Foo - Putting pets down.

I’m not trying to be insensitive here, I know a couple foosters have just been here and done this.

Me personally, I can’t stomach the idea of taking a pet to the vet to end its life. The way I see it, us earth inhabiting creatures only get one life and one death, and I couldn’t take one of my pets to his or her least favorite place to have them killed.

I’m not saying I’d rather let them suffer. I just can’t handle the idea of a vet killing one of my pets. I’d rather shoot them myself outside, avoiding some stranger ending their life. I figure I’d owe them better then that. Painless, and no last stressful vet trip for my beloved pet.

I don’t want to debate, these things are very personal decisions. I just want to know what all us foosters believe about this individually. For the record, I never did have to put down any of my pets, those that have died did so either naturally of old age or in surgery.

I would never want to kill my own pet. I much prefer the vet.

I think it's more that not many have the stomach to "Ol' Yeller" their own dog.

I don't want to see the damage that would occur to my pet. I think that would hurt me more. It's already hard as it is to make such a decision but to inflict more damage........I dunno.

My pup was close to dying. Can you imagine pointing a gun at her face??
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I’m not trying to be insensitive here, I know a couple foosters have just been here and done this.

Me personally, I can’t stomach the idea of taking a pet to the vet to end its life. The way I see it, us earth inhabiting creatures only get one life and one death, and I couldn’t take one of my pets to his or her least favorite place to have them killed.

I’m not saying I’d rather let them suffer. I just can’t handle the idea of a vet killing one of my pets. I’d rather shoot them myself outside, avoiding some stranger ending their life. I figure I’d owe them better then that. Painless, and no last stressful vet trip for my beloved pet.

I don’t want to debate, these things are very personal decisions. I just want to know what all us foosters believe about this individually. For the record, I never did have to put down any of my pets, those that have died did so either naturally of old age or in surgery.

The process for our last dog was a big dose of sedative to ease the stress of the vet visit, followed by the actual euthanizing agent.

So your last memory of your dog is of him/her peacefully falling asleep in your arms, or of you shooting them. I'll take the former, thanks.

My cocker spaniel curled up on my lap and slowly passed out from the sedatives as I stroked his head. I didn't even notice he had stopped breathing until the vet came back into the room and pronounced him.

I could never point my gun at any dog, let alone mine.

I don't want to see the damage that would occur to my pet. I think that would hurt me more. It's already hard as it is to make such a decision but to inflict more damage........I dunno.

My pup was close to dying. Can you imagine pointing a gun at her face??
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As I said, I don't want to debate, only know people views. Thanks to those of you who are sharing them.

Me personally, I would opt for a 12 gauge to the brain stem. Instant and painless. Plus the pet would never have to see it coming.

Having seen both options - I'm with DrPete - the vet all the way.

I understand not wanting to take them to their least favorite place at the end. I wouldn't want to spend my last moments in the hospital, either. But taking them out "behind the shed" and ending their lives myself would make me feel worse than losing them in the first place. I'm not a big fan of killing things in general, and doing so to a pet, which has been a part of the family for so many years, would just be way off the charts.

When one of my aunt's cats was dying of cancer (or maybe it was feline leukemia), she had a vet come to her house to put him down. I think that's probably the best balance, at least to me.

The process for our last dog was a big dose of sedative to ease the stress of the vet visit, followed by the actual euthanizing agent.

So your last memory of your dog is of him/her peacefully falling asleep in your arms, or of you shooting them. I'll take the former, thanks.

That's been the process for the last 3 pets we've euthanized. It's the way to go & I hope my end is as peaceful, surrounded by family & caring people.

Me personally, I would opt for a 12 gauge to the brain stem. Instant and painless. Plus the pet would never have to see it coming.


how do you know that?....many animals...including humans have been shot in the head (with shot guns) and suffered long....what if the dog jumps last second and you graze him....he takes off running and his last view in life it the only on he loves chasing him around shooting at him.


yeah that's way better than the vet giving him a sedative with him on your lap telling him it's ok....


good choice...

how do you know that?....many animals...including humans have been shot in the head (with shot guns) and suffered long....what if the dog jumps last second and you graze him....he takes off running and his last view in life it the only on he loves chasing him around shooting at him.

yeah that's way better than the vet giving him a sedative with him on your lap telling him it's ok....

good choice...

My thoughts exactly.

how do you know that?....many animals...including humans have been shot in the head (with shot guns) and suffered long....what if the dog jumps last second and you graze him....he takes off running and his last view in life it the only on he loves chasing him around shooting at him.


yeah that's way better than the vet giving him a sedative with him on your lap telling him it's ok....


good choice...

I don't want to get gross, so I'll just say it sounds to me like you've never seen an animal that got shot in the head with a high brass 12 gauge slug.

As I said, I don't want to debate, only know people views. Thanks to those of you who are sharing them.

Me personally, I would opt for a 12 gauge to the brain stem. Instant and painless. Plus the pet would never have to see it coming.

Okay. You come remove the body and clean the mess then. No debate. I just don't want to do it. It would hurt too much.

I don't want to get gross, so I'll just say it sounds to me like you've never seen an animal that got shot in the head with a high brass 12 gauge slug.

Have fun with that being your last memory of Scruffy.

I grew up and still live on a working farm. Sometimes you end up being your own vet. It's a lot harder to do it yourself than have someone else play the part of the grim reaper.

Crash, it your animal can run, it's not yet it's time.

Have fun with that being your last memory of Scruffy.

Seriously...

I'm not saying its fun and easy.

I'm just saying I feel thats what I owe my pets.

Again, I don't want to debate. I just want to know how you guys feel.

I'd be ok with it, but how do you deal with cleanup/burial?

I suppose if you do it out in the woods or in a field or something, you don't really have to cleanup.

I grew up and still live on a working farm. Sometimes you end up being your own vet. It's a lot harder to do it yourself than have someone else play the part of the grim reaper.

Crash, it your animal can run, it's not yet it's time.


Ummmmmmm. Good point. :o

Again, I don't want to debate. I just want to know how you guys feel.

Uhh, that doesn't make much sense. Do you mean "I don't want you guys to disagree, i want you to agree."

I've had to put down two dogs and a horse myself...if given the choice I'd much rather have had a Vet do it using drugs with me there to talk em into the next life...the memories are much better that way.

Michigander, I understand your point, but I couldn't do that.

I had enough trouble emotionally taking my dog to the Vet for the last time. I could never bring myself to shoot my pet.

Crash, it your animal can run, it's not yet it's time.

Exactly. Only an idiot would kill a pet that could jump around.

As others have already said, the vet doing it is very calm, peaceful and serene. In addition, in my case anyway, our vet is a husband and wife team who are the most gentle, caring, compassionate people I know. All three times we've had pets put down by them they and some of their staff cried almost as hard as we did.

Exactly. Only an idiot would kill a pet that could jump around.

So the ability to jump around somehow excludes the possibility of a terminal condition? Fascinating.

So the ability to jump around somehow excludes the possibility of a terminal condition? Fascinating.

Once again, I don't want to debate.

As far as I've seen, a terminally ill pet thats still mobile will have some life left in it. I figure prescription narcotic pain killers are a good option in such a case.

Exactly. Only an idiot would kill a pet that could jump around.


:mad: yeah...you're right....it's absolutly inconcievable that if a dog was on his death bed and you blasted a 12 guage off next to his head that he wouldn't run....adrenaline....willl to live...yeah those go out the door in your world huh?

I have seen what a shot gun can do...i grew up hunting from a very young age...and have had the distinct pleasure to see humans shot up....so don't assume that because i don't agree with your debate, cause that's what you've turned this into, i am uniformed or ignorant in the ways of offing animals or what they are capable of even in a very weakened and sick state.

Mine was shot. I heard the shot. Didn't see it. Didn't even know it was coming. I was thankful.

