The quality of companion animal death is often far better than human death, but barriers to timely euthanasia can cause prolonged suffering.
Companion animals in their final stages of disease frequently suffer from uncontrolled pain, nausea, breathlessness, and confusion. Well-intentioned owners may delay euthanasia due to grief, inadvertently prolonging suffering. Veterinary pain management has improved significantly but is not always maximally applied. At-home euthanasia reduces the stress of final veterinary visits.