When we euthanized our little dog, and when the vet injected the drug, our dog started screaming in pain and terror, and tried to get away. It lasted for 5 seconds. This was a much different reaction then previous times when we had to euthanize our pets, where they just slipped away peacefully and quietly. We were shocked by the way our dog reacted, screaming and in terror, then stiffening. I felt guilty because instead of passing on peacefully, he was in pain and terror. Are you sure this is a "painless" way to euthanize our pets?
Why does the dog scream and bark?
Question posted by tinajazz on 15 Oct 2013
Last updated on 4 March 2014 by lauramccartney
4 Answers
lauramccartney
4 March 2014
We had to put my puppy down last night, he would have been 2 today. He was perfectly fine, happy and healthy 4 days ago and then he suddenly got really lethargic, started throwing up and was jaundice. We took him to the 24hr animal clinic in our city and they kept him over night because he had an auto immune disorder that was attacking his platelets and he would die if he didn't get treatment. The next day he got drastically worse, he wasn't responding to the treatments and we could tell that he just felt horrible and the doctors couldn't do much more to help him. So, we decided to put him down. All he would do is lay in our laps and sleep, he would hardly open his eyes or move and he used to be an extremely active puppy so we knew he felt awful.
The vet gave him a sedative through his IV in his arm and my puppy screeched out and even jerked and tried biting at the needle, and he was instantly alert and looking around with his eyes wide and just doing a high pitched whine and wriggling in my arms. The vet thought this was extremely strange and was very apologetic to my family as well as my dog. He injected some saline solution after the sedative to see if there was an issue with the needle or if he just didn't like the feeling of being injected with something but he didn't screech or whine with the saline solution. So, we thought the sedative would have relaxed him and he could go ahead and inject the last drug. Wrong. My puppy kept his eyes closed but started the high pitched whining again when he was injecting the last drug, he stopped after a few seconds and was quiet until his heart stopped beating but it was the most heart breaking thing I've ever gone through. I felt so horrible, like he expected me to save him from this situation and comfort him and I couldn't do anything. So, I know how you must have felt because it was completely awful and heart breaking for me as I imagine it was for you. Just the shock of him getting sick and having to be put down in a matter of days and then seeing him react like that was the worst thing I've had to do. The vet was so apologetic and almost crying with us, and they treated him so well while he was staying with them and they let me come visit him multiple times during the day and night while he was staying over night there so I don't have any animosity towards the vets there. I think the medicine may have just burned going in or was really cold and it scared/shocked him. But it was still awful, I'm so sorry you had to go through the same thing as well.
sara12345
17 Oct 2013
I would take Wildcatvet's remarks to heart and NOT go to that vet again to put any of your other animals down. To say that the dog was just vocalizing is a total cop out. Maybe was afraid that you might sue them? I wouldn't go back to that vet for any reason myself. And insist on WildcatVet's suggestions another time with whoever does it.
tinajazz
17 Oct 2013
Our regular vet couldn't take him in for at least 4 days, so that's why we found a different vet who had an opening that day.
Our little dog had congestive heart failure, a collapsed trachea, and a serious infection in his nasal passages that made it hard for him to breath. He was already on four different medications for all his health problems. But the last meds weren't helping anymore, and he was just getting worse and had stopped eating. His tongue was pretty blue from the lack of oxygen in his system. We were surprised that he had lived through the night, but felt heartsick at his suffering.
So, we made the decision to find a vet who was available to euthanize him. That was a mistake, going to a vet we weren't familiar with.
sara12345
18 Oct 2013
Well if you are ever in that situation again, you can quiz the vet in advance about tranquilizing the animal first, etc. as discussed above. Too bad that your own vet couldn't take your dog for 4 days. I would also be disgusted with that vet as well. After all the visits to the vet, you would think that the vet could have fit you in, especially when the procedure is so quick.
tinajazz
19 Oct 2013
I'll have to remember that. To ask questions before taking any more pets in "to put to sleep." Thanks for your comments.
WildcatVet
15 Oct 2013
Dear Tina, I'm so very sorry about this tragic experience. As Dzoo said, it's a horrible parting memory.
This can happen on occasion because the vein is so small that the needle sometimes pierces the opposite wall of the vessel allowing a bit of the solution to seep into the surrounding tissues causing a burning sensation.
Technically, the injection should be, and usually is, painless.
Again, my sincere sympathy. WildcatVet
tinajazz
15 Oct 2013
Thanks for your kind words. I just wanted to find out if this was a normal thing that happens sometimes? The vet said that sometimes the animal would "vocalize." What they liked to call "vocalizing" was our pet screaming, barking, and trying to break away from the intense pain. I'd never seen anything like it in the previous pets we had to "put down." Why would the vet skip that first important step to make the animal relaxed and to help buffer the pain?
WildcatVet
15 Oct 2013
That I can't answer, Tina. Every veterinarian has his/her own technique, he may feel more comfortable with one pet or another, he was rushed ~ we can only speculate.
Personally, I use a *quiet* room, insist on a mild tranquilizer and I use a butterfly catheter instead of injecting directly.
I think this is pretty common nowadays. WCV
endlessPred
17 Oct 2013
Wildvet is so right for how animals are treated around here. Some of the old time farm vets can be really straight forward. The only dogs I have had to put down had cancer. They had reached the point of pain. All passed very quietly. Along with my tears.
DzooBaby
15 Oct 2013
How scary! I cant imagine how horrible that must have been for you! Usually they do pass quietly and peacefully, just going to sleep. I'm not sure what it may have been but a speculation is that I wonder if either the Vet wasnt in the vein correctly and the medication burned when he injected it? Or if the vein was a small one and the medication burned? This can happen sometimes with some of these medications. I'm sure that image is burned into your soul! I'm so sorry for you!
tinajazz
15 Oct 2013
It must have felt like liquid fire going through his little body. Previously the vets have done it in two parts. Starting with an anastesia to relax the animal and buffer the pain, then they inject the drug to put them to sleep. Normally the animal just slips away peacefully and quietly.
This vet skipped the first step and just injected the main drug. Our poor dog started screaming and barking in pain. It left me angry and shocked that our pet's last moments were filled with pain and terror.
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