This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Euthanasia

This is a bit of a random thread to start, but I was just wondering about all the different methods of putting animal to sleep. Take cats for example, I've seen them inject the blue stuff (whats it called again...?) straight into the kidney, and also in the radial vein - is it just a vet's personal preference as to which method they use? Similarly with dogs are there other methods of euthanasia which don't involve trying to find a vein - often difficult in older, small dogs.

Another morbid question: how do vets put small rodents to sleep? and birds?

Just curious.... :smile:

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

nina_100

Interesting thread... I've no idea; i've never seen a small animal euthanasia (the vets don't let you in because its a sensitive issue for the client) and with the large animal one I was too upset to care!! Would be interesting to know though!

Reply 2

Evenstar

The bright yellow one is called Pentoject (active ingredient pentobarbitone sodium), it's what we use.
With dogs, it's usually IV. With cats it's also usually IV, although sometimes cats have to be sedated first. If they're very flat, or sedated, we sometimes inject straight into heart as it's quicker.
With small furries it's generally 'intra-hamster' (or whatever the animal is)! Although you can sometimes get a good vein in rabbit ears.
With all these animals, if they're very ill and their blood-pressure is rubbish, it can be extremely hard to get a vein to inject into.

--------------

With small mammals we do gas them down first in an anaesthetic chamber.

Reply 3

mini_mad

The only way i ever seen a bird be "put down" is by breaking the neck but that wasnt actually at the vets so I guess there may be another way.

Reply 4

Evenstar

wannabeavethelp

The only way i ever seen a bird be "put down" is by breaking the neck but that wasnt actually at the vets so I guess there may be another way.

My boss does that :eek:

to any wild birds that come in - we have to hide them so we can treat them without him knowing about it, cos he just thinks it's a waste of time. :mad:

Reply 5

ha_mint

Evenstar

My boss does that :eek:

to any wild birds that come in - we have to hide them so we can treat them without him knowing about it, cos he just thinks it's a waste of time. :mad:

thats not a very vet-like philosophy!!! :mad:

i'm dreading the day i put down my first animal :frown:

Reply 6

gt@vetschool

yep euthasol and euthetal are all pentobarbitone. hamsters and the like are killed by an injection into the chest cavity at an angle thru the diaphragm.

shooting is another form of euthenasia performed on cats and dogs (though not very often. the aim of shooting is to destroy the medulla oblongata (the respiratory centre). to do this on a dog you have to imagine an X shape on its head with the lines going from the base of the ear to the medial canthus of the eye. then move about 15mm to the left or right of centre to avoid the thick central bone (the sagittal crest).

then fire. its not commonly used in smaller animals.

Reply 7

voodooshaman

gt@vetschool

shooting is another form of euthenasia performed on cats and dogs (though not very often. the aim of shooting is to destroy the medulla oblongata (the respiratory centre). to do this on a dog you have to imagine an X shape on its head with the lines going from the base of the ear to the medial canthus of the eye. then move about 15mm to the left or right of centre to avoid the thick central bone (the sagittal crest).

then fire. its not commonly used in smaller animals.

Ive never heard of this method being used on small animals, unless it was maybe a rabid dog? certainly not in the vet surgery lol!

Reply 8

gt@vetschool

voodooshaman

certainly not in the vet surgery lol!

no thats for sure!!

Well it says so and gives instructions with diagrams in our module textbook...

Reply 9

fairy princess

We have the pink stuff where i work, at least thats the only colour i've seen. Small furries are normall gassed. Actually the other day at the vets one of the nurses gave me a hamster to play with, and i was quite happily watching him reak havock over the computer keyboard when the vet scooped him up and gassed him :frown:

Has anyone actually witnessed a horse being shot? I know it is quite a common way of euthaniseing larger animals but i would hate to watch that! :eek:

Reply 10

xxxLucyxxx

I have, my pony was shot after breaking his leg cross country :frown:

Well sort of, I was moved away a bit but I heard it, and was there just before it happened.

Reply 11

nina_100

My horse broke its leg and had to be put down and I stayed with her while they did it, it was horrible but I couldn't leave her! They didn't shoot her though, it was done by IV injection. Don't think I could have stayed if they shot her :frown:

Reply 12

*Arwen*

Not seen any horses, but I have seen many a cow being shot - its so not nice, They just dont understand (yes im crazy) :eek:

but hey <to quote babe> thats the way things are :smile:

Reply 13

outrageous121

yeah, horses I've seen pts have been IVd in the neck - the vets usually put a catheter in because they need so much of the stuff to finish them off - not the most pleasant job :frown:

Reply 14

gt@vetschool

outrageous121

yeah, horses I've seen pts have been IVd in the neck - the vets usually put a catheter in because they need so much of the stuff to finish them off - not the most pleasant job :frown:

Also pretty dangerous as they drop like a ton of bricks. One of the vets i worked for had a great big 100ml syringe for such occurences

Reply 15

Fruit-cake

fairy princess

Has anyone actually witnessed a horse being shot? I know it is quite a common way of euthaniseing larger animals but i would hate to watch that! :eek:

ur gonna have to do that in a few years!! :rolleyes:

Reply 16

nina_100

Suppose this is the most appropriate thread out of any to post this... my sister had a crash last night, hit a horse doing about 50 (the car not the horse). Its owner had been getting it from a field near the road when it bolted and ran straight in front of her. She lost control and hit another car head on, she'll be fine just wip lash, bruises etc, however the horse was obviously in a mess but wasn't dead yet so the vet had to come down and put it to sleep, that must be one of the worst aspects of the job don't you think? seeing an animal in such a state and then having to deal with its owner?? I know if that was my horse I would have been beyond hysterical at that point!

Reply 17

Fruit-cake

yeah thats got to be depressing for the vet. i suppose the only good thing is that your sister wasnt hurt..
bet the car insurance companies have a bit of a battle about this one

Reply 18

nina_100

mini_munchkin

yeah thats got to be depressing for the vet. i suppose the only good thing is that your sister wasnt hurt..
bet the car insurance companies have a bit of a battle about this one

I know!! I think its ending up that the horses insurance has to fork out! My heart realy goes out to the owner it must be hell!

Reply 19

Fruit-cake

what like a pet plan kind of insurance scheme? i didnt realise people had insurance for horses...but thinking about it some of them are quite valuable and it must get expensive when they need veterinary treatment so yeah :rolleyes: