Happens During Euthanasia?
Paige Garnett, DVM
When a pet owner has made the very difficult
decision to help his or her pet die, many questions arise regarding the actual
process of euthanasia. What exactly occurs when a pet is euthanatized? Is
the animal aware of what is happening? Is he in pain during the euthanasia
process? What does the veterinarian use to help the pet die?
The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek
terms "eu" meaning good and "thanatos" meaning death. A "good death" would
be one that occurs without pain or distress. Euthanasia is the act of producing
a humane death in an animal. In order to produce a humane death, the techniques
employed should result in rapid unconsciousness followed by cardiac or respiratory
arrest. Also, the technique should minimize any stress and anxiety experienced
by the animal prior to unconsciousness.
If the animal appears anxious or distressed when
presented for euthanasia, most veterinarians will administer a tranquilizer
or sedative prior to the actual euthanasia injection. This ensures that the
animal is restful and peaceful prior to the euthanasia. The tranquilizer may
be given with a needle under the skin or in the muscle, or with pills which
are taken orally. Generally it takes approximately 15 minutes for a tranquilizer
to help the pet relax.
Most veterinarians use an injectable drug, most
commonly pentobarbital, which is given in a vein. This barbiturate depresses
the central nervous system beginning with the cerebral cortex, the part of
the brain that determines awareness. The pet will lapse into unconsciousness,
and then progress to anesthesia (the absence of pain). With an overdose of
pentobarbital, deep anesthesia is followed by the stopping of breathing and
then by cardiac arrest.
The advantages of using a barbiturate are the
speed of action and the very minimal discomfort to the animal (the only pain
being associated with the needle puncture).
To inject the euthanasia solution, a vein is
first prepared by painlessly clipping away the hair. A needle may be inserted
directly into the vein and the euthanasia solution slowly injected, or a catheter
(a small plastic tube) may be inserted in the vein and the injection given
Most animals die quickly, within ten seconds.
Their eyes remain open and some animals urinate and defecate following death.
Some animals gasp after they have died and may even twitch. These normal,
mechanical responses can be very disconcerting to pet owners who stay with
their pets during euthanasia if the owners are not prepared in advance.
The decision for euthanasia is a difficult one,
but the actual process is painless and very quick, granting our beloved pets
a peaceful ending to their lives. Pet owners should feel free to discuss all
questions concerning the euthanasia process with their veterinarians, so that
they may be as comfortable as possible with their decisions.
This article is courtesy of the Pet Loss
Support Group of the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society.