Services & Pricing
Euthanasia
$385
At Gentle Hands Cherished Paws, we believe that a peaceful transition is one of the most loving of gifts you can give a loyal family member. After working in the emergency department for years, Dr. Jason and Tory have seen first hand the stress, anxiety, and regret that can go with having to say good-bye in the heat of moment in a sterile hospital. We whole-heartedly believe that a devoted pet’s final moments should be basking in the loving embrace of their family in the comfort of their own home whenever possible.
What to expect:
Upon our arrival we will make introductions to your family and of course your pet. Our goal is to ensure that this is as relaxed and peaceful as possible so we take our time, giving your pet and family a chance to acclimate to our presence. During this time, our veterinarian will discuss the euthanasia process and answer any questions the family may have. From there, your pet will be given a sedative/pain medication combination that will cause them to relax; in fact most pets look like they are sleeping (and are often times snoring) once this medication takes effect. Once your pet has completely absorbed the medication (anywhere from 5-20 minutes), our veterinarian will administer an overdose of a barbiturate called pentobarbital. Once administration is complete, the veterinarian will confirm your pet’s passing by listening to their heart.
At this point, the doctor will collect a few memorial items to keep close to your heart in the absence of your pet. These include a clipping of fur and a clay imprint of your pets paw.
Once the memorial items are collected, you may continue to spend as much time with your pet as you need. If we are assisting with aquamation services (see Aquamation Services for more information) we will retrieve either a gurney or basket (depending on your pet’s size), to help aid with their transport. If you have any small items, blankets, or bedding you’d like to stay with your pet, let us know so we can include those items.
Hospice/
Palliative Care
$475
While not a new concept, hospice care for pets has been slow to take off in the veterinary field. The advances over the years have made it possible for our pets to live longer, healthier, and happier lives, but the focus has primarily been on curing disease and prolonging life. Unfortunately, there comes a point in everybody’s life, including our pets, where the focus of care should shift from finding a cure to providing comfort. That is where veterinary hospice comes into play.
Similar to human hospice, the veterinary model will focus on providing basic care to maintain a good quality of life for both the pet and their family without the often stressful visit to the veterinary hospital.
Some examples of diseases/conditions that may warrant hospice or palliative care include:
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Cancer
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Organ Failure (Kidney, Liver, Heart)
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Osteoarthritis
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Chronic Pain
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Cognitive Dysfunction or Dementia
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Senior pets approaching end of life
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Failure to thrive
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Degenerative myelopathy
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Any life limiting condition that contributes to an excessive burden for the caregiver, or medical treatment that the patient no longer tolerates.
What to expect:
When we begin caring for a hospice patient, we tailor an individual plan designed to address their specific ailments and needs. Our goal is to keep them happy and comfortable as they near the end of their life. We will begin by assessing your pet by performing a physical examination, taking a thorough medical history with reviewing your pet’s previous medical records.
From there, we will make nutritional, environmental, medication, and supportive care recommendations and provide you with the tools and resources needed to implement your pet’s plan. We will discuss what you can expect from your pets disease process, and address family concerns as well. We strive to be there for our clients as well as our patients and can offer multiple pet loss counseling resources that can help you navigate this difficult time.
Quality of Life Consultation
$300
One of the most challenging aspects of sharing your life with a senior pet, is interpreting when its time to say good-bye. The consultation appointment is designed to ease the fear of making the decision to say good-bye too soon or too late.
What to expect:
This appointment begins the same as the hospice appointment. Your pet’s medical records will be reviewed and then our veterinarian will perform a physical examination to assess your pet’s condition. The veterinarian will then discuss your pet’s quality of life with your family followed by his recommendations in regards to what the next step should be for your pet.
Aquamation Aftercare
Gentle Hands Cherished Paws handles aftercare for you, arranging aquamation and urn options, and transport of your beloved pet to Resting Waters. There is also a delivery option for Individually Aquamated pets, where we can return remains from West Seattle to your home for a small fee.