How is it respectful and humane to splatter an animals guts or brains out with a gun in your backyard, that sounds like something out of the 1800s.

As far as I've seen, a terminally ill pet thats still mobile will have some life left in it. I figure prescription narcotic pain killers are a good option in such a case.

Yes, they are--combined with a sedative/hypnotic, in a dose sufficient to cause respiratory arrest.

I love the "I don't want to debate" line--makes it easy to keep believing you're doing the right thing and saves you all that pesky thinking business.

I had to have our dog, Jack put down a few years ago. He'd had an extremely long life and this was after his 4th stroke and was paralyzed except for one paw. He couldn't eat or drink anymore. It was bar none, one of the worst experiences of my life. We haven't even been able to think about another dog. I had the vet do it. The biggest thing I remember about it was seeing profound gratitude in his eyes as he went to sleep. My wife and I never had kids, so Jack was a substitute.

I had a girlfriend some years ago that had an Irish Setter that was up there in the years and in failing health. Her best friend was a vet who agreed to come to her house to perform the "procedure". My GF wanted me to hold the dog as she could not bear the thought of watching. Since I was the trusted one I agreed to hold the dog as the injections were givin to the dog. If you want to know what the dog did before his final breath then read on. If you do not want to know then quit here. i am only telling this because after this procedure I told myself I would NEVER have any pet put to sleep.






Immediately aftre the first injection the dog started to wimper and shake uncontrollably. He knew, I think, that this was the end. The heartbeat got faster and faster. He never tried to bite the vet but he tried running but I was holding him and his hip dysplacia prevented that. The wimpering became worse and breathing more labored as another injection was given. I do not know what. I was just the boyfriend don't forget. The Setter became more nevous and the shaking became much more intense. I could feel the heartbeat get less and less until he became a lifeless shell in my arms. I finished wrapping him in his blanket the GF had left for me and carried him into the backyard to his final spot under the oak trees.



After seeing all this I wondered to myself that the dog knew what was going to happen. He did not fight like I said, but he was scared of the unknown, just like us humans. Sorry if anyone thinks this cruel, but I thought nothing of it before this episode as far as putting down a pet. After this, No Thanks.

How is it respectful and humane to splatter an animals guts or brains out with a gun in your backyard, that sounds like something out of the 1800s.

Hey wasn't it you who stepped on that poor cockroach??

YOU MURDERER!!!

And then you left his flat little body on the pavement for all to see..............*shakes head*

Crash, when my cat was dying, he spent his last weeks outside, sitting on the grass sleeping. If you don't think I could without question at point blank kill a resting animal with one shot from a shot gun, or even a .22 if I wanted, I guess we'll call that a difference of opinion. That isn't the point. Even if my pet did end up seeing it coming, I would prefer that to taking them to the vet.

I've seen what guns do to people too, not from combat experience, just suicides and a ME's office visit which included 2 murder victims. But we are talking about pets.

Hey wasn't it you who stepped on that poor cockroach??

YOU MURDERER!!!

And then you left his flat little body on the pavement for all to see..............*shakes head*
Nope not me. Nahuh. Never. I would never harm a living thing.

Oh wait, cockroaches aren't living things. They are green juice filled pests. YUCK. :eek:

It was white, not green remember? Looked like marshmallow.

Which ride was this on? I was probably staring at your pretty face, so I can't recall anything that happened. :rolleyes:

:D

I would never want to kill my own pet. I much prefer the vet.

Is it just me or did Jsharr just say he would prefer to kill the vet instead of his pet. :eek:

In many states, this is a moot point - it is illegal to kill your own pet.

The idea of taking them to a place that is stressful to them (vet) is a good point but I don't want to shoot them either. Are there other options? Some kind of sedative administered at home maybe?

The idea of taking them to a place that is stressful to them (vet) is a good point but I don't want to shoot them either. Are there other options? Some kind of sedative administered at home maybe?

X136 mentioned vets making house calls.

I would never shoot a vet either, CRTreedude, but I can see as how you could get confused about anything that I post.

Well, we just aren't sure sometimes jsharr....

