How cats are put to sleep in vet clinics

I probably couldn't put a dog to sleep in my mind. My pet was dying of old age for a long time, gasping if he moved. So he lay there quietly, and I couldn't even kiss him not to disturb him. But he didn't suffer much. He lay there quietly. So he died quietly on our couch. Thank God we didn't have to put him to sleep.

How do vet hospitals put a pet to sleep when it's old or sick?

How do vets put pets to sleep when they are old or sick? Our pet is old and sick. It's scary to have to put a pet to sleep. I understand that if it's going to be in pain, it's better to put it to sleep, and putting it to sleep makes my conscience hurt. How to be?

In Moscow, somewhere near metro "Dinamo" vet clinic, where more than 10 years ago brought the first cattle (failed kidneys). We from our veterinary clinic doctor sent there. When we came, the doctor met us and wrote down our data in the journal. Asked the reason. Then he told me to go around the vet clinic, on the other side they had a kind of ritual room with icons. We put the dog on the table. She was already not thinking well because of the fever, but it was clear that she felt everything. The doctor came over and gave her an injection. My husband and I held her down, one cramp and that was it. I realize that she had exhausted herself, so much time had passed, the other one was running around the house. And now I remember what it was like – I'm crying.

If I had a choice where to go to the last way, then, of course, I would choose the house, that's why for a dog so did. And it's a little scary for them there, in the hospital, just like people. And the body can be brought to the clinic afterwards.

We put to sleep our dog at home, having decided that where he was born, he should go quietly. The doctor gave me an injection of sleeping pills (anesthesia) and then a drug that stopped the heart. It took no more than 5 minutes, quietly, without pain or cramps, the dog just fell asleep forever.

Our dog was put to sleep like Cookie was. First they put him to sleep, then they stopped his heart. Also at home. We put the dog to sleep when the doctor said that further treatment would be tantamount to bestiality (i.e. useless and would bring meaningless torture to the dog). The dog was old, with cancer, operated on.

I am reading. and crying. (((( We put our Pekingese to sleep 2.5 years ago. He was 12.5 years old. He had a heart condition. His lungs were swollen. Could not breathe, three days of agony. Didn't sleep with him. He could only sit up, and if he fell down because of tiredness, he suffocated right away. So I held his neck. All three days I ran with him to all the vet clinics, consulted with human doctors, but to no avail. He was getting worse and worse. He was wheezing and coughing up blood. Watching him suffer and realize that nothing can change – can't bear it. My husband took him to the clinic to put him to sleep. Our vet, who took care of him all 12 years, could not do it, crying with me. I was hysterical. We gave him two shots – a sleeping pill and a sedative. I think he will forgive us. We loved him very much. We buried him at our country estate under a willow tree, ordered a slab, planted flowers. He is always there with us.

The cat does not go to the bathroom because of a spinal injury

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If an animal is sick, but the illness is treatable or can be lived with.

And by "liveable" I do not mean a condition in which the animal is lying flat in pain and can barely eat. I am referring to diseases which, with the proper treatment (perhaps even ongoing supportive care), allow the animal to enjoy life without suffering.

Unfortunately, treating a pet is not cheap and not everyone has the opportunity to do so. In this case there are several options. The first – go to the state veterinary clinic, where treatment will cost less than in private ones. If you cannot afford it either, you can turn to volunteers and organizations that raise money for the treatment of animals. You can join relevant groups on the Internet and ask for help. If for some reason this option does not work for you, try to find an owner for your pet who can give him the proper treatment.

Allergies in the owner or family member

Unfortunately, any body can behave unpredictably, and it is not always possible to influence it by your own will. If this happens, you need to find the animal a new home. Yes, it hurts to part, but at the same time you will give your pet a chance for a long and happy life.

Of course, moving is not a reason to euthanize. Now it is quite possible to take your pet with you wherever you go, although you will have to struggle with vaccinations and documents. And if that's not possible, you need to find the pet a new home.

Some owners put it this way: "I don't know what awaits my pet in the new family. I don't know them, I can't trust them, and I will spend the rest of my life worrying about what my dog will do with them. I'd rather put him to sleep so I don't have to worry. Such reasoning is pure selfishness.

In fact, there may be some unscrupulous or not very responsible people among those who are willing to take care of an animal, but there are far fewer of them than those who are really open-minded and willing to take care of our little brothers and daughters. There are many ways to test the family that you give your pet to. Humane people are willing to meet you halfway, tell you everything and show you everything. They don't mind signing a contract for the responsible care of the pet and unobtrusively monitoring its fate.

