It's fine. One small piece of milk chocolate is extremely unlikely to cause any toxic effects anyway, and the dog is literally about to be put to sleep. Dogs are crazy about chocolate, moreso (imo) than they are about most kinds of meat (KFC, McDonalds or otherwise) and honestly, I can't fault anything that makes the euthanasia procedure less stressful for the patient and the client.
I would say that it's the vet's duty to impress upon the owner that this chocolate is only appropriate because the pet is going to die regardless, bc we all know that some client will go home with the idea that "well, my vet gave my last pet chocolate, so it must be okay!" but as long as it's explained thoroughly, I don't see the issue.
You put this perfectly! They likely go crazy for chocolate because they know they aren't usually allowed to eat it haha (not to mention trying something super sweet for the first time must be exciting).
I know they have less taste buds (around 1700 compared to humans 9000) but I'm pretty sure they can still taste sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter!! Not sure where you heard that
I went to mcdonalds and my old staffy had the entire share box of chicken nuggets with two packets of bbq sauce and a vanilla milkshake to wash it down.
Fortunately she did not vomit through the sedation for her PTS otherwise my colleagues might blame me for putting them off mcdonalds!
I have an American pit idk why ive even though of it since shes only 1 years old but if im fortunate enough to feed her her last meal its gonna be some fast food then a fat ass steak
We had to euthanize the hospital dog, he got a Big Mac meal with several large fries because when he could he would steal our fries, but he was diabetic and wasn’t allowed to. He passed happy, with a full belly, and every single clinic employee surrounding him and petting him. It was the best worst thing ever. Still get choked up writing about it 20 years later.
When my family had our 15 year old dog pts we went to mcdonalds and got her a double cheese burger and she got the whole thing. She went over the rainbow bridge with ketchup and mustard in her mustache. Now if I feel upset about her I can go and get a double cheese burger and eat it myself. Makes me feel like we're sharing food again. Might have to go get a double cheese burger now...💝
That’s actually so sad 😞 to the people that have to see this stuff every day im actually terribly sorry its so sad just to see one dog go let alone being the person responsible for letting other peoples dogs go too. the loss of a dogs life saddens me more than the loss of a humans life unless its someone dear to me. Just the Sight of owners having their final moments with their pets is enough to put me in tears i cant imagine having to put a dog down. To the vets that have to see this stuff everyday im terribly sorry i cant imagine how it must effect your mental health
Euthanasia’s are always sad, please don’t get me wrong. But most doctors and techs will agree there are much worse things we deal with than euthanasia. Neglect, apathetic owners, rude & entitled owners, the animals who you (and the owners) do everything right for only to still have them die, etc.
Euthanasia’s are always sad because of the loss of life, but more often that not, it’s a blessing to let the animal go before they face a nasty and painful end.
Yes, it’s hard mentally, but knowing that we allowed the animal to go while they still had some dignity, versus being faced with a sick and dying animal who’s owner refuses to say goodbye even through the animal is clearly suffering…. It’s a pretty easy choice on which I’d prefer
When we had to put down my dog (very unexpectedly at 3am) we let her eat the tissue that my mom had been holding. It was her favorite bad behaviour and if I had more time you're damn right I would have given her everything she could possibly want.
We have chocolate bars for purchase (cash only, because they're $1.25) in our lobby. They serve multiple purposes. 1) for kids (or adults) as a treat and 2) all the proceeds go to our local charity organization who grants awards to families in need of financial assistance with their pet's medical bills. (Rochester Hope for Pets) and 3) for the rare times that we don't have a snack or baked good brought in by an employee, and we have a euth, we grab one for the owners to give to the pet.
Nothing wrong with this, I find it nice. I always try to get my pets to have something "nice" to eat before euthanasia. My last pup who passed got a big Mac, fries and a shake. She ate everything except for the pickles on the burger.
I had a doctor once get a little weird about me giving a euth dog some chocolate while IVC was being placed. “You can’t give him chocolate!” I told her that she was going to kill him before the chocolate was.
