# euthanasia at the vets - are these humane procedures?



## mouseman11 (Feb 18, 2010)

Hi there,

I'm in Cardiff and have a very sick rat (fancy rats forum isn't letting me post a new topic) and I think it's his time to go, so I just wanted to check if these procedures I've had quotes for are humane and a relatively nice way to go??

One vet said this: We would have to gas the rat with some anaesthetic so that he goes to sleep and then give an injection directly to the heart. This procedure is to minimise any stress to the rat and hopefully be as quick and calm as possible

I've heard bad things about injections to the heart, but is it OK if he's unconscious?

the 2nd Vet said this:

we would give an injection of barbiturate and the rat would drift
off to sleep over the course of one to three minutes, possibly quicker. If the
rat is quite stressed by handling, we could give him some gas before injecting
him

are either of these procedures good? If not what are the best ways to go? Or if anyone knows a good vet in cardiff let me know please

Thanks


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear about your rat  Always gas first, an injection is obviously painful. The first vet sounds fine


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

I've seen a video of a dog and a cat being injected and put to sleep. I'll have to remember what the drug was. But in the video, the cat and dog (several of each species) dropped dead within seconds of being injected.

Hard to watch, but I can't imagine they felt any pain.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Euthasol, was the name of the drug, and I found the video, but I don't want to post it unless someone specifically asks for it.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I can tell you from the perspective of having a dog put down,I always stay with mine.If you don't have them anethatised before the lethal injection it's not very nice ,they fight it and it's a traumatic experience all round.Knocked out first and then injection to the heart is the best in my experience.The physical body still reacts but there is no awareness from the animal.I would opt for that


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Both options sound good to me.
I have had quite a lot of rats, they're very lovely pets. And the ones I've had to have put to sleep have never been gassed, just the injection. Only once have I regretted it and felt bad about it, but that was the vet, not the method itself. I never went that place again.
My point is that it's not always the method they choose, but how they handle the pet.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=734

Kallans a vet,you could send her a message if it helps you to reach a decision.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I've gotten the first one done...he was so sick that he basically died at the gassing part, and the injection just assured death. I am so so sorry for your impending loss!


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## Mouse Queen 96 (Jul 11, 2011)

I had my cat put down in Febuary after she went down hill super fast to find out she had FIV from her mother at birth.  Checkers was pretty much getting destroyed from the inside out, so we made the difficult desiction to euthinize her. I'll never forget her eyes when they gave her that injection she looked at us like i'm sorry. And closed them and went to sleep. I never quit crying that day. If the animal is suffering i'd put him/her down.


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

It's always barbiturate used in injections, never anything else. In dogs and cats we usually put it into the vein so it circulates around the body and works quickly. In anything smaller, veins are difficult so other access is used.

I'm fine handling small furries so I will generally put barbiturate into the abdomen and let them drift off - if the animal is particularly stressed I'll put them in a knockout box and use gas to make them sleepy, then put barbiturate into the abdomen or heart.

There's nothing wrong with a heart stick - it's the quickest method. It can be painful shoving needles between the ribs though (speaking from personal experience here!) so no vet will do a heart stick with a conscious animal.

The injection itself is no more painful than anything else - the barbiturate isn't stingy or anything (again speaking from personal experience, I don;t seem to have much luck).


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Someone on RFUK works at this vets ,sounds promising.

http://www.valleyvets.net/branches_and_ ... urgery.php

Here is what she/he had to say

Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 274

Vets in Cardiff South Wales

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

Hi all. Many of you will know me on here and that we have our own website (Welcome To Chameleon City) but I just wanted to let you all know about the Vets that I work at.

It is Valley Vets, Merthyr Road in Cardiff, South Wales, just off the M4 corridor. Well established with over 25 years of experience. I am one of 9 vets of which 3 have a special interest in exotics including myself. We see on a daily basis tortoise from pancakes to Sulcatas; lizards, mourning geckos to iguanas;snakes milks to large boas and large variety of birds from budgies to Macaws and great grey owls, small mammals form chinese hamster to great dane

We are more than happy to give advise on new purchases and strongly recommend that new clients make an free consult with a qualified vet nurse to discuss new exotic pets before they purchase them.

Wehave a dedicated exotic and avian ward and are dedicated to providing the best care possible.We occasionally however have to refer extremely complicated cases to a RCVS specialist (diploma level).


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

That vet sounds like a dream!!!


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## Bella791 (Jun 29, 2011)

I unfortunetly have had Mice, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and hamsters put to sleep at the vets and it is standard procedure to give them a bit of gas so that they drift off and don't feel any pain and then they inject them into the heart which stops the heart from beating.


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