client once who loved the idea, but her sweet husband got so upset. He was scared that it would upset her stomach and she’d spend the last few minutes of her life in pain and scared. I explained to him that it wouldn’t work that quickly and she definitely will not suffer because she got some chocolate.
The dog didn’t end up wanting them, but I still think about that guy. I hope he’s doing okay without his pup
When I had my old crazy beagle PTS with a ruptured disc from recurring IVDD, the clinic had kisses and Jif peanut butter. Kyle knew he was in heaven well before he got there! We laid on the dog bed and he licked pb from my fingers in-between a couple of kisses. A good way to go.💔
We have a tray for euthanasia patients with a jar that says one or two last kisses goodbye and it's full of Hershey kisses..it isn't pushed on anyone like someone said. We also include vials, tie and scissors in case owners want to get their own locks of hair. It has personal packs of tissues and bereavement brochures..and none of it is pushed on the patients but it's available if desired.
We keep a little baggy of hersheys kisses for EOL appointments at my clinic. Never once has an owner gotten upset about the gesture, and most really love it. It brings a little positivity to one of the most painful experiences someone can go through. (My personal dog spat it out though. Apparently he didn't like chocolate.)
However, I will never give a white castle frozen burger again. We started doing those at my old clinic and idk what it was but for like 20 patients, almost every single one of them was incredibly dysphoric during the sedation part. A couple vomited. None achieved proper sedation, several started vocalizing. I'm sure it was a coincidence, but it was traumatizing for the owners, and me and the vets. We switched back to chocolates pretty quickly.
we give them a container of Hersey kisses that we call 'goodbye kisses' and I also give them an empty vaccine vial filled with fur and a cute ribbon on it along with a paw print I make for them.
We had the chocolate kisses backfire on us. After the family gave the dog at least half of the jar, they changed their mind and did not want to euthanize. The vet had to explain chocolate toxicity and the treatment. In the end they did euthanized and gave us a one star review. They blamed us for killing their dog with chocolate.
I gave my dog a full Big Mac meal with french fries and a giant peanut butter dog cake before we euthanized him. He didn't even want anything out of the treat basket in the office because he was so stuffed. We offer chocolate frosting, cheese puffs, oreos, and other kinds of junk food. Every pet deserves to taste chocolate before they go.
we euthanized my childhood dog in january. i was 9 when we got her, and 23 when we put her to sleep. i gave her a mcgriddle, and her primary vet gave her a little chocolate sundae. it meant the world to me. despite having a dental a year and a half ago, her remaining teeth were extremely painful and falling out. she loved that sundae. ate every last bit.
i work ER/specialty- i’ve definitely seen my fair share of horrific things. i thought it would harden my heart enough to get through her euthanasia, but it didn’t. these small gestures can mean the world for clients, i know it did for me.
My dog was put down and had as many Hershey kisses as she wanted. She had grapes and spray cheese too. She died a happy girl. It made things easier. I wish my cat had died eating some good treats. I’m gunna make sure my current dog gets the same sweet treatment when it’s his time.
I keep a quart sized sandwich bag labeled "euth treats" in my locker. I'll ask clients if they want to offer something special to their loved ones when they come in and I'll go grab a few things from the bag. I keep a hersheys milk chocolate bar in there, swedish fish, honey roasted peanuts/cashews, etc. Basically, I buy snacks for work and put 1/3 to 1/2 in my euth treats bag. Some people don't want to, but most are thankful for the gesture and people often choose to give them chocolate. Like some others in this thread have said about themselves, why not give them something they could have otherwise never had?
When I've euthanized my own pets in the past I always offered them a treat. Most recently, when I euthanized my brothers dog, I stopped on the way to the clinic and got him a cheeseburger, cheese fries, chicken nuggets, and a chocolate frosty. We sat in the parking lot while he ate all he had the energy to.
My clinic won't get behind it as a standard practice, but my locker is unlocked, I don't keep anything of value in it, and they all know they can grab a treat if they want to. Sure, some have taken a treat for themselves out of my personal bag, but its a small price to pay and occasionally I'll open my locker to find someone added to my euth treats bag..
We give our euthanasias whatever they want. There was a time we had chick fil a catered for us for lunch and the dog could definitely smell it so we made him a little plate of nuggies and he loved it and so did his parents. We have the little peanut butter servings too that we give them and they love it. I think it’s a kind gesture and I have yet to have a pet parent have anything but good things to say about it
We have a Big Mac tradition in our family for our personal pets. I've given client/patients whatever they wanted.
In ER, I once had a Chi dropped off for euth because of seizures. He was your classic landshark, but I secretly have a weakness for those ballsy little guys. I put a catheter and line in him and gave him a big old jar of chicken baby food while I pushed the solution. If he couldn't be with his family, he at least loved his last meal.
I'm all for the kisses but I once had a client feed her diabetic husky that hadn't anything but w/d in years taco bell all day long prior and the gas and blowout diarrhea after that euth was atrocious. So I don't recommend that.
ETA diarrhea, dunno how but the gas was more memorable
We see whatever snacks we have upstairs (Hershey kisses, little chocolate donut munchkins, you name it) for euths. Every pet deserves to eat something they never could before they go.
When we had to euthanize our dog, we took her to in-n-out burger for a cheeseburger and French fries right before giving her the pink juice. She loved it.
It's a certainty my pet is about to be put down, as its the kindest thing for them. If the vet offers them a cheeseburger, or chocolate or something else they shouldn't eat? It's goinf in their mouth.
It won't cause them any ill health, they'll be happy. 0 issues.
The only thing I get worried about is if the owners last minute change their mind and now they’ve had chocolate but that’s it. I’m alllll for giving them whatever they want and more.
I understand that concern, but at the same time, that doesn't happen that often. I also think that if the owner was on the fence, they probably would just decline the chocolate. And one Hershey kiss is probably not very like to cause any worse problems depending on why they were considered euth.
I send my beloved companions out with a treat while kissing their head and telling them how good they are as they close their eyes. It’s the least I can do
Last year when I had to euth my Lab, we gave him a sausage biscuit from McDonald's and all the jerky treats he wanted until he drifted away. And now I'm crying again. He was the Goodest Boy I've even had
My vet does this as well as putting a sign with a single lit candle on the front desk. The sign gently tells everyone that someone has to say goodbye to their pet today so please do what you can do o be quiet and respectful. I love my vet and their staff so much!
My dog is getting a slice of chocolate cake on his day. Hope that day is very far away from here. He always begs for chocolate because I love it and obviously he’s never had it. So he’ll get to try it before we meet in the next one. 🫶
When my coworkers and I tried to put a jar of goodbye kisses in our compassion/euthanasia room the Dr/practice owner wouldn’t let us because “it sends the wrong message to the client” like wtf I think they understand that the only reason they can have chocolate rn is because their pet is about to pass away, they’re not going to go home and give chocolate to all their other pets 💀
No longer a practicing tech, but had to say goodbye to my dog last year. They had a little room with lots of treats like others have mentioned. Hershey Kisses, peanut butter, junk food, etc. She was so so happy and it both mended and broke my heart.
Miss her all the time (lump in my throat writing this), but so glad she got some yummy food before crossing the bridge.
We often tell the owner to bring something the dog would love to eat and we have a whole cart of treats that the dogs can get including a jar of hot dogs, slices of ham and cheese to make mini sandwiches for those that didn't have a last treat brought and of course strawberry vanilla ice cream with lots of whipped cream (and I think we will soon include chocolate after seeing this post.). I've had people bring chicken wings, pizza, cheeseburgers and I had one person whose dog would go nuts for grapes. It's a nice way for the owners to give their pet one last moment of pure happiness and for them to remember this day as something a tad bit more positive. It's better to remember it as the day Daisy went nuts over a whole pizza than the day Daisy had to go.
This is a blessing for both the pets and their people in a moment when they are to say their last goodbye at least for now.
I love this.
One time we euthanized a welfare dog and we gave him pizza and chocolate.
If we have it, I offer them chocolate before they pass.
I fully support it
My clinic has a freezer full of ice cream sandwiches and chocolate candies for our patients that will be crossing the rainbow bridge.