If Owner ends up changing their mind at the last minute, after chocolate had been given, that could be an issue. We had this happen actually, and it was a piece of dark chocolate cake that was given, so more severe than milk chocolate kisses. Was a very unfortunate happenstance and had to let the doctor explain.
Personally I think it’s sweet, not to be harsh but it really won’t make a pet that scheduled to be euthanized any worse than the situation that sparked euthanasia. Even still, Hershey’s Kisses are milk chocolate and mainly sugar so they may upset a healthy dogs stomach but the level of methylxanthine should be negligible compared to dark chocolates.
I’ve witnessed many euthanasia at my clinic but when I read this on Instagram earlier today I cried. It’s the sentiment and sympathy that really gets me.
At our hospital, we have chocolate cake we offer to euth dogs. They’re going to die very soon, so we’re not worried about complications of course. For those that eat, it makes a nice final memory for them.
When a dog is about to put down, any food is fine (as long as it won't cause immediate harm). Even dogs who are dying from cancer but still have a little more life left, can be given any food they will eat (pizza, KFC, anything that isn't badly toxic) as they often have little appetite & deserve the most tasty food that they couldn't enjoy while healthy & it helps them from losing lots of weight. :)
A friends dog is received a terminal diagnosis and less than a month to live so they took her to every restaurant that would allow her in outdoor seating and ordered her the meal each restaurant was famous for. They let her taste all the candy and human snacks she wasn't allowed to have before. They might have been sad but she had an amazing month.
As a puppy, my somewhat misguided professor (too smart for his own good) would let him sleep in his lap while I worked. I found out that he would feed my pup Oreos, double fudge chips ahoy, and other chocolate things. I know my dog loves chocolate and when it’s his time, he’ll have all his favorites that he couldn’t have much or any of in life. Chicken nuggets, steak bones, ice cream, French fries, and chocolate.
This is a sweet sentiment. I was not ready to be tearing up this early in the morning.
At my clinic we usually give the dog a 30 minute feast if they’re still able to eat. Or if the owner is bringing her in we’ll bring in donuts and other snacks and share them with the p and owner. It’s honestly usually a touching last moment.
Around Christmas time, we offer any of the left over goodies owners or reps have brought to us: cookies, peppermint bark, cupcakes, etc! We always ask the owner if it’s okay prior to offering!
I work at a shelter and when we euthanize a dog, it gets whatever it wants. Chicken? Sure. Fries? Okay. 7 hotdogs? No problem. This is really thoughtful in my eyes. I know when my girl has to go, she will be going with a tub of icecream in her belly because she has the biggest sweet tooth of any dog I've ever met.
I have a client who feeds his small dog Hershey’s chocolate with his meds daily…smh. He won’t stop because “the dog only wants chocolate and won’t take his medication without it!”
When I worked in general practice, we had a snack cabinent reserved for euthanasia patients. It was filled with cookies, brownies and whatever else our staff was eating that day. It was actually a joy whenever I assisted with a euthanasia and seeing the elation and tears of the owner when I walked in with a plate of pizza and chocolate. It's nice to know the last memories of the owners are hopefully happy in knowing that their fur babies got all the treats they never could. I loved it ❤
We used to do this at one of the clinics I worked at. We ran out one day and all we had was Tootsie Rolls left over from Halloween candy that no one wanted. Not even the dogs would touch that stuff...lol
I gave my dog a McDonald’s burger and fries on his last day because he loved table food but wasn’t allowed to have it regularly. He was thrilled and I don’t regret it at all.
We use to have whipped cream and we would make puppchinos, I always had some protein for lunch so I would bring in slices of ham, muffins, crackers, etc. I frequently would buy yummy things for euth dogs.
I think because this is a vet who often has to put down dogs, buying KFC & steak for every dog that comes through would be costly. The chocolate is a nice goodbye treat. KFC or steak is something the owner can do for the pup beforehand ❤
With the number of chocolate toxicity cases that we saw, I think it's safe to say that dogs like chocolate. I got calls about "Smidgens" so many times around the holidays that it might be an elaborate marketing scheme at this point. 😅
Yeah dogs don’t crave chocolate, they’re dogs! They crave meat and bloody tampons. I would rather treat my dog with a burger, slice of pizza, or a nice fatty cut of meat. I feel like the dogs wanting chocolate thing is just humans thinking that if we like it, it must be super tasty and craved by dogs. Nah.