When my wife's first cat was ill, we took him to the vet to find out what was wrong with him. His ailments precluded treatment, as attempting to treat one issue would exacerbate the other, and vice versa. Having already discussed it between each other, we asked the vet about euthanasia. He replied that if it were his cat, that's what he'd do. We agreed to have Dirk put to sleep. The vet left, then returned with two syringes and asked if either of us had been around a pet that had been euthanized. We were aghast that he was going to do it right then and there with us in the room. We had already said our goodbyes to Dirk, and he'd stopped being himself before we took him to the vet. We stated that we didn't want to be in the room with him when it happened. He was shocked to hear that, but asked an assistant to come in to be with Dirk while we settled up the bill.

When the time comes for our other three cats, we'll do the same thing (unless they die in their sleep or while we're not home).

Besides, living in Downtown Dallas precludes us from taking them out back and shooting them.

X136 mentioned vets making house calls.

Sorry, obviously should have read closer.

I wonder how common that is? Not very I would guess.

Sorry, obviously should have read closer.

I wonder how common that is? Not very I would guess.

I'd think many if not most vets would do it. Unusual or not, it's a reasonable idea.

I don't think I could do it....I've hunted and killed animals in the field (including a PB on a deer that was laying on the ground but not dead from a chain of events that lead to a bad shot...namely me getting hit by an icicle), but this is totally different.

The deer, I had no attatchment to. my pets, I had plenty of attatchment to.

I would make it a point to make death as painless as possible, which means I would probably leave it up to the vet. If it was something where it was obvious the pet was going to die before a vet could even be contacted, I would probably have to make a very tough decision right there.....no guns though.

I had a girlfriend some years ago that had an Irish Setter that was up there in the years and in failing health. Her best friend was a vet who agreed to come to her house to perform the "procedure". My GF wanted me to hold the dog as she could not bear the thought of watching. Since I was the trusted one I agreed to hold the dog as the injections were givin to the dog. If you want to know what the dog did before his final breath then read on. If you do not want to know then quit here. i am only telling this because after this procedure I told myself I would NEVER have any pet put to sleep.






Immediately aftre the first injection the dog started to wimper and shake uncontrollably. He knew, I think, that this was the end. The heartbeat got faster and faster. He never tried to bite the vet but he tried running but I was holding him and his hip dysplacia prevented that. The wimpering became worse and breathing more labored as another injection was given. I do not know what. I was just the boyfriend don't forget. The Setter became more nevous and the shaking became much more intense. I could feel the heartbeat get less and less until he became a lifeless shell in my arms. I finished wrapping him in his blanket the GF had left for me and carried him into the backyard to his final spot under the oak trees.



After seeing all this I wondered to myself that the dog knew what was going to happen. He did not fight like I said, but he was scared of the unknown, just like us humans. Sorry if anyone thinks this cruel, but I thought nothing of it before this episode as far as putting down a pet. After this, No Thanks.

I would hope...and from having to put down a couple of pets in my day, that this is an exception, perhaps an allergic reaction, still sad though, i think we can all agree that there is no "humane" way to put an animal down, they all have draw backs, the biggest one being losing a close friend.

Vet. Unless the animal was suffering and I couldn't get him/her to the vet right away, then I wouldn't prolong it.

But I don't think you can say it's "painless". If, using your example of a 12 ga to the spinal cord, the brain lives on for a while until it's starved for O2. Maybe there's no pain, but there's still awareness. Shot to the head? Who can say? I suspect it hurts like hell in the few seconds before the aminal dies if they do, in fact, die right away.

If it's just you, and you're OK with that memory, great. Add kids to the equation and you're being cruel to them, if not the animal.

Besides, unless it is just old age, I'm probably going to take the animal to the vet to see if they can be treated before making that final call. That's what happened with our cocker last summer, though I was 99% sure going in there wasn't anything they were going to be able to do.

Add to that the fact that if I did that to my wife's dog... well, I'd probably be calling Snowy to see if she needed a roommate!