Aquamation is a gentle, environmentally-conscious, water-based alternative to cremation. The aquamation process uses gentle water flow, temperature and alkalinity to accelerate the ecosystem’s natural method of breaking down and decomposing organic matter. A process that would naturally take months or years is reduced to just 20 hours.
Through Resting Waters we are able to offer the following aquamation services. If you would like more information about aquamation please visit their website at www.restingwaters.com
Resting Waters
Individual Aquamation: This option is for pet parents who are interested in having their loved one’s ashes returned to them. The pet will be aquamated individually and can be picked up directly from Resting Waters with an expected turnaround time of 7-14 days. Ashes are returned in a cylindrical scatter box urn with upgraded urn options available at Resting Waters.
Communal Aquamation: This option is for the pet parents who would like their loved one aquamated, but who do not wish to have the ashes returned to them. The pet will be aquamated with other loved ones and the ashes are spread near the Chiwawa River by Leavenworth on property owned by Resting Waters.
Deciding how to care for your pet’s body after they’ve passed is a deeply personal and intimate choice and we will do our best to help honor your wishes. For most pet parents that means aquamation/cremation or home burial, but there are many different options. Please let us know if you have any special requests and we will do our best to honor your wishes.
Private Aquamation: This option is for pet parents who prefer that their pet be the only pet present in its own aquamation process from start to finish. This is a special procedure, and those interested must reach out to Resting Waters themselves to coordinate the process. Gentle Hands Cherished Paws can arrange a drop-off service to Resting Waters for pets processed through Private Aquamation, for a $125 fee.
Gentle Hands Cherished Paws can pick up and drop off remains from the Resting Waters location in West Seattle to your home, for a variable fee depending on location, starting at $20.
The aquamation process typically takes around 1-2 weeks if you are picking up the remains from Resting Waters directly, and 3-4 weeks if Gentle Hands Cherished Paws is performing a pickup and drop-off service.
Pricing
Individual
0 - 12 lbs
$240
13 - 25 lbs
$270
26 - 50 lbs
$305
51 - 75 lbs
$335
76 - 100 lbs
$395
101 - 150 lbs
$455
> 150 lbs
$525
Communal
0 - 12 lbs
$150
13 - 25 lbs
$170
26 - 50 lbs
$205
51 - 75 lbs
$225
76 - 100 lbs
$260
101 - 150 lbs
$300
> 150 lbs
$375
Travel Fees
Based on round trip mileage
Travel fees will be calculated based on the mileage traveled by the Veterinarian who comes out to your home. The veterinarian you are scheduled with will be determined by availability, current schedules and location.
0 - 30 miles
$0
31 - 50 miles
$30
51 - 70 miles
$60
> 70 miles
$1/mi
Other Fees
Possible additional fees as determined on a case-by-case basis.
Over 100lbs
$50
Pet weighs over 100 pounds.
After-hours
$50 - $100
Hours are variable per DVM, but generally range reliably between 10am - 4pm.
Aggressive Pet
$50 - $100
As determined by individual DVM discretion.
Payment
Cash, check, and cards are accepted forms of payments. Credit cards are accepted with an additional 3% fee. Checks can be made out to GHCP.
Additional fees may be incurred with aggressive pets, late night/early morning appointments, extra large pets (over 100 lbs) and appointments on holidays.
If a check is returned, there will be a $40 fee.
Cancelling & Rescheduling
We try to be very understanding about the need to cancel or reschedule an appointment and we ask that families give us as much notice as possible. There will not be a cancellation or reschedule fee if we are notified the day before our scheduled appointment. Same day or short notice cancellations or reschedules will be charged a cancellation/rescheduling fee at Dr. Jason's sole discretion.
If you have scheduled an appointment and do not notify us of the cancellation or reschedule and we are on our way to your home or we have already arrived, you will be responsible for the entire appointment charge and any associated travel fees for the Veterinarian traveling to your home. The best ways to notify us of the need to cancel or reschedule your appointment are to text, call or email us at 425-507-5274 / contact@gentlehandscherishedpaws.com.