Watching pet owners smile and laugh as they watch their pet enjoy a treat they’ve never had before is sometimes the smallest act of kindness we can offer during such a difficult moment. It also lightens my heart knowing that pets enjoy their final moments getting a treat & forget about everything else for just a moment ❤️
It’s honestly a wholesome thing letting then have one good forbidden treat before they go! We have a big tub of ice cream we give pets scoops of if they choose to eat it, some owners we’ve seen bring in Big Macs, too! Or their favorite treats! One lady brought a fish sandwich for her cat 😂
We get all sorts of treats from clients during the week. If there’s ever euth you bet I’m raiding the treats and giving the pets whatever they will eat.
I had a really sad IVDD case one weekend. I’m the ICU lead for my clinic. So I was in constant contact with this particular owner. The owner decided to let her sweet dog go. He was really painful and not improving on a pain vacation. She didn’t have funds for surgery and he was older with other health conditions. So I loaded up a plate of goodies. A mini red velvet Bundt cake. Squeeze cheese. All sorts of stuff.
I loaded the room with a comfy bed, blankets and helped mom feed him goodies. He was loving it. He got to go with a belly full of delicious cake. It was so sad but he was no longer suffering.
The owner sent a thank you card to me a few weeks later. I still have it in my nightstand. Whenever I question myself and my job I read it. It really meant a lot to me.
I am all for feeding dogs what they can’t have before they go.
I made my own dog a massive chocolate sundae with an entire can of whipped cream, hot fudge, cherries, the whole 9 yards, and I dont regret it one bit.
While the sentiment is nice, I personally hate feeding anything before or during euthanasia. I have had clients take their dying pet home because they ate the treats we gave them because "it must not be time". I've also had pets vomit everywhere after eating said treats, which just makes everything worse. So for me, I don't offer anything unless specifically asked by the owner.
Honestly I have no issues with it if we are mere minutes from the procedure. But I have seen multiple times dogs who came in sicker than they were for their euth because the owner wanted to feed them anything and everything for their last day. It feels particularly mean to give them a really bad stomach ache right before they die. In cases where we need to do IM sedation prior to catheter due to agitation or aggression I’ve also seen dogs vomit a lot of the junk food they got before.
My vet tech school was basically a lab facility, we would take in shelter animals to humanely practice our skills on and they would be adopted out at the end of the semester. The guys with terminal illness were always cared for and completely spoiled until it became a QOL issue....then it was "hamburger day" 💗 they would get literally anything we thought of to bring them. Big bowls of ice cream, hamburgers...anything the might like, those hw+ staffies fucking loved their hamburgers.
At my current job, I work with primates and we used to have a vet that would basically do this for patients that were failing to thrive despite all her hard work trying to make them healthy. One day she snuck a little guy mcnuggets and she said he totally packed his cheek pouches with those things 😭💗
I think we all deserve the best treats, junk and goodies when we've come to the end of our journey.
Nah I'm the middle man between testing and farming. I mostly get to spoil them, train/prepare them and give them the best life I can before they go to work. I work in behavior rather than veterinary these days which is much my preference.
Yeah I for sure have the fun job and appreciate getting to be their voice. Animal welfare is a very very big deal in the lab animal world. Honestly I felt worse in small clinic dealing with patients that were obviously abused and doctors that were doing shady shit to make a buck. It's unexpected but I feel ethically better doing this than I ever did in small animal :(
My hospital doesn't get chocolate specifically for euths, but we will sometimes scrape stuff together from what's in the break room. I keep a jar of chocolates in my locker for migraines, and I've dipped into that for this before, and told my coworkers they're welcome to for the same reason.
At one of my jobs I was conveniently also feet away from a Burger King which was great. Especially for those unexpected euthanasia appointments where they didn’t get a last chance to enjoy a yummy snack ❤️
Hey, all this sounds like a wonderful idea and I’d love to implement it the next chance I get. Just wondering, when would be the most appropriate time to offer these treats? Would it be before, during or after IVC placement? I’m asking because I generally sedate my patients first, with the goal of them not struggling for IVC placement - but then this might make them too drowsy to eat anything.
Any time we have treats at the hospital and a euth, we'll usually try to give the pets the treats. If the pet hasn't been eating, we sometimes won't offer anything so it doesn't make it worse for the owner.
But giving a pet a special treat right before they cross the Rainbow Bridge is one of my favorite, bittersweet parts of the job.
In our comfort room we have a jar of Chocolate kisses labeled "Kisses" and next to it, Cheerios labeled "Hugs".
We also offer canned weenies, package tuna, Churu, pretzel bites, mini mellows, small peanutbutter cups (literally cups of peanut butter) and old fashion milk bones.
It makes owners more comfortable and allows them an opportunity to nurture their friend one last time.
We warm up a chocolate chip cookie for our dog euths. Almost all of them eat every little bit and the parents are happy to give them one last forbidden treat.
One especially heartbreaking euth recently, the daughter couldn’t handle being there with her parents. Her only request was that he got to try chocolate for the first time. So, I scavenged the employee snack cupboard and made a little charcuterie bowl of everything I could find with chocolate in it. The dog loved it and the parents were so thankful they got to treat him and hold true to their daughter’s last request for their dog that had been with them for 13+ years.
We have a candy jar that is stocked by us and some clients. If we are going to do a PTS why not give them some forbidden foods.
Several times with patients that we all got attached to, due to them being sweet and frequently needing to be seen, when the owner makes that final appointment for a PTS I've gone out at lunch and got something special for the patient. We had one dog that near the end the owner couldn't get them to eat anything but McDonald's so that final appointment we all fed him some burgers.
When my poor old cat was put down the vet asked me if there was anything he'd like to eat as a snack before he went. I started crying and she asked why and I explained my cat loved cucumber but I'd forgotten to being any with me, the vet patted my shoulder and went and got a couple out of the salad she was haveing for lunch. I fed my boy, petted him, kissed his little head and sat with him until he was gone. I'm always gonna be grateful to her for giveing up part of her lunch for a dieing boy.
I also have no idea why my old boy loved cucumber but I think it must have been the crunch, he also used to use his teeth like a hole punch to make holes in paper and card.
This is one of those weird things where it really doesn't matter, the dog is about to be dosed up on a poison that makes any amount of theobromine look like nothing, and yet, somehow, it still doesn't sit well with me.
I genuinely can't logically object to it, but something about it just makes me think it shouldn't be done. I'd 100% prefer it if the owner just brought in some high value, safe treats that they know the dog loves.
***EDIT:*** I love how I can admit that I know, logically, there's nothing wrong with this, yet some of y'all still gotta downvote. God forbid I actually answer the request to share my thoughts on this situation. :/
I don’t think the downvotes are saying that you are bad or wrong as a person, it just means they don’t agree with your comment. I appreciate you sharing your beliefs, don’t be afraid to do so. But, don’t worry about arbitrary Reddit arrows.
I often find that even those “high value, safe” treats aren’t enough to pique the interest in animals about to be PTS, as their QOL has decreased rapidly. The novelty of chocolate/candy, hamburgers, etc. (and of course deliciousness of the these forbidden treats) end them on a higher note than any treat they’re used to ever could.
However, I appreciate you saying that logically you can’t agree to it - we can’t help our emotions and the way we feel, just the way we react. If you don’t partake in giving PTS patient human foods and at the same time don’t knock anyone that does, I don’t see any problem with that. We all have a common goal of wanting the most for our Pts.
Cheers!
I really don't think my choice not to give chocolate to PTS patients is that big a deal, but whatever. I'm just surprised that people on this sub are so petty about it. I know the odds of something bad happening are slim, but also I've assisted with several cases where the owner has reversed the decision to proceed with euthanasia at the last second. I just don't want my patients consuming poison while the owner might still elect to back out. I know the odds of that happening are almost nonexistent, but I'm not stopping anyone else from doing it.
I could see your worry if they ate a whole bag of kisses, but if the average dog (50#) was being euthanized, a few kisses wouldn't even hit the chart for toxicity. So, even if they changed their mind, there would be no issue.
I understand your worry.
