Extremely Important Thread - What Coth is ALL ABOUT ~ IMHO ~
This thread is extremely important :yes: AS important as the thread on “folding a horse” ~ IMHO this is what Coth is all about ~ useful information ~ Thank You for posting ~ each and everyone of you Cothers ~ 
Ruesia, are horse tranqs acceptable to use on a dog or cat in emergencies (I’m speaking situations like mine or the others posted in this thread, where they animal is clearly dying) prior to euthanasia by whatever method? I do think that drugs are great in these types of situations…I know when I had a bad riding accident years ago, I was doped up to the point where they could have shot me and I wouldn’t have cared. I imagine that’s even more true for animals who simply live in the moment. I just wouldn’t want to make things worse by the animal having a bad reaction to the drug (of course that’s always a risk, but generally speaking).
I’ve never had a small animal emergency before where a vet wasn’t around at all…like, it would have taken an hour minimum to get vet care, and probably more. But I think for those of us in very small towns and rural areas (especially out west where distances can be huge) it probably isn’t unheard of.
For those that have given tranq as a hold over or as euth- how did you administer the drug? Was it oral, IM, or IV? I’ve done subq on cats/dogs- but never found a vein in either. I can imagine it’d be hard to catch a vein on a small animal?
I’m so sorry about the loss of your kitty. You must have been a really wonderful cat mommy to have had him for 24 years. Hugs to you.
i am so sorry about your cat. it must be an empty house without him. just wanted to add my thanks for starting this thread as it is something that all of us might have to deal with one day.
Thanks again for the kind remarks…I am second-guessing myself a bit as I feel I should have had him put down at the initial vet visit after his seizure, because I knew it was the end for him…but I keep telling myself he was so very old and I followed the vet’s advice and there was nothing else to do. I’m not sure my vet would have euth’d if I had asked, and I’m sure I would have been wondering if I’d done it too soon it had been done then.
And I’m really glad this thread has gotten people thinking. I had never thought about it before even though I was prepared for livestock emergencies…but for the little guys there was always a 24-hour emergency vet available, until I moved and it didn’t occur to me to figure that out and then suddenly there wasn’t. I think probably I’m not the only COTHer in this situation, where it might be more cruel to drive them to the e-vet than to put them down at home.
[QUOTE=Pancakes;5013394]
For a dog or a cat, and if you absolutely cannot get to a vet in time to euthanize your animal, a well-placed gunshot would have to be the only “humane” quick solution I can think of.
I hope no one ever has to do that.
I’m really sorry on the passing of your kitty. It must have been very difficult for you. :([/QUOTE]
I’m very sorry for your loss.
Agreed though. I would hate to have my pet (or any animal) suffer, and that’s why I have friends that I know I could get hold of quickly that could take care of the situation. I would do it myself, but I think if it were my own I would be crying too hard to see.
Actually, after having my 21 year old cat put “humanely” to sleep I decided that I would not be returning to that vet. I always stay with them, and was horrified at the process with that vet.
About using ACE cats, I remember our old vet long ago telling us ACE was contraindicated for cats, something about pressure, maybe intraocular pressure?
Sorry, it was long ago, just remember him saying “for this reason, not really good for cats, causes bad reactions”.
I wonder if a vet here may comment on that?
Even if the cat is terminal, do we want it to have to go thru a bad reaction, if it indeed may happen?
[QUOTE=Rhyadawn;5014084]
… but I think if it were my own I would be crying too hard to see. [/QUOTE]
That’s my fear, too. I love target shooting and am a pretty good marksman, and I have taken care of the euthanasia of boarded horses or horses owned by the farm I worked for without too much emotion at the time (although of course I was sad and have actually always cried about it later, but at the time I was okay), but it’s so different when it is your own. I found Bubba dead at 7 AM and buried him by 10 AM (not sure of the exact time there), and I’m still crying about it. When I was digging his grave I was crying so hard I kept having to take breaks to clean my glasses so I could see.
Ah, I’m turning this into a thread about my cat where I really did intend for it to be about emergency euthanasia of small animals because that’s such a bad spot to be in. I’ll try to limit the personal posts from here on out.
Bluey, I thought I had heard the same thing about Ace with non-equines. I think if they’re dying for whatever reason, our job is to make it as comfortable and painless as possible, and I’d hate to cause an adverse drug reaction. I’d love for someone with more knowledge to chime in.
Registered vet tech here.
Ace can lower the seizure threshhold, so in a cat with a history of seizures, it may not be the optimal choice.
With regard to administration, you can inject the sedative into the abdomen if you can’t hit a vein. That would probably be the least objectionable method for the animal. Some drugs are particularly painful when injected SQ or IM.
A word of caution on Ace–while I’ve known dogs that died of (unintentional) ace overdoses, I’ve also know ones that slept off 3-5 ccs! Granted, these were bigger dogs, but if you’re trying to euthanize, it would likely not be as effective as, say, dormosedan.
I’ve had to euth 3 of my pet rats myself, since the vet where I was living at the time refused to do so. (He first laughed at the idea of humanely euthing a rat and when pressed, said if I really wanted to he’d inject into the heart, but wouldn’t sedate first. shudder)
I had worked in a college’s animal science department the first two years of college and whenever they needed cadaver rats/mice/etc we would put dry ice in a small container, secure it inside an airtight aquarium (high enough up that the rat or mouse couldn’t reach the dry ice), put the rat or mouse inside and pour a small amount of water onto the dry ice. Once the lid was secure it took very little time for the rat to just go to sleep. We would always leave them in for 10 minutes, to be sure they were truly gone, but it always worked and I never had anyone get upset or freaked out during the process.
