Pet euthanasia tough but can be humane process

When it comes to ending the life of a suffering animal, the euthanasia process often begins with a phone call and an appointment.

“If someone calls and they’re either sure this is the pet’s time or they’re unsure, we kind of give them the option to talk with a doctor just about options available to them, [such as] if they were interested in being more aggressive with diagnostics or treatment, depending on the situation,” Sophia Nicola, lead technician at Premier Pet, said. “If they are sure this the route they want to take, we’ll get them scheduled for whatever time is convenient for them.”

Nicola said owners will later sign a euthanasia consent form and go over after-care options when the owners arrive at their appointments. Everyone is allowed to be in the room when the pet is euthanized, so they have an opportunity to say their goodbyes.

The actual process of euthanasia starts with the catheter area being shaved and then scrubbed and cleaned. Depending on the situation and condition of the pet, the catheter will be placed in a back or front leg, but the latter is often the first choice. The catheter is inserted into a vein and secured with animal-friendly tape and vet-wrap. After the catheter is flushed, the last steps are taken to ensure everything is secure.

“The process of placing the catheter is because during the process, we don’t want to be searching for a vein and to make the pet more comfortable,” Nicola said. “We don’t want to prolong the pain of the pet, either, so it does give us that stability when we have it in the vein. There’s no uncertainty.”

After the pet is brought into the vet clinic’s euthanasia room, an area set up to have a “homier” feel than the standard exam rooms, a mild sedative is injected into the catheter.

“It really just puts them to sleep, as if they were going to surgery, so they’re not in any pain and they’re still with us. They’re just not conscious,” Nicola said.

Owners are then given a bit more time to say their final farewells, before the second solution, Euthasol, is injected. After the injection takes place, the pet is checked to ensure the animal has, as many now refer to it, “cross the rainbow bridge.”

According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the vet will check for the absence of a heartbeat with a stethoscope. While involuntary muscle contractions may take place after the Euthasol has been injected, the pet will completely relax, possibly causing it to urinate or defecate, which is a normal reaction.

Pets are then placed in either a burial bag or burial box. There are several after-care options people can choose, including private cremation or taking the animal home to be buried, as well as taking a clay paw print of the pet.

Nicola said she does not think people are doing the wrong thing when it comes to euthanasia, as there is only so much that can be done with diagnostics and treatment, and the owners know their pets best.

“For a lot of people, their pets are like their children. I personally don’t have any children, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to have this pet for 15, 16, even 20-plus years, and having to say goodbye to them and not having them around,” Nicola said. “I mean, it’s extremely difficult, and if we can offer them compassion and empathy, making this process just a small amount easier, then I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”

Jodie Garrett, a vet technician at the Animal Medical Center in Muskogee, said that when it comes to euthanasia for larger animals, such as horses and cattle, the most humane form is through a gunshot administered to the head. Garrett said they do not typically do this form of euthanasia for horses, as they often administer Euthasol into the jugular.

“We administer the medication, hold onto the horses [halter] and everybody clears the horse, and try to lay it down quietly, but obviously, when you have 1,000-pound animal, usually they just drop, and that’s typically it,” Garrett said. “Sometimes you have to administer more because it doesn’t always go quickly with horses.”

She said they don’t usually sedate horses because it will slow down their hearts, making it take longer for the animal to pass. Large animal euthanasias can be done on the property of clinics, in trailers – depending on the size of the animal – or on the owner’s property.

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