Frequently Asked Questions

There is no question too big or too small for our veterinary team. Below are some answers to our most common questions.

When do you help families?

We see pets and their families every day of the year, 7 days a week, from 9 AM until 5 PM. Urgent appointments may be available outside these hours.

Do the doctors see appointments during evenings, weekends, or on holidays?

Evenings, Weekends, & Holidays:

For evening (outside weekday business hours of 9 AM-5 PM), weekend, and holiday appointments, an additional $100-150 fee per situation will apply.

Do you see emergencies?

We are not an emergency service and are not available overnight. Same-day appointments are often available, but not always. We are best able to assist pet families when we are given advance notice.

What if you are not available when we need you?

If we cannot help you, we want to help you find someone who can.  We are very congenial with all the mobile doctors in the greater Triangle area, and we share a referral list that we all have access to! Please call for more information.

What areas do you serve?

We primarily serve the Triangle — Downtown Raleigh, Downtown Chapel Hill, Downtown Durham, Apex, Carrboro, Cary, Morrisville, and the community in between. If you are in the farther reaches of Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties, we may charge a driving fee. Please refer to the Service Area Map. If your area is not listed on our map, please give us a call as we may still serve your area.

What Are The Typical Driving Fees?

There is generally a $80-$200 driving fee for other towns outside the greater Triangle  area and the farther reaches surrounding, up to the Virginia border, down to Harnett County, East to Burlington, and West to Spring Hope. 

Beyond The Extended Service Area:
With enough notice, we can also travel to areas beyond for an additional fee: South to Moore and Cumberland County, and out toward Coastal North Carolina, depending on availability. If you don’t see your area on the map, please still call us. 

How do I schedule a hospice or euthanasia visit for my pet?

Please let us know how we can help you and your pet by calling us at (919) 646-4660 from 7 AM until 7 PM Monday through Friday, and from 9 AM until 3 PM on weekends. You can also email us at Care@GentleJourneyNC.com. Our care coordinators will gladly assist you. You can also use the “Request an Appointment” button at the bottom of the page and fill out the form. We will be in touch as soon as possible.

What is a hospice visit?

A hospice visit is designed to help you and your pet by guiding you. The doctors perform a physical examination of your pet and their environment, review the current medications and modalities being utilized, evaluate your pet’s current health problems, assess your pet’s quality-of-life, and create a custom treatment plan to help you care for your pet.

We will email the custom treatment plan to you and to any veterinary care teams who have recently helped your pet. We encourage you to have anyone present who is involved in pet care and decision-making. Also, if you are thinking that you might elect euthanasia at the end of the appointment, have all the people who wish to be there available.

How do I determine what type of appointment I need for my pet?

Our care coordinators can guide you. You may also wish to refer to our Quality-of-Life tool to help you determine if hospice or in-home euthanasia would be best.

When is it time?

We understand the ache of letting go of a precious family member. There is no time when it feels “good” to say goodbye. But it’s also okay to say goodbye to them on a good day. This helps ensure that they will pass comfortably in their sleep, surrounded by their loved ones and where they are most at peace. We deeply believe that, as hard as it is, saying goodbye to a pet one minute — or even one day — too soon is better than a moment too late. Please see pet loss resources for additional information.

What happens during euthanasia?

The doctor will spend some time getting to know you and your pet. She will explain everything. We want this transition to be loving and peaceful, so she will administer a combination of sedation, pain reliever, and anti-anxiety medication under the skin to ensure a peaceful passing. This involves a small pinch; some pets do not even notice, while others may briefly object, so having treats, table foods, canned food, or anything they like to eat as a distraction is best. Cuddling and petting also go a long way to reassure your pet. However, if your pet is anxious, painful, or doesn’t like strangers, we can request oral sedation from your veterinarian for you to give prior to the doctor’s arrival.

Once your pet is asleep, we make a pawprint keepsake and take a clipping of fur, if you wish. The next medication, a concentrated anesthetic, is usually given intravenously. Anesthesia does not cause any discomfort, and it works very quickly. It will cause the brain to fall into a non-reversible sleep, and the brain and body will stop working. It is very peaceful.

We will leave a booklet addressing grief and loss. We can provide aftercare services if needed. We will also notify any veterinary practices who have seen your pet for you.

Who is welcome at the visit and how do we make it peaceful and comforting?