It's not fair to deprive a pet of a chance at a long and happy life because of some vague fears of yours.

When you take responsibility for a pet, you commit yourself to making decisions in its favor, to putting its interests above your own selfish worries. And rightly so, because no one loves us as unselfishly as our pets.

So, if your pet has an incurable illness with excruciating symptoms, or if it has suffered life-threatening injuries and is suffering but is still alive, it is better to let it go. If medicine is powerless, if you have tried everything you can, and there is no result, euthanasia is necessary.

How does a sick animal feel?

Often the owner worries that the animal will feel betrayed, that it will feel pain or discomfort. But in this way, the person endows his or her pet with his or her own emotions and mental anguish. A cat or dog will have no such feelings. Understand, an animal does not ponder, does not assume it will be put to sleep, does not begin to blame you – these are all human feelings. What the dog or cat is really experiencing is pain. It exists here and now and doesn't let go for a second.

If you want to understand how things really happen, you have to admit that before the procedure, your four-legged friend experiences only suffering and pain. Additionally, he also feels stress, because the pain sensations are exhausting and long, of course the nervous system suffers.

Fear of the clinic and unfamiliar people may also be present, so it may be better to perform the procedure at home. It will be calmer and more familiar in the home environment.

If we talk about feelings directly during sedation, they are also as comfortable as possible. It may be unpleasant at the moment of the first injection, after all the negativity ends. How exactly does sedation work, we described above. The first component relaxes the pet, and he falls asleep, he does not feel further manipulation.

How to prepare for the procedure

Preparing for putting a pet to sleep concerns, first of all, the owner. In order not to have no conscience, you need to make sure that you have done everything possible, that the four-legged friend really can not be helped. To do this, it is necessary to consult several specialists at once.

Make the decision carefully and deliberately, do not listen to anyone but yourself and the doctor.

It is important to have time to say goodbye to your pet, to spend more time with him. You also need to accept that you are doing this involuntarily.

You need to be prepared for the putting to sleep itself, so learn how it is done so you understand what is happening and how to react.

Advantages and disadvantages of having the procedure done at a veterinary clinic

A cat can be put to sleep at home or in an inpatient facility. Which place to choose is up to the owner. If the procedure will take place in the conditions of a medical facility, first the pet will have tests taken and a certificate about the need for manipulation will be issued. In this case, the owner will be much easier to get over the parting, the loss will not be felt as deeply.

In addition, the procedure at the clinic is cheaper than at home. It is also not necessary to take the animal home afterwards, you can entrust it to specialists.

After euthanasia, the body of the cat can be buried or cremated. You need to decide what you will do in advance. Since there will be no time after the procedure. It is necessary to bury or cremate on the day of adoption, especially in the summertime.

You can either bury the body in a regular box or in a special casket. Any place can be chosen, the main thing is that it should not be a public place. If you do not want to have a funeral, you can use the service of cremation. You can cremate the cat for an additional fee. You can not even take part in this, and entrust the issue to the staff of the veterinarian.

Is it possible to put a cat to sleep at home

We are talking about having the procedure professionally done in your home. That is, you do not need to buy the drug and make the injection, everything will be done by a doctor, your task is to create the right conditions for him.

How does euthanasia take place at home? You call a specialist from the clinic, he appoints a date and arrives at the scheduled time. The owner must prepare a place where the doctor can perform the procedure. In some cases, there is no other option but to put the pet to sleep at home. For example, the animal is untransportable. It has complex injuries, or moving it causes severe pain.

Sometimes the owner just feels better morally if the cat goes to another world at home, surrounded by loving people, in a familiar environment. If you're going to take that step, then you should think beforehand about whether the home will be associated with these tragic events.

But keep in mind that it's not enough just to call the clinic and order the service. Before putting a pet to death, the doctor must be convinced that the pet is incurable. Of course, if you go to a doctor who has made a lethal diagnosis himself, there will be no problem.

Don't forget that even at home, the manipulation must also be done in two steps: introduction to a state of deep sleep and directly lethal injection. Therefore, it is necessary to contact a doctor whom you fully trust.

With what euthanasia is carried out

In foreign countries there are drugs that have a double effect: first they block consciousness and then stop breathing and heart.

In our country, these drugs are forbidden, doctors use doses of drugs that usually treat both animals and humans.