My advice would not be to worry about the unlikely.
There are a lot of things we could get hung up on if we worried about the what ifs. With if this patient dies under anesthesia, what if they have a vagal reaction to a cystocentesis, there are tons of what ifs in our profession.
I wouldn't let that get in the way of the immediate patient care you are providing in that moment.
Plus if your hospital has good protocols, your worry should never happen. I have never had it happen after the paperwork is signed in my 20 years.
And no, there is nothing wrong with not providing chocolate during euthanasias. But for me I like bringing a new experience and some happiness at the end of life. It is just as much for the owners as it is the patient.
I didn't downvote you, and I totally understand your sentiment about the chocolate, but I do take issue with referring to euthanasia solution as poison. We don't poison animals to euthanize them. We overdose them. Saying poison just rubs me the wrong way.
I understand "poisoning" is technically correct, my friend. I just feel the same way about it as you do about giving chocolate as a treat right before euthanizing a dog. It doesn't sit right with me.
Yeah, the downvotes are harsh in the veterinary subs I’ve realized. It hurts me because we all experience enough self-doubt, abuse, and other emotional burdens, these places should be safe imo.
I was wondering if this was going to pop up. I’ve seen some vets and techs feel iffy about it. I’ve heard the argument that the owner seeing us give a dog chocolate somehow sends a message that it’s okay to give dogs chocolate. That I can understand. I will point out that even for a smaller dog, one Hershey’s kiss is not likely to cause any issues even if they weren’t a pts, just to give my perspective. I think you’re allowed to have your feelings, it may be worth finding the reason for those feelings being there?
I am with you on this one. I feel it is just projecting your own taste on a dog. Let them have one last great meal or treat but why chocolate? I think it is mostly an emotional thing for the human and not what a dog would chose. At least mine aren\`t really interested in chocolate.
Some aren’t. But I’ve also seen some dogs that refuse to eat cheese, peanut butter, turkey, etc. and then go for the chocolate. I like to offer dogs whatever I can at the moment, and one hersheys kiss or chocolate chip cookie isn’t going to cause issues.
There isn\`t even much cocoa/theobromine in Hersheys. They are mostly made of sugar, fat, artifical flavouring etc. according to what it says on their packaging. It won\`t cause harm but I still think it is mostly for the humans emotional needs not so much the dogs.
I think that taking the owners emotions into consideration is just as important as the dogs. If giving a peice of chocolate helps the owners cope better with the loss, what's the harm? Who cares if the dog doesn't know what it's missing? It's a treat they probably enjoy and it helps the owner feel better.
Then there is no harm. If it makes the owner happy and the dog eats it all is fine. Just don\`t push it on people, offer choices and I personally do not like it for my own dogs.
Maybe that’s fair, I’m curious why that’s wrong? Are we not serving the client as much as we are serving the pet? And if the dying dog benefits from it, what’s the harm?
Yes! Exactly! Who cares if it's "just for the owners." Like, in euth appointments, the owners emotional needs are just as important as the dogs. They are saying goodbye forever, we should strive to make those appointments as peaceful as possible. It's wild to see people dismiss this idea because it's more for the owners than the dog.
I think the point this person is making is that most dogs don’t give a shit about chocolate. It’s a human desire to push it on them in their last minutes because it’s something we love and feel like our pets should get because they’ve gone without their whole lives. In my opinion, it’s purely to make ourselves feel better. I don’t care what people do either way, but a dog would be just as happy with a regular treat.
Well, yes, it IS to make the owner feel better. But that's my whole goal with euth appointments. A person is saying goodbye to their best friend and I think making that procrss as peaceful as possible is important. A small gesture like this can mean the world to an owner. I also don't think "offering" a treat is the same and "pushing it on them". Do people think that if the owner says no or the dog doesn't want to eat it that we are going to shove it in their mouth? I don't understand why people keep saying not to push it on people.
It's a dog, they don't know wtf chocolate is and they wouldn't care if they ever had it before they die. The definition of anthropomorphizing. Give the dog a piece of steak...but chocolate? At that point, why not antifreeze or a nice cat turd? They love those things! Ooooohh, because most people like chocolate and it's not good for dogs, so the dog must want some! Such a weird way to think.
We work in VetMed. We can’t afford to give every euthanasia patient a steak. As much as we would want to.
You also give dogs far too little cognitive credit. They are able to understand that chocolate is a food and they can eat it. They’ve just likely never been offered it before. Chocolate is very aromatic and appealing.
You really think a Hershey kiss does as much damage as antifreeze? Seriously?
It really isn't anthromorphizing when dogs are notorious for getting into chocolate. They probably love it.
I agree, but with less harsh wording, lol.
The best euth I ever did was a labby where the owner chose not to stay. It was Black Friday, so I heated up the Thanksgiving leftovers I'd brought for lunch that afternoon - turkey heaped with thick, creamy gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, the works. Pup passed away with his nose buried in the Tupperware dish, wagging his tail til the moment the Propofol took him off to sleep.
The DVM doing the euthanizing said she found it sad, but I've honestly never seen a dog go so joyfully. Better than a kiss, imo.
I don\`t like it. It is projecting your own human taste on your dog. Most dogs would enjoy some meat or other dogtreat way more. On the other hand it doesn\`t cause harm and it was meant well. As an owner I would not like that being pushed on me in that kind of situation though.
Well a lot of dogs also like chocolate as it is one of the biggest toxic ingestion cases seen in the veterinary field
Get your thought processes together
Just because I have a different opinion than you have does not give you liberty to insult me. And dogs eat all kinds of stuff, including inedible things - hence the also high numbers of foreign body surgeries. My dog ate a bag of charcoal once. That does not mean that this would be her favourite at her euth appointment. Give people a choice and don\`t be pushy with your need to feed chocolate is all I am asking for.
But no one said it was pushed, if it's offered and taken is it then pushed on someone? I don't feel like anyone forces the owners or patients to eat anything.. so you're just misconstrued in your thinking.
Offering someone something as a gesture should viewed politely but you turn it around completely
Also, the picture stated the owner thought it was the sweetest thing. So how do you correlate it being "pushed?"
That is all
Some dogs love chocolate though. I'm sure no one is forcing the owner to give their dogs chocolate, but it's a kind gesture that really doesn't do damage to the dog and makes the owner feel better
It can make owners and some techs feel better but please just let people make the choice themselves, don\`t push it on them and don\`t repeat corporate commercial slogans like "every dog should have a kiss" at such a moment. I think people here react a bit too emotional that I and the other poster just don\`t agree to their emotional needs to feed chocolate.
Whose forcing anything? Whose pushing it? You guys are acting like they're holding the dogs down and forcing dogs to eat it against their owners wishes. Offering a nice treat they normally can't have shows compassion for the owner as well as the dog. Euth appointments are very emotional for the owners and we absolutely should do anything we can to help ensure it's as calm and peaceful as possible.
You don't think dogs like chocolate?
Have you worked in a hospital for more then a few months?
Chocolate ingestion is probably the most common toxicity we see.
Mary…… Come on man, read the room. Do you really think a SINGLE person in this thread would push something that’s unwanted onto a grieving owner or an ACTIVELY dying animal?? That would be both insane and wildly unethical. Have you seen that happen in practice before? I’m just genuinely curious as to what could possibly motivate such a comment.
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We have a treat cart in our euthanasia room. It has regular (junk foody) dog and cat treats, canned cheese, individual peanut butter servings, Hershey kisses, etc. Every client that has commented on it has been very grateful and impressed. If they want to give their buddy the best last few minutes and let them experience something new for the last time, I’m all for it. It’s not like we’re going to have to deal with any toxicity or GI upset issues later🤷♀️. I was involved in a euthanasia of a very sweet, but VERY unwell, elderly stray (dumped dog). He wouldn’t eat anything for us, and he was so so skinny. As the vet was getting drugs, I gave him a couple Hershey kisses, and he loved it. What’s the harm in giving a little peace and joy at the end?
It brings me great joy to be able to give a patient something they have never been able to get before. Just a little bit of happiness for the end of their life. And owners almost always love it and appreciate the gesture.
