Euthanasia

[Hawthorn]

Yes, that's what I think, too, but I think I vaguely remember reading many years ago that some drugs can make the actual euthanasia slower or more difficult in some way, but this is a very vague recollection.

[FiveRoooooers]

I don't know about the other rx you mention. but we were given the OK to administer Benadryl.

[GeorgeofNE]

I just want to say how sorry I am you had that experience.

 

I was sent to have one of our family dogs put to sleep when I was much, much younger (my parents were out of town and I was home with the dogs). The first shot didn't do it. It was awful. I had to scream for the vet to come back and help.

 

 

[XTRAWLD]

I can't read this thread. I'm very sorry that you (and many here) have had hurtful and bad experiences.

[Guest TahoeMom]

I'm so sorry, TahoeMom. Over the years, four of my greys have gone to the bridge, and two kitties. One of my cats appeared to get quite agitated when she was given the first injection (we were at the emergency vet). This reaction didn't last for long, but I was very upset by it. She was very very sick, and even though I know we made the right decision, it was jarring. I think it is natural to second guess these things. But I believe, very deeply, that they are not in pain or suffering at this point.

 

Two of my greys passed at home (with the assistance of a vet), and two passed at the vet surgery (one at the e-vet). It pains me to think about it even now, but my greys that passed at the vet's office were in bad shape. They needed some extra assistance to have a peaceful passing. They would not have been able to do this comfortably at home. I know it's a cliche, but the "bad" memories will fade away and you will remember the good things.

Thank you. I hope so. I wanted nothing but relief for him. He is in a better place now. That is for sure.

I can only say, my Heart goes out to you to experience such a horrible Passing of your beloved Brendon . I am so sorry.

Thank you. He definitely deserved a peaceful passing. He was the sweetest.

I'm so sorry that your experience was not as hoped.

 

 

To follow up on some of the previous posts concerning the costs .... At home euthanasia is costly where I am (near Boston). The fee for the vet to come out was based on an hourly charge plus extra for "out-of-service" area. It did not include the cremation or transport but, they do help to load into your car (if the animal is not too big). Price would come out to be about 600 - 800 with just basic no-frills box.

 

The high price could be that there are not many vets that provide this service in my area and you would think this would be a great area. Both the vets that provide the service (that I know), would have to travel a good distance to get here - just the travel time would be close to 2 hours.

Brendan was only our third dog to euthanize. Two previous had no side effects and went peacefully. We've euthanized many cats and ferrets before, with no side effects. I just think that the poor outcome might have been circumstantial. I just think in-home euthanasia is the better experience all around. It is worth the money.

[Sundrop]

I'm so very sorry for your losses, and that Brendan had a hard time leaving you. We've had to help 3 of our greys cross the bridge - the first in a vet's office, which was a crisis brought on by ineptness at the hospital where she stayed overnight. She was terrified, in pain and fought the first injection, but was unable to stand - the entire experience was horrible, just horrible. The other two we had in-home options and they were much more peaceful. It made it a little easier - at least we knew that they weren't stressed out by a ride to the vet, by the vet, or by the procedure and could pass on their favorite beds, in their favorite spots, at home with mom & dad. The first time at home, he cried out with the first shot - but just at the needle-prick.

 

We had to say goodbye to our sweet Deacon last April, and lost our Tilly 10 months after him this past February. I still miss them both.

 

We had the vet come here, and the crematorium waited outside. They came in and put our babies in a little coffin, allowed us to say goodbye - we put Deacon's favorite toy with him, and Tilly got a little bouquet of early-blooming daffodils I picked from her yard. They took them both out, private cremations, and we got their ashes back the next day. All included, I believe it was about $550.

