dog euthanasia

Welcome to A2K!

I would be very leery about "do it yourself" euthanasia. What would you do if the dog did not die, but was suffering, or in a coma?

If the dog is so "precious" to you, spend the cash, and have him euthanized by someone who knows what he is doing. In that way, it is very quick, and the dog won't suffer.

coolies mom,

I totally agree with Phoenix.

I run a homeless cat shelter and there are times when I have to have cats put to sleep for medical reasons (the only reason!).

I have the most wonderful vet. While most vets use the "purple stuff" as they call it, mine does not. My vet gives the cat enough of a barbituate (sleeping medicine) to let the cat fall gently asleep. Once the cat has fallen into that restful slumber, he will then give the cat an overdose of the same barbituate. I have never seen an animal put out of its misery with such compassion and dignity.

If your vet usually uses the "purple stuff" (usually injected into the animals heart and the animal is fully awake ~ I hate this stuff!) ask him/her if they can do it the way my vet does. I always know that my cats just fell asleep and had no fear and no pain.

I am terribly sorry you may have to go through with this. Losing a beloved animal is like losing a member of the family.

And you probably don't want to hear this right now, but if you do lose one, the best thing for you to do is to get another one asap (IMO and experience). It doesn't take away the pain of losing the other, but the love you can give a needy animal and the love it can give you can go a long way in the healing process.

I completely agree with Phoenix and Momma.

I had a horrible, horrible experience regarding what you are thinking of doing. It was not my choice (I was in another province when my family put MY dog down). Anyways, my aunt later told me that she was so sorry and had tried to convince them to take him to a vet. I don't know exactly what happened to my dear pup (no details were given to me) but they were very shaken by it. I suspect it did not 'go as planned' and that just breaks my heart.

It is completely worth it to know it is being done by a professional. You will still be there with him/her to love them as they pass. You won't have to worry about anything except being there for your beloved pet. This is not the kind of thing to throw the dice on, in my experience.

Take care of yourself. I'm sorry for what you and your pup are going through.

Coolies mum, are you concerned with expending the money, or do you just want it to happen at home where you and the dog are both comfortable? You may be able to find a vet who will make a house call if you check around.

Coolies mum, many vets make house calls to put family animals down so that they can be comfortable and with people that love them while it happens. It's very difficult to watch, but I it's ultimately a nicer way for them to leave. (I'm getting teary eyed just typing this!!

dog euthanasia
thanks everyone for your thoughts on poor old coolie, we will probably have the vet come to our house tomorrow, we really think she would be happier now in doggy heaven, she is very deaf, doesn't see too well and now has a lot of trouble just getting off her bed, she has been a loyal buddie for the past 14 years and it is very hard to let her go, I just thought it would be nice to slip a little sleeping pill in her favourite bowl of roast chicken, that would be a little easier for us. Thanks for you kind thoughts
coolies mum

coolies mum,

I will be thinking of you and your little baby. I will pray for God's grace and comfort for you! You are showing the most unconditional love by doing this. You love your baby so much you do not want him to suffer.

Our precious Coolie went to sleep 7th November at 2.15pm. we sat on our back patio and the vet and his lovely assistant came to our place and our beautiful Coolie went to sleep. She is now resting beside her friend Blackie underneath our Mapel tree. It's been very helpful for me to be able to share some of my feelings with other caring people. Many thanks

The two best things you can do for an animal is first to give them a loving home and the second is a good death. You have done both Mum, and wherever your pets are now they are grateful. Peace.

Hey, I know it's hard, coolies mum (I've been there), but you did a great thing, an important thing. Coolie deserved no less.

Welcome to A2K and we hope you'll stick around.

coolies mum,

Bless you for loving your precious baby so much! What a wonderful thing you did for your baby. I know he loves you and is smiling down at you right now!

Momma Angel, which "purple stuff" do you mean? The stuff I use (Beuthanasia-D) is purple, but it IS a barbiburate, working very quickly and peacefully.

CowDoc,

Maybe it is the same stuff. But the vet I used to have might not have used it correctly. He had to put down a couple of my cats from the shelter and they did not go peacefully. He gave them both the shots in the heart. He called it purple stuff. Is it possible he missed the heart? Would that make a difference?

If I remember correctly, the stuff my new vet uses is either white, yellow or clear? I can't really remember. It's been quite awhile since I've had to put a cat down, thank God!

You are a vet? If so, may I ask a question? If it is not ok, I understand. Just let me know and I will ask.

Ask away. I also inject the barbiturates into the heart, simply because cat veins are small and fragile and barbiturates burn like hell if they are injected paravascularly. If you hit the heart directly, the effects are incredibly quick - less than two seconds. I have no idea what the stuff your new vet uses might be.

I will ask. I only know it is a barbituate. He injects it into the juglar or the other one (ca-rot-ted)? Very quick. Very peaceful

I was wondering if you do early spaying on female cats? I have read some different things on this. Is it better for the cat to be spayed earlier on? Are the risks any greater or less?

Actually, I don't think it matters a whole lot. I always preferred to spay them before they came into heat, just because the possibility of hemorrhage was nearly eliminated. That was equally true of queens and bitches. I know some folks are doing them at two or three months old, and I don't really have a strong opinion on that one. I liked them at least big enough that the uterus wasn't too hard to locate. No matter what age you spay a queen, you always find a few that have the uterus wrapped around the neck of the bladder, which (in my case) usually resulted in some truly creative profanity. There's nothing anybody can do to prevent that one, though.

Thank you.

Okay, where do you stand on anesthesia for toms when you neuter them?

I have a westie. He has been in our family for the past 14 years, which of course makes him a family member. In the past couple of years, our dog has had bladder stones, his eyesight and hearing is becoming poor, calcium deposits on his backbone (which is now pressing against his spinal cord) and he is a little overweight. Although he still acted like he was 4 or 5 years old, he recently had a vestibular infection. Since the infection, he has a hard time with his back and overall mobility.

My wife and I and thinking about putting him to sleep, but when are you sure you are doing the right thing??? Just reading the other posts on here bring tears to my eyes. It seems obvious, if I were giving the advice.

clubrcr,

Do you have a vet that you completely trust? If my vet tells me in all honesty that it is the most humane and loving thing to do for one of my cats, I follow his advice. It is a very difficult decision for anyone that has a beloved family pet. They ARE part of your family and you go through a grieving process when you lose them.

I hope you have a good vet that you can trust. He can probably be the most objective in this situation.

I am so sorry that your family is going through this. I know how hard this is and my prayers are with all of you.