At-home euthanasia?

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christina

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 2:55 pm


Has anyone done this before? I have never put a pet to sleep, ever. But we are looking toward letting our ill piggie go, possibly next week.

Does anyone have any experience in having it done at home? I am going to consult the vet Tuesday to see if there are some recommendations for providers in my area, but I have only seen this vet once since we moved to another state. So obviously I am lacking a long-term relationship like I had with our previous vet.

It's a hard time all around right now.

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melcvt00

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 2:58 pm


With a guinea pig, unless the vet gives them a drug ahead of time to sedate it, it's really more stressful for the pig.

When I euthed CP, I first had him sleeping under the influence of isoflurane (gas anesthesia). I didn't even want to give him an injection of a sedative that could potentially sting. I figured he had been through enough. So, with him sound asleep, I gave the euthanasia solution directly into his heart. It was quick, I didn't have to fight to find a vein, and he never felt a thing.

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salana
GL is Just Peachy

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 3:00 pm


Some vets will come to your home to euthanize your pet. Some will at least let you take them out of the office into the sunshine, on the grass, to die in your arms. There was a thread recently about it, but I don't know if people ever agreed on a humane method of home euthanization.

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Etta Mae
Lynx's Favorite

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:09 pm


mel has a good point. It would be pretty traumatic for all involved if you had to think he went feeling pain.

mel- there's pretty much no other way besides heart or stomach, is there?

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melcvt00

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:12 pm


I'm certain that if I wanted, someone would have either held him or used a leg vein if I wanted to do it that way (either way, he would have been asleep). However, I wanted to be with him, totally by myself, when he passed. It was harder than hell, but I would do it that way over and over and over again, simply because of the fact that I knew that he didn't feel any part of it.

I personally don't like doing the abdomen (stomach) route. Using the heart is so much faster, and is easy to hit.

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christina

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 6:41 pm


I didn't really know exactly how it was done. It sounds quite horrible.

I am reconsidering the at-home visit unless they can somehow bring the gas to the house. He has been poked and prodded too much for his short life and I don't either want him to even feel the sting of another needle.

I guess I will talk with the vet Tuesday and see what can be done. I don't want him to feel any pain. :(

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Becky

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 7:01 pm


I'm sorry you're faced with this.

Personally, I think it depends on how your pet reacts to going to the vet's office. All of my pets hate going there, so in my mind, a small poke or stick at home would be far less stressful than being put in a carrier, going in the car and being in strange and uncomfortable surroundings at the end.

On the other hand, in many cases, your pet is too far gone to really notice his/her surroundings. For my 18 year old cat, she really was so out of it, where she was didn't really matter.

For my pig, Cookie, she was alert up until the very end. The thought of putting her in the car and having her last hours spent away from her beloved home was too much.

It really is a judgement call. I'm so sorry you have to think about this at all.

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christina

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 7:21 pm


Thanks for your kind words. My piggie is very social and outgoing in nature, though I haven't seen as much of that as he has felt so ill. I don't think it bothers him too much to go anywhere, though he is extra excited when he gets home. As soon as he's in the house he nearly jumps out of my arms with glee.

We will have to see what options we have. If we do have to go into the office, my husband can drive us and I can hold him. He loves to be cuddled, so at least that would be of comfort to him.

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melcvt00

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 10:04 pm


CP rode in my lap to the clinic. A very long half hour drive for me. He usually rode happily in a basket. He didn't care where he was going, as long as there was a box to hide in, and veggies to eat.

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minismama

Post   » Sat Oct 18, 2003 10:21 pm


At the animal hospital that I go to, both vets give owners the option of staying with the animal if they want to. If it were requested by an owner, the vets would put the animal under first with isoflurane.

With the guinea pigs that I have had to have put down during the past year, I have remained with them as the vet gave them the shot in the abdomen. (I would hold the animal the entire time) That way, my piggy is with her momma and does not have to go into another scary room with strangers.

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MeAndMyPiggies

Post   » Sun Oct 19, 2003 4:09 am


My mom gave permission over the phone for the vet to put Jasper down. I am still angry because I knew that he was going to have to be put to sleep, but I wanted to be there for him. I was his mom for a very short amount of time, and I wanted to hold him when he passed, even though he wasnt aware of where he was in the end. I really like my vet, he is probably the best cavy vet in town, but I was very angry when I found out that he let my mom give permission, with me not finding out until 2 days later, and I had to call and check on his status, only to be told he was gone. If I ever have to do that again, I will find a way to do it at home.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sun Oct 19, 2003 5:46 am


I prefer to be comfortable at home. Many vets will do house calls for euthanasia for special requests (and an extra charge).

My recent preference is to sedate with oral (or SQ if too ill) narcotics, like torb, and then do IP/IC injections of the euthanasia solution. It depends on how conscious the animal is at the time. If they are very well sedated, IC (into the heart), is the fastest. IP (into the peritoneum or abdominal cavity) is a bit slower, but well tolerated if the animal is more conscious. I try to minimize the stress to the animal. I have found that using gas anesthesia in many cases can excite or be uncomfortable for the animal if they are in a very aware state and it is unavailable usually for home euthanasias.

Once the cavy is sedate, they can peacefully pass away in your arms.

In any case, the decision and process are both extremely difficult and heart-wrenching.

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