[cometdust1]

I did. A shih-tzu. He screamed and writhed when the vet put the sedative injection into his thigh. My other dogs went peacefully. My last greyhound was euthanized by an older country vet. He did not use a sedative and did not use the pink stuff. My Jax was standing on the table, the vet had a giant vial of dark blue stuff. with the dog standing and me hugging him, he put the needle into his neck just as if he was going to draw blood, no big deal to Jax. The second he injected Jax he just dropped like a rock, never knew what hit him and the vet guided him back down on the table. I don't know if Jax was just lucky with it being done this way but it was the fastest, most peaceful passing I ever witnessed.

[Guest TahoeMom]

I did. A shih-tzu. He screamed and writhed when the vet put the sedative injection into his thigh. My other dogs went peacefully. My last greyhound was euthanized by an older country vet. He did not use a sedative and did not use the pink stuff. My Jax was standing on the table, the vet had a giant vial of dark blue stuff. with the dog standing and me hugging him, he put the needle into his neck just as if he was going to draw blood, no big deal to Jax. The second he injected Jax he just dropped like a rock, never knew what hit him and the vet guided him back down on the table. I don't know if Jax was just lucky with it being done this way but it was the fastest, most peaceful passing I ever witnessed.

Indeed. Jax was in good hands. It really is an iffy procedure.

I'm so very sorry for your losses, and that Brendan had a hard time leaving you. We've had to help 3 of our greys cross the bridge - the first in a vet's office, which was a crisis brought on by ineptness at the hospital where she stayed overnight. She was terrified, in pain and fought the first injection, but was unable to stand - the entire experience was horrible, just horrible. The other two we had in-home options and they were much more peaceful. It made it a little easier - at least we knew that they weren't stressed out by a ride to the vet, by the vet, or by the procedure and could pass on their favorite beds, in their favorite spots, at home with mom & dad. The first time at home, he cried out with the first shot - but just at the needle-prick.

 

We had to say goodbye to our sweet Deacon last April, and lost our Tilly 10 months after him this past February. I still miss them both.

 

We had the vet come here, and the crematorium waited outside. They came in and put our babies in a little coffin, allowed us to say goodbye - we put Deacon's favorite toy with him, and Tilly got a little bouquet of early-blooming daffodils I picked from her yard. They took them both out, private cremations, and we got their ashes back the next day. All included, I believe it was about $550.

Yes, I will do it at home next time. Better outcomes all around, I think.

[tbhounds]

First I want to say how sorry I am that you lost your beautiful hound and how terribly sorry I am that the passing wasn't a very peaceful one.

As a vet tech sadly one of my roles is to assist in euthanasia's. It's a horrible part of my job as it just tears me up inside -each and every pet I'm with takes a little bit of me with them but, in the same aspect I'm glad to bring comfort to both the pet and the client in their time of need.

It is hard for me to say exactly what happened in your situation without knowng all the specific details-state of health, types of drugs used, IV catheter present...? I can only speculate what may have happened. I completely understand how you feel--quite honestly I would be upset and actually livid but, that won't change things-your baby is at peace now and the love bond between both of you will never change.

Deepest condolences.

[Neighsayer]

I never had an experience that bad. I had a vet come to the house for CeeCee in December. He had put down some of my goats, and is very experienced and gentle. It took her a while to go down after the first shot, then her veins were collapsing for the next step. He had to shave, try several locations, and she did bleed some, but she was comfortable. The cost was $600 which included cremation. He also came out on Labor Day to remove Mickey who had died in his sleep. I think that was $300. I had to take Ace to my vet in February. It took him a long time to go down after the first shot, but the vet just gave us private time with him. Although he kept walking around, he was not in pain or upset. The final shot was easy. He was very out of it by then. I don't remember the cost, but it was several hundred less than the at home vet. In November, I took Misty to the specialty hospital that treated her frequently. She loved going there, so wasn't upset. She had lost twenty pounds and was very weak, so she just slipped away. I e taken several other dogs to my own vet or emergency hospital, but never had a bad experience.