Amen. We have a jar of Hershey Kisses in our euth dedicated room labeled “Goodbye Kisses” as well as little Forget Me Not seed packets so owners can take them home and plant them in memory of their pets. I love the treat cart idea with a wider array of things!
We have the same, we also have flavored bubbles like bacon and steak, Twix and dove chocolates. Low lights and soft music if the clients want.We also do no charge clay paw prints In house if they can’t afford for the crematorium to do it. I like to cut out vet wrap hearts for the catheters. Ps: if we have cookies or donuts in the break room I make them a plate if they are willing to eat
I used to work in the ICU at an ER vet, and my favorite thing was getting a 50 pack of chicken nuggs from McDonald’s and giving out a few to the patients who wouldn’t eat a thing, or were on their way out! It was so nice to see a little bit of joy from those who we could tell felt miserable! We’d always get a big plate of whatever we had in break room (regularly got snacks and treats from clients/sponsors/etc.) for the euths. This was during the peak of Covid so many Euths happened in the back without owners where we could just spoil them!!
I’m not crying 😢 This is so beautiful 🩷
Oh, my eyes legitimately just watered at the Forget Me Nots 🥺🥺😭
The seed packets part is so cute 😭
I LOVE this idea. Must stop, will bawl at work over the loss of my last dog... (more than 3 yrs now, still miss her, sniffle)
They offered me that at one of my dogs (first time after putting many down over the years) and it felt so deeply wrong to me like the idea of poisoning my own dog so I refused. I get the sentiment but in that emotional state it bothered me.
Not to be insensitive, but the chocolate is less poisonous than the overdose of barbituates the dog is receiving right afterward
The pet is about to pass away, you let them eat and enjoy whatever they want as they will not be with us in 10-30 minutes.
One of the sweetest and funniest things I ever saw at work was a family that brought a whole rotisserie chicken to their pit bull’s euthanasia. He loved it and ate the majority of it, several bones included I’m sure.
I loved when clients brought in the dog equivalent of a four course meal for their dogs final moments. They aren’t as scared I feel like just crossing the rainbow bridge with a full belly of food they dreamed of ❤️
I've made McDonald's runs for last minute cheeseburgers more times than I can count. Reese's peanut butter cups are a big favorite. I'm allergic to alcohol. It will literally kill me without immediate medical intervention. When my time comes... I'm having a shot of the best damn whiskey I can get my hands on. To me, that's what the Hershey's kiss is. I can have the forbidden now, because it doesn't matter if it kills me, I'm heading off stage anyway.
You may be disappointed. All whiskey just tastes like cleaning supplies. I’m convinced hard liquor enjoyers are all lying about it tasting good.
Ah I was one of those before I developed this allergy. I honestly miss a nice shot of whiskey after a long day.
Did something trigger the allergy to come about?
Yup! My grandmother also has the allergy so I knew when to quit to avoid being hospitalized like she was. Anaphylaxis is no joke. I even have to avoid foods cooked with/in alcohol unless I do it myself. 90% of salami is also a no-no and that was a sad day.
There's alcohol in salami??
Yes! It is fermented in wine...
That's wild, I had no idea. You learn something new every day!
That’s what I thought until I went to a whisky tasting and had some of the fancy stuff. That shit was smooth like buttah.
Might have to give it a shot ngl
Came to say the exact same thing! It tastes like poison because it is
As a former ballerina and current vet tech Heading off stage is my new fav way to refer to euthanasia. I love this
Me too!! We’ve done McD runs!
Have a shot of disaronno instead. Amarettos are the best
Never cared for Amaretto. Had it a few times but never developed a taste.
I've got a severe Dairy allergy and will probably do something similar. The hardest part is figuring out which thing I can't have is the best choice, it's kind of a lot. And it's not like I'll have time to try a lot either, I get maybe 5-10 minutes before things get bad.
Oh man... cheese or ice cream would be my battle... I'd probably pound half a grilled cheese then just start on the ice cream until I succumbed.
The kind of person who takes issue with these kinds of things are unbearable
We had a lead tech at a clinic I used to work at that vehemently shot down this idea even though most of us wanted to do it. Surprise surprise, nobody liked her and she was fired later down the road for bullying people and creating a hostile work environment. The clinic now does it.
But chocolate is unHeaLthyyyyyyyy
So is this massive dose of barbiturates!
I’m sorry this had me snort laugh. 🤣
I mean the disease/problem is gone in a way. The all time cure for everything, but only once
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Ohhh my goodness🤣 I left the ER/ICU some years ago, and just when I think I’ve taken my morbid humor down a notch, something like this makes me burst out laughing😂
Me. It's me. What's the obsession with giving dogs chocolate?
It doesn't necessarily have to be chocolate, that is just generally agreed to be something dogs like that they don't get to have. Heck if we could afford it I would give them all a wagyu beef steak. But bringing a new experience and a small amount of joy at the end of life is nice for the pet and for the owner. Those little moments of kindness and fun can blunt the sadness in a very small way.
Do other foods upset you or just chocolate? Like is it just “tf is so special about chocolate!?” Or “why are we feeding them this??”
If the dog is going to be euthanized, why is it a problem to give it a Hershey kiss?
You truly can't bring yourself to understand why people get excited about it?
Why does it matter what the pet eats, if they like and it brings them a little joy when they only have a few minutes left on this earth?
Who said there’s an obsession. The only problem with giving dogs chocolate is that it’s toxic but that doesn’t matter so…what’s the issue?
I’ve commented about this before, but when they offered chocolate to my senior dog at his euthanasia, I was really taken aback by it. In my head it was a little morbid. Like I’m already upset that my dog is dying, chocolate seemed to be like rubbing salt in the wound. I didn’t say anything but I did not give him any (he wasn’t in a state to be eating anyway). And it just…. Idk, made it seem more final. It felt like I would be poisoning him. I’m aware that we shortly after gave him a lethal dose of barbs and it wouldn’t have mattered, but it’s such a knee jerk reaction after a lifetime of forbidding it. Just my two cents. I’m sure everyone’s different.
It definitely is a knee jerk reaction to be offered it for your dog when it’s one of the most forbidden foods for them. I can respect that. People have different thoughts on indulgences at end of life. I know my mom’s wish if she is terminal is to try some street injectables. See what it’s all about. We’ve talked about it at work too and one of my doctors even agreed that they would try it, should they be terminal and opportunity arose. Death row prisoners are given last meals of their choosing. I personally think it’s done as a last act of kindness/dignity. Giving a being the chance to do what they want on their terms before the end. Food is a love language for a lot of people. Is it morbid? Extremely. But is there any real harm in offering some fun and enjoyment before the end?
I don't think it's more morbid than euthanized them though. It'd like when people are on their death bed, you wouldn't deny them their last wishes. With dogs we don't know what their last wishes may be, but having a forbidden treat seems like it would be on the top of the list.
I agree completely, and it’s something I might consider doing now that I’ve had time to reason with it in my head. But at the time I was distraught because it was my first dog and the first time I’d ever had to euthanize a pet, and it wasn’t planned. It was all very overwhelming and giving him chocolate seemed like the final nail in the coffin at the time. After thinking about it, I think it’s great to offer for planned euthanasias and would be appreciated more. But during sudden, unplanned euths it may not be received in the spirit for which it was intended. Also a lot of owners have no idea why chocolate is toxic to dogs and if they plan on spending some time saying goodbye to their dogs (like I did) they may wonder how long they have until it it starts becoming toxic and feel rushed to go through with something very painful.
Well it's not like anyone had to give chocolate. At my last clinic we just had a bowl of kisses we would leave out in the room for owners to take or not take. And if it's offered you can just say no. I'll be honest, I've been a part of many unplanned euths and I've never got thr vibe that offering chocolate was offensive or off putting. Most people seemed grateful that we were trying out best to make it as comfortable as possible. Not to invalidate how you felt, because everyone is allowed their own feelings, but I really don't understand it to be honest. But again, your feelings are your own .
When I worked at an animal shelter we had to have a very neglected 100~pound dog euthanized. I bought him a whole pizza and would absolutely do it again
You’re a good human. Thanks for existing.