You may personalize the visit as you wish. Other family members, friends, or children are very welcome to be present if you wish. We also invite other pets if they can be respectful of the companion we are helping. Since we will be at your home, family members can leave the room if they wish at any point and come back as they feel comfortable. Please think about what would make this visit most comforting: special foods and treats for your pet, a special blanket, bed, or toy, music, candles, a poem you would like to read, ink pads and paper to do ink paw and/or nose prints (we will be providing a clay pawprint and a clipping of fur if you would like), or anything else to make this goodbye more meaningful.

My pet doesn’t like the vet. What can we do to make this appointment go more smoothly?

We can contact your pet’s veterinary practice and request that they prescribe medication for you to give prior to our arrival. If you do not have a veterinary client/patient relationship currently, our doctor can bring oral medications at an additional fee to give prior to administering injectable sedation for your pet. You can also have soft music or white noise, Feliway or DAP diffusers, a cuddly blanket, favorite foods, or anything else to create a more peaceful experience for everyone.

What if my pet is aggressive?

There is an additional charge for aggressive pets without an effective pre-sedation plan, please call us so we can discuss the situation and see how we can assist you and your pet.

Will my other pets grieve their loss?

Your remaining pets may exhibit none or all of the following, as well as other behaviors:

  • Clinging to you
  • Decreased appetite
  • Gastrointestinal distress
  • Declining to play or interact
  • Depression, Listlessness
  • Looking for their friend
  • Restlessness
  • Wandering aimlessly
  • Vocalization increasing or decreasing
  • Change in sleeping patterns or location
  • Destructiveness

These behaviors should resolve with attention and affection, engaging in favorite activities, or enrichment such as playing ball, stuffing a toy with treats, catnip, or a new toy. If your pet’s appetite, GI signs, or listlessness does not start to rebound within a couple of days, seek veterinary care to ensure that nothing is medically amiss. If your pet is still exhibiting other signs after a couple of weeks, there are medical interventions that may help. Some pets come into their full personality when a housemate passes, particularly if that housemate was the boss dog or cat.

What options are there for aftercare?

We can arrange private or communal water-based cremation services. We will take your beloved pet with us after euthanasia if you elect for us to handle aftercare. We have baskets and stretchers to carefully transport them in a loving manner. If you wish to do a home burial, you need to check with your town or county on the regulations and follow safety precautions regarding power, sewer, gas, etc. You can also make your own arrangements with the crematory service of your choice.

What if I cannot help carry my pet to the doctor’s car up to 90 pounds, or if I have a pet over 90 pounds?

The doctor needs assistance carrying pets over 35 to 90 lbs. So when those pets require aftercare and we need assistance carrying them but there is nobody at home available to assist, and also for ALL pets over 90 lbs. requiring aftercare, we need to make arrangements with our cremation service at an additional fee. 

What if I do not have a veterinary practice for the urn to be delivered to or do not wish it to be delivered to the veterinary practice?

You may pick up the urn at the cremation service’s office in Apex.  Alternatively, we can return the urn for an additional fee via Priority Mailing or Hand Delivery of the urn.

How can I be sure that the ashes returned to me belong to my pet?

We are confident that the ashes you receive are those of your deceased pet. In addition to our long-standing trust in the crematorium, there is an identification tag that originates with our veterinarian who has helped your pet pass. This tag is linked to Gentle Journey as well, and the identification information is submitted within the emailed instructions that the doctor submits when requesting help with aftercare. This tag goes with your pet to the crematorium and remains linked to them through the cremation process. Companah also has a digital system that tracks your pet during each step of the journey back home to you. We can use this system to monitor your pet beginning from when they leave your care all the way until your pet’s urn is ready for return to you.

What Are Your Payment Options?

You can pay with check, cash, and credit cards. We do not accept Care Credit. If you prefer, we can take credit card information ahead of the appointment. Otherwise, we can address payment during our time with you. To make the experience as peaceful as possible, please make out a check to “Gentle Journey” ahead of time. You can also pay by cash or card at the appointment.

What if I need to cancel my Appointment?

If you do not notify us by 10AM the day prior to your appointment you will incur a $100 cancellation fee, unless your pet has already been helped by another service provider, such as an emergency hospital overnight.

Are your services covered by pet insurance?

Most pet insurance companies cover Gentle Journey services. We are happy to help complete any paperwork needed to submit for reimbursement.