I agree that you probably won't forget what happened. When I had a horse put down, we walked him to the front of the house to make removal easier. The guy showed up with the truck to remove him just as the vet arrived. He stayed in the background, but it was uncomfortable. The horse was not upset, and he did ok with the first shot. However, he remained standing even after getting the "pink stuff". I left to go in the house while the vet and the guy pushed him over, but I'll never forget that thud when he went down!

All animals are different, and we all hope for the best in that horrible situation. I'm sorry that you had to go through it, but there is nothing you can do to prevent it next time. Maybe mention it to the vet at the time to let them know your concerns?

Hugs!

[winnie]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I haven't read all the responses. I just couldn't.

 

My heart hound, Faye Oops, was the first dog we had PTS (osteo). Faye Oops always got very stressed at the vet's office, so we always brought Celeste with us to appointments. We did the same when it was her time to leave us. The sedative did nothing. Faye Oops was still stressed. Thankfully, Celeste was there and put her head on Faye Oops to calm her. It worked. I will be forever grateful for Celeste that day. She even had the staff crying.

 

We recently had to PTS my heart cat, Monty. He was the first animal that I've had to have the reflexes after it was done. It was very unsettling.

[Guest TahoeMom]

First I want to say how sorry I am that you lost your beautiful hound and how terribly sorry I am that the passing wasn't a very peaceful one.

As a vet tech sadly one of my roles is to assist in euthanasia's. It's a horrible part of my job as it just tears me up inside -each and every pet I'm with takes a little bit of me with them but, in the same aspect I'm glad to bring comfort to both the pet and the client in their time of need.

It is hard for me to say exactly what happened in your situation without knowng all the specific details-state of health, types of drugs used, IV catheter present...? I can only speculate what may have happened. I completely understand how you feel--quite honestly I would be upset and actually livid but, that won't change things-your baby is at peace now and the love bond between both of you will never change.

Deepest condolences.

The vet was inept. I will never go back there again.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I haven't read all the responses. I just couldn't.

 

My heart hound, Faye Oops, was the first dog we had PTS (osteo). Faye Oops always got very stressed at the vet's office, so we always brought Celeste with us to appointments. We did the same when it was her time to leave us. The sedative did nothing. Faye Oops was still stressed. Thankfully, Celeste was there and put her head on Faye Oops to calm her. It worked. I will be forever grateful for Celeste that day. She even had the staff crying.

 

We recently had to PTS my heart cat, Monty. He was the first animal that I've had to have the reflexes after it was done. It was very unsettling.

Reflexes after the fact are one thing. Wild thrashing is another. I won't go through that again.

I never had an experience that bad. I had a vet come to the house for CeeCee in December. He had put down some of my goats, and is very experienced and gentle. It took her a while to go down after the first shot, then her veins were collapsing for the next step. He had to shave, try several locations, and she did bleed some, but she was comfortable. The cost was $600 which included cremation. He also came out on Labor Day to remove Mickey who had died in his sleep. I think that was $300. I had to take Ace to my vet in February. It took him a long time to go down after the first shot, but the vet just gave us private time with him. Although he kept walking around, he was not in pain or upset. The final shot was easy. He was very out of it by then. I don't remember the cost, but it was several hundred less than the at home vet. In November, I took Misty to the specialty hospital that treated her frequently. She loved going there, so wasn't upset. She had lost twenty pounds and was very weak, so she just slipped away. I e taken several other dogs to my own vet or emergency hospital, but never had a bad experience.

I agree that you probably won't forget what happened. When I had a horse put down, we walked him to the front of the house to make removal easier. The guy showed up with the truck to remove him just as the vet arrived. He stayed in the background, but it was uncomfortable. The horse was not upset, and he did ok with the first shot. However, he remained standing even after getting the "pink stuff". I left to go in the house while the vet and the guy pushed him over, but I'll never forget that thud when he went down!

All animals are different, and we all hope for the best in that horrible situation. I'm sorry that you had to go through it, but there is nothing you can do to prevent it next time. Maybe mention it to the vet at the time to let them know your concerns?

