Unfortunately, in most cases your pet only accompanies you for a limited time. You have to be aware of this, even if it is a thought that you always push far away from yourself. Finally, in most cases, what makes it even more difficult is having to decide for yourself whether the time has actually come.
When this difficult time comes, most pet owners say that they simply owe it to their pet not to leave their side. Just like the animals do or would do for us the other way around.
But there are posts on social media that surprised us. According to this, around 90% of pet owners should not stay with their animal when it dies. This calls for a rethink, as you can read, for example, in this post on Facebook :

“Even if it’s difficult, it’s important
It turns out that pets also have final wishes before they die, but are only known to veterinarians who euthanize old and sick animals Twitter user Jesse Dietrich asked a veterinarian what the hardest part of his job was.
The specialist answered without hesitation that the most difficult thing for him was to see how old or sick animals search for their owners before falling asleep. The fact is that 90% of owners do not want to be in the same room as a dying pet. People walk so as not to see their animal walking. But they don't realize that their animal needs them most in these final moments of life.
Veterinarians ask owners to stay close to the animals until the end. “It is inevitable that they will die before you. Don't forget that you were the center of her life. Maybe they were just a part of you. But they are also your family. Even if it's difficult, don't leave her.
Don't let them die in a room with a stranger in a place they don't like. It is very painful for veterinarians to see pets unable to find their owners in the last minutes of their lives. They don't understand why their master has abandoned them. After all, they needed the comfort of their Lord.
Veterinarians do everything so that the animals are not so afraid, but they are complete strangers to them. Don't be a coward because it's too painful for you. Think about the animal. Endure this pain for her sake. Be with them until the end.”
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate Jessi Dietrich's tweet in question because the account is private. , this article reports about it.
The origin probably comes from the English-speaking area. There is also an older Facebook post :

Anyone who has a pet knows that this is one of the hardest paths you have to take. Still, we can't imagine 90% of owners objecting. – So is this call actually necessary?
We asked some veterinarians about their experiences
And their answers confirmed what we ourselves had assumed:
“Most of my pet owners are even happy to be there when they ‘let go’ or say goodbye.”
I absolutely cannot confirm the claim that a vet said “…that 90% of owners don’t want to be in the same room as a dying pet…”. Of course, there is the case that pet owners do not want to be there when their pet says goodbye, but this is an absolute exception and, in my experience, only happens on average about once a year in a medium-sized veterinary practice.
Likewise, the comment “…like old or sick animals look for their owners before falling asleep…” is also incorrect in my opinion. Among other things, I see many patients (mostly cats) who are anesthetized for surgical procedures without the animal owner being present - I have never seen an animal looking for its owner...
I cannot judge with certainty whether animals have 'last wishes' or can be aware of the approaching end of their lives.
What is absolutely certain in my opinion is the fact that you owe it to your pet (regardless of what kind) to be there on the last trip to the vet - at least until the general anesthesia has taken effect and the animal patient is unconscious.
Actually, none of the euthanasias I carry out go without tears, and that's a good thing.
A time window between 30 and 60 minutes is also perfectly fine - especially when you consider that the patient is a real family member.
However, in contrast to the posting, most of my pet owners are actually happy to be there when they 'let go' or say goodbye.
During the calm treatment, the owners often tell anecdotes from times together that are more than just helpful in processing the grief.
Even though the posting may have been well-intentioned, it portrays the general pet owner as 90% cowardly... and I really can't even begin to confirm that.
So all I'm left with is the bland aftertaste of a polarizing post that throws around massively exaggerated figures on a highly emotional topic without any specific source being cited.
Veterinarian Sebastian Goßmann
“Mind. 99% of pet owners accompany their animals until their last breath.”
From my personal experience as a veterinarian and also from conversations with colleagues, I can say that at least 99% of animal owners accompany their animals until their last breath.
Anke Meeuw, veterinarian from Berlin
This may vary, of course, but the vast majority remain loyal to their animals even in death.
“...is certainly not a fact and does not correspond to my experience as a veterinarian.”
The statement that 90% of animal owners do not want to be present when they are euthanized is certainly not a fact and does not correspond to my experience as a veterinarian.
In the vast majority of cases, we enable the animal owner to be with the animal until the end. We even handled it that way during Corona.
However, animals in veterinary practices are not murdered while they are conscious, but are given anesthesia, such as when removing tartar.
Only after loss of consciousness is there another injection, during which the heart stops.In this respect, in my opinion, the discussion about whether the animal has awareness of the dying process is completely unnecessary. We don't even bother, but first put the patients under deep anesthesia. From which they ultimately never wake up.
It is doubtful whether animals have the same romantic idea of family, life and death as the author of the text. But as I said: We won't let it happen.
Malte Kubinetz, veterinarian from Wesseling
“At least 95% of owners stay on of their own accord.”
In my case, at least 95% of the owners stay on their own initiative, some leave as soon as the animal is under anesthesia (they get anesthesia before the actual killing agent, pentobarbital). I can therefore not confirm that the owners are avoiding this (perhaps this is different in other countries, e.g. in the USA, but at least hardly here).
Sarina Shibly, veterinarian from Vienna
Many of our Mimikama employees have pets of their own. There are dogs, cats, birds, turtles, ... - and we all agree: we would never let our animals go their final journey alone. Even if it breaks our hearts to have to let her go.
You might also be interested in: Heat: How we help our pets through hot days
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