Most veterinarians use a concentrated anaesthetic overdose, which is given straight into your pet’s vein via a needle and syringe. A specific drug is used that is brightly coloured (usually green but sometimes pink) so that it cannot be mistaken for another drug. When you have elected not to be present for euthanasia, this will likely be the method used. Its advantages are that it usually causes minimal discomfort to the pet, and is very fast once the drug is in the pets system, causing the pet to lose consciousness within seconds of the full dose being administered. It is a very humane death. One disadvantage of this method is that it is possible to accidentally get some of the overdose drug ‘outside’ the vein, and this may cause some temporary discomfort for the animal. Another is that it requires close restraint by the nurse, to prevent movement of the pet’s leg while the needle is placed into the vein, and during the drug administration. Depending on the pet’s nature, sometimes muzzling is required for the safety of the veterinary staff. Occasionally this kind of restraint may be distressing for the pet. If you have elected to be present for your pet’s euthanasia, with this method it will be unlikely that you can hold or cuddle your pet, but you may be able to stroke them at your vets discretion.
A variation on this method that some vets use (especially experienced house call vets who do not always have a nurse with them) is to use a small tourniquet to hold the vein raised instead. This can be slightly fiddly, but many vets who are very practiced at this method (for giving IV antibiotic injections etc) swear by it.
The second ‘commonly’ used method to euthanase a cat or dog, is employed when restricted vein access precludes the giving of the overdose into the vein. This may occur for several reasons. The most common, is that the veins of the pet are too damaged from previous medications or IV drips to be used. This is common for patients who have had prolonged or intensive illnesses and therapies. It is also common with very elderly cats suffering from kidney failure, who may have very poor blood pressure. The second main reason to use this method is where the nature or size of the pet means that to try and restrain them to access a vein would cause distress or fear or pain, and as such, should be avoided. This may happen with very small dogs, or with dogs that have fear related aggression. The last thing that we want to cause at the time of euthanasia is fear or anguish.
When either of these situations occur, your vet may elect to give an injection into your pets muscle, using either a very heavy sedative or an anaesthetic agent, which will make your pet gradually fall asleep. This will allow you to stroke your pet, hug them, and talk to them as they lose consciousness. Sometimes with this method, your pet may vomit once or twice as the drug gets into their system, but this is usually transient, and can often be avoided by fasting your pet for 12hrs first. Once your pet is asleep/unconscious, your vet will then give the overdose injection directly into an organ. Your pet should not feel this, but the concept of it can be distressing psychologically for owners, so you should look away, while leaving your hand on your pet. Your vet will most commonly choose the kidney or the heart to give the drug into, and with both methods, death will come quickly. They may choose to give the drug into the abdominal cavity instead which will lead to a slower death, but no distress, as your pet will already be heavily sedated or anaesthetised. |
