Any Veterinarians here?

pgun

pgun

Cathlete
I just had my dog put to sleep and I have some questions I would like to ask:

1. Is it normal to use a muscle relaxant before?
2. If so does it sedate the animal?
3. Does the dog hear and feel me?
4. Did she know what was happening? Or wondering what was going on?
5. Did she feel any pain?
6. Was she concious?

Any answers would be great. I would like them to be honest, not what I would like to hear.

My husband and I feel horrible about doing it. She couldn't keep her tongue in her mouth, the only thing she could move was her eye lids. I just wanted it to be perfect but it was not. I wanted her to be asleep and then have them do it. That is the way they made it sound like it would be 2 weeks prior to us doing it. My husband feels he betrayed her trust and he feels so guilty it is breaking his heart. Caylee was his constant companion for 4 years! It is eating him up inside. To that dog Howard was #1! It is just so heart breaking to see him so sad and depressed. He doesn't deal with death well.

Thanks so much
Penny
 
Hi Penny,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss of Caylee. Losing a beloved pet is never easy, no matter what the circumstances. I'll try to answer your questions the best I can, and I hope that nothing I write will upset you or anyone else. Remember that each vet is a bit different.

I often use a sedative for pets prior to performing a euthanasia. My main objective for use of the sedative is to relieve pain, and secondly to allow the pet to relax. Often the pet will be sleepy, but not always completely "asleep". Without using anesthesia, it's difficult to predict how sleepy an individual pet will become. Again, my goal is make the pet as relaxed and comfortable beforehand as possible. I believe that pets are aware of their family's presence and can feel that they're being petted and can hear people talking to them. It depends on how a sedative affects them, but usually the pet is still concious and aware of their loved ones. I don't feel comfortable going in to a lot of detail about it on a public forum but I will say that once the actual euthanasia solution is given, it puts the pet in to a coma first, before anything else happens to their body. At that point, the pet is not aware and is not feeling any pain. It's considered to be the most humane method we have for this.

I'm very new to these forums and I haven't replied to any before, but I felt compelled to respond to you because I understand your grief and I don't want you or your husband to feel any guilt with your decision. I don't think there is a "perfect" euthanasia. I think the best you can do is be there for your pet after she's been there for you all this time. It sounds like that's exactly what your family did.

I really am sorry for your loss. It sounds like Caylee was a very special member of your family.

Sincerely, Carrie
 
Carrie,

Thank you for your post. I found it very interesting. My two questions are - the sedative doesn't make the animal unconscious, just relaxed?

And the second question is, if I understood you correctly, the euthanasia solution makes the animal unconscious before it actually dies so it's not actually in any distress?

Thank you for reading my post.

Susan L.G.
 
Hi Susan,

It's hard to answer a question about a "sedative" causing unconsciousness because there are several different medications available for veterinarians to use. Some only seem to cause drowsiness, whereas others can cause the pet to become completely unconscious. It really depends on the type of medication a vet chooses to use, the dose given, and the individual pet. And just to clarify, I use the terms "sedation" and "anesthesia" differently. I say sedation refering to the need to make a pet calm, sleepy, and relaxed, but I use anesthesia to produce complete muscle relaxation and unconsciousnes. Some vets use the two terms interchangably, and maybe that's confusing to pet owners.

As for your second question, yes the euthanasia solution does ensure that a pet is completely unconscious so there is no distress. The body may still seem to react, which is a very normal physiologic response, but the mind is unaware. It really is intended to be as humane and peaceful as possible.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.
Sincerely, Carrie
 
Penny,
I was in tears reading your post about Caylee;(
April 3rd of last year we had to put Ruby our Doberman down. My vet explained about sedatives and anesthesia just as Carrie explained, and felt anesthesia was the best for her. She had cancer and was 10 years old.

When he gave her the shot she immediatly went to "sleep" I was holding her head and comforting her the whole time. She immediatly lost conciousness. I think I would have been upset if i was in your situation with her tongue out and just blinking her eyes. Ruby went, well it seemed to me, really peacefully. Although it's so hard to put a beloved pet down I was upset but O.K. with how eveything went.

I'm so sorry for your loss and you and dh are in my thoughts and prayers.

Chrissy
 
I agree wholeheartedly with Carrie - each vet is different regarding how they deal with euthanasias. I handle each with as much solitude and ease as I possibly can. Not all clients want to be with their pets during this procedure, but for those that do, I will sometimes sedate them. For instance, if the pets is particularly nervous about needles (or vets in general;-) ), I think the sedative provides a much smoother transition for the owner, the vet, but mostly the patient. Every case is different so I try and tailor the procedure to the specific needs of the patient and owner. Some vets sedate every patient, some place IV catheters, some don't. It really varies from vet to vet. I do warn my clients that they will completely relax, and I give them that time to be with their pet while the sedative works.