Hugs!

We have a wonderful mobile vet. We should have called her. She was wonderful for our Tahoe.

Just to be clear, the emergency veterinarian to avoid for euthanasia is VESCONE in Waltham, MA.

[Victor]

I'm so sorry about Brendan. I don't know if this helps, but we had a similar experience with our angel Lana. The vet said she'd never had that happen before. Afterwards she spoke with an anesthesiologist, and apparently some dogs do have that reaction to the sedative. I don't recall what sedative was used, though.

 

Please take care.

[RaineysMom]

I'm so very sorry for your experience :(

 

we too, have had 2 very bad euthanasia's -- all 5 of our dogs have had to be put to sleep The first, our Pointer Remy, back in 2005 -- my very first time putting an animal down. They gave the sedative (done at our vet, who we love) but instead of relaxing him he jumped up and frantically ran around the room, totally freaking out it was horrible. I almost stopped the procedure at this time, thinking it was NOT the right time. I'll never forget that experience.

 

our Lab Chester and Skipperke Captain both went very peacefully (Chester at home, Captain at the vet) but our sweet Rainey (our first greyhound) had issues with barbituates and I was SO STUPID not to ask the vet (who came to the house) what they used as the sedative and she had a very, very bad reaction to it. The last few minutes of her life were not good ones and I will never forgive myself for it.

 

sending hugs I know how you feel

[Guest TahoeMom]

I'm so sorry about Brendan. I don't know if this helps, but we had a similar experience with our angel Lana. The vet said she'd never had that happen before. Afterwards she spoke with an anesthesiologist, and apparently some dogs do have that reaction to the sedative. I don't recall what sedative was used, though.

 

Please take care.

Thank you. The first drug was propofol and the injection made a loud noise. It's not clear to me what caused him to react so violently, the drug or the scary noise. It makes me furious, because I saw a bunch of air in the syringe that might have caused the sizzling noise at the end. Uncaring, clumsy, and stupid.

I'm so very sorry for your experience :(

 

we too, have had 2 very bad euthanasia's -- all 5 of our dogs have had to be put to sleep The first, our Pointer Remy, back in 2005 -- my very first time putting an animal down. They gave the sedative (done at our vet, who we love) but instead of relaxing him he jumped up and frantically ran around the room, totally freaking out it was horrible. I almost stopped the procedure at this time, thinking it was NOT the right time. I'll never forget that experience.

 

our Lab Chester and Skipperke Captain both went very peacefully (Chester at home, Captain at the vet) but our sweet Rainey (our first greyhound) had issues with barbituates and I was SO STUPID not to ask the vet (who came to the house) what they used as the sedative and she had a very, very bad reaction to it. The last few minutes of her life were not good ones and I will never forgive myself for it.

 

sending hugs I know how you feel

Please forgive yourself. And get angry. We need to track which drugs work and which don't. This should be well-known by now.

[tbhounds]

I'm sure the noise you heard was air being injected via the syringe. I will say typically a small amount is benign. They may have given the propofol too quickly.

I would be furious too.

[Guest TahoeMom]

I'm sure the noise you heard was air being injected via the syringe. I will say typically a small amount is benign. They may have given the propofol too quickly.

I would be furious too.

My poor pup. He didn't deserve to go out that way. :-(

[ramonaghan]

I'm so sorry to the OP for your loss of Brendan, and to everyone else who has had an already painful experience made more difficult by complications or ineptitude.

 

We recently had to PTS my heart cat, Monty. He was the first animal that I've had to have the reflexes after it was done. It was very unsettling.

 

My heart cat Mud actually sneezed(?) after he had stopped breathing. He was the first pet I'd had to euthanize, and the vet saw the look of confusion on my face, so he preceded to touch Mud's eyeball to prove he was really gone. He's a good vet in many ways, but that was so thoughtless and disturbing. That was 7 years ago and I still try to schedule our appointments on his days off. My condolences on your loss of Monty.