Oh, shudder! I’m so sorry…
I once had a rat infestation in my own barn, and after several inadequate control measures failed, had to call in the experts - but I could hardly sleep the week they checked those poison boxes daily, for I knew it wasn’t a pleasant end for any creature…
My neighbor ended any attempt at civilities on my part, when I indicated my distress at using poison or “stick boards”, by exclaiming “but they are only RATs!!!” as if such a creature had any less sense of pain or suffering… (note, same guy thinks a walk outside the kennel 2 or 3 times a year suffices for his Rottie’s exercise, sigh)
After I met someone’s pet rat (they are the most affectionate, sweet creatures, when domesticated) and having had Gerbils my college dorm life, I can’t bear the thought of a rodent’s suffering, any more than I can a horse, a dog, cat, … heck, I may as well admit, I feel a little bad for the flies stuck in the sticky tape I hang in my feed room! :yes: But, in that case, like with the rat infestation i had, i knew something has to be done!
Bless your poor little pet rat’s souls - and may more vets be sensitive to care for all creatures, great and small!!!
I think you would like our small animal vet.:yes:
He is so extremely kind, if you bring him your rats, he will smile at them, not frown at you.:no:
I think that if you brought him a crocroach with a broken leg, he would splint it for you.
I feel sorry for those with stories of less than caring vets.
I feel bad for the flies on my sticky tape too!
I had my ancient kitty die in July, and it was a Sunday as well as a holiday so everything was closed, and she was completely paralyzed and dying and needed to die now… I too wondered how to euth her myself, and a gun is not an option for me as I don’t own one nor know how to use one. I ended up giving her some ace powder in her mouth which did quiet her down a little (all I had), and kept thinking she would die on her own any moment - after hours of thinking that, I did load her up and take her to an emergency clinic in the middle of the night, but I felt awful that she had to take the long car ride there - it was obviously stressful for her and I feel just awful when I think how much she suffered before she went.
Anyway, what amount of what drugs can be given in what way to euth a cat or dog in an emergency situation? I’d truly love to know just to avoid another animal suffering like my kitty did… please someone, share some knowledge…
I agree about the flies on the sticky tape. I have to tell them I’m sorry
I once had a very proud collie bring me a half dead rabbit. I didn’t know what to do, so just thought I could leave it for him to finish off. An hour, later, poor bunny was still alive. I took it to the vet and asked him how I could destroy one in similar circumstances. He was horrified that I would do it myself! But what are you going to do on a sat night or something.
Yucky but necessary topic.
[QUOTE=shea’smom;5014664]
I agree about the flies on the sticky tape. I have to tell them I’m sorry
I once had a very proud collie bring me a half dead rabbit. I didn’t know what to do, so just thought I could leave it for him to finish off. An hour, later, poor bunny was still alive. I took it to the vet and asked him how I could destroy one in similar circumstances. He was horrified that I would do it myself! But what are you going to do on a sat night or something.
Yucky but necessary topic.[/QUOTE]
Actually that is how I learned how to euth small animals. My cat brought me a baby bunny that now had a window in it as in you could see out the other side. I too thought for sure it would die any minute but it didn’t so I took it to the race track and my vet injected euthanasia solution into its abdomen. He then told me that any strong sedative like dormosedan or xylazine would have worked. I drove the now dead bunny all the way back home and asked my hubby to bury it in our pet cemetery. He threw it in the garbage…
Our barn kitty brought up a baby rabbit a few weeks ago. Looked alert and perfect, except for a small hole through which its entrails were protruding. I knew I was going to have to find a way to hasten its end humanely. I thought I could quickly wring its neck (I used to go bird hunting with my dad and could always easily wring the necks of birds that weren’t quite dead), but ended up using a .22. I hated doing it, but I know it was the right thing to do.
My small animal vet operated on a pet fish once. 
I think that it is important to have a plan to euthanize small animals, as well as to deal with euthanizing an equine, particularly in case of a trailer accident. I will always remember beings asked, when the road in the middle of nowhere was closed to due an accident with a horse trailer, if I had a gun . . . .
ACE can lower the seizure threshold in ANY animal, and does not really cause “sleepiness” so much as just making them . . . quiet. But in my case it was the only thing I had on hand, quiet was better than nothing, and a grand mal seizure (with subsequent loss of consciousness) wouldn’t have been the worst thing for the kitty as I was going to suffocate it anyhow. I gave the 5cc of ACE IM, in the thigh.
So, dry ice and water will kill an animal? Where can one buy dry ice? I’d like to keep some on hand.
I have pet mice, and they don’t live long. But they are PETS, and I’m not interested in seeing them die long, painful deaths.
Has anybody ever heard of using the exhaust pipe of the car? I’ve read about putting the little pet in a ziplock bag, securing it to the exhaust pipe, and letting it run a little while.
Not a pleasant topic. And I’ve not had to do this. But I want to be prepared. I’ve asked my vet if there is anything I can keep on hand (Morphine?) He said no.
Where can I get dry ice?
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