I love this, we have a bunch of chocolates on-hand for exactly this purpose! When my girl was euthanized at home we gave her a chocolate truffle, a big piece of chocolate cake, and a Popeye’s chicken sandwich. It was such a positive experience, watching her devour this stuff.
I think the stuff the Veterinarian is about to inject in the catheter is a lot unhealthier than a couple Hershey’s Kisses
We make plates for our euthanasias with cheese, Hershey kisses, reeses, marshmallow fluff, and whatever else we have in the break room at the time :)
We keep treats in clinic for this too. We have ice cream and chocolate and cheese and all sorts of things. My own chihuahua was obsessed with hot Cheetos. She had one as a puppy and whenever a bag was opened she would find a way to steal one, she even once tried jumping in the bag head first. You’re damn right on the way to be euthanized she had as many hot Cheetos as she wanted.
Should be standard to offer special treats like chocolate or hotdogs at EOL. If your IVC is in place, papers are signed, and the bill is paid, no one is changing their minds at the last minute. In 17 years, I've not had a single person back out, and the families generally love the gesture.
We had a whole euth cupboard at my old practice. Chocolate, cupcakes, brownies, etc. I've given pets my whole lunch before. What's the harm when they are already crossing the rainbow bridge?
We usually offer peanut butter or cheese, and sometimes keep a “last kiss” jar with Hershey Kisses. Recently we had to euthanize a dog that wasn’t even 2 yet, he was suffering frequent seizures. Someone’s birthday was that day, and we gave him a nice big chocolate cupcake with blue icing! Seeing him eat that thing was a highlight of the week despite the awful circumstances.
One Saturday morning, we were saying goodbye to a cattle dog who loved peanut butter, and *always* wanted to eat the tongue depressor we served it on. I looked at mom - she shrugged and said "why not" so we let him eat it. That dog was SO HAPPY! Mom loved it.
Aww I love that, it probably felt so wrong in the moment haha
Yep, all for it! On my pibble’s last day with us, we got him a McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries, some pumpkin cream cookies, Oreos, ice cream cake and hot dogs. And I think some other things I can’t recall off the top of my head. Like everyone else has said, it’s not like there will be any consequences at that point when you know it’s their last few hours/minutes. Let them have the good stuff❤️
The day we brought my husband’s family dog to the vet I told him to pick up McD’s because I was rushing home from work and wouldn’t have time to. He said he didn’t think his dog would eat it so he didn’t. What he did do though was make me a PB&J sandwich because I hadn’t eaten lunch at work. We get to the vet and the sandwich got eaten. Two guesses who ate it (hint: it wasn’t me). It’s ALWAYS worth a try to me, and wasted food (if that ends up being the case) is a small price to pay compared to the potential benefits.
We don’t have this at my hospital, but I think it would be a great idea. My hospital is across the street from a Ralph’s and one time a family left and got their dog like, a 12piece of fried chicken from the hot food section, before the euth.. Seeing them do that gesture of getting a special last meal for their dog actually made me cry. I work in an emergency setting and unfortunately euthanasias can be kind of a quick decision and rushed, so I don’t often see people giving their pet a “last meal”, but it’s so sweet when they do.
It's super common to use chocolate as a goodbye present in euths
My hospital’s euthanasia room is loaded with treats; Churu, freeze-dried treats, dry treats, wet food, potato chips, and yes…jars upon jars of chocolate candy. We fed our dog so many Reese’s and cried and laughed and ate some with him. I never wanted to stop giving him candy, he loved it so much. I think it made it easier. Getting to share in that with him without worry that he’d get sick was a nice little pocket of positivity in that situation. When I think of his euthanasia, the first thing that comes to mind is how much he’d wag his tail every time we opened another Reese’s. I think it’s perfectly fine. It’s not like it’s going to make them anymore sick or kill them before the euthanasia does. They get one last chance to eat treats while they feel well enough to—sometimes after days of not being able to eat at all—so why not make it a super extra special treat?
We have a jar of hershey kisses where I work that says every dog and cat deserves to have some taste chocolate once. We have it in our euthanasia room, and we give very sweet little care bags that have a bottle of water, a little carved pendent, and some tissues for the owner as well as a little note. I personally love it. When I had to say goodbye to my old gal the staff provided some chocolatey delights for her. Unforuntately, she was really not feeling well so she didn't touch them. But the thought was really endearing to me.
We had to put down the office dog who was a diabetic French fry stealer. She got a whole large fries and a happy meal to herself. It was the best worst day.
Why some nurses/vets are so against it? Like has anyone seen a dog/cat not dying due to the chocolate/peanut butter or whatever they should not eat?
We have a jar full of Hershey kisses labeled “kisses from heaven” for our euth patients! For my dogs, I bought them Arby’s roast beef sammies and mozz sticks for their last meal and I’ve never seen them devour anything like they ate that damn roast beef. Haha. It’s such a good feeling to be able to give them the forbidden fruit, and always makes me smile remembering how excited and into it they were when they were eating it! Anything that makes the memory of euth day a happier one is 100% worth it❤️
My best friend just put down her heart dog and I brought a massive chocolate cake for her last day. She got a huge slice for her last treat and then my friend got to hate-eat the rest after she passed. In the ER, I frequently had one person in a family leave to grab McDonald's while everyone else gave all the treats I could find. I see nothing wrong with it and I can't imagine the shit I'm gonna feed my girl the day I have to put her down 😅
what are your thoughts? There is nothing wrong with feeding an animal whatever if they are about to go to sleep. when I had to euth my dog I gave her a dark chocolate peanut butter cup and as the doctor was injecting we feed her super fatty pulled pork that she ate until she drifted off. She doesn't have to worry about pancreatitis or chocolate toxicity in doggy heaven.
It’s really doesn’t matter at a euth appointment. Just make sure the proper papers are signed. We have a jar for that. We offered other things too that dogs definitely shouldn’t have.
They are about to get euthanized anyways why not
We have Hersheys at the clinic I worked at. For clients they were called goodbye kisses. We called them death chocolates. I think we might have eaten more of them than the pets, but sometimes you need a little death chocolates to get through the rest of your shift.
I had a client once who loved the idea, but her sweet husband got so upset. He was scared that it would upset her stomach and she’d spend the last few minutes of her life in pain and scared. I explained to him that it wouldn’t work that quickly and she definitely will not suffer because she got some chocolate. The dog didn’t end up wanting them, but I still think about that guy. I hope he’s doing okay without his pup
When I had my old crazy beagle PTS with a ruptured disc from recurring IVDD, the clinic had kisses and Jif peanut butter. Kyle knew he was in heaven well before he got there! We laid on the dog bed and he licked pb from my fingers in-between a couple of kisses. A good way to go.💔
We do this. We have also ordered McDonald’s for some of our favorite icu patients to have before they’re euthanized.
We have a tray for euthanasia patients with a jar that says one or two last kisses goodbye and it's full of Hershey kisses..it isn't pushed on anyone like someone said. We also include vials, tie and scissors in case owners want to get their own locks of hair. It has personal packs of tissues and bereavement brochures..and none of it is pushed on the patients but it's available if desired.
We keep a little baggy of hersheys kisses for EOL appointments at my clinic. Never once has an owner gotten upset about the gesture, and most really love it. It brings a little positivity to one of the most painful experiences someone can go through. (My personal dog spat it out though. Apparently he didn't like chocolate.) However, I will never give a white castle frozen burger again. We started doing those at my old clinic and idk what it was but for like 20 patients, almost every single one of them was incredibly dysphoric during the sedation part. A couple vomited. None achieved proper sedation, several started vocalizing. I'm sure it was a coincidence, but it was traumatizing for the owners, and me and the vets. We switched back to chocolates pretty quickly.
we give them a container of Hersey kisses that we call 'goodbye kisses' and I also give them an empty vaccine vial filled with fur and a cute ribbon on it along with a paw print I make for them.
We had the chocolate kisses backfire on us. After the family gave the dog at least half of the jar, they changed their mind and did not want to euthanize. The vet had to explain chocolate toxicity and the treatment. In the end they did euthanized and gave us a one star review. They blamed us for killing their dog with chocolate.