• Sedation with a dose of propofol, droperidol, zoletil, telazol, xyla, etominal or other anesthetics. In this case, the cat falls asleep first. She has no excruciating sensations or seizures. Already in deep sleep, breathing stops and the heart stops. Anesthetics can be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, but for some conditions they cannot be administered and the drugs can be injected subcutaneously.
• Sedation is done in two stages. Anesthesia is administered first, followed by lidocaine, dithyline or magnesium sulfate.

It should be understood that all drugs of the second group without prior anesthesia cause excruciating death. The animal will remain conscious the whole time. Thus, dithiline causes suffocation, magnesium sulfate first leads to a sharp spasm of blood vessels, and later to paralysis of the respiratory center, lidocaine stops the heart. Therefore, make sure that your cat is anesthetized, otherwise the effects of the drugs will cause panic and pain.

It is important for the owner to understand that he or she has a right to know how euthanasia is performed, what it is done with, and what the animal will feel. It is important to understand all of the intricacies first before agreeing to the procedure, so as not to regret it in the future.

How much does euthanasia cost

The cost of the service for putting an animal to sleep depends largely on the region where the owner lives. In the Moscow region you can find specialists who will administer the necessary drugs for the animal for 500 rubles. Euthanasia of a cat in Moscow vet can cost in some cases up to 5,000 rubles.

Tatiana: "When I could no longer see how my cat slowly and painfully dying of cancer, I agreed to the euthanasia. It was very, very difficult to do, but I do not regret it, because she just curled up in a ball and fell asleep soundly.

Irina: "I am strongly against euthanasia of pets. If they could speak up and speak out in favor of it, no problem. And to end the life of their pets, who have become friends and family members, is simply a betrayal."

Victor: "I believe that men should not be cowardly. When our cat Maruska was hit by a car in the street, my daughter and wife did not leave her side for a few days and tried to nurse her back to health, even though the vet said nothing could be done. Then I got tired of watching and took my cat to the clinic, where she was quickly euthanized. My daughter and wife have now recovered and we now have another young kitty that we have trained to not even go outside the house, let alone on the road. I'll tell you this: people are more precious than animals, even if we love them a lot."

Irina: "Euthanasia of animals needs to be regulated by some laws. My friend put her healthy, lively cat to sleep for biting her child who had stepped on her tail. When I asked how she decided to do this she told me that she couldn't just throw her out on the street because she was no longer a kitten and it was practically impossible to put her in a home. I no longer communicate with her.

Pavel: "I work as a veterinarian. Usually only very sick and old animals are given to us for euthanasia. The owners of cats and dogs are generally adequate people, but sometimes they are infantile and irresponsible. They bring animals to be put to death that could be treated.

How is the adoption of cats?

Deciding to say goodbye to a beloved pet is very difficult, especially when the cat has lived with you side by side for many years. Unfortunately, sometimes the prognosis of the doctors and the stage of the disease do not leave the owner a choice, and the adoption of a cat becomes the only humane option.

Shelter "Murkosha" insists that putting a cat to sleep is an extreme measure, which cannot be used if the owner is fed up with the cat, if the owner or someone in the family is allergic to the cat, because of moving, repairs, birth of a child, or if the cat has an apparently curable illness. It is monstrous that some people put cats and kittens to sleep because of problems like shingles.You can't just put a cat to sleep at will, there must be a good reason for it.

An adequate reason to put a cat to sleep is an incurable and fatal illness, an injury, or a congenital condition incompatible with life. Putting cats to sleep in such cases puts the animal out of its misery, and the cat is not in pain. Since in our country narcotic drugs cannot be used for treating serious pain syndrome in a cat, unlike in human medicine, in such cases it is indeed more humane to put the cat to sleep in order not to make his life a torture. Before deciding to put a cat to sleep, you should consult with several specialists to confirm the diagnosis and rule out the possibility of error.

HOW IS A CAT PUT TO SLEEP AT THE VETERINARIAN?

The adoption of a cat should only be performed by a veterinarian and only for medical reasons. To sedate the cat, a large dose of anesthesia is administered intravenously to the cat. The anesthetic contains propofol, which puts the cat into a deep sleep state similar to a hypnotic trance. Then the cat gradually stops breathing. Due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood, a condition develops which depresses the heart and eventually leads to a cardiac arrest. The cat will not feel anything. Since the body of sick cats is weakened, no additional injections are usually needed to put them to sleep.

