Peaceful deaths? a bit morbid maybe? read with caution :)

[MissGuardian]

Euthanasia is fairly peaceful but I find it kind of traumatic for me. The animals slip into sleep and then their hearts gradually slow down and stop. I don't like choosing who lives or dies and how sick is sick enough and it leaves me very upset.

:yeah:

 

[ChrisK]

Euthanasia is fairly peaceful but I find it kind of traumatic for me. The animals slip into sleep and then their hearts gradually slow down and stop. I don't like choosing who lives or dies and how sick is sick enough and it leaves me very upset.

:yeah:

Yes... well said..

When my we put our poor Lollipop down, it was done with two injections with a very small gauge needle. Still she screeched momentarily when she got the first needle. I can't tell you how badly I felt about that.. The rest of the process was peaceful, but what stayed with me was how much that first needle must have hurt her.

I hate having to put my beloved pets to sleep. But I would find it far worse NOT to be there for them during the process.

 

[breakthenight]

To clarify: Mine were never upset or hurt by the process of being put to sleep- It wasn't that which ended up bothering me. It was SUCH a better ending for them than the pain that they would have suffered continuing like they did. It's hard on me because you never want to be the one to make that call...Never the less I've done it over and over again to save them from suffering. Again, it helps to know they are resting in peace no matter what.

(Also as an aside, and not to make anyone feel like what they did was not best, because I am certain that it stopped a world of suffering for your baby, but it REALLY helps to have rats gassed down or given a sedative prior to the final injection. Some vets don't do this as standard so it is always good to ask before you are in a stressful situation where questioning practices flies out the window when your animal is suffering and you are having to make hard decisions. It sucks that having animals means having to make such hard choices :/.Good comes with the bad I suppose.)

 

[Joanne]

(Also as an aside, and not to make anyone feel like what they did was not best, because I am certain that it stopped a world of suffering for your baby, but it REALLY helps to have rats gassed down or given a sedative prior to the final injection. Some vets don't do this as standard so it is always good to ask before you are in a stressful situation where questioning practices flies out the window when your animal is suffering and you are having to make hard decisions. It sucks that having animals means having to make such hard choices :/.Good comes with the bad I suppose.)

My vet will gas down my ratties first if I want her to, but she also said that it may be more traumatic when the rat is in respiratory distress - they will feel like they are suffocating. In that case, it may be more humane to have a quick 'ouch' rather than the minute or so until they lose consciousness with the anaesthetic.

And just because I'm experienced with pets passing on doesn't mean I don't ball my eyes out every time!!!

 

[hopefloats]

aww I think either way stinks! To bad we cannot boycott it.

I know i have been at peace with the ones i put to sleep, I cried for days over the outcome but I knew it was best.

I strongly feel like I prefer them to go at home. Where they spent their out time, ate, had their buddies and so on. I hate the thought of fear being the last thing they remember from being in an unfamiliar place. I really want to be by them rather than at a vets office. I know I wont get that lucky all the time, I just hope that when it comes time I can let them go smoothly for that. I will say, now that I have experience a few different deaths. I like the peacefully in their sleep best. Perfect outcome to end a happy life.

 

[Joanne]

I really want to be by them rather than at a vets office.

The vets here in Nova Scotia that I have known have always let the owner be with their pet right to the end if they want to be. When I euthanized my last lovey, Jazzy, I held her when she was anesthetized, and then when she was unconscious, the vet injected her, and then I held her and snuggled her close until she died. (Then I took her home and snuggled her for a while longer until I was ready to let go...

 

[TheRatQueen]

I haven't been able to talk about the boys I lost a few weeks ago. Roosevelt had bad pneumonia, for a last ditch effort we brought him in for a breathing treatment. He got his color back and started drinking. The vet was surprised and told us to go home let him rest and bring him back in the morning for another treatment. On the way home he was crawling around acting great. Then crawled into Bryan's arms and completely stopped breathing. I just pulled over and I just couldn't stop whaling. We drive back and drop him off...go home to find Toby passed away in his sleep.

Technically they were both very peaceful deaths but I think I would rather find them curled up sleeping than them passing in my arms. It killed me to see him just in my boyfriends arms no longer moving.

 

[hopefloats]

It is hard but he sounded like he went to him for comfort at least. You can have peace with that. I know it is hard to find it but it will come to you.

Hugs to you on losing them in the same day, I lost two, two weeks apart and that was hard enough.

 

[TheRatQueen]

Yes it's been really hard. I lost my voice for almost 3 days and had such bad stress (and was taking cold meds since I made myself sick with an ear infection with the crying) I ended up in the hospital with elevated blood pressure. It was just so shocking. Toby was never sick a day in his life and was happy go lucky in the morning. It just stinks.

 

[Kibble]

When Agnes was put to sleep, she was first gassed to sleep, then the vet checked she was completely under - then, when the needle went in, she made the very softest little 'eee'. The vet was visibly horrified, which was the only upsetting part. She seemed to pass very quietly, apart from that tiny 'eee' noise. He was mumbling to himself about how the solution must have been too cold while we were cuddling her goodbye. I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole thing. It didn't even seem voluntary, but the vet was completely shocked. I was holding her while she was injected, so I'm sure she wasn't struggling. But she was only a year old, and had spent her life being completely unstopable, so perhaps it just wasn't in her nature to go gently into that good night.

 

[leescait]

I think that death usually looks worse than what the creature actually feels.

I've been with several palliative (human patients, as well as my own grandmother) while they've died . . . and it is always so horrifying for family members because you see them twitch, gasp for air, breathe irregularly, etc.

When that irregular breathing starts (fast then slow, then fast again - which is called Cheyne-Stokes), it is because there is not enough oxygen to the brain stem. Without a functioning brain stem, you are not conscious - so whether a human or a rat, they're not experiencing any sensation of pain or shortness of breath.

Getting to that point is what can be painful. The accident that causes it, the respiratory distress that has to occur for the brainstem to actually become so damaged in the first place, septic shock to cause brain stem damage, etc.

I think for me, a peaceful death includes euthanasia, anesthesia while the patient gets to the point of death (morphine depresses respiratory centres int he brain, so the sensation of being short of breath/pain isn't there), or a sudden accident causing brainstem damage so that there is a loss of sensation, and then natural death. I think that the comfort of a human there is probably only relevant to the rat before that kind of brainstem damage or sedation occurs . . . and after that, I just think that they are essentially already gone. It's more for myself that I want to stay, and it's more for myself that I hold hands and talk to dying patients who are Cheyne-Stokesing. They're not in there anymore . . . but I am and I need to feel that I offered comfort, even if rationally I know they are unaware.

That's long winded. I am taking my beloved Finnley to be PTS this afternoon so it's on my mind.

 

[hopefloats]

aww hugs to you. That is good information that you posted. It would help knowing it isnt hurting them. I know with dopey, he kinda drifted off, then he started this odd breathing an hour later so I guess he left long before. It is still difficult to witness. I dont know if I could ever be prepared for it.

 

[leescait]

If he just drifted off and didn't show any signs of pain until he started Cheyne-Stokesing, then he probably didn't have much or any pain. He didn't feel short of breath or pain or anything when he started breathing like that.

Thanks : :sad3: I'm going to miss my Finn-man so much.

 

[mamarat]

I'm so sorry leescait. :hugs: