Fort Collins Vet Makes House Calls

THREE PHOTOS IN ORDER / CUTLINES ATTACHED

Bull was 3 years old when Donna Watson rescued him from a life locked in a pen.

“He didn’t even know what a rawhide bone was,” said Watson, a retired teacher. But he learned. He learned to run and bark and have fun—just what every dog does.

But recently the 10-year-old Saint Bernard stopped running. He didn’t eat much, was losing weight and had a swollen leg.

Bull had bone cancer, and nothing more could be done for him. He was suffering.

So Watson and her husband Richard called Kathleen Cooney, a Fort Collins veterinarian who does in-home euthanasia, and asked her to come out and end Bull’s pain.

“Dr. Cooney is a very caring person,” Watson said. “She just had a baby, but she called me right back. She was going on vacation but she came out to help with Bull first.”

Bull was euthanized on the Watson’s living room carpet.

“He was so good. He lay there and she gave him the shot. It was just very peaceful. He didn’t have to suffer.”

Cooney’s house call was particularly helpful for the Watsons because Bull was so large, it was hard for him to ride in a car.

That’s one of many reasons why in-home euthanasia is the “best way,” Cooney said. “It’s easier for the pet and the family. Some animals have been in the clinic so many times they’re terrified of it. It’s a very relaxing situation. In the home people can relax and grieve in private. Most vets don’t go to homes.”

The need for in-home euthanasia is something Cooney, who graduated from the veterinary school at Colorado State University in 2004, learned while practicing internal medicine and surgery at a small animal clinic in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Many of her patients there suffered from cancer or geriatric problems. She was often asked to euthanize a pet in its own home, but the clinic was not licensed to offer that service.

“I saw a client lying on the cold tile floor in the exam room sobbing with her deceased weimeramer,” Cooney said. “She needed to be at home.”

Then Cooney and her family moved to Colorado.

“I wanted to do something that’s really needed, and the flexibility of my schedule gives me a chance to still be a mom,” she said. She and her husband, John, a plumber, have three children: Michael, 4, Shannon, 2 and baby Jenna.

Cooney is available 24/7 to help when a pet needs to be euthanized. She services Northern Colorado from Livermore to south Denver and from Rist Canyon to Platteville.

“Nothing’s really off-limits,” she said.

She will euthanize dogs, cats, exotics such as rabbits, ferrets, lizards, rats and birds. Once she even euthanized a goat.

Cooney has helped about 900 families in the past year and a half.

“People have been so grateful,” she said. “Animals are so comfortable. It’s a win-win situation.”

In-Home Euthanasia For more information or to schedule an in-home euthanasia, call Kathleen Cooney at (970) 412-6212. More information is also available on her Home to Heaven Web site, www.hometoheaven.net.

***

Every situation has its challenges, but some cases are harder than others. Cooney is a lab owner, so those cases can be particularly trying.

Despite that, one of her most memorable cases involved three Labrador retrievers.

“It was a real profound experience. One was euthanized. When she passed, she took some deep reflexive breaths and the other two labs started to howl. It’s unusual for labs to howl. These two labs who were left behind really struck a chord with me.”

She cautions pet owners to watch for medical changes that may be symptoms of an illness.

“If there are any underlying medical situations, stress can cause the illness to get worse.”

Cooney has performed euthanasia with as many as 20 people in the room and with young children present.

If someone is not sure it is the right time to euthanize their pet, Cooney will talk with them about the pet’s quality of life before she comes out.

“As any grieving owner can tell you, there is no good time for such a hard decision. However, the best time depends on the comfort of your companion and the presence of loved ones who want to be there for support. Euthanasia can take place in the home, such as a favorite room, or outdoors in the yard or a favorite park, etc.”

The most important thing is providing comfort for both the animal and the people, she said.

“I am there more for the people. The animal is usually suffering and needs to end the pain.”

If the animal is in severe pain, Cooney will euthanize it immediately when she arrives. If not, she spends time helping the family prepare for the death and getting the necessary paperwork out of the way first. She also gives the family a book on pet loss.

Then the phone is taken off the hook. The family decides where the euthanasia will take place and who will be present.

“I give the animal a sedative to relax and put it in a deep sleep,” she said. “It takes a couple of minutes to take effect. When the animal is peaceful and comfortable I give an overdose of a sedative. It takes about 30 seconds for the animal to die. Then I leave the room to give the family privacy.”

Cooney remembers a cat who took an unusually long time to die.

“It was a beautiful experience for the owner and myself,” she said. “We sat and talked about the cat.” The cat owner lived alone and it was Cooney’s only case that day. “It was just meant to be that we could have that time.”

When the family is ready, Cooney takes the body out and to a crematory if that’s what the family wants.

She helps them create a memorial of their pet by making a paw print and putting the pet’s name on it. She also invites the family to add their pet’s story and a photo to the memorial page of her Web site. She does a follow-up call with the family to provide additional support.

“I think it’s a wonderful way,” Watson said. “They’re in their own home, and you’re there.”