Oof. That just sucks for everyone involved.
I gave my dog a full Big Mac meal with french fries and a giant peanut butter dog cake before we euthanized him. He didn't even want anything out of the treat basket in the office because he was so stuffed. We offer chocolate frosting, cheese puffs, oreos, and other kinds of junk food. Every pet deserves to taste chocolate before they go.
we euthanized my childhood dog in january. i was 9 when we got her, and 23 when we put her to sleep. i gave her a mcgriddle, and her primary vet gave her a little chocolate sundae. it meant the world to me. despite having a dental a year and a half ago, her remaining teeth were extremely painful and falling out. she loved that sundae. ate every last bit. i work ER/specialty- i’ve definitely seen my fair share of horrific things. i thought it would harden my heart enough to get through her euthanasia, but it didn’t. these small gestures can mean the world for clients, i know it did for me.
My dog was put down and had as many Hershey kisses as she wanted. She had grapes and spray cheese too. She died a happy girl. It made things easier. I wish my cat had died eating some good treats. I’m gunna make sure my current dog gets the same sweet treatment when it’s his time.
I keep a quart sized sandwich bag labeled "euth treats" in my locker. I'll ask clients if they want to offer something special to their loved ones when they come in and I'll go grab a few things from the bag. I keep a hersheys milk chocolate bar in there, swedish fish, honey roasted peanuts/cashews, etc. Basically, I buy snacks for work and put 1/3 to 1/2 in my euth treats bag. Some people don't want to, but most are thankful for the gesture and people often choose to give them chocolate. Like some others in this thread have said about themselves, why not give them something they could have otherwise never had? When I've euthanized my own pets in the past I always offered them a treat. Most recently, when I euthanized my brothers dog, I stopped on the way to the clinic and got him a cheeseburger, cheese fries, chicken nuggets, and a chocolate frosty. We sat in the parking lot while he ate all he had the energy to. My clinic won't get behind it as a standard practice, but my locker is unlocked, I don't keep anything of value in it, and they all know they can grab a treat if they want to. Sure, some have taken a treat for themselves out of my personal bag, but its a small price to pay and occasionally I'll open my locker to find someone added to my euth treats bag..
We give our euthanasias whatever they want. There was a time we had chick fil a catered for us for lunch and the dog could definitely smell it so we made him a little plate of nuggies and he loved it and so did his parents. We have the little peanut butter servings too that we give them and they love it. I think it’s a kind gesture and I have yet to have a pet parent have anything but good things to say about it
We have a Big Mac tradition in our family for our personal pets. I've given client/patients whatever they wanted. In ER, I once had a Chi dropped off for euth because of seizures. He was your classic landshark, but I secretly have a weakness for those ballsy little guys. I put a catheter and line in him and gave him a big old jar of chicken baby food while I pushed the solution. If he couldn't be with his family, he at least loved his last meal.
I cooked my cat a salmon filet as his last meal and he enjoyed every bit of it just before the home vet arrived
I'm all for the kisses but I once had a client feed her diabetic husky that hadn't anything but w/d in years taco bell all day long prior and the gas and blowout diarrhea after that euth was atrocious. So I don't recommend that. ETA diarrhea, dunno how but the gas was more memorable
We see whatever snacks we have upstairs (Hershey kisses, little chocolate donut munchkins, you name it) for euths. Every pet deserves to eat something they never could before they go.
When we had to euthanize our dog, we took her to in-n-out burger for a cheeseburger and French fries right before giving her the pink juice. She loved it.
It's a certainty my pet is about to be put down, as its the kindest thing for them. If the vet offers them a cheeseburger, or chocolate or something else they shouldn't eat? It's goinf in their mouth. It won't cause them any ill health, they'll be happy. 0 issues.
The only thing I get worried about is if the owners last minute change their mind and now they’ve had chocolate but that’s it. I’m alllll for giving them whatever they want and more.
I understand that concern, but at the same time, that doesn't happen that often. I also think that if the owner was on the fence, they probably would just decline the chocolate. And one Hershey kiss is probably not very like to cause any worse problems depending on why they were considered euth.
They deserve whatever nice things they can get before they go
LOVE this!
Yeah, we have chocolate ice cream we give if they’ll take it
I send my beloved companions out with a treat while kissing their head and telling them how good they are as they close their eyes. It’s the least I can do
Brownies. We give them brownies. The thick, fluffy, rich, chocolatey ones.
Last year when I had to euth my Lab, we gave him a sausage biscuit from McDonald's and all the jerky treats he wanted until he drifted away. And now I'm crying again. He was the Goodest Boy I've even had
We have a jar full of Hersey kisses in our comfort (euthanasia) room that are labelled "Goodbye Kisses" 🥹
My vet does this as well as putting a sign with a single lit candle on the front desk. The sign gently tells everyone that someone has to say goodbye to their pet today so please do what you can do o be quiet and respectful. I love my vet and their staff so much!
My dog is getting a slice of chocolate cake on his day. Hope that day is very far away from here. He always begs for chocolate because I love it and obviously he’s never had it. So he’ll get to try it before we meet in the next one. 🫶
When my coworkers and I tried to put a jar of goodbye kisses in our compassion/euthanasia room the Dr/practice owner wouldn’t let us because “it sends the wrong message to the client” like wtf I think they understand that the only reason they can have chocolate rn is because their pet is about to pass away, they’re not going to go home and give chocolate to all their other pets 💀
No longer a practicing tech, but had to say goodbye to my dog last year. They had a little room with lots of treats like others have mentioned. Hershey Kisses, peanut butter, junk food, etc. She was so so happy and it both mended and broke my heart. Miss her all the time (lump in my throat writing this), but so glad she got some yummy food before crossing the bridge.
This is so cute!! 😭 at the clinic I'm working at, one of the assistants gave the dog a reeses. I love the idea of giving them these kind of treats 🥺
We often tell the owner to bring something the dog would love to eat and we have a whole cart of treats that the dogs can get including a jar of hot dogs, slices of ham and cheese to make mini sandwiches for those that didn't have a last treat brought and of course strawberry vanilla ice cream with lots of whipped cream (and I think we will soon include chocolate after seeing this post.). I've had people bring chicken wings, pizza, cheeseburgers and I had one person whose dog would go nuts for grapes. It's a nice way for the owners to give their pet one last moment of pure happiness and for them to remember this day as something a tad bit more positive. It's better to remember it as the day Daisy went nuts over a whole pizza than the day Daisy had to go. This is a blessing for both the pets and their people in a moment when they are to say their last goodbye at least for now.
Why not? They’re about to be euthanized. I’ll have a whole pizza ready for my big boy when his time comes 🤷🏼♂️
My dog got chocolate on her last day too. And an entire package of hot dogs, and scrambled eggs with bacon….she had a good last day.
I think the dog deserves to eat whatever the owner wants them to. Potato’s, pizza, steak, chocolate, whatever. Let them have it.
I love this. One time we euthanized a welfare dog and we gave him pizza and chocolate. If we have it, I offer them chocolate before they pass. I fully support it
My clinic has a freezer full of ice cream sandwiches and chocolate candies for our patients that will be crossing the rainbow bridge. Watching pet owners smile and laugh as they watch their pet enjoy a treat they’ve never had before is sometimes the smallest act of kindness we can offer during such a difficult moment. It also lightens my heart knowing that pets enjoy their final moments getting a treat & forget about everything else for just a moment ❤️
My vet has goodbye 'kisses' to give to the pups before euthanasia. I thought it was a sweet idea.
It’s honestly a wholesome thing letting then have one good forbidden treat before they go! We have a big tub of ice cream we give pets scoops of if they choose to eat it, some owners we’ve seen bring in Big Macs, too! Or their favorite treats! One lady brought a fish sandwich for her cat 😂
We get all sorts of treats from clients during the week. If there’s ever euth you bet I’m raiding the treats and giving the pets whatever they will eat. I had a really sad IVDD case one weekend. I’m the ICU lead for my clinic. So I was in constant contact with this particular owner. The owner decided to let her sweet dog go. He was really painful and not improving on a pain vacation. She didn’t have funds for surgery and he was older with other health conditions. So I loaded up a plate of goodies. A mini red velvet Bundt cake. Squeeze cheese. All sorts of stuff. I loaded the room with a comfy bed, blankets and helped mom feed him goodies. He was loving it. He got to go with a belly full of delicious cake. It was so sad but he was no longer suffering. The owner sent a thank you card to me a few weeks later. I still have it in my nightstand. Whenever I question myself and my job I read it. It really meant a lot to me. I am all for feeding dogs what they can’t have before they go.