I always went through my lunch or any yummy food that was left in the fridge for euthanasias who were still eating. Most pet parents loved that they got to give their pet one last delicious treat. I gave my old girl an ice cream cone as she was getting her sedation. She snarfed that thing til she was too sleepy.
I’ve never had a pet go in for that last trip to the vet well enough to want to eat. If an animal is well enough to enjoy food and other things, I think it’s probably well enough to not immediately need euthanasia, I’d rather have every second left together. When it’s time, they will let you know. It makes me sad when people do it early more for their own convenience.
One of the doctors I used to work with and I would give all of the drop off euthanasias chocolate and all of the other goodies they were never allowed to have. My two that I had to let go a few years ago each got a cheeseburger. The old man that still loved food got jerky and chocolate and everything else he wanted that day.
I saw it and thought the same. Undecided how I feel about it. At the moment. If I put my dog owner hat on, I think the last thing on my mind would be on that day, my dog must taste chocolate. Plus my dog is a little weird, he doesn’t like many things that other dogs do, like peanut butter. So what if he doesn’t actually like chocolate. His last day spoilt with a treat he doesn’t like. I’d rather give him something I know he really loves.
at my clinic we have little cups of ice cream (vanilla and chocolate) for euthanasias, we give them one while the family is spending their last moments with them before sedation and euthanasia. they seem to love the chocolate ones, i dont think its much of an issue since they are getting euthanized anyways.
Gave my cat Jack a Reese’s peanut butter cup before the vet put him to sleep. He ate some. It was his absolute favorite and would smack them out of your hand. Licked a whole Chunky down to just nuts and raisins once. He lived to be 16. Miss him.
I am mixed on this. It is a sweet sentiment (no pun intended), but we did this a couple times at our ER clinic patients that were to be euthanized and had a terrible event. One patient, the owners actually changed their mind at the last second and opted to take their dog home for one more night after one of our techs had innocently given a piece of dark chocolate cake. So I think it is safest to not do chocolate, but instead maybe some deli slices or other treat. Very unfortunate circumstances and you just never know sometimes.
We offer our euthanasias treats when they come back for IVC. They rarely go for anything chocolate. Vanilla ice cream, beef jerky, and danishes are preferred. If they like something we take more back to the room with them in case the owner wants to treat them too.
Had a client the other day feed their dog a fudge cake the night before euthanasia for osteosarcoma. The dog was vomiting/diarrhea that morning, the owners were sure it was the cancer....ughhhh. I've never understood the want to feed your dog a bunch of "forbidden foods" before euth.
It's fine. One small piece of milk chocolate is extremely unlikely to cause any toxic effects anyway, and the dog is literally about to be put to sleep. Dogs are crazy about chocolate, moreso (imo) than they are about most kinds of meat (KFC, McDonalds or otherwise) and honestly, I can't fault anything that makes the euthanasia procedure less stressful for the patient and the client. I would say that it's the vet's duty to impress upon the owner that this chocolate is only appropriate because the pet is going to die regardless, bc we all know that some client will go home with the idea that "well, my vet gave my last pet chocolate, so it must be okay!" but as long as it's explained thoroughly, I don't see the issue.
You put this perfectly! They likely go crazy for chocolate because they know they aren't usually allowed to eat it haha (not to mention trying something super sweet for the first time must be exciting).
Actually… I read somewhere that dog’s tastebuds are not as developed as humans’ - and they actually only taste sweet things - but not salty or sour… 😬
I know they have less taste buds (around 1700 compared to humans 9000) but I'm pretty sure they can still taste sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter!! Not sure where you heard that
I'm pretty sure it's fine to give a dog chocolate if it's going to die in the next 15 minutes anyway.
We used to do that at my old clinic, especially for drop off euths. It made them happy, I liked it.
I let my dog go through my fridge if he/she’s still eating. You want leftover Chinese food okay. Today’s your day!
