Big dogs, gentle goodbyes
For a 45 kg dog who can no longer walk, the clinic trip is the hardest part of the hardest day. Home euthanasia removes it entirely, and the practicalities big-dog owners worry about are better handled than they fear.
Updated August 2026
Why home suits large breeds
No lifting into a car boot. No slipping on clinic floors. No stretcher through a waiting room. Your dog stays on their own bed, and for the giant breeds whose hips and backs gave out before their hearts did, that matters more than anything else about the day. The visit itself is identical to any other: sedation first, dosed to weight, then the final injection once deeply asleep.
The lifting question, answered
You don't lift anything. If cremation is chosen, the vet brings a stretcher and, for very large dogs, a second person; your dog is carried out covered and with care. You can help carry if you want to (many owners do, and vets welcome it), but nothing requires it. Mention your dog's weight when booking so the right hands arrive.
Not sure what to do next?
We'll match you with a home visit vet who covers your area and email you their introduction. Reply to it and they'll call you. There’s no cost to ask, and no obligation.
Costs scale with size: a little
Expect $50 to $150 above base visit fees for dogs over ~25 kg (medication and handling), and the top of the cremation range: individual cremation for a large dog runs $350 to $600. Full numbers in the cost guide and aftercare guide.
If you're burying at home
Where your council permits it, dig generously (at least a metre of cover over a large dog, away from waterways and easements) and dig before the visit; it is heavy work you don't want on the day. If there's any chance you'll move house, weigh cremation instead: it travels with you.
Common questions
My dog is anxious and enormous. Both problems at once?
Routine for home vets: a pre-visit calming medication in food an hour before, a slow hello, and sedation given wherever he settles. Big and worried is a combination they know well.
Can it happen in the yard?
Yes. For big dogs it's often the natural place, and it makes the transfer afterwards simpler too.
Find a vet used to big dogs
Mention breed and weight in your enquiry and vets arrive prepared: right dose drawn, stretcher in the car, second pair of hands if needed.