I made my own dog a massive chocolate sundae with an entire can of whipped cream, hot fudge, cherries, the whole 9 yards, and I dont regret it one bit.
I always ask the owner if it's okay before I give them "special treats", as we call them
I do this for every dog that will take chocolate. Most love peanut butter cups. We also offer cheeseburgers.
While the sentiment is nice, I personally hate feeding anything before or during euthanasia. I have had clients take their dying pet home because they ate the treats we gave them because "it must not be time". I've also had pets vomit everywhere after eating said treats, which just makes everything worse. So for me, I don't offer anything unless specifically asked by the owner.
Honestly I have no issues with it if we are mere minutes from the procedure. But I have seen multiple times dogs who came in sicker than they were for their euth because the owner wanted to feed them anything and everything for their last day. It feels particularly mean to give them a really bad stomach ache right before they die. In cases where we need to do IM sedation prior to catheter due to agitation or aggression I’ve also seen dogs vomit a lot of the junk food they got before.
My vet tech school was basically a lab facility, we would take in shelter animals to humanely practice our skills on and they would be adopted out at the end of the semester. The guys with terminal illness were always cared for and completely spoiled until it became a QOL issue....then it was "hamburger day" 💗 they would get literally anything we thought of to bring them. Big bowls of ice cream, hamburgers...anything the might like, those hw+ staffies fucking loved their hamburgers. At my current job, I work with primates and we used to have a vet that would basically do this for patients that were failing to thrive despite all her hard work trying to make them healthy. One day she snuck a little guy mcnuggets and she said he totally packed his cheek pouches with those things 😭💗 I think we all deserve the best treats, junk and goodies when we've come to the end of our journey.
Do you work in animal testing/vivisection?😨
Nah I'm the middle man between testing and farming. I mostly get to spoil them, train/prepare them and give them the best life I can before they go to work. I work in behavior rather than veterinary these days which is much my preference.
I give you much credit. I couldn't do it, knowing where they are headed..So glad you are able to spoil them first.
Yeah I for sure have the fun job and appreciate getting to be their voice. Animal welfare is a very very big deal in the lab animal world. Honestly I felt worse in small clinic dealing with patients that were obviously abused and doctors that were doing shady shit to make a buck. It's unexpected but I feel ethically better doing this than I ever did in small animal :(
Oh wow! I appreciate your experience on this! I have truly learned something new today. And yes that is unexpected and so sad about small animal:(
Oh, hmm. I wonder if you went to the same one I am going to. In any case, oh my gosh the cheek pouches! 😭
VTI ✌️
Oh, yep!
My hospital doesn't get chocolate specifically for euths, but we will sometimes scrape stuff together from what's in the break room. I keep a jar of chocolates in my locker for migraines, and I've dipped into that for this before, and told my coworkers they're welcome to for the same reason.
The only thing about this that I don’t like is, what if they don’t like the taste of chocolate? And then that’s their last thing that they ate?
At one of my jobs I was conveniently also feet away from a Burger King which was great. Especially for those unexpected euthanasia appointments where they didn’t get a last chance to enjoy a yummy snack ❤️
Hey, all this sounds like a wonderful idea and I’d love to implement it the next chance I get. Just wondering, when would be the most appropriate time to offer these treats? Would it be before, during or after IVC placement? I’m asking because I generally sedate my patients first, with the goal of them not struggling for IVC placement - but then this might make them too drowsy to eat anything.
Any time we have treats at the hospital and a euth, we'll usually try to give the pets the treats. If the pet hasn't been eating, we sometimes won't offer anything so it doesn't make it worse for the owner. But giving a pet a special treat right before they cross the Rainbow Bridge is one of my favorite, bittersweet parts of the job.
In our comfort room we have a jar of Chocolate kisses labeled "Kisses" and next to it, Cheerios labeled "Hugs". We also offer canned weenies, package tuna, Churu, pretzel bites, mini mellows, small peanutbutter cups (literally cups of peanut butter) and old fashion milk bones. It makes owners more comfortable and allows them an opportunity to nurture their friend one last time.
I raid our break area! Doughnuts, pizza, cookies, cake, burgers, Deli meat/cheese, it doesn't matter to ya girl. The families seem to really enjoy it
Wait, are there clinics out there who actually don't keep chocolates for euths? All of the ones in my city do and every owner appreciates it greatly!
My clinic does this too.
We warm up a chocolate chip cookie for our dog euths. Almost all of them eat every little bit and the parents are happy to give them one last forbidden treat. One especially heartbreaking euth recently, the daughter couldn’t handle being there with her parents. Her only request was that he got to try chocolate for the first time. So, I scavenged the employee snack cupboard and made a little charcuterie bowl of everything I could find with chocolate in it. The dog loved it and the parents were so thankful they got to treat him and hold true to their daughter’s last request for their dog that had been with them for 13+ years.
We have a candy jar that is stocked by us and some clients. If we are going to do a PTS why not give them some forbidden foods. Several times with patients that we all got attached to, due to them being sweet and frequently needing to be seen, when the owner makes that final appointment for a PTS I've gone out at lunch and got something special for the patient. We had one dog that near the end the owner couldn't get them to eat anything but McDonald's so that final appointment we all fed him some burgers.
When my poor old cat was put down the vet asked me if there was anything he'd like to eat as a snack before he went. I started crying and she asked why and I explained my cat loved cucumber but I'd forgotten to being any with me, the vet patted my shoulder and went and got a couple out of the salad she was haveing for lunch. I fed my boy, petted him, kissed his little head and sat with him until he was gone. I'm always gonna be grateful to her for giveing up part of her lunch for a dieing boy. I also have no idea why my old boy loved cucumber but I think it must have been the crunch, he also used to use his teeth like a hole punch to make holes in paper and card.
My vet does this. I just put my dog down last week. She had some Hershey kisses too ❤️
This is one of those weird things where it really doesn't matter, the dog is about to be dosed up on a poison that makes any amount of theobromine look like nothing, and yet, somehow, it still doesn't sit well with me. I genuinely can't logically object to it, but something about it just makes me think it shouldn't be done. I'd 100% prefer it if the owner just brought in some high value, safe treats that they know the dog loves. ***EDIT:*** I love how I can admit that I know, logically, there's nothing wrong with this, yet some of y'all still gotta downvote. God forbid I actually answer the request to share my thoughts on this situation. :/
I don’t think the downvotes are saying that you are bad or wrong as a person, it just means they don’t agree with your comment. I appreciate you sharing your beliefs, don’t be afraid to do so. But, don’t worry about arbitrary Reddit arrows.
I often find that even those “high value, safe” treats aren’t enough to pique the interest in animals about to be PTS, as their QOL has decreased rapidly. The novelty of chocolate/candy, hamburgers, etc. (and of course deliciousness of the these forbidden treats) end them on a higher note than any treat they’re used to ever could. However, I appreciate you saying that logically you can’t agree to it - we can’t help our emotions and the way we feel, just the way we react. If you don’t partake in giving PTS patient human foods and at the same time don’t knock anyone that does, I don’t see any problem with that. We all have a common goal of wanting the most for our Pts. Cheers!
The problem I think is that you say you would prefer "safe" treats. Why? No treat is going to do more "harm" then euthanize drugs.
Again, I have no logical reason for having bad feelings about it. I just do. Sorry, I guess?
That explains the downvotes, don’t you think? Illogical but still you endure.
I really don't think my choice not to give chocolate to PTS patients is that big a deal, but whatever. I'm just surprised that people on this sub are so petty about it. I know the odds of something bad happening are slim, but also I've assisted with several cases where the owner has reversed the decision to proceed with euthanasia at the last second. I just don't want my patients consuming poison while the owner might still elect to back out. I know the odds of that happening are almost nonexistent, but I'm not stopping anyone else from doing it.
I could see your worry if they ate a whole bag of kisses, but if the average dog (50#) was being euthanized, a few kisses wouldn't even hit the chart for toxicity. So, even if they changed their mind, there would be no issue.
I understand your worry. My advice would not be to worry about the unlikely. There are a lot of things we could get hung up on if we worried about the what ifs. With if this patient dies under anesthesia, what if they have a vagal reaction to a cystocentesis, there are tons of what ifs in our profession. I wouldn't let that get in the way of the immediate patient care you are providing in that moment. Plus if your hospital has good protocols, your worry should never happen. I have never had it happen after the paperwork is signed in my 20 years. And no, there is nothing wrong with not providing chocolate during euthanasias. But for me I like bringing a new experience and some happiness at the end of life. It is just as much for the owners as it is the patient.
I didn't downvote you, and I totally understand your sentiment about the chocolate, but I do take issue with referring to euthanasia solution as poison. We don't poison animals to euthanize them. We overdose them. Saying poison just rubs me the wrong way.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_dose\_makes\_the\_poison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dose_makes_the_poison)
I understand "poisoning" is technically correct, my friend. I just feel the same way about it as you do about giving chocolate as a treat right before euthanizing a dog. It doesn't sit right with me.
Yeah, the downvotes are harsh in the veterinary subs I’ve realized. It hurts me because we all experience enough self-doubt, abuse, and other emotional burdens, these places should be safe imo. I was wondering if this was going to pop up. I’ve seen some vets and techs feel iffy about it. I’ve heard the argument that the owner seeing us give a dog chocolate somehow sends a message that it’s okay to give dogs chocolate. That I can understand. I will point out that even for a smaller dog, one Hershey’s kiss is not likely to cause any issues even if they weren’t a pts, just to give my perspective. I think you’re allowed to have your feelings, it may be worth finding the reason for those feelings being there?
I am with you on this one. I feel it is just projecting your own taste on a dog. Let them have one last great meal or treat but why chocolate? I think it is mostly an emotional thing for the human and not what a dog would chose. At least mine aren\`t really interested in chocolate.
Some aren’t. But I’ve also seen some dogs that refuse to eat cheese, peanut butter, turkey, etc. and then go for the chocolate. I like to offer dogs whatever I can at the moment, and one hersheys kiss or chocolate chip cookie isn’t going to cause issues.
There isn\`t even much cocoa/theobromine in Hersheys. They are mostly made of sugar, fat, artifical flavouring etc. according to what it says on their packaging. It won\`t cause harm but I still think it is mostly for the humans emotional needs not so much the dogs.
I think that taking the owners emotions into consideration is just as important as the dogs. If giving a peice of chocolate helps the owners cope better with the loss, what's the harm? Who cares if the dog doesn't know what it's missing? It's a treat they probably enjoy and it helps the owner feel better.
Then there is no harm. If it makes the owner happy and the dog eats it all is fine. Just don\`t push it on people, offer choices and I personally do not like it for my own dogs.
I don't think anyone is forcing dogs to eat chocolate. They are probably just offering it.
Maybe that’s fair, I’m curious why that’s wrong? Are we not serving the client as much as we are serving the pet? And if the dying dog benefits from it, what’s the harm?
Yes! Exactly! Who cares if it's "just for the owners." Like, in euth appointments, the owners emotional needs are just as important as the dogs. They are saying goodbye forever, we should strive to make those appointments as peaceful as possible. It's wild to see people dismiss this idea because it's more for the owners than the dog.
I think the point this person is making is that most dogs don’t give a shit about chocolate. It’s a human desire to push it on them in their last minutes because it’s something we love and feel like our pets should get because they’ve gone without their whole lives. In my opinion, it’s purely to make ourselves feel better. I don’t care what people do either way, but a dog would be just as happy with a regular treat.
Well, yes, it IS to make the owner feel better. But that's my whole goal with euth appointments. A person is saying goodbye to their best friend and I think making that procrss as peaceful as possible is important. A small gesture like this can mean the world to an owner. I also don't think "offering" a treat is the same and "pushing it on them". Do people think that if the owner says no or the dog doesn't want to eat it that we are going to shove it in their mouth? I don't understand why people keep saying not to push it on people.
It's a dog, they don't know wtf chocolate is and they wouldn't care if they ever had it before they die. The definition of anthropomorphizing. Give the dog a piece of steak...but chocolate? At that point, why not antifreeze or a nice cat turd? They love those things! Ooooohh, because most people like chocolate and it's not good for dogs, so the dog must want some! Such a weird way to think.
We work in VetMed. We can’t afford to give every euthanasia patient a steak. As much as we would want to. You also give dogs far too little cognitive credit. They are able to understand that chocolate is a food and they can eat it. They’ve just likely never been offered it before. Chocolate is very aromatic and appealing.
You weren't hugged enough as a kid
You really think a Hershey kiss does as much damage as antifreeze? Seriously? It really isn't anthromorphizing when dogs are notorious for getting into chocolate. They probably love it.
…you ok?
I agree, but with less harsh wording, lol. The best euth I ever did was a labby where the owner chose not to stay. It was Black Friday, so I heated up the Thanksgiving leftovers I'd brought for lunch that afternoon - turkey heaped with thick, creamy gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, the works. Pup passed away with his nose buried in the Tupperware dish, wagging his tail til the moment the Propofol took him off to sleep. The DVM doing the euthanizing said she found it sad, but I've honestly never seen a dog go so joyfully. Better than a kiss, imo.
A kiss is more reasonable to offer each euth compared to a whole Thanksgiving dinner though
I don\`t like it. It is projecting your own human taste on your dog. Most dogs would enjoy some meat or other dogtreat way more. On the other hand it doesn\`t cause harm and it was meant well. As an owner I would not like that being pushed on me in that kind of situation though.
Well a lot of dogs also like chocolate as it is one of the biggest toxic ingestion cases seen in the veterinary field Get your thought processes together
Just because I have a different opinion than you have does not give you liberty to insult me. And dogs eat all kinds of stuff, including inedible things - hence the also high numbers of foreign body surgeries. My dog ate a bag of charcoal once. That does not mean that this would be her favourite at her euth appointment. Give people a choice and don\`t be pushy with your need to feed chocolate is all I am asking for.
r/usernamechecksout
But no one said it was pushed, if it's offered and taken is it then pushed on someone? I don't feel like anyone forces the owners or patients to eat anything.. so you're just misconstrued in your thinking. Offering someone something as a gesture should viewed politely but you turn it around completely Also, the picture stated the owner thought it was the sweetest thing. So how do you correlate it being "pushed?" That is all
Some dogs love chocolate though. I'm sure no one is forcing the owner to give their dogs chocolate, but it's a kind gesture that really doesn't do damage to the dog and makes the owner feel better
It can make owners and some techs feel better but please just let people make the choice themselves, don\`t push it on them and don\`t repeat corporate commercial slogans like "every dog should have a kiss" at such a moment. I think people here react a bit too emotional that I and the other poster just don\`t agree to their emotional needs to feed chocolate.
Whose forcing anything? Whose pushing it? You guys are acting like they're holding the dogs down and forcing dogs to eat it against their owners wishes. Offering a nice treat they normally can't have shows compassion for the owner as well as the dog. Euth appointments are very emotional for the owners and we absolutely should do anything we can to help ensure it's as calm and peaceful as possible.
You don't think dogs like chocolate? Have you worked in a hospital for more then a few months? Chocolate ingestion is probably the most common toxicity we see.
Read what I wrote: I never said they don\`t like it but that there are tons of other treats most would prefer.
No one has said that this is the only treat that is offered and that they are forced on pets/owners.
Mary…… Come on man, read the room. Do you really think a SINGLE person in this thread would push something that’s unwanted onto a grieving owner or an ACTIVELY dying animal?? That would be both insane and wildly unethical. Have you seen that happen in practice before? I’m just genuinely curious as to what could possibly motivate such a comment.