Choice of location: home or clinic

Euthanasia of cats is carried out either at home or in a veterinary clinic. In both cases, the presence of a veterinarian is required, since without proper knowledge and skills it is impossible to choose the correct dosage of the drug. Because of this mistake, the animal may die a very painful death.

When choosing between home and the vet clinic, consider how you feel and the convenience of transporting your pet. If you feel more comfortable being at home and you're worried that a car ride will cause your cat more suffering, arrange for a doctor to come to your home.

If you can't do the procedure at the vet clinic on the day, reschedule it for later in the day. Otherwise, spending the night away from home will add stress to both you and the pet.

How the procedure goes

The average length of the procedure is 10-15 minutes. It is performed in two stages.

Preparation and choice of preparation

At the initial stage, a strong soporific is injected into the animal, plunging it into deep anesthesia and disabling its pain receptors. After that, a high dose of magnesium sulfate or a muscle relaxant is injected. They inhibit respiratory function and heartbeat, causing artificial death from respiratory or cardiac arrest.

If you are offered sedation without anesthesia, don't agree. Myorelaxatives also render the animal unconscious, but retain all senses. In this case, the animal will not be able to move, but will feel asphyxiated.

If rabies is present, the drugs are administered remotely. In this case, the total waiting time increases to 30-45 minutes.

Pills for sedation are not usually used. They take a long time to be absorbed into the blood and often cause side effects.

How the animal feels

While in deep anesthesia, the cat completely loses contact with the outside world. It feels no pain or fear and goes out of its life completely peacefully.

Anesthesia allows a partial preservation of motor functions. Despite twitching ears or paws, the animal is still unconscious. All actions are done reflexively.

If you're worried about the moral side of the issue, consult science. Reflexivity is not characteristic of animals. Unlike you, they are not able to think about the possible future and set any expectations. There is also no fear of death, because the sick pet is mostly focused only on its pain, waiting for it to stop as soon as possible.

Whether the owner needs to be present

The choice is yours. Veterinarians recommend being present only in the initial phase to reduce the cat's excitement with its appearance. The later events are not tolerated by everyone, so you should not test your psyche if your eyes are already full of tears.

What to do with the animal's body (cremation or burial)

After euthanasia, the animal must be buried or cremated. In either case, you will have to prepare in advance. Time will be short because the corpse will begin to decompose. You must bury it on the day it is put to sleep (or the next day). Especially in the hot months you need to hurry.

Bury the cat in a special casket or box (depending on budget)

It is important to choose the right place for burial. In some cities there are special cemeteries for animals. If there is no such cemetery, you can choose another place (on your property) away from a body of water. It is important to make sure that the burial of the corpse is not prohibited in the chosen place. It is not allowed to bury a corpse in public places. If there is no desire to look at the body, you can have it cremated. Any cat that has been put to sleep can be cremated, as long as the veterinary clinic has a crematorium. There is an additional charge for such a procedure, but burying the ashes will not be as troublesome. At some clinics, you can leave the body with the veterinarians and they will cremate it themselves and then bury it.

The clinics usually offer to leave the body – they handle this issue themselves.

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Is it possible to put an animal to sleep at home

When it comes to in-home euthanasia, it does not mean that the owner will purchase the medication and put his or her pet to sleep himself or herself. Such euthanasia is performed by a specialist at the clinic, but not in the facility, but in the owner's home. Without going to a clinic and involving a specialist, euthanasia can turn into a brutal murder with elements of torture. Animals are usually put to sleep at home if it is medically necessary (the cat is untransportable, etc.). Vet clinics provide such a service for a fee.

The cat's owner may "get" the drug on the recommendation of friends, for example, to save money. It may be a drug intended for the second stage of euthanasia. In this case, the pet will die painfully. Usually such inhumane methods are resorted to by veterinarians without a license or those people who can not afford to purchase drugs for a more humane death.

Video: How a cat is put to sleep at home

If the cat is incurable or dying excruciatingly, euthanasia can be performed. A veterinarian can assess such a need. Euthanasia can be humane. In this case, the process may proceed in two stages. There are less humane methods, but they are used less frequently. There is a cost for putting the animal to sleep at the clinic. Calling a specialist for euthanasia at home is an additional expense. After death, the body will need to be buried or cremated. Cremation will need to be paid for, and the funeral can be arranged on your own (and with minimal investment).