Edited April 26, 2016 by ramonaghan

[Guest TahoeMom]

I'm so sorry to the OP for your loss of Brendan, and to everyone else who has had an already painful experience made more difficult by complications or ineptitude.

 

 

My heart cat Mud actually sneezed(?) after he had stopped breathing. He was the first pet I'd had to euthanize, and the vet saw the look of confusion on my face, so he preceded to touch Mud's eyeball to prove he was really gone. He's a good vet in many ways, but that was so thoughtless and disturbing. That was 7 years ago and I still try to schedule our appointments on his days off. My condolences on your loss of Monty.

Thank you. The vet who put Brendan down looked at us for validation afterwards. We were in shock and definitely not in the mood to validate her in any way. I might still write a letter and copy Brendan's shelter and any other greyhound resource that might be interested to know what happened at VESCONE in Waltham, Mass. I get that they don't have any feelings for my pet. I just think that greyhounds are special and need to be treated gently. :-(

[LaFlaca]

Even though euthanasia is a painful subject, I am truly grateful to all of you who have posted your experiences here. I am the type of person who always wants to gather as much information as I can (on any given subject) so that I can make intelligent decisions and choices. Knowledge is power.

 

As I wait for a conclusive diagnosis on my Wendy (vet says, "may be something going on in two vertebrae"), I appreciate knowing what we might be facing if euthanasia is becomes a necessity.

 

[Guest TahoeMom]

Even though euthanasia is a painful subject, I am truly grateful to all of you who have posted your experiences here. I am the type of person who always wants to gather as much information as I can (on any given subject) so that I can make intelligent decisions and choices. Knowledge is power.

 

As I wait for a conclusive diagnosis on my Wendy (vet says, "may be something going on in two vertebrae"), I appreciate knowing what we might be facing if euthanasia is becomes a necessity.

 

I'm so sorry. :-(

[LaFlaca]

I'm so sorry. :-(

Thank you, TahoeMom. I pray daily that it's nothing more than an infection in the bone, which is what we're treating for right now. In a couple of weeks we'll go back to the vet to re-x-ray and re-access. <sigh>

[PatricksMom]

I'm so, so sorry for everyone who's had a less than peaceful euthanasia. Murphy's passing took forever because the vet was inexperienced (new to home hospice) and significantly under dosed him on the second drug. But, here's the important part, I can't say for sure with Brendon, but often what's very delayed or upsetting to us doesn't mean our beloved animal suffered and from what I was able to read, Murphy didn't. I have been present at one where the vet really did mess up (a rabbit) so I know how hard that is.

[Guest TahoeMom]

I'm so, so sorry for everyone who's had a less than peaceful euthanasia. Murphy's passing took forever because the vet was inexperienced (new to home hospice) and significantly under dosed him on the second drug. But, here's the important part, I can't say for sure with Brendon, but often what's very delayed or upsetting to us doesn't mean our beloved animal suffered and from what I was able to read, Murphy didn't. I have been present at one where the vet really did mess up (a rabbit) so I know how hard that is.

I believe you are right. When you sign up for euthanasia, you take the good with the bad. You have to weigh the animal's potential suffering and what is worse. I waited too long with Tahoe. And my heart pup, Brendan, probably could have been with me a few more days. But it all looked the same to me. Suffering. We do the best we can. I give all of you my very best wishes.

[sobesmom]

I'm so sorry for your loss, and that the experience wasn't easy. Both of the greys I had to have euthanized went quickly and easily. I don't think they noticed at all, they just went to sleep. I don't know what meds were used. There was a needle, no pain, no movement, then sleep and the end. The only movement was when Diana was injected she lifted her head a bit, the vet petted her and she laid her head on my lap. She "noticed" the needle, but wasn't in pain or distress, just like a vaccination really.

 

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. That would've been very hard, whether the dog "knew" it or not.