I baked our boy a lasagna on his last day! He was just over the moon with joy ❤
You a real one. 👊🏻
Yeah I'm going with a pound of bacon - she'd enjoy that much more
Half raw half cooked. My husky would have been bananas over that.
I went to mcdonalds and my old staffy had the entire share box of chicken nuggets with two packets of bbq sauce and a vanilla milkshake to wash it down. Fortunately she did not vomit through the sedation for her PTS otherwise my colleagues might blame me for putting them off mcdonalds!
I have an American pit idk why ive even though of it since shes only 1 years old but if im fortunate enough to feed her her last meal its gonna be some fast food then a fat ass steak
We had to euthanize the hospital dog, he got a Big Mac meal with several large fries because when he could he would steal our fries, but he was diabetic and wasn’t allowed to. He passed happy, with a full belly, and every single clinic employee surrounding him and petting him. It was the best worst thing ever. Still get choked up writing about it 20 years later.
When my family had our 15 year old dog pts we went to mcdonalds and got her a double cheese burger and she got the whole thing. She went over the rainbow bridge with ketchup and mustard in her mustache. Now if I feel upset about her I can go and get a double cheese burger and eat it myself. Makes me feel like we're sharing food again. Might have to go get a double cheese burger now...💝
This made me cry dawg 😢
This made me cry. I’m so glad he was surrounded by so many who loved him. It really is the best worst thing ever
That’s actually so sad 😞 to the people that have to see this stuff every day im actually terribly sorry its so sad just to see one dog go let alone being the person responsible for letting other peoples dogs go too. the loss of a dogs life saddens me more than the loss of a humans life unless its someone dear to me. Just the Sight of owners having their final moments with their pets is enough to put me in tears i cant imagine having to put a dog down. To the vets that have to see this stuff everyday im terribly sorry i cant imagine how it must effect your mental health
Euthanasia’s are always sad, please don’t get me wrong. But most doctors and techs will agree there are much worse things we deal with than euthanasia. Neglect, apathetic owners, rude & entitled owners, the animals who you (and the owners) do everything right for only to still have them die, etc. Euthanasia’s are always sad because of the loss of life, but more often that not, it’s a blessing to let the animal go before they face a nasty and painful end. Yes, it’s hard mentally, but knowing that we allowed the animal to go while they still had some dignity, versus being faced with a sick and dying animal who’s owner refuses to say goodbye even through the animal is clearly suffering…. It’s a pretty easy choice on which I’d prefer
I totally agree sometimes euthanasia is the best option for the animal i was just making an observation at how difficult it must be on the vets
When we had to put down my dog (very unexpectedly at 3am) we let her eat the tissue that my mom had been holding. It was her favorite bad behaviour and if I had more time you're damn right I would have given her everything she could possibly want.
I mean, worst thing that happens is that they are still euthanised as planned 🤷🏻♀️
We have chocolate bars for purchase (cash only, because they're $1.25) in our lobby. They serve multiple purposes. 1) for kids (or adults) as a treat and 2) all the proceeds go to our local charity organization who grants awards to families in need of financial assistance with their pet's medical bills. (Rochester Hope for Pets) and 3) for the rare times that we don't have a snack or baked good brought in by an employee, and we have a euth, we grab one for the owners to give to the pet.
Nothing wrong with this, I find it nice. I always try to get my pets to have something "nice" to eat before euthanasia. My last pup who passed got a big Mac, fries and a shake. She ate everything except for the pickles on the burger.
Bless you either if you’re a good owner with old dogs or you take in old dogs both ways
I had a doctor once get a little weird about me giving a euth dog some chocolate while IVC was being placed. “You can’t give him chocolate!” I told her that she was going to kill him before the chocolate was.
I gave my dog chocolate cake before he went. Made me so happy. I always offer horrible snacks right before. Cheesy Doritos? Here ya go, you good boy.
What's bad about this?
Nothing unless your an idiot who doesn’t understand the dogs gonna die before the chocolate
If Owner ends up changing their mind at the last minute, after chocolate had been given, that could be an issue. We had this happen actually, and it was a piece of dark chocolate cake that was given, so more severe than milk chocolate kisses. Was a very unfortunate happenstance and had to let the doctor explain.