I'm sorry you didn't feel this was a good experience. I do think the pets are able to sense their owner's presence - I really do. I'm so sorry for you and your husband's loss of a very special, well-loved friend.

Heidi
 
Heidi

Thanks. But do you think that Caylee was sedated with the muscle relaxant? My husband thinks that Caylee was thinking why are you doing this to me best friend! He is so tore up about this is is eating at him!!

Can you tell me what liver damage or cancer does to an animal when it is not working correctly. Maybe it will help Howard feel better about putting Caylee down.

And what about her not being able to poop? We didn't see her do that for a week at least.

Thanks so much!!!

Penny
 
I found out that a tranquilzer was used on caylee. So do you think she was concious? Her eyes blinked when Howard put his hand in front of her eyes?
 
I'm sorry for you and your DH's loss, Penny. ((((hugs))))

I know how hard it is. I had to put my dog down several years ago. I was the only one home when it was absolutely apparent that this dog needed to see a doctor so I took him by myself and cried the entire time. Once the decision was made to euthenize, the vet I went to assured me that once the inital shot (sedative or anestheisa-not sure which was used) was given that my dog would no longer be in any pain or suffering at all. I believe the vet because my dog literally "fell limp" on the table once that shot was given. It ripped my heart out to watch but I knew he was no longer in any pain and that's what was most important.

My dog was put to sleep over 10 years ago and I am sitting here crying right now thinking about that experience. As hard as it was to do, I know in my heart that it was the RIGHT thing to do for him. He was very sick and suffering. If we didn't euthnize him they would have had to run a battery of tests on him to try and help him and I was told he could very well not survive it. I was also told that had I NOT decided to bring him to the vet that morning and had just gone to work, that chances are good he would have been dead by the time I got home. THAT would have been MUCH harder to deal with since I KNEW he was sick and would have been suffering. He was about 13 years old. It was his time...

You made the right decision! You will see that soon. Right now it's hard to accept but you will. I promise you!
 
>I found out that a tranquilzer was used on caylee. So do you
>think she was concious? Her eyes blinked when Howard put his
>hand in front of her eyes?


I think it would be a good thing for you to let this go now. No one probably knows for absolute sure exactly what the animal feels. I think it's best to choose to think that the blinking was just a reflex, and your dog was not aware of any pain.

Don't focus on the end of her life, but on the good times before. That will do her more honor than thinking so much about the way she passed.
 
I guess I am just trying to find the answers that will best help my husband to cope.

And I agree whole heartedly about focusing on her life.

Thanks
Penny
 
It's really hard to speculate what exactly was used, exactly what level of consciousness or awareness she had being as I don't know what your vet used. I do agree with another poster, though, that even though her euthanasia is what you are understandably focusing on, you may just have to let it go and be glad you were with her and gave her the wonderful life that she sounds like she deserved so well!

Everyone grieves in their own individual and personal way. You've done the research for your dh, we've given you the best answers we can with the information provided. Let him grieve in his own way - you may not be able to console him not matter what you say. Sometimes, we all just have to work it out within ourselves.

It's very touching that he was so close to her and she was "his" dog. I think we all have one special dog - I like to call your "heart" dog - the one that occupies a special inner part of your heart and soul. A place no other dog will probably ever occupy or will occupy in a different way. You should be proud to have such a sensitive and loving husband, and he should be proud to have a wife that wants to help him with the loss of a true special friend.

Heidi
 
Heidi

Caylee truly was and is our "heart" dog! There will never be another like her! And yes she sure was his dog!! I could be petting her and if she thought he was near she would look around me just to look at him! They were very close, and the feeling was mutual. He is a very good man and he treated her well. And Caylee gave us such joy and happiness that there is such a big whole in our lives. Our house is so empty without her. She was our baby since we don't have any kids.

I think what makes Caylee so special is that she chose us we didn't choose her. We had no intention of having any pets. His brother had gotten her from someone who gave her away and he kicked her out of his house (she could be annoying, always wanted the pet). Howard was always good to her when he went to work (he worked outside at his parents house) and once she found out we lived right down the road she never went back. Howard would take her back "home" and we'd wake up in the morning and she would be sleeping outside our front window. So how could we turn her away? She definately penetrated our hearts! And we were inseparable ever since. Til now!!

I will always cherish all my memories with her, I just wish there were more!

Thanks to all who replied! It definately helped.

Penny
 
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