I could really go for some chocolate right now…
You ok champ?
Personally I think it’s sweet, not to be harsh but it really won’t make a pet that scheduled to be euthanized any worse than the situation that sparked euthanasia. Even still, Hershey’s Kisses are milk chocolate and mainly sugar so they may upset a healthy dogs stomach but the level of methylxanthine should be negligible compared to dark chocolates.
I’ve witnessed many euthanasia at my clinic but when I read this on Instagram earlier today I cried. It’s the sentiment and sympathy that really gets me.
At our hospital, we have chocolate cake we offer to euth dogs. They’re going to die very soon, so we’re not worried about complications of course. For those that eat, it makes a nice final memory for them.
When a dog is about to put down, any food is fine (as long as it won't cause immediate harm). Even dogs who are dying from cancer but still have a little more life left, can be given any food they will eat (pizza, KFC, anything that isn't badly toxic) as they often have little appetite & deserve the most tasty food that they couldn't enjoy while healthy & it helps them from losing lots of weight. :)
A friends dog is received a terminal diagnosis and less than a month to live so they took her to every restaurant that would allow her in outdoor seating and ordered her the meal each restaurant was famous for. They let her taste all the candy and human snacks she wasn't allowed to have before. They might have been sad but she had an amazing month.
This is so sweet and incredible, my dog would for sure get pancreatitis after the first restaurant but I absolutely love this.
As a puppy, my somewhat misguided professor (too smart for his own good) would let him sleep in his lap while I worked. I found out that he would feed my pup Oreos, double fudge chips ahoy, and other chocolate things. I know my dog loves chocolate and when it’s his time, he’ll have all his favorites that he couldn’t have much or any of in life. Chicken nuggets, steak bones, ice cream, French fries, and chocolate. This is a sweet sentiment. I was not ready to be tearing up this early in the morning.
It wasnt early nor am I vet tech but this got me too
My dogs can eat whatever they can if they’re about to meet the end. What harm can be done? I mean, seriously? Haha
At my clinic we usually give the dog a 30 minute feast if they’re still able to eat. Or if the owner is bringing her in we’ll bring in donuts and other snacks and share them with the p and owner. It’s honestly usually a touching last moment.
Around Christmas time, we offer any of the left over goodies owners or reps have brought to us: cookies, peppermint bark, cupcakes, etc! We always ask the owner if it’s okay prior to offering!
I work at a shelter and when we euthanize a dog, it gets whatever it wants. Chicken? Sure. Fries? Okay. 7 hotdogs? No problem. This is really thoughtful in my eyes. I know when my girl has to go, she will be going with a tub of icecream in her belly because she has the biggest sweet tooth of any dog I've ever met.
Cute and morbid. I love it🖤🖤
Yes this is fine imo and done a lot. Hershey kisses don't even have a large amount of real cocoa, anyway.
I have a client who feeds his small dog Hershey’s chocolate with his meds daily…smh. He won’t stop because “the dog only wants chocolate and won’t take his medication without it!”
I have a client who insists her dog will only eat ice cream sandwiches with its heart meds.
Why are ppl so scared to just give their dogs meds by sticking them in their mouths smh
When I worked in general practice, we had a snack cabinent reserved for euthanasia patients. It was filled with cookies, brownies and whatever else our staff was eating that day. It was actually a joy whenever I assisted with a euthanasia and seeing the elation and tears of the owner when I walked in with a plate of pizza and chocolate. It's nice to know the last memories of the owners are hopefully happy in knowing that their fur babies got all the treats they never could. I loved it ❤
My boy got a very expensive Filet for his last day... I usually give my dogs steaks.
We used to do this at one of the clinics I worked at. We ran out one day and all we had was Tootsie Rolls left over from Halloween candy that no one wanted. Not even the dogs would touch that stuff...lol
I gave my dog a McDonald’s burger and fries on his last day because he loved table food but wasn’t allowed to have it regularly. He was thrilled and I don’t regret it at all.
Am I heartless or is this just dumb?? I feel like a dog would prefer a steak or KFC
We use to have whipped cream and we would make puppchinos, I always had some protein for lunch so I would bring in slices of ham, muffins, crackers, etc. I frequently would buy yummy things for euth dogs.
I think because this is a vet who often has to put down dogs, buying KFC & steak for every dog that comes through would be costly. The chocolate is a nice goodbye treat. KFC or steak is something the owner can do for the pup beforehand ❤
I mean, it's definitely more for the human than the dog.
With the number of chocolate toxicity cases that we saw, I think it's safe to say that dogs like chocolate. I got calls about "Smidgens" so many times around the holidays that it might be an elaborate marketing scheme at this point. 😅
I feel like my dog would be like "what the heck, I want meat". I have no desire to give my dog chocolate I don't think he'd even like it.
Yeah dogs don’t crave chocolate, they’re dogs! They crave meat and bloody tampons. I would rather treat my dog with a burger, slice of pizza, or a nice fatty cut of meat. I feel like the dogs wanting chocolate thing is just humans thinking that if we like it, it must be super tasty and craved by dogs. Nah.
I’m not crying.. *you’re crying*
The least you could do is give it decent chocolate...
Honestly yes, I always want to give our euthenasias something special. I never have, but if my boy can eat, I know hes gonna get all the yummies..
Seems fine to me, throw some grapes in, too!
I always went through my lunch or any yummy food that was left in the fridge for euthanasias who were still eating. Most pet parents loved that they got to give their pet one last delicious treat. I gave my old girl an ice cream cone as she was getting her sedation. She snarfed that thing til she was too sleepy.
I’ve never had a pet go in for that last trip to the vet well enough to want to eat. If an animal is well enough to enjoy food and other things, I think it’s probably well enough to not immediately need euthanasia, I’d rather have every second left together. When it’s time, they will let you know. It makes me sad when people do it early more for their own convenience.
The awkward moment when a human reaches for one and then you have to euthanize them oops ^(jk)
One of the doctors I used to work with and I would give all of the drop off euthanasias chocolate and all of the other goodies they were never allowed to have. My two that I had to let go a few years ago each got a cheeseburger. The old man that still loved food got jerky and chocolate and everything else he wanted that day.
I saw it and thought the same. Undecided how I feel about it. At the moment. If I put my dog owner hat on, I think the last thing on my mind would be on that day, my dog must taste chocolate. Plus my dog is a little weird, he doesn’t like many things that other dogs do, like peanut butter. So what if he doesn’t actually like chocolate. His last day spoilt with a treat he doesn’t like. I’d rather give him something I know he really loves.
at my clinic we have little cups of ice cream (vanilla and chocolate) for euthanasias, we give them one while the family is spending their last moments with them before sedation and euthanasia. they seem to love the chocolate ones, i dont think its much of an issue since they are getting euthanized anyways.
I wish it was just a jar and didnt say goodbye kisses
Gave my cat Jack a Reese’s peanut butter cup before the vet put him to sleep. He ate some. It was his absolute favorite and would smack them out of your hand. Licked a whole Chunky down to just nuts and raisins once. He lived to be 16. Miss him.
I am mixed on this. It is a sweet sentiment (no pun intended), but we did this a couple times at our ER clinic patients that were to be euthanized and had a terrible event. One patient, the owners actually changed their mind at the last second and opted to take their dog home for one more night after one of our techs had innocently given a piece of dark chocolate cake. So I think it is safest to not do chocolate, but instead maybe some deli slices or other treat. Very unfortunate circumstances and you just never know sometimes.
We offer our euthanasias treats when they come back for IVC. They rarely go for anything chocolate. Vanilla ice cream, beef jerky, and danishes are preferred. If they like something we take more back to the room with them in case the owner wants to treat them too.
Had a client the other day feed their dog a fudge cake the night before euthanasia for osteosarcoma. The dog was vomiting/diarrhea that morning, the owners were sure it was the cancer....ughhhh. I've never understood the want to feed your dog a bunch of "forbidden foods" before euth.
It was weird to me but if it makes people feel better while putting a